Writing With Purpose

If you want to really motivate a copywriter, just mention the word free and you have their attention.

The contest of yesterday is ALREADY over! Wow! That was quick! But, never fear.

A message to all members of The Copywriters Business Network
What a wonderful response to the most recent contest on The Copywriters Business Network! The first six people to write a form article/blog post are:

• Therese Pope
• Nichole Bazemore
• Patti Pearson
• Andy Havens
• Beverly Bergman
• Veronica Davis
I originally said we would award five winners, but two members posted within seconds of each other, so to be fair, we made it 6.

Thanks to everyone who participated, but especially to our contest winners for their excellent insights into the world of copywriting.

Therese, Nichole, Patti, Andy, Veronica and Beverly each win a free copy of The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle.

Winners, please forward your mailing address to Victoria@TheConfidentCopywriter.com if you have not already done so, and I’ll send the book out asap.

Future contests will offer network members opportunities to win valuable books, software, and other prizes in exchange for contributing to the site. If you like winning free things, and you didn’t make it in time for this content…you’ll get your chance! But you’ve got to pay attention

All you have to do, in order to have a chance of winning a contest and getting something valuable for copywriters in return is join The Copywriters Business Network. You have nothing to lose and much to gain in knowledge, potential back links, and occasional free stuff.

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Are you up for a contest for copywriters? If so, I have a good deal for you. You can win a free book for30-60 minutes of your time.

If you are a member of The Confident Copywriters Business Network, you should give this contest a shot. Not only will you win a free book, if you qualify, you will also get a free plug for your business or Website.

Check it Out!:

The Copywriters Business Network
Promoting the Business of Freelance Copywriting
A message to all members of The Copywriters Business Network
The Copywriters Business Network is very excited to announce…

WE’VE REACHED 100 MEMBERS!

To thank you for your support, we’re holding a quick contest.

I have on my desk right now 5 copies of the hottest book on the planet:

The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle.

And I want to send you a copy for FREE!

All you have to do is jump on The Network and write a copywriting-related article in the Forum section (Click Forum, Click Add a Discussion, and Start Typing!)

Remember:
I only have 5 copies to give away.

So if you really want it, act FAST!

Your article must be between 400 and 500 words, and must be about copywriting.

All the standards rules of article writing and decency apply.

This contest ends Friday, March 26th.

Employees and subcontractors of Victoria Ipri,The Confident Copywriter or OneStopSEOShop are not eligible to participate.

Winning participants will receive one (1) copy of the book described at no cost,
sent via postal mail.

To receive the book, winning participants must provide postal mail address in writing at Victoria@TheConfidentCopywriter.com.

Although I am a member, I am also a subcontractor. So, I do not qualify. But, maybe you do! So, give it a shot. You never know; and, I hear the book is really good!

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As freelance writers today, we are up against a lot of competition. When I started 4 years ago, there wasn’t that many of us out there, and it was a lot easier to find work. On the downside, help to get started was in short supply.

When I first started as a copywriter, my only claim to fame was the ability to write. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.

I was fortunate in finding clients that were willing to let me learn, and they had a lot to teach me. But, I still felt all alone, sitting in my living room, with no co-workers or colleagues to share ideas with or ask questions.

Victoria Ipri

As a copywriter, she knows how difficult it can be to get help, get known, and really make it as a successful freelance writer. So, she has provided some amazing perks for becoming a member, and it is all FREE!

As a member, you can:

You really should see for yourself. Think of what it can do to help you grow your business. Talk to other copywriters and find out their secrets to success.

I am a member. Will you become one? All you have to do is click here.

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My goodness! How time flies, even if you aren’t exactly having fun! I can’t believe I have neglected my blog for a week! But, during my regular freelancing work-the kind the pays-I came across blogs that looked exactly like mine. Darn! I want something that is new and fresh and doesn’t look like the same old thing. Unfortunately, I spent an hour I didn’t have time for looking at hundreds, if not thousands of themes. Which begs the question: how do you choose the best theme for your copywriting/freelance writing business?

It may seem like an inconsequential question. But, think about it. First impressions mean a lot. If you are going to help your fellow freelancers with your blog information, or if you are going to use the blog to represent your business and garner new clients, you need to have a professional look. You need to look as good as you write.

Therefore, it is probably not good to have a site that is too:

Well, I think you get my drift. You want something that is clean and clear. Unfortunately, as I was looking for a change in my blog design, I must admit I am sorely disappointed in the fact that 90% of everything is gray. Now, professional is one thing. Downright Drab is another. You also want something that catches the eye of the reader, so they will want to stay and see what you have to say.

Those are my thoughts on the subject. How about you? When you read someone’s blog, and you expect them to be knowledgeable in their field, what do you look for in an attractive website?

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Every time I sit down to write a post, I try to think of something helpful, a current issue, or a topic that simply might be of interest. As you can tell, I have dropped the ball in the last couple of weeks. I got busy and the blog took the back burner. I need to be better about that. Once I get a few readers that are brave enough to make comments or ask questions, then I can write about exactly what you want to know.

For those of you that don’t know, the terms freelance writing and copywriting are basically the same thing. In most cases, you and I will be writing copy that it meant to sell someone a product, an idea, or a passion.

Today, I was reading an article by another copywriter, and the last sentence is what intrigued me the most: “Now, go sell ice cream to Eskimos”. How cool is that! (pun intended).

She had some really good advice for people that want to become better freelance writers/copywriters. I want to share parts of it with you:

Now in the 5 years I’ve been in this business I’ve read a LOT of copy and written quite a bit as well. Most of it sucks. Certain things sell plain and simple and it’s aparent a lot of people don’t know what they are. . . So how do we get that emotion and feelings involved in our copy?

To effectively bring emotion into our copy we’re typically going to lean towards using a lot more words that involve the senses. Do you know what the primary senses that most people operate by? Did you know if you speak to these senses, all of them, you’re going to connect with most people better? Here is a list of the big 3 senses that most people run through the world with:

Feeling
Audio
Visual
Take a look at those and digest them for a minute. Sure there is more senses then that but most people use these to reference the world. You’ll find certain people stronger towards one then the other. Listen to the language people use when you’re talking with them. I bet after a bit once you get and accute ear you’ll be able to pickup what someones dominant sense is. And get this did you know that men and women are different? Hhahahah of course. Here’s a short cut to get you started with what to focus one depending on what sex you’re writing for.

Most men are strong on the Visual sense. They’re going to say things like: I see what you’re talking about. I can definately picture what you’re saying. When you’re selling to men the more visual you can make your pitch in your copy the more you’re going to connect and the more emotion you’re going to bring out. On an interesting topic when it comes to something that sexually arouses someone guess what men go for? Is it the penthouse forum magazine with the emotional stories? Now of course not it’s the visual picture stimulus.

So have you guessed what drives most women? If you haven’t it’s pretty easy “Feeling”. Think heartfelt stories on lifetime movie network.

So lets take a couple of these ideas and put them into play on some short snippets of copy. We’ll start with a statement like:

“I was in so much debt I didn’t know what to do.”

This sounds pretty bland right but it’s not really touching on any sense or emotions. There’s honestly nothing to pull anyone in. But lets take this and write it for a strong visual sensing person:

“Every day I closed my eyes as I opened the door beacuse i knew I’d see the stacks of bills sitting there piling up to the ceiling.”

How about one for a strong audio sensing person:

“everytime the heard the mail slot open all i could say to myself was, I don’t want to look, because I knew exactly what was there.”

And one last one for for the feeling people:

“I used to cringe every day stewing over all those bills piling up and weighing on me.”

Pretty cool huh. Which one did you connect with the most?

The ideal copy weaves between all these senses almost like a web. The more you can hit on each of the sense types the more you’re going to connect with each type of person. If you’re going to be targeting one sex more specifically I’d highly suggest going about double on the keywords tha appeal to them.

As a teacher, I always told students to be as descriptive as possible. Do not say empty words like “things”, when you can describe what those are, with the power of your words. The same can be said for freelance writers/copywriters. You have great power in your words. Use them! Who knows who you can sell ice cream to, or anything else for that matter?

You can even sell yourself and what you do for your clients on a daily basis.

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Freelance writers getting paid what they are worth seems to be a thing of the past-or is it? Of course, when you are first starting out, you cannot ask for the same price as a copywriter that has been in the business for years and built up a clientèle. But, you do not have to subject yourself to slave labor either.

Lincoln Abolished Slavery

Lincoln abolished slavery a long time ago. Unfortunately, when you begin to bid for projects, you will find buyers that want a lot of something for nothing. I have often come across jobs posted offering $1 for 500 words.

I do not know about you; but, in order to do justice to an entire page of writing, including light research, it takes me at least 30-60 minutes. Be honest! Can you afford to feed your family and live on $2 an hour? Of course NOT!

When you come across jobs like that pass them buy. If you are desperate enough to take those low paying projects, the buyer knows he/she can take advantage of you. Do not panic! Take you time. Use all of the resources available that I have mentioned in this blog. Go to the various sites on my blog roll. Have a look around. See what other freelance writers are doing. Find out where they are getting work.

Value your Freedom

One of the nice aspects of freelance writing is the chance to be your own boss. You have the freedom to work at home, plan your schedule around your lifestyle, and be there for your family. Do not let some greedy person take that away from you. Let individuals that live in other countries, with English as their second language take those low paying jobs! The buyer will more often than not get lousy copy in return.

Meanwhile, you are taking the time to develop a good client base. As you grow in experience, your buyers will keep coming back, because they know the quality writing that you provide. As you help their businesses flourish, you can raise your rates and your faithful will gladly pay, because you are worth it!

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Are you freelancing full-time from home and self-employed? If so, then you could probably use some helpful links to assist your business, and you personally. I want to recommend the Copywriters Business Network as a great source of information. In fact, it will soon have some helpful links to sites that can provide you with products like insurance, bookkeeping software, and so much more.

The Copywriters Business Network

The founders of the Copywriters Business Network started the site a couple of months ago, in order to give freelance writers/copywriters a place to go, in order to promote themselves, get helpful information, find products and services that are beneficial to the work-at-home individual.

However, the main purpose is to have a place we can go, where we can all talk to each other, and find out what works and what does not. We can also communicate with other writers from around the world. It is a site dedicated to helping each other out.

Personally, I signed up. When I started freelancing, there was nothing like this out there. I was basically on my own. I appreciate the idea of developing a community, where we can talk about aspects of our work that the average person will never understand. So, check it out. Tell me what you think.

Do you have other helpful sources or information that will help us all become better freelance writers?

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