Last year was a busy one for the High-Income Business Writing podcast and blog!
By my count, we published about 25 podcast episodes and articles (each!) last year.
In those episodes and articles, we covered all kinds of topics, ranging from finding clients to scaling your business to staying motivated and productive.
A big thank you to all my podcast guests. I couldn’t do it without you!
And, of course, a big thank you to all my readers and listeners. I hope you’ve enjoyed this material and used it to push your businesses forward.
If you happened to have missed an article or episode, I invite you to use the new year to get caught up.
Below, I’ve put together a list of our top ranked podcasts and articles from 2018 to get you started.
Top 5 Podcast Episodes
#149: How to Start Prospecting for Clients When You’re New
One of the most confusing and frustrating aspects of launching your freelance writing or copywriting business is looking for clients.
Fortunately, you do NOT have to have a background in sales, marketing or business in general to do this well. But you do need a plan and a heavy dose of discipline and execution.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Why tapping your network is the most powerful method of finding new business
- How to write a warm email
- How to follow up with non-respondents
- Why you need to nurture not-yet-ready prospects.
#147: How to Position Yourself as an Expert (without Feeling Like a Fraud)
As your business grows, it’s important that you begin attracting prospects and building your authority.
But how can you create content that will have prospects knocking on your door?
Guest Josh Haynam is skilled at writing helpful content that builds authority and generates quality client leads — without pretending that you’re something you’re not!
In this episode you’ll learn:
- How many projects you need to complete to become a mini-expert
- How to structure your writing so that it feels less daunting
- Where to find ideas for your articles
- How to pitch guest articles.
#158: A Quick Peek at What Six-Figure Writers Do Differently
I’ve had a lot of conversations with coaching clients and peers who’ve reached the six-figure income level.
It’s become clear to me that the attitude, mindset, habits, routines and strategies that this group uses to increase their income can be applied by anyone. They aren’t something you have to be born with. They can be learned.
In fact, you’re probably already doing a lot of these things. But the difference lies in doing more of these things and applying them more consistently.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- How six-figure writers position themselves
- What they do to stay productive and focused
- Why standards are an important part of their success.
#157: A Powerful 3-Step Process for LinkedIn Outreach
LinkedIn has quickly become one of the most effective marketing tools for writers and copywriters.
But one of the downsides of this popular platform is that it can feel overwhelming. And overwhelm can quickly lead to inaction and frustration.
Guest Chrissie Wywrot is a LinkedIn expert. She works with her clients to improve their LinkedIn profile and strategy, as well as their online brand, to establish them as experts in their field.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- How to improve your LinkedIn profile
- Why natively published content is important on LinkedIn
- How to get people to accept your connection request
#145: Conversational Copywriting with Nick Usborne
Nick Usborne has written copy for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Citibank, Apple, Chrysler, MSN.com, New York Times, WebEx, the U.S. Navy and others.
He’s the real deal. And he attributes much of his success to a copywriting approach he’s defined as “conversational copywriting.”
Conversational copywriting isn’t what you think. It goes well beyond the “write like you talk” advice we’ve all heard before.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- What is conversational copywriting
- Why conversational copywriting has become increasingly important
- How to write more conversational copy.
Top 5 Articles
5 Creative Ways to Formulate Your Elevator Pitch
Even in today’s world of electronic communications, elevator pitches remain an important part of every freelance writer’s networking efforts.
But after hearing a half-dozen elevator pitches, they all start to blend together.
But by applying a bit of creativity (and a dose of experimentation), you can craft an elevator pitch that you’ll feel comfortable delivering—and that will help keep the conversation going.
In this article you’ll learn:
- How to start your elevator pitch
- Different ways to structure your elevator pitch
- How to send the conversation back to the other person.
Why an Index Card is the Key to Keeping Your Prospecting on Track
If you’re like most semi-established freelance writers, you’ve probably spent some time thinking about what you need to do to find new clients.
And you might have even mapped out what prospecting strategies to adopt and how to schedule them into your week.
But somehow the transition from planning your prospecting to getting it DONE hasn’t happened yet.
What you might be missing is a constant, visual reminder of the plans you’ve made. Which you can do with a simple index card.
In this article you’ll learn:
- How to use an index card as a visual reminder of your prospecting
- What to record on your index card
- What to use as a timeframe.
Making the Mental Shift from Technician to Entrepreneur
If you’ve launched a freelance writing business, there’s a good chance that you have some confidence in your writing skills.
Otherwise, you would have chosen some other line of business.
But even though you’re a good writer, that doesn’t make you a good entrepreneur.
In this article you’ll learn:
- How to figure out your big WHAT
- How to get better clarity on your big WHY
- How your core values can shift your perspective.
How Freelancing Helps You Develop a Critical Life Skill
Freelance work has two aspects: “hunting” and “cooking.”
Hunting is finding the work. Cooking is doing the work.
Most freelance writers are good “cooks.” They’re good writers. They’re smart and willing to learn. They’re reasonably confident in their ability to research and put together a case study, blog post or other piece of content.
But when it comes to “hunting,” things start to fall apart for many freelance writers.
In this article you’ll learn:
- Why “hunting” is scary for so many writers
- How to “hunt” successfully
- How “hunting” skills can help you in other aspects of your life and business.
4 Freelance Writers Describe How They Tapped Their Networks to Find Business Fast
Newish freelancers often ask me where they should focus their marketing efforts.
When I get this question, my response is always the same: Tap your network.
Tapping your network is by far the most powerful (and underutilized!) method of drumming up new business.
In this article, I illustrate the power of tapping your network by sharing the experiences of four freelancers who used their networks to find new business—often when they needed it most.
In this article you’ll learn:
- How Saida Boujemaaoui used her family connections to land clients
- How Kit Brown-Hoekstra used her colleagues to get work as a subcontractor
- How Lorena Bueno Lobl used her acquaintances to land new projects
- How Tennile Cooper used friend connections to land a retainer client.
By the way … whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you grow your freelance business:
1. Grab a free copy of my new book for writers who are NEW to freelancing.
It’s called “The 3 Magic Levers: How to Get Your Writing Business Off the Ground and Land Your First Paying Client.” — Click Here
2. Download a free copy of my book for ESTABLISHED writers/copywriters.
You’ll discover how to quickly and predictably reawaken dead leads, generate new client opportunities and convert not-yet-ready prospects into freelance writing clients. — Click Here
3. Join our “Get Better Clients Academy”
You’ll get a personalized action plan based on where you are today in your business. Plus all the tools, scripts, checklists, cheat sheets and templates you’ll need to escape feast-or-famine … grow your income … and land clients who love and respect you. — Click Here
4. Get your website DONE!
If you’ve been struggling to get your website done … or if you’re not happy with what you’ve got today… let my team and me build you a beautiful website for your writing business. We’ll do all the hard work! Email me at [email protected] … put “WEBSITE” in the subject line … and I’ll reply with the details.
