nick usborne's blog

Why now is the time to carve out a profitable new niche as a freelance online copywriter.

On Tuesday April 19th, I’ll be giving a free teleconference call on the opportunities for freelance copywriters who want to work online.

Budgets are shrinking in the world of traditional print and broadcast copywriting. Most of that money is now being spent online – on websites, emails, enewsletters, social media and online advertising.

According to Forrester Research, 60% of companies are increasing their online marketing budgets simply by taking that money out of their offline budgets.

So if you plan on making a living as a freelance copywriter over the years and decades ahead, it makes sense to go where the money is flowing...online.

However, you can’t simply take your offline copywriting skills and then set up shop as an online copywriter.

Copywriting online requires a quite different skill set.

And that’s what Tuesday’s teleconference call is all about.

Here are just some of the questions I’ll be answering.

- In which ways is being an online copywriter different from being an offline copywriter?

- How much are companies now spending on marketing and advertising online?

- What kind of work can freelance online copywriters expect to be given?

- Which are the most profitable types of online copywriting work?

- As a freelance online copywriter, how do you to set about finding clients? What are the best approaches and strategies?

- Do both B2C and B2B companies outsource work to online copywriters?

- What steps should you take to establish yourself as a freelance online copywriter?

If you would like to know the answers to those questions, and more, register for Tuesday’s call. It’s free, but you do need to register.

 

Make more money as a freelancer, without working any harder.

A while back I wrote to you about my program, Profitable Freelancing.

I announced a special launch price...which was planned to expire last week.

Well, those plans changed. The low price is still good, until this Friday August 6th.

What is Profitable Freelancing?

In a nutshell, it’s a program I wrote to help freelancers earn a lot more money, without having to work any harder.

The default setting for most freelancers is to prospect for work, do the work, bill for the work...and then repeat.

It’s hard work. It’s like piece work, even if the pay per job is pretty good.

The moment you stop prospecting, your income dries up.

It’s like being on a never-ending treadmill.

Over the last 15 years I have been taking some serious steps to transform my freelance job in to something quite different – a freelance BUSINESS.

The outcome?

- I am earning more, but not working harder.

- When I’m on vacation, the money keeps coming in.

- When I accept work, I earn more per engagement than I used to.

What I have developed is a much better way of freelancing.

And don’t worry – this system isn’t just for “gurus”. The system works for any freelancer, whether you are just starting out or have been doing this for decades.

If you find the life of a freelancer stressful sometimes, or feel disappointed by the income you are making so far...please follow my lead and build a better freelance business for yourself.

It’s not hard to do. And I would be happy to show you how.

The regular price for the program?  $297.

Get it before the end of day on Friday August 6th, and it’s yours for just $197.

Learn more about Profitable Freelancing.

After all, who wouldn’t want to earn a lot more...without having to work any harder?

 

 

Deadline extended to save $100 on my program, "Profitable Freelancing".

The original deadline was yesterday. But it has now been extended to Friday, August 6th.

What is Profitable Freelancing?

It’s a self-study program for freelancers – whether you are just starting out or have been freelancing for years.

It’s about making a lot more money, without having to work any harder.

It’s about replacing your freelance job as a piece worker, and instead building a far more profitable freelance BUSINESS.

It’s about finding better clients who value your work, and pay you more.

It’s about developing additional streams of income which will bring in money while you’re off on vacation.

In a sense, it’s “Nick in a box”. What you get with this program is the most valuable tips and strategies I have shared with my one-on-one coaching clients over the last few years.

If you sometimes feel like a hamster in a wheel...running and running, and afraid to stop...this program is for you.

Most freelancers struggle to make a decent income.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Profitable Freelancing will show you how to earn more, and work less.

Get it now, before the $100 discount offer really does expire...

 

 

Thinking of becoming an online copywriter? Here is a sneak peek at the outline of my upcoming interview on how to get started, and make money.

On Tuesday, May 11, you can listen in to an interview I am giving about working as an online copywriter.

What will the interview cover?

It turns out I can tell you right now, because I have been given a list of the questions I am going to be asked.

This is a preliminary list of questions. The interview may not follow this exact sequence, but these are the topics we plan to cover...all in 60 minutes.

* How did you get started writing online copy?
 
* So what exactly does an online copywriter do?  What kinds of opportunities are there?
 
* It is useful to understand how to write copy in general before learning to write online copy?
 
* What is the difference between writing for direct mail and writing for the web?
 
* Do you need any technical expertise to be an online copywriter?
 
 * Can you work as an online copywriter part time?
 
* What advice would you give to online copywriter just starting out?
 
* What’s the one project you’d recommend newbies starting out go after?

* What was your first online copywriting project?
 
* What was your favorite project to date?
 
* Do you think copywriters can survive in today’s economy without knowing how to write online copy?
 
* What about marketers and online business owners – should they learn it too?

If you have been thinking about making money as an online copywriter, these questions and my answers may be just the information you need to get started.

The call is free. It takes place on May 11th. And you need to register...

Do you have a freelance job, or a freelance business?

You may not have thought about this, but there is a huge difference between having a freelance job and a freelance business.

Let’s look at some of the attributes of each.

A freelance JOB...

You are tied into a constant and relentless cycle of finding work, doing the work and billing for the work...over and over again...one assignment at a time.

You usually get paid by the hour.

When you take a vacation or are sick, you don’t make any money during the period you are off.

You tend to be at the beck and call of your clients, and think twice before saying no even to their most unreasonable demands.

While you are busy working on this month’s projects, a part of you is already worried about picking up enough work next month.

You sometimes accept work that really doesn’t suit you. But you take it because you need the money.

Now let’s look at some of the attributes of a freelance BUSINESS...

You are very focused on a set of ambitious, long-term goals for your business.

You seek out only those clients and assignments which move you forward towards achieving those goals.

You aren’t paid by the hour, you charge a value-based fee for each assignment. (And you earn significantly more per assignment than if you did charge by the hour.)

You have a reputation as an expert and authority in your niche, so you spend very little time looking for new clients – because they come to you.

You work on very few small assignments, and are skilled at expanding the scope and value of every assignment you accept.

You are comfortable saying no to a client or prospect when you need to, and feel yourself firmly in the driver’s seat of your own business.

You have developed, or are developing, some passive sources of income for your business. This means you can take that vacation and still make money while you are away from your desk.

How do you make the switch between having a freelance job and a freelance business?

Step one is an inner game, inside your head. You have to make that switch in attitude first. You have to create an inner determination to be in control of your business and set some clear goals.

Then you have to take action, on a consistent basis, with each step taking you forward in the direction of your goals.

This is a big topic, and is the focus of my latest course, just published, called Breakthrough Freelance Success.

The course takes you through all the steps necessary to creating a more profitable freelance business.

It doesn’t matter whether you are just starting out, or have been freelancing for decades. Nor does it matter whether you are a writer, copywriter, designer, coder, virtual assistant or consultant.

The same principles and strategies apply.

For more on creating a freelance business that works for YOU, learn about Breakthrough Freelance Success here...

A total upgrade for my primary business website, nickusborne.com.

nickusborne.com has been up for almost ten years now, and this is the third major re-design.

But this is the first time I have departed entirely from the original purpose of the site – which was to promote my services as an online copywriter, consultant and speaker.

A great deal has changed over the last decade, including my basic business model and my longer-term goals.

If you have a moment, take a peek at the new site and let me know what you think. It’s still a work in progress, and I have a lot of articles to add over the next little while.

Also, if you are a freelancer, or have any kind of business website of your own, you might want to pause and think about whether your own website is due for an update.

Here are three reasons your website might need attention:

1. If the goals for your business have changed significantly.

2. If the focus of your products or services has changed significantly.

3. If the look and feel of your website has become “old”. Yes, website design goes through fashion cycles. Also, the availability of larger monitors has driven a shift away from narrow websites.

Nothing stands still online, and you need to make sure your website is still supporting your strategy, and pointing clearly in the direction of your goal.

Check it out...nickusborne.com

Further confirmation that you should seriously upgrade your online copywriting skills.

Numerous studies and surveys this year have shown that marketing budgets are moving away from print, radio and broadcast – and into online media.

In an article published by MediaPost this morning, the figures reported are confirming the same trend.

Here is a portion of that article:

“A regional survey of 8,500 senior advertising, marketing and media executives by Round2 Communications found that 72% predict they will increase their spending on digital media in the coming year. Justifying this apportionment, 33.9% said ROI for new media is "somewhat" better than traditional, and 28.2% said new media's ROI is "significantly" better.

Along with the good news for digital media, the survey (which focused on executives from companies headquartered in the Western U.S.) delivered some bad news for traditional: 86% of the respondents say they expect their spending on traditional media -- including broadcast TV and radio and print newspapers and magazines -- to remain even (45.7%) or decline (40.3%) in 2010.”

If you are a freelance writer or copywriter, you need to take notice of these figures. You can’t expect offline media alone to support the growth of your business over the next few years.

Sure, there will always be a demand for print and broadcast copywriters. But the demand is shrinking fast, and the competition will heat up.

If you haven’t done so already, you need to develop your online copywriting skills. And I don’t just mean you should learn about writing single page sales letters online. The real demand right now is for skilled copywriters who understand the full complexity of online media and can write any kind of web page, in addition to email and e-newsletters.

The faster that marketing budgets move online, the greater the opportunity for freelancers who can offer a full range of online copywriting skills.

As far as I know, my online copywriting course is currently the only course of its kind, providing professional-grade instruction on all aspects of writing and copywriting for the web.

Learn more about my course, Copywriting 2.0...

There are times when I feel embarrassed to be a commercial writer.

Predictably, Tiger Woods’ sponsors are feeling nervous. And they are spinning the truth like crazy.

Here is a statement from Gillette:

"As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs."

I wonder who came up with that one.

More honestly, they might have said something like:

“When Tiger Woods behaves badly, it makes us look bad too. To protect our own image we will be removing any mention of him from our marketing communications.”

Why couldn’t they have said that? Why do they have to spin everything? What’s wrong with telling the truth about a tough situation?

Companies and politicians pay big money to create a positive spin on a negative message. And there are writers out there who make a good living by crafting these ridiculous distortions of the truth.

Is it any wonder we don’t trust what companies, celebrities and politicians say to us?

If only they understood the damage they do to the relationships they have with their customers, fans and constituents.

One of these days a celebrity or politician will have the courage to tell the plain truth. They will show their spin doctors the door and tap into the power of communicating with integrity and honesty.

Do websites do better than blogs in achieving high rankings in search engine results?

This is a question under discussion in a private forum I belong to.

The thrust of the thread was suggesting that you are more likely to find websites on page one of the search results, and less likely to find blogs.

I felt compelled to contribute the following (slighly edited since posting)...

I think the fact that Google search results deliver theme-based websites more often than blogs has very little to do with the platform, and everything to do with the quality and content of the website or blog.

As every webmaster knows, success depends a great deal on staying the course. The tortoise beats the hare. And as every successful webmaster will tell you, you have to get over the hump and keep adding more and more content.

To succeed, you have to be stubborn, hold the faith and keep writing and improving.

I think the reason why so many blogs fail to do well is that blogging platforms attract people who are impulsive and want a fast result. They want an inexpensive, easy to use platform that allows them to get started right now. They don’t want to do the hard work.

Blogging services attract people who want the easy button.

Those same people would likely also fail if they wrote a theme-based website.

It’s not the platform, it’s the people.

Let me give you an example.

Check out SingleServeCoffee.com. It’s a blog, built on a rather old and unsophisticated custom platform.

The subject is single serve coffee. It was started by a fellow call Jay Brewer a few years go. His site is number one for dozens of very profitable keywords. In fact, he did so well with this blog, he created a work-from-home company called Blogpire.com. He now publishes ten or more theme-based blogs, all on the same, rather clunky platform. Does it work? It works well enough for him to have several remote employees and pay their salaries.

His secret? The same as ours. He works hard and never gives up.

Another way to check out the fact that blogs are perfectly capable of dominating page one of the search results is to explore some specific topic areas. Go to Google and search for “technology gadgets” or “high tech gadgets”. The blogs win hands down. Not because they are blogs, but because they are really good blogs and better than the competing websites.

I could go on and on. (And often do.)

But I’ll just restate my main point. There is nothing about a good website that gives it an advantage over a good blog when it comes to search results. The Google algorithm doesn’t care whether it is looking at a website or a blog. It doesn’t give one platform more gold stars than the other.

The differentiating element is not the platform. It’s the people or person behind the platform.

5 ways to increase your productivity as a writer.

Of everything I have had published, one of the biggest sellers has been a rather short guide, just 45 pages, called Writing Rituals.

Why the popularity? Probably because as writers we all know there are days, if not weeks, when we are not nearly as productive as we would like.

If we are freelance writers or copywriters, those periods of low productivity quickly turn into periods of low income.

In short, if you write for a living, you need to be productive every day.

A lucky few seem to have been born with the ability to be madly productive without any extra effort. But most of us require some help. We use to-do lists, scheduling applications and any other tool we can use to stay organized, on track and focused.

Writing Rituals, while addressing the use of such tools, also applies the power of rituals. Not habit, but rituals.

The guide takes you through a sequence of five rituals which, when applied, will almost certainly help you not only maintain a higher and consistent level of productivity, but will also help you improve the quality of your writing.

As always, the guide is available through the Writing Rituals website, along with a couple of bonuses.

As of this week, you can also buy it, at a lower price, without the bonuses, at Booklocker.com.