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.

 

What? Another program on social media marketing?

There seem to be a zillion self-appointed social media gurus out there, half of whom have written a book, ebook, guide or special report of some kind or another.

I thought about this a lot before making the decision to sit down and write a social media program of my own.

The last thing I wanted to do was invest months of writing time, only to serve up something that might repeat what is already out there.

As I was researching the project, here is what I did find:

- Books, courses and programs on how to use Facebook and/or Twitter and/or YouTube.

- Books, courses and programs on marketing with Facebook and/or Twitter and/or YouTube.

- Business books providing a 30,000 feet view of social media marketing.

- And books packed with case studies of successful social media campaigns.

As I worked my way through what had already been published, I began to create a clearer picture of what I could do with my own program, and how to fill the gaps I found in what has already been published.

Here is what I decided.

1. Write a program on social media specifically for freelancers.

I have been a freelancer myself for over 30 years, and have worked with other freelancers for almost as long. This is the audience I know best, and can help the most.

2. Write a program that isn’t focused just on the tools (individual social media sites), but on the practice of social media marketing itself.

Knowing how to use Facebook, for example, is like knowing how to use a hammer. It’s a tool – albeit an amazing one. But whether you are creating a social media strategy, or building a house, choosing the right tools for the job comes last, not first.

This is why my program first looks at how to apply social media strategies and campaigns to achieve specific marketing needs. Only then do I look at which tools are best for each task.

3. Write a program that teaches freelancers how to use social media to help client companies achieve their most pressing goals.

Good luck to you if you approach a prospective client and say, “Social media is the big thing. I can help your company do social media.”

You would be better off saying, “If you have pressing marketing goals you need to achieve, I can show you how to use social media to help achieve those goals.”

Clients say yes when you give them a solution to their most urgent marketing needs.

This is why a whole section of my program focuses on 8 separate business goals that are well suited to social media solutions.

4. Write a program that clearly describes a number of different ways in which freelancers can generate new streams of income with their social media expertise.

It’s all very well reading a book, course or program that tells you all about social media, but it won’t do you much good if it doesn’t also show you how to apply that expertise in ways that will make you money.

That’s why 4 whole sections in my program cover separate ways in which your media expertise can put money in your pocket.

Summing up.

It took about four months to write the program, working five days a week. But I’m pleased with the result.

This program fills the gaps left by all the other books, courses and programs I have come across.

It gives freelancers the social media skills they need to generate multiple streams of income for themselves and their clients.

The course is called How to Make Money as a Social Media Expert.

You can learn more about it here...

 

 

Do freelancers need to add a large number of content pages to their sites?

Good question.

It all depends on how you are planning to attract new clients.

If you find new clients through phone calls, direct mail or some other direct sales medium, then you don’t need a huge number of pages on your freelance website. The site is there as a brochure, to reassure your hot prospects.

But if your client acquisition strategy includes having prospects find your site through the search engines, or through social media, then yes, you need a ton of content on your website.

Why? 

Because tens of thousands of freelancers are optimizing their websites for phrases like “freelance copywriter” or “online copywriting”.

But there are only ten available spots on the first page of Google’s search results.

And you are not going to get on page one if your site has only ten pages, however well you optimize them.

If you want to attract prospective clients to your site through the search engines, you’ll be working to the same rules followed by every content-based website – he or she who publishes the highest number of quality pages wins. (Ho-hum pages won’t cut it, because to win with the search engines, you also need plenty of inbound links from quality, related sites. And other sites will only link to quality content.)

If you want significant search engine traffic coming to your website, you need to have dozens, and then hundreds of pages.

Some can be blog posts, articles, case studies, tips, and guides.

Others can be multimedia – video, slide shows, infographics, and so on.

Each page or post should, of course, be optimized for one particular keyword or phrase. Or be optimized for social media.

For many freelancers, this will means an upgrade to their site, and many more hours devoted to content creation.

If you feel you might fall short of having enough ideas for your site content, sign up for Web Content Cafe membership – where I publish a new web content idea daily, five days a week.

 

 

Another really nice testimonial from one of my coaching clients.

I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend coaching freelancers. I have been freelancing for over 30 years now, and it feels good to share some of what I have learned along the way.

I do it for the pleasure it brings me, I do it for the income it provides, and I do it for the satisfaction that comes with knowing I have made a difference.

Here’s a testimonial from a recent coaching client. I know he is being generous in his praise, but it still feels good to know that our coaching work together helped him move forward.

"Without Nick’s expert coaching, I’d still be frantically attempting to write copy for anyone - in any format. Without Nick pushing me to maintain my focus, I’d lose it after a week and look for the next thing to focus on. Without Nick’s belief in me, I’d probably have taken one of the permanent marketing jobs offered to me. I’m now building my dream niche business, with the right mentality and approach – thanks to Nick. Thanks again Nick!"

Dan Elman, Copywriter

Read more testimonials from past coaching clients.

Learn about the different coaching options I offer.

Jump in and book a 40-minute coaching discovery call.

 

 

Interested in coaching, but not sure? Book a 30-minute coaching discovery call.

Coaching can be the most powerful way to advance your freelance career.

For myself, a series of coaching sessions resulted in a doubling of my income, and a significant shift in how I was working, and what I was doing.

Sometimes it just takes a qualified outsider to help you see opportunities that are in plain view.

However...

One-on-one coaching isn’t inexpensive, and taking the leap isn’t always easy.

Here’s how I can make it a little easier for you...

Book a 30-minute discovery call with me. Use the time to get as much help from me as you can, and to find out more about my full coaching service and what it can do for you.

This first call will cost you just $29.95.

If you then decide to move ahead and book a one-month or three-month engagement, I’ll deduct the $29.95 from the cost.

If you don’t continue, you’ll have still received great value for you money during those 30 minutes.

Chances are, you could be earning a lot more than you are right now. That is true for almost all of us.

But it usually takes an outside perspective to help you see new opportunities.

Email me book your coaching discover call now, at nickusborne@gmail.com

More about my coaching service for freelancers...

 

 

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?

 

 

New coaching service: 40-minute calls to help you with your website.

The core of my coaching services focuses on helping my clients build a solid and profitable freelance business. For these clients I offer one-month or three-month coaching options.

But recently, more and more people have been asking if they can pay for just a single call about creating and writing their websites.

The website could be for your freelance business, or it could be a money-making website on a topic that interests you.

Either way, if you need help in deciding on how best to structure your site, craft your main messages, write your body text, or promote you site, you can now schedule a single 40-minute call with me.

Do I know what I’m talking about when it comes to creating and writing websites? I think so. As well as helping my individual coaching clients, I have been hired to do exactly this kind of work by companies including Yahoo!, Disney, the J. Paul Getty Trust, John Deere, Novartis and many others.

The price is just $200 for the call, with a couple of follow-up emails included.

If you would like some help with your website, but don’t need a month or three months of coaching, this could be perfect for you.

If you would like to schedule a call, email me at nickusborne@gmail.com, and include the phrase “website coaching” in the subject line.

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...

 

 

How to make a lot more money as a freelancer, without working any harder.

If you are a freelancer, and are looking for ways to increase your income, this message is for you...

Earlier this year I launched a program called Breakthrough Freelance Success.

I am now re-launching that program under a new name – Profitable Freelancing.

Why the re-launch?  Two reasons.

1. I didn’t much like the original name of the program and wanted to change it.

2. I wanted to bring the price down, by a lot. So I cut out the group-coaching part of the package and am now selling just the self-study program – at about half the price of the original program + coaching.

Here’s a peek at what it’s all about...

Given the same levels of skills, and the same opportunities, no two freelancers will make the same amount of money.

One of them will make more. Sometimes a lot more.

It doesn’t mean he works harder, or for more hours.

It simply means that he or she is working smarter.

She is choosing more profitable clients, or more profitable projects. She is making better use of her time and billing more hours. She is building on her strengths, month by month. And she is finding new ways to leverage her skills and knowledge to create new sources of income.

If you want to be that kind of freelancer, and make a lot more money without having to work any harder, check out Profitable Freelancing.

- The price earlier this year was $497, for the program + group coaching.

- The new price is $297 for the program alone.

- But if you order before July 29th (this Thursday), you’ll save $100 and pay only $197.

For the information you’ll be getting, and the positive impact it can have on your freelance business, that’s a pretty good price.

Learn more about Profitable Freelancing, and buy here...

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...