I want to put this in my "Cool-Vintage-Ads-I-Want-To-Have-Framed" collection!

This is 1958 Fender Amps print ad that promotes Fender's musical superiority over other guitar amps. 

The imagery on this one is lovely!

Good friends bring up hard conversations, even if it's unpleasant.

If you see a bad habit a close friend is doing, it might be worth the difficult conversation to bring it up, because no one else will.

Often times they don’t KNOW they’re doing it, and someone telling them might be first step to solving it.

I've learned a few things when approaching this:

I’ve learned to first “ask” if someone wants feedback first. Only if they accept do I give it.

I also have learned to use the "Compliment Sandwich" where you start the conversation off with saying you love the person, and that's why you're bringing up this issue. Then you tell them the issue. Then you remind them that you are there to help with it.

In the past I've simply told people out of the blue, "YOU TALK TOO MUCH AND IT'S ANNOYING" and it can come off very abrupt and rude or like an attack 😬 

I'm currently doing a “Healthy Week” with some peeps that includes:

🧁 No added sugar
🍔 1,500 calorie limit on no-workout days
🌮 2,000 calorie limit on workout days
☕️ Cut back on caffeine

Everything has been super easy...except the caffeine thing. 

YEESH 😳

I went without caffeine for 2 days and it felt like I never “woke up", I had headaches (which I never get), and wasn’t motivated to work much.

I’m not against caffeine, but wow…didn’t realize cutting back would be so hard, I definitely was zonked 😬

The problem is I used to not drink caffeine on the weekends in order to "reset" my tolerance each week, however this year I've drank caffeine pretty much every single day. 

So I was drinking 300mg to 400mg a day (still safe range, but high). 

I cut back to under 200mg this week. 

Next week 100mg and under. 

Then periodic "tolerance resets" by either drinking no caffeine or weekends or switching to lower caffeine grade tea.

Here's a fun recent purchase: A single speed bike! (Not a fixie, just single speed)

The main cardio exercise I get is riding my bike to my gym that's exactly 1 mile away. 

On the way there it's relatively easy, but on the way back it's ROUGH because it's alllllll hills with steep grades 😳

Since this is my main form of cardio exercise, I decided to buy an extra bike that's just ONE SPEED. 

No downshifting on hills to make it easier. My other bike has 21 gears to switch between:

This new bike has ONE gear, see how simple the gearing system looks in comparison?

Benefits of this single speed bike:
✔️ Forces me to get better cardio.
✔️ The bike is super simple. Very few components.
✔️ Silent. There's no gears that whine, click, or make noise.

Downsides of this single speed bike:
𝗫 Not fun to ride on hills, you will get sweaty.
𝗫 Slow starting from a standstill. Takes extra time to cross the road.

It's incredibly difficult to pedal this thing up hills. I've had to literally stop and push off just to get momentum going if I stop....so it's working!

The whole point of this purchase has been to force me to push harder on these gym rides. There's no other option. 

If I don't push hard, I literally don't get home 😂
 

Here's a cool way I've seen someone make new friends and meet new interesting people: By having a super interesting offer. 

Example 👉🏼

Two years ago me and my buddy Noah rented a house in Malibu, CA. and this guy Jon Senstrom reached out and asked us if we wanted to go spearfishing. 

OF COURSE THAT SOUNDED AWESOME! 

Our house was directly on the beach (brag 😏) so he came over and brought alllll this stuff for us to go spearfishing with:

He brought everything we needed including wetsuits, spear guns, weights, fins etc....

He gave us some training and taught us how not to die while spearfishing:

Here was the loot after going out!

He then spent the rest of the day teaching and helping us prepare the fish into sushi:

Then we made some of the fish scraps into ramen!

Jon said if he wants to meet someone, he'll offer to take them spearfishing, which is a pretty unusual thing. 

He's met so many cool people through this, and it costs him nothing! He already has all the equipment, he already has the know-how, and it's a super memorable experience for everyone. 

What a creative way to meet cool people!

"Crappy Marketing" is a fun way to get attention, and recently the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer got in the action. 

Check out this hilarious graphics designer request they did that went viral and got ~100,000 likes! 😂

They totally got inspiration from other marketing stunts like this and it totally worked!

Every consultant or freelancer has had to justify their cost at times. 

This fun swipe shows a dog groomer who was sick of people snarky remarks like, "WOW it costs less to cut MY hair than my DOGS hair 🙄"

So they made this clever sign as a price justification!

I decided to put this chart in the "Wisdom" section because so many people drink coffee and use it to concentrate.

If you're like me, you have no idea what different coffee's mean, but this little chart explains it all perfectly:

Kind of interesting that almost every coffee drink is just different levels of milk and espresso!

This is a great little chart that outlines what could be "pseudoscience" and how to spot it.

I love mental frameworks like this, and this is a great one:

Have you ever seen something (furniture, item, whatever...) and wondered where it's from? 

For example I have these little woven "stool" thingies in my garage gym area:

Let's find out how to buy more (or one's just like them for cheaper)!

You use "Google Lens" to find them. Just his that camera icon on the Google app on your phone:

...and point your camera at the stool, and it'll find similar items!

Instantly I can see a list of items just like it! A lot of times you can find the same item except way cheaper:

For example I like this lamp....so let's try to find it:

Bam! I instantly found a bunch of similar ones!

============================
"Don't Undercharge"
tl;dr: A quick story how not to undercharge when doing client work.
============================
In college I bought a used moped from a Ducati dealership, look at that hog 😏

Me and the owner of the Ducati dealership somehow began talking about ways to change his website to start ranking in Google at the #1 result for "Ducati Dealership."

He asked me to do the changes and send an invoice...

I had NO idea what to charge.

Being 20 at the time, I thought $500 would be incredible.

I told my mentor about this, and he said, "YOU BETTER CHARGE HIM AT LEAST $5,000 OR I WILL SLAP YOU!"

It was hard to fathom someone would pay that much for a simple SEO project..

Best case scenario I thought:
I'd tell him $5,000, he'd laugh in my face, and I'd negotiate down to $1,000. Still great money to me!

But a funny thing happened: I told him the price and he instantly said, "Ok cool, when do we start." 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯

He didn't question the price and he immediately agreed to it.

That's when I realized to him $5,000 was cheap to be ranked for "Ducati Dealership."

He sells $25,000 sport bikes all day long, so to him $5,000 wasn't much.

Lesson: When working with businesses, try charging high....like 10X more than you think. Charge for the value. You can always negotiate lower.

A company I run called Copywriting Course that has 8 revenue streams: 

These revenue streams include:
#1.) Copywriting Course subscriptions
#2.) SwipeFile.com ad revenue
#3.) Book
#4.) 1-on-1 Consulting
#5.) YouTube Channel
#6.) Amazon Affiliate
#7.) Email Sponsorships
#8.) Advising Companies

I made a breakdown of how each one works here in this video:

I think to further optimize these revenue streams for 2023 I would like to make the more "passive" revenue streams higher. 

This would include: 
- YouTube ads
- SwipeFile ads 
- Book revenue 
- Friday SWIPES email ad sponsorships

I never understood the differences between chocolates until seeing this chart!

I love when something so simple (like the chart above) finally makes a concept *click* into place!

I've always liked this acronym H.A.L.T. which means....

If you're not in a good mood, you're either:
• Hungry
• Angry
• Lonely
• Tired

This is a tactic developed for AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), but it's used for many different fields.
It's used to prevent medical errors:

It's used to prevent medical errors:

It's used for people in grief:

It's used to prevent over-eating:

It's a neat framework to identify when you're about to make bad decisions.

This might be the best title of any book on money. 

✔️ Everyone wants to make money. 
     +
✔️ Everyone wants to make it in the fastest way.
========================
How To Make Maximum Money In Minimum Time 😂

The title of something can be important, because it conveys to the user what they're about to see....and how it can help them.

For example, here's the same video, just re-named which would you more likely click?

-OR-

I bet you'd pick the "Books To Read To Make You Rich" version.

It does sound a bit more cheesy, but it's currently what would captivate a large audience more, and it tells you if you read these books it could have some financial benefit to you. 

I was on NetFlix!!!!!!! 

.....for about 0.75 seconds 😂

I don't want the fame to go to my head....but for a brief second you can see me and some friends (Codie Sanchez, Nick Gray, Chris Petkas) on the recent Andrew Schultz  NetFlix special.  

Look at my high-quality cameo on NetFlix. Should I update my IMDB?? 😂

On another TV note:

It's kinda fun to find to find an old show you’ve never seen, and are able to watch all the seasons however often you want, so you never run out of stuff to watch!

Current find: The Sopranos 

Such a cool show (although I'm 23 years late to the game) 😬

It's cool to have a show I can watch during lunch or dinner and have 6 seasons to run through. 

Another benefit is The Sopranos was made before streaming, so the episodes all end nicely. They don't have that intensely grabbing ending like modern streaming shows where you HAVE to watch the next episode.

Writing a book has been the MOST "passive income" thing I've ever done. 

I wrote it once in 2013, and Amazon continually pimps it out. ZERO involvement since it's inception.

If I were smarter I would've put out a book every two years since then!

I still make between $500 and $1,200 per month from the book (occasionally more if it gets shared).

Considering I wrote it ONCE in 2013 that’s not bad.

I self-published the book from Amazon KDP, it sells at a 3-to-1 ratio of eBook format vs physical format.

I self published using this method:
copywritingcourse.com/how-to-self-publish-a-book

The book was written 100% in a Google Doc:
copywritingcourse.com/writing-a-book-in-google-docs

If you want launch promotion ideas I suggest Chandlers interview:
copywritingcourse.com/self-publishing-a-book

Potential 2023 plan for book:  Give it a refresh and charge more!

Right now I charge $5.00 and make $1.71/book.

I would probably bump up price to $20 and make ~$14/book.

Try this today: “The Amish Hour”

This is simply an hour where you “shun” technology for 1 hour before bed:

Benefits you’ll see: 
- Better sleep 
- Reading more 
- More productivity 
- Increased concentration 
- Drum up great new ideas

Instead of scrolling social media or watching TV...spend some time with a book or notepad. 
Physical reading before bed increases quality of sleep and calms the mind.

I find myself taking an immense amount of notes and getting quality ideas when in this distraction-free environment.

Pictured: Amish Brother Nevilleton

I've personally had so "schedule in" screen downtime, because it's just so damn tempting to scroll on my phone before bed. 

The nights I fall asleep reading I have a noticeably better sleep, and hope you find the same too 🙂

I love seeing lots of data in a crunched in a small space. Look at this awesome "$100 Trillion World Economy" chart. 

In this layout, within seconds you are delivered tons of information:

Right away you can spot:
➡ The largest economies.
➡ The largest combined economies.
➡ Economic size differences between countries.

It's so much better than a boring chart like this!

Every once in a while, take an honest stock of your life. 
Look in the mirror:

How you physically look RIGHT NOW is a direct reflection of what you’ve been doing for the last 6 months:

• What you’ve been eating.
• What you’ve been doing for exercise.
• How you’ve been taking care of your body.

Look at your environment around you RIGHT NOW.

• What do you like about it?
• What do you hate about it?
• What would you change about it?

Maybe you want nothing changed, but maybe there's stuff you DO want changes.

Write those thing out:

....now “Word Backwards” to find a plan to make your environment and life how you want it.

Taking an honest inventory of where you're at, so you can make your future self even better.

I bet 99% of you don't know about Google Keep. 

It's a free "Pinterest-style" board where you can keep notes, pics, screenshots etc in categorized tabs. 

You can make your own marketing "Swipe File" with it for free, and it natively runs through all of Google Suite:

It's awesome to keep quotes and pictures in.....then conveniently drop them into a Google Doc when needed.

This is one of those odd pieces of Google that's pretty helpful but few people know about.....but now you do 🙂

Try it out at keep.google.com

So I've been doing these "customer calls" twice a week where I talk on the phone to previous, current, and (potentially) future customers:

Does this pic make it look like I'm hard at work?? 😛

I've been trying to do ~5 calls in a row each session:

Some of the questions I ask (depending on who I'm speaking to) are:

• What made you join? What did you hope to get out of it?
• What would've made you stay on longer? 
• What could I have done better?
• How did you originally find me or Copywriting Course?
• What did you most like about Copywriting Course when you were a member? 
• What feature did you use the most?

I have about 12 questions written down, but for the most part each call goes a little different, and it's super interesting to hear everyone's stories.

I've been learning a ton from consistently doing these. Might be interesting for you to try these on your own business too!

The reason I do these calls is because I'm too "in the box" on Copywriting Course:

....so it's helpful to hear outside opinions of what people want and use.

Reply to this email "I WANNA CHAT!" if you're down to talk for 10 minutes!

Since I run a copywriting company people frequently come to me asking if they know any good writers. 

Well....here's my easy methods on finding and hiring a good writer:

OPTION 1 ($): Find a cheap copywriter from a cheap freelancer platform like Fiverr.

OPTION 2 ($$): Find someone just starting out, and train them yourself.

OPTION 3 ($$$): Find a freelancer through a higher quality freelancer platform like UpWork.

OPTION 4 ($$$$): Find someone who writes the way you like, and pay them.

This is my personal favorite way to hire a writer. It's just best to find someone ALREADY WRITING THE WAY YOU LIKE then hiring them.

I'll generally do this:
1.) Find someone already writing the type of stuff you want. 
2.) Ask them to do a single project for money. 
3.) If like their work, hire multiple times. 

Did you know tomorrow (October 1st) is the start of Q4 of 2022 😮

All that's left in the year are three major months:
October, November, December.

Don't get caught off guard and be unprepared for this!

Q4 is typically the most profitable time of the year for many businesses (especially retail businesses):

The best sales of the year happen in Q4, and each promotion might include making:
✔️ Emails
✔️ Images
✔️ FB Ads copy
✔️ Google ads copy
✔️ Autoresponder copy
✔️ Email campaign copy
✔️ Social media post copy
✔️ Website campaign copy
✔️ Funnel flow planning.......

....there's a lot of work to do BEFORE these holiday's roll around.

BUT WHAT IF.....

You had a subscription to Copywriting Course and could get help with all your sales materials, and optimize them to make them stronger?? 💪🏼

The most popular way to learn using Copywriting Course is our self-paced courses. Copywriting Course is actually a COLLECTION of courses:

The next most popular way to use Copywriting Course is to come to Office Hours where I'll personally help you with any question or problem:

We share screens and work on your problem together. This isn't "conceptual" advice, but rather real-world re-writing and creating on the spot!

Q4 (starting tomorrow) is an extremely important time to join Copywriting Course so you can take advantage of the super busy holiday season!
⬇ ⬇ ⬇

Join this instant and use code LEVELUPYEAR for 30% off Copywriting Course, and start learning today! (Promo ends today)

Before the end of this year, I want to be making $5k/month retainer.

I have been pursuing my career in software development now for about one year. I have watched your videos on youtube and they helped me to learn about copywriting. I want to pursue the course but I am really clueless about whether learning copywriting as a skill will complement my software developer skill. I would love to hear your take on how copywriting will help web developers. 

100k IG followers & first $5k in product sales. Let's go! 🚀 

I want to publish one piece of YT content every week in spite of my busy schedule. 

Create 1 new revenue stream
finish an essay collection I am working on
Bench 315 ! 

My goals for Q4 are:

1. To become more organized and have a system in place to help me in my new role as a freelance copywriter.

2. Soak up as much information from my new gig that I booked. Listening, learning, and applying!

3. To start my blog and get to writing on a more consistent basis. 

I'd like to secure 4-5 offers for my brand identity roadmap!

Publish 160 blog posts and videos. 

Trying to convert a list if 10,000 real estate agents to buy our transaction coordinating services (clear close)

In Q4 I want to learn how to build an acquisition funnel and write a high quality eBook for therapists.

Making $1000 a week.

To finish my brand website and earn 600€ per month from my designs 

Make a great work teaching math and physics at high school 

To finish my signature course by my deadline (work on it an hour a day and more than that the last week of the month because I don’t do consultations then). 

• Go back to making YouTube videos to market the course and my other services, twice a week when my course is done.
• Go deeper into email marketing and connecting with my subscribers (use the notes I made in my notebooks).
• Create video shorts for TikTok (GaryVee seems to think TikTok is the next instagram and the time to do this is now)

This is probably too much for the last three months of the year, but these are my goals anyway!

Fitness:
Complete 2 half-marathons (on track)
 

Work:
Complete Google IT Automation with Python course (transitioning vein into tech field) (on track)
 

Personal:
Write 1 thank you letter (or card)/month (behind)
 

Places to visit:
Niagara Falls (unlikely to meet)

Scaling our DTC Email/SMS Agency to $200k. We're at $122k now. That's $26k/month.

Here are my goals to finish up 2022:
- Read 5 more books
- Drop another 5lbs
- Increase investments to 401k & IRA
- Increase savings rate to 10% of income
- Open 529 accounts for the kids

Start building a SAAS product!

- 5 subscription paying coaching clients
- 1 paid stage Appearance
- 500 more YouTube subscribers
- Find a great girlfriend

Grow my current empty Etsy store to at least 50 products and $1000/month sales revenue

Build and grow a new blog based on my weight loss success (255 to 175 in 6 months) on a domain I bought but never used

If I focus like I've never focused before I know I can achieve both these goals.

Wish me luck 🙂

1.  Over 1000 subscribers.

2. Make valuable connections with community leaders and businesses.

3. Lay out a plan to expand to YouTube and improve my social media strategy.

4. Start making money.

Raise recurring revenue to $6K monthly and quit my full time job.

I hope my plans achieve this. Yes, I know that’s not the correct “manifestation” language, but there’s a certain hard reality about all this.

- I am trying to save 10% of the monthly income every month, if I reach the quota of 1560 by the end of the year I will be able to do it
- Open the VAT number and earn my first 1000 euros (for now I have opened the VAT number and I have two customers, maybe I will be able to invoice at least 1000 euros by December
- Change job and change sector - goal achieved, I will start my new job in November and I will be an ADV Specialist
- Read at least 12 books - I think I have already achieved this goal
- First 1000 followers on TikTok - I haven't posted any videos yet
- Top 100 subscribers on my Youtube Channel (which I haven't opened yet haha)
- First 100 monthly visitors to my Blog (which I haven't published yet, oops!)

I hope to concretize my business after 2 years and start getting some cash flow. 

- 20+ sales for my online course 
- Finish Pilates certification. 
- Meditate and journal each am 🙂

1) Freelance business revenue to $10,000 per month
2) Niche website traffic to 10,000 pageviews per month
3) Bodyweight reduced to 180 lbs

I'm hoping to start earning money with my FB and PInterest ads for my e-commerce store so that I can provide for my family

I want to hit $5k a month as a Copywriter by the end of this yea. 

I'm currently working with some clients. 
 

Hi Neville! I hope to draft another novel this year (young-adult horror fiction is my jam). 😊

I am about to turn 19 and my knowledge in sales and client acquisition has been improving, i just simply wanna change my behaviours and personality in order to make my first $10k/m and move out of my parents house. I wanna focus on client acquisition and building systems in my marketing agency.

I wanna move out and start my new life and meet new people. I wanna read more books and build new things and also wanna get shredded soon.

MONEY

• Playing covers in bars / cafes
• Teach english through songwriting (in person + online)
• Teach songwriting (in person + online)
• Upwork music gigs (jingles + adding foleys, etc)
• Simple (yet powerful) health + human development online courses (too much work… huge effort required to get first clients)

EP RELEASE

• Release 1 Song per month

5 desired results that are attainable this year if I got off my ass and applied myself

• Have a client to work with.
• Become a better person through constant self reflection and reading.
• Earn a cumulative sum of $650 for the year with my marketing skills
• Overcome my self-doubt with enough practice, some wins and putting myself out there.
• Get an appreciation gift for everyone that made an impact in my life this year.

Level up into consultancy

What I need to do:
- Get better clients 

What I need to do: 
- Create more noise
- Find the signal 
- Publish more on signal 
- Distribute more
- Share more 

Make money with copywriting. 

I want to finish my French online course, so i can speak 3 foreign languages. 🙂

and start learning another language - the ultimate goal is 20✌😎

• To stay consistent with my creativity newsletter 
• To reach 400 subscribers from 300 subscribers by Dec. 2022 end.
• Creating a professional portfolio for my B2B writing

• Lose 5 kgs per months
• Get enrolled into kopywriting course by making at least $1000 dollars in the next 2 months.
• Get few high paying gigs which are not happening at the moment.

I want to have atleast 5 clients by the end of this year. I've been trying to find opportunities in freelancing but haven't yet succeeded around 100 proposal I've sent in past 8 months but got no client at all , so I'm focusing on gaining some skills, building my portfolio and at least have 5 clients by the end of the year.

To build my blog, and writing career 

Personally, my main goal for this year is to really be able to start my career in copywriting as a freelancer.

Get my first sale.

- Start a passive income stream.
- Work out 5 days  a week.
- 5k in revenue from current side hustle. 

This isn’t copywriting but your question prompted breaking down my oil painting project into steps in order to achieve best results.

Q4 Goals:
 To paint a portrait of my daughter in oils. Using skills and knowledge gained over the past year.
 

Breakdown:
- practise painting Neutrals: black, grey & white values & warm/cold hues - by creating a still life of a brown egg on a black background
- repeat for a face
- repeat for face using 3 colours
- practice painting long curly hair
- based on these practices, create portrait.

To get a new phone for myself and my sister. 
To get a job. 
To get my book signed. 
To get an apartment. 

By the end of this year I’d like to buy my first DSLR/ mirrorless camera and start my professional photography career.

I'm challenging myself to produce 3 short videos per day for 95 days straight.

So far I am on day 5 😅

Extra goals: 4 hours of deep work per day + 35 minutes of physical book reading per day

• 3rd investment property
• clear out all bad debt
• Come up with a list of ideas for creative biz/co. for '23
• Draw up a list of ways I can volunteer time '23

Defining my goals has bee one of the challenges that I have had but at least I can say that I have some.
These are my goals in five years time.
1. Become a successful finance writer featured in various publications
2. Have a successful finance YouTube channel
3. Invest in myself and the money 
4. Living the life of my dreams while working from home
Those are my main goals and I am willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish them.

Get my marketing automation saas to 15k a month without me doing anything but making sure my team gets everything they need. 

complete a website with web copy

Learn to write better

Make https://twitter.com/9_by_16 cross $20K MRR

I really wanted to know copywriting and get a premium client.

Launch another ecomm product successfully 

Find a life partner / baby momma AND get Permanent Residence in Canada AND add 2 more clients to my agency company tbh

Saving Fridays entirely for working on my business (content marketing, growth brainstorming), not client work.

1) Get a specific feature working, at least for internal use.

2) Hire an Outreach Person, and start outreach to collaborate with content creators.

3) Do the Bundle Promotion with one partner, and expand if it goes well.

4) Find a specific subject matter expert to collaborate with.

I would like to learn to copywrite as a side hustle, and get started with this journey!

Have a year runway to start a business that I can do from anywhere so I can go and study abroad without having to work a job over there

Start journey of Secondary Income

Get 7 retainer high ticket clients!

Net positive returns of at least 10% in Options trading.

It sells a training course that teaches people to become better writers with a focus on selling. Small businesses buy this to learn how to write better copy, and companies buy it for their employees to teach them to write better copy.

If people want help on their copy, they post it here, and myself and writers go through it and change it up for them. Then on Thursdays we get on an Office Hours call and take up to 8 questions from members, and re-do copy or talk strategy live on the call.

So the Copywriting Course is a combination training and community…and we sell monthly and yearly subscriptions to it. 

A swipe file is a collection of good marketing materials you like or can learn from. Years ago I started building my own swipe file on a desktop folder. Also a phone folder. But then when I wanted to recall something like Pricing structures, I’d have to sift through the whole damn thing.

So I created SwipeFile.com, where the whole world could access my private swipe file. I wanted to SwipeFile to be an independent site, and not necessarily related to Copywriting Course. The way it makes money is it has Google Adsense ads on it, and when someone clicks an ad, I get a portion of that revenue.

Swipe File makes money and pays for itself, but the main goal of it is to build the worlds best swipe file.

I self published a book called This Book Will Teach You To Write Better. it sells on Amazon. I originally tried to make it free, but with Amazon I have to charge some money. I made it $5, and it was designed to be a readable-in-30 minutes crash course on writing copy. Till this day it still sells and has hundreds of reviews.

I will say, of any form of income I make from the copywriting world, this book is the most “PASSIVE” of them all. I published it a few years ago, and have done NOTHING since. It just naturally sells on the Amazon platform, and still keeps going to this day. Honestly if I wanted to boost my passive income, I’d re-do this book and boost the price to $20/pop.

Before I started copywriting course people would ask for help with their email newsletters, and I’d charge them by the hour, sometimes by the project depending on the client.

I would help people re-write things on the spot, which is honestly very rewarding in many ways: I got to see insider numbers of different companies, hear what methods work and don’t work for them, get to meet really cool people, and they pay me money. All around it’s pretty awesome.

If all I did was consult, that would make a pretty good living. I think the reason most people find other income streams though is if you ONLY consult, your time becomes quite in demand, and your business can’t function without you. In fact, YOU are the business. This is why finding other streams of income outside of just consulting is good.

I post videos about copywriting, people subscribe, and I get paid in two ways:

1.) People decide to buy our copywriting course training. So they signup for a subscription.

-and-

2.) I get a percentage of ad revenue. Whenever people watch my videos, YouTube will show advertisements, and you get to share in a percentage of those. 

You can see all my YouTube stats at CopywritingCourse.com/stats

When people click links (like these book links), and buy a book, I get a small percentage of that. This usually isn’t HUGE revenue, but if you make a few hundred bucks a month like this, it’s usually very passive. 

For example I wrote a post about how I setup my home office camera setup and lighting. When it started ranking in the search results, people would often buy the cameras I recommended, and if I get 4% of an $900 purchase that’s $36 I didn’t have to work too hard for.

So this isn’t full time income, but it adds up to a nice little nugget!

Sometimes people sponsor my Friday SWIPES email and pay me for it. This email goes out to just shy of 60,000 people every week, and sponsors can promote their product in a small section of the email.

I’m even testing out a self-serve method at copywritingcourse.com/sponsor

Sometimes medium to large companies will bring me on as an adviser. This means I get equity in the company, and a certain amount of advising fees. I often help the companies develop their email newsletters out, much like with TheHustle or AppSumo, and if there’s a sale or acquisition, I might see piece of that upside too.

Today's Swipe find is homage to compacting lots of information into a little space.

I see a lot of these shared on Instagram. In one glance, you can pickup a lot of information without having to think a lot, read a lot, or spend a lot of time. 

Here's an example of daily plan, compacted into a small space:

Here's an example of a "boosting happiness" strategy, compacted into a small space:

Here's an example of a 30 day content calendar, compacted into a small space:

Here's my full workout plan, compacted into a small space (I stole this from my friend Billy, and reference it at the gym all the time):

It's kinda neat when there's so much information in one eye-shot.

Over the years much of my marketing has looked crappy and juvenile. 

For example this is the image header to a popular post I wrote 😂

A few years ago I tried cleaning up my act and created something called "Copywriting for Business."

• I wore a suit. 
• I didn't curse.
• I was more serious.
• I made more professional-looking images.

....it utterly flopped.

When I would try to sell it to businesses, they wanted my original stuff that was more funny and entertaining. 

Ironically the thing I was trying to

Lesson: Be yourself 🙂

Earlier in this email I talked about compressing lots of information into a small space....well here's another great example.

I particularly liked these, because I've always struggled to understand the calorie and protein differences of different foods I commonly eat. 

When I saw these on an account @MeowMeix I just had to screenshot them:

I was legitimately having trouble understanding the difference between some of these things, and a simple visual chart like this instantly made it all "click!"

A couple years ago I hired a stylist to build out a basic mens wardrobe for me.

She tried explaining to me which clothes pair together, and she quickly realized I was incapable of it myself.....so she decided to make a customized “Look Book” I could reference.

She took all the clothes we bought together, and made the following "Look Book" as a PDF file.

For 3 years before I went out, I’d get dressed based on these pictures!

This was maybe 8+ years ago she made this, but if it were nowadays, that stylist could've shared these Look Books as content, and maybe even take pics of the person in each outfit (if they were down for it).

This would turn one-off work into evergreen promotion!

I get a lot of questions (especially from non-techie people) on how I make money from what I do, specifically copywriting stuff: 

• Copywriting Course: It sells a membership course that trains people to become better writers with a focus on selling.
• Swipe File: It has Google Adsense ads on it, I get paid from those.
• Book: I self published a book, it sells on Amazon. 
• 1-on-1 Consulting: Clients start off hourly, then move to larger projects.
• YouTube Channel: I get a percentage of ad revenue.
• Amazon Affiliate: When people click links (like these book links), and buy a book, I get a small percentage of that.
• Email Sponsorships: Sometimes people sponsor this Friday email and pay me for it.

So that's where the income comes from this business comes from. 

Most of the money comes from Copywriting Course and consulting, but I would like to make this email and the advertising income much higher starting in 2023.

Do you know one reason why people love this Friday S.W.I.P.E.S. Email? 

It's because I give all the information inside the email itself.

Instead of giving you an "assignment" of having to click out of the email to see content, I just include it all here.....so you don't have to interrupt your flow of reading this email on your computer or phone. 

Example: 
If you write a blog post about pandas, just include it in the email, don't make people click out to read it!

The counter-case for this is when you need someone to take an action that can only be done on your website such as:
• Placing an order.
• Signing up on a form.
• Watch a video or listen to a podcast.
• Use an interactive widget on the website.

In these cases it's best to send to a website.

One of the reasons people love email newsletters so much is the information is all inside a single email! 

No need to click outside, use multiple browser tabs, or wait for websites to load.

If you notice, in this entire email you didn't have to click outside of it even once to get more information 🙂

Your friends already like you and want to support you - but they might not know what you have going on! So, send them an email letting them know when you have important news. 

Your network is probably much bigger than you think it is. The best way to reach your 2nd and 3rd-degree connections is to ask your friends to share your news with their friends. You can send them an email with the message you’d like to be shared already pre-written, like this:

Published authors have built-in authority and, usually, dedicated followers. If you can get an author in your space to share your work, it’d be a big win. Try reaching out with a message like this:

It’s easy to turn yourself into a connector for business owners around you. But, try and do more than just networking - turn it into a chance to create a win for the business owners AND their audiences. 

One way to do that is a panel event. You can do this at a live venue or on Zoom. 

Local newspapers can be a great way to get the word out. The most direct way is through traditional advertising…but you could also explore other options, like publishing an op-ed on your topic. The most important thing to do is introduce yourself to the editor and start a relationship. 

Your competitors don’t have to be your enemies. Sometimes, competing brands can be excellent allies in your marketing - just be direct, honest, and try to create wins for everyone. 

Your target audience uses many different tools, right? So, reach out to those other tools and ask them if they’d like to collaborate or do a promo exchange. This is an easy way to create a win for the same audience. 

Podcasts are a great way to reach your audience and many podcasts have advertising slots or sponsorship deals. Email the host and ask them what their process looks like and what type of services they want to promote.  

Podcast hosts are usually looking to grow their audiences too. One way to create a win-win for you and them is to offer to do a podcast exchange. This is easy to do and it creates a real relationship between you and them. 

Email newsletters are still the most important marketing asset of many digital businesses. Sponsorships are becoming more and more common, so try reaching out to someone with a relevant newsletter and offer to sponsor an issue. 

Newsletter “exchanges” happen all the time - they can involved paid sponsorships or they can be as simple as a friendly “I’ll mention you, you mention me” in a set number of issues. This is an easy, non-intrusive way to get in front of another audience.

Giveaways are a great way to grab attention. All you have to do is pick a giveaway tool (like KingSumo), set the terms, pick the prizes, and then announce it on your social channels. 

If you pick this one, you’ve got to be careful not to spam people. Don’t just join a group and start posting links to your site. Instead, try and add real value to the conversations people are having. 

If you build up some recognition in the group, you can ask the mods for permission to post a link to your site (as long as it’s genuinely valuable):

Meetup.com is a site where people can go to find local events and groups. If you find one that lines up with your business, reach out to the group owner and offer to do something specific for their members. 

Your local Chamber of Commerce is there to help develop local businesses, and it can be a great place to make connections. Try and keep your offer specific, simple, and local.

These days, it seems like every big city has a bunch of great coworking spaces. Members range from freelancers to remote teams to full-blown offices. Coworking space managers are important local connectors, especially in the remote work and startup scenes. 

In-person conventions were traditionally the place to go to meet new people and make deals in your industry. The internet’s changed that, but conventions are here to stay! If you’re planning on participating in one, reach out to the organizers ahead of time and ask if you can do some promo. Like the other suggestions here, make your ask specific!

Accelerators and incubators are where you can find some of the best local startup talent. If you have a business that relates to startups/tech, these organizations can be a great place to get in front of a new set of people.

Related to accelerators and incubators, pitch nights and hackathons are events that cater to startups. They’re intense and don’t offer much casual networking - but if you can offer some free value, you’re likely to get a warm intro!

There's a saying: "When everyone zigs....you zag." 

Since many ads are very polished and professional, using "ultra crappy marketing" can sometimes catch attention. 

Like this hilarious Instagram ad from Kapwing:

That totally grabbed my attention compared to most polished Instagram ads!

This reminds me of another “shitty advertising” example like this Microsoft Paint graphic designer hiring banner 😂

Or this amazing Microsoft Paint “Need 4 Speed” ad that did really well on paid platforms for a short while!

Inspired by all this crappy marketing maybe I'll make this our new logo 😂

From ages 25 to 40 I’ve NOT noticed massive changes in peoples general disposition.

I’ve seen people change habits, levels of partying, time they wake up etc….but their overall disposition (levels of happiness/sadness) is roughly the same.

This means if you're always grumpy, it's your responsibility to figure out ways to curb your grumpiness. 

True or false in your experience?

Should you buy a new iPhone 14?

People complain about the cost of upgrading phones, but if you do simple math your phone is technically the device you should spend the MOST money on.

If your phone is used for 2+ years, and it's with you 2 hours/day, a $1,000 iPhone will cost:
• If you use it for 1 year, it costs $0.28/hour
• If you use it for 2 years, it costs $0.14/hour
• If you use it for 3 years, it costs $0.09/hour
• If you use it for 4 years, it costs $0.07/hour
• If you use it for 5 years, it costs $0.06/hour

I personally use my phone *technically* 24hrs/day for:
• Communicating with the world
• Controlling my house
• Photos/memories
• Handling work
• Waking me up
• Texts/Calls
• Creating

It's a digital link to the online world which I earn income from, so the numbers get even crazier if I factor in 24/hour a day usage:

If you upgrade to the newest phone:
• Every picture you take is so much better.
• Every swipe you make is slightly faster.
• Every feature is slightly improved.
• Every app is slightly faster.

Multiply this by several thousands swipes/clicks per day and that adds up quick!

By the way for the screenshots I'm using are from a calculator I built to help me determine what price to pay for stuff:
Copywritingcourse.com/cost-analysis-calculator

Run any of your purchases by this calculator to justify (or not justify) new purchases!

I saw this driving the other day, and it might be one of the most direct slogans I’ve ever seen 😂

It says:
"EARTH RIDES. Like Uber but with Teslas."

This slogan (in my opinion) is good and bad:

Good: In 5 words it tells you what the company does. 

Bad: A service just like Uber except only with Teslas seems....meh. Not sure how this would fully sustain itself. 

I'm guessing they're betting that Tesla will create a fully autonomous car requiring no driver. While this seems like it will be true, they might be a few years too early (with regulation and such).

Should you start a podcast? 
Should you create an online course?
Should you make a community for your course?
Are all creators just turning into one-person media companies? 

These are all questions I discuss with Jay Clouse in this interview:

WATCH THE VIDEO:

LISTEN AS A PODCAST:

We discuss:

• Who should (and should not) sell online courses

• Why you should create a community (and our experiences creating them)

• Making money through different streams like courses, workshops, memberships, affiliates, sponsorships, podcasting, consulting, and email.

• Benefits of community + downside of starting online communities.

• Checkout the YouTube interview here.

Here's a a quirk about copywriting: 
It’s easy to review pieces of copy others wrote, but very difficult to review your own!

It’s called “Being Inside the Box” when you’ve been exposed to your copy so much it’s hard to improve it.

Raise your hand if you can relate 🙋🏼‍♂️

It's this weird irony that the more you're exposed to a piece of copy, the harder it is to "make better."

This is why every week I've been doing 10 minute customer calls (current, past, and future customers) talking to people about what they want from our courses and content. For example here's my calendar for later today:

Reply to this email with "I WANNA TALK ON THE PHONE" if you wanna chat for 10 minutes!

Here's two recent picks from my Swipe File that I like:

First I picked this ad from 1911 for the International Exhibition of Tourism in Berlin because it just looks cool as hell:

That dude is so daper 😂

....and the second one is a "subway map" of the human anatomy titled 
"Underskin" by Sam Loman:

I picked this one because I thought it was particularly cool and creative to map out the human support systems in subway format!

This simple setup is what Lex Fridman runs a podcasting empire with:

The equipment he's using is relatively simple:
• 2 Shure SM7B mics: $800
• 2 Sony a6400 cameras: $2,000
• 1 Cloud Lifter: $250
• 1 Zoom H4n Recorder: $250
• 2 mic stands, 2 cam stands, cables: $500
• YouTube + Podcast distribution: $0
Total: $3,800

The physical method of creating a podcast is almost irrelevant in his success, but the things that actually made it successful are:

• He himself is interesting as an MIT artificial intelligence professor.
• Massive amount of research for each guest
• Getting A-list level guests
• His conversations are not very "social media-y" but rather very long, slow, and deep. 

It's kind of neat that the tools needed to get to this level are very cheap, but the other non-buyable factors are what creates the success.

This is also related to the next section.....

When I go to the gym and see a ripped dude I naturally think “what workout is that guy doing?”

We tend to look for what specific exercise someone is doing, however 90% of the reason someone at the gym looks ripped is for reasons OUTSIDE the gym, such as:

• Putting down the fork down when full.
• Being consistent with workouts.
• Being consistent with eating.
• Limited drinking.
• Eating well.

This concept reminds me of that famous "What you see of an iceberg is only the tip" photo:

While the specific exercise they're doing at the moment definitely plays a factor in their good health, it's mostly stuff you don't see.

Social Tip: 
If you're going to a party this weekend, take some nice candid pics of the crowd and the host.

When party is done, send a thank you text message along with the pics. It's a great way to gift the host a nice memory!

Another pro-tip is before you depart hanging out with someone, say "Selfie or it didn't happen!" 

I do this VERY FREQUENTLY, and often it'll be the only pic or group pic of the day. 

Later when I scroll through my photos, I remember that memory!

It's cool being able to scroll through my photo album and retain these memories (otherwise after a few weeks you totally forget). 

Sometimes I like making big-ass lists of ideas. 

Here are 103 Copywriting Tips for motivation and ideas ➡

I don't expect anyone to read all 103 of these, but rather bookmark it for later, and if you're stuck for ideas, bring this up and browse through them.
Here's a couple I like:

#1.) Work backwards - What’s the goal?
Before you write about something, you’ve got to know exactly what your page / piece is supposed to accomplish. Whether it’s email replies, product sales, or something else, your job as a copywriter is to support that goal.

#4.) Who’s your target audience?
Avatars are great reference tools, but nothing beats the real thing! Get up, get out, and interview the people who make up your audience. You’ll learn more from a single “real” conversation than any avatar-based thinking session.
**By the way** I've been doing 10-minute phone interviews with people on this email list, asking them about their experience with copywriting. If you wanna hop on the phone for 10 minutes reply to this email "I WANNA TALK ON THE PHONE" and I'll send you a scheduling link!

#15.) Read what your audience reads
Taking on a project outside of your regular niche / focus? The best way to get a feel for what an audience is thinking and feeling is to read the top publications in their field. Where do they hang out online? Which YouTubers do they follow? Start consuming the same content and you’ll be able to think more effectively.

#17.) Use Google suggestions
Your early research probably involves a whole bunch of Googling. You can expand and adapt your searches by scrolling down to the bottom of the results page and - voila! Google suggests a list of relevant searches you might want to check out.

#37.) Use earplugs for focus
Pop in a pair of earplugs and you’ll be surprised how effectively the total silence will hone your focus.

#98.) Plug into your clients’ community + use their language
Are you hanging out where your customers hangout online? Do you understand industry jargon and common practices? A great way to sell clients, is to be able to understand their needs and talk like them.

You can see all 103 Copywriting Tips here ▶

My Indian parents always count on their hands using the pads of their fingers. This lets you count up to 12 on each hand

I thought this method was far superior to what I learned as a child, only being able to count to 5 on each hand!

So in practice this is what it ends up looking like:

Did YOU learn to count on your hands by each finger, or by the pads of your finger like above?? Reply and lemme know!

Before you write about something, you’ve got to know exactly what your page / piece is supposed to accomplish. Whether it’s email replies, product sales, or something else, your job as a copywriter is to support that goal.

Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, you’ve got to be able to measure it. Whether it’s hard stats (like conversion rates) or softer measures like comments and happy email responses….track what you’re doing.

Pretty much everything is trackable these days - but that doesn’t mean you should focus on everything. Choose one metric to focus on and you’ll quickly know whether your copy is hitting home or not.

Avatars are great reference tools, but nothing beats the real thing! Get up, get out, and interview the people who make up your audience. You’ll learn more from a single “real” conversation than any avatar-based thinking session.

Want to dig into your audience’s psychology? Live interviews are great for 1-on-1 sessions, but there’s a better way to mine a big group of people (like an email list)...online surveys! Surveys can wind up generating ridiculous ROI - it’s like having a roadmap for your copy and content strategies

Looking for inspiration with a tough problem? Well, how would an industry thought leader approach it?

Financial issue? Trying to break down “value”? How would Warren Buffet approach it?

If you’re staring at a blank page and don’t know how to start….think about a few of the great copywriters. Pretend you’re that person and step into their shoes (or keyboard?). Ogilvy’s ads, Kern’s sales letters, Walker’s VSL’s should blast you right through any writer’s block.

Speaking of writer’s block, have you tried freewriting? Sit down, set a timer for 10 minutes, and start writing. It’ll probably be a terrible draft, but perfection isn’t the point. It’ll get you out of your head and kickstart the writing process.

Brainstorming is usually a pretty chaotic activity - sort of like freewriting. If you start the brainstorming session with a little bit of structure, you’ll channel that energy into something that’s actually productive and on point. Outlines, boxes, and other visual tools can help organize the ideas as they come tumbling out of your brain.

See a great example of copy / design / UX? Take a screenshot and file that baby away! You’ll thank yourself later. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel with every project, you can cherry pick elements you love from real world examples and adapt them to your work.

As a copywriter, you’ve got to stay in touch with your industry. If you set aside 20-60 minutes a day to read relevant news, blogs, and newsletters, you’ll be in much better shape than someone trying to “catch up” once in a while.

Want to automate all that staying in touch? Use Google Alerts or other notification services. You can filter for exactly what’s relevant and valuable to you.

Think of this like a swipe file for deeper citation. Where a swipe file is fantastic for inspiration and planning, a well-organized database of articles will allow you to quickly and efficiently cite your research. This’ll cut down on research and writing time.

Taking on a project outside of your regular niche / focus? The best way to get a feel for what an audience is thinking and feeling is to read the top publications in their field. Where do they hang out online? Which YouTubers do they follow? Start consuming the same content and you’ll be able to think more effectively.

Taking on a project outside of your regular niche / focus? The best way to get a feel for what an audience is thinking and feeling is to read the top publications in their field. Where do they hang out online? Which YouTubers do they follow? Start consuming the same content and you’ll be able to think more effectively.

Your early research probably involves a whole bunch of Googling. You can expand and adapt your searches by scrolling down to the bottom of the results page and - voila! Google suggests a list of relevant searches you might want to check out.

Staying on top of your industry’s content is great - but it’s a one-way street. It’s also valuable to bounce ideas around with other copywriters or industry pros. Join (or create) an accountability group - it’s like organized, scheduled brainstorming!

Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times. If you don’t actively capture a great idea, though, it may be lost forever. That’s why it’s a great idea to keep a pocket notebook handy - or just use a note-taking app on your phone (I love Google Keep).

Most people treat a brainstorming session like a one-off activity. You come up with 20 ideas, choose one to write about, and then toss the other 19 aside. That’s a waste! If you organize your brainstorming notes in one place (like a dedicated Google Drive folder), you’ll have a great database of ideas to work from.

Ever start building out a piece and then realize you’ve drifted away from your original argument or purpose? To keep yourself in check, try drawing out what you’re trying to say. It’ll simplify and organize your thinking, making your writing easier and more compelling.

Creativity is a funny thing - sometimes trying just makes it harder to come up with the right words. If you stop trying and start doing other things, it’ll give your subconscious a chance to play around with your problem. A walk can be a great chance to stretch your legs - and your mind!

Some writers only let editors in during the final stages of a piece. This is a huge mistake! A brief chat with your editor will put you both on the same page, set clear expectations, and probably generate some great ideas to write about.

Why are you writing this piece? If you’re just repeating the same thing as a dozen major blogs or sites, are you really helping anyone? If you want your writing to stand out and connect with people, you’ve got to know exactly what you’re adding the wider conversation.

Sometimes finding a unique angle is easier if you know what’s already out there. Position your piece to complement or oppose existing content and you’ll immediately join a conversation, instead of having to start one from scratch.

Stuck? Use short prompts to nudge your brain into action. Questions are great ways to focus your mind, get specific, and start producing. Who’s this piece for? Why should they care? What if ____?

K.I.S.S.; simple and direct always trumps complicated and ambiguous. You can do this by simplifying your language, cutting down on extra words, and generally getting to your point more efficiently.

Adding steps to a process is easy. Removing them, though, is a lot tougher. Keep stripping down the number of jumps you’re making until you’re left with a bare-bones outline. That’s the core concept to build your piece around.

Analysis paralysis is a real thing. Give your readers too many options and it’s like giving them nothing. If you cut things down to binary choices, though, a reader can clearly and confidently follow your thinking.

The best answer is also usually the simplest. If you’re trying to get a reader from A to B….take them on a direct journey, not a winding route.

Want to connect with your readers? Write conversationally, break some grammar rules, and you’ll immediately create more engaging copy.

Writing Tips:

What does your writing “sound” like in your readers’ heads? Is it too choppy? Does it flow smoothly? If you’re trying to be funny….is it working? Try reading short pieces out loud. Some style issues are easier heard than seen.

Have you ever tried dictating your draft? Voice-to-text apps let you “write” from anywhere - even while you’re out for a walk. They’re especially great for early drafts when you just need to get ideas out of your head.

Want to make your writing punchy and engaging? Here’s a general rule of thumb - use active voice. It’s closer to the way we speak, making it more appropriate for conversational, “natural” writing.

If you’re trying to make a point….just make it! Some writers write like they’re prepping a debate team, trying to preempt opposing arguments and using super technical jargon. There is no debate team. There’s just your reader, who wants you to get to the point clearly and directly.

Creative work like writing is best done in a series of short sprints rather than one long marathon. Pomodoro timers are built for that - 25 minute work sessions spaced out by short (5 minute) and long (10 minute) breaks. You’ll stay fresh - and so will your writing.

Alright, I stole this one directly for Neville. Pop in a pair of earplugs and you’ll be surprised how effectively the total silence will hone your focus.

If you’re feeling stuck, try writing from a different place in your house. Even better, get out of the house entirely and try writing from a cafe or a coworking space. Different atmospheres will trigger your creativity - and sometimes having strangers who can see what you’re doing will keep you from browsing the web instead of working.

Schedules and consistency are great. But routines can also get stale. If you’re feeling stuck, change things up and try a different writing time. Just make it a planned thing, not a random action.

The quickest way to develop as a writer is to surround yourself with other writers who are able and willing to give you constructive feedback. But instead of a one-off conversation or a sporadic relationship, try joining (or creating) a writers group. A weekly conversation with a structured agenda will create big results.

Working around other people working can be motivating and incredibly productive. Try rounding up your writers group just to write. No chit chat, just work!

Some people are shy about sharing their work - don’t be one of them! The more eyes - especially professional eyes - you can get on your writing, the better. Ask for constructive feedback and take it on board.

Complex topics and big projects can feel overwhelming. The best way to get past that feeling is to break everything down into smaller, more achievable drafts. Give yourself deadlines for those small goals and you’ll find yourself blasting through obstacles with ease.

Ever read something that’s meant to be funny, but just falls flat? It’s awkward and very distracting. If you start by building a clean, clear core of an idea, you can always add cute little add ons later - but you can’t do the reverse.

Every SEO professional out there knows that search engines reward quality, not quantity. Google number one priority is to find content that effectively answers user queries. Are you doing that for your audience?

Features are easy to list and boring to read. Why should I care about this brand’s products? Benefits, on the other hand, are much more engaging because they explain what a user will get out of a product.

Editors are great at every stage of the writing process. If you’re stuck with an idea or you want to talk out an argument, get in touch with your editor. You’ll probably get more out of a focused 10 minute talk with your editor than you would in a couple hours banging your head against the wall, alone.

Writing and thinking about writing is sort of like a muscle. The more you practice, the easier the process becomes. Set aside a dedicated time each day to write and work out that muscle.

We’re surrounded by distractions. If you want to get your point across to your reader, you’ve got to make your writing interesting and easy to read. Use short paragraphs and clearly organized headers. If you want to draw attention to specific points, use highlights and bold font.

Nested bullet points are great for outlining. You can organize ideas within ideas within ideas - but that structure doesn’t transfer well to long form content. The more sub-steps you have, the more difficult the reading experience. Keep things simple and limit your headers to H2’s and H3’s at most.

Breaks are great for productivity at every stage of the writing process. Once you’re done with a draft, get away from it for a day or two. When you come back to it, you’ll be able to read it with a fresh perspective.

Copy isn’t just a bunch of words on a page, especially when it comes to short attention spans online. You’ve got to understand white space, readability, and basic UX design to really maximize a reader’s experience.

Presentation can be just as important as writing style. When you’re studying great copy (or looking through your swipe file), try and absorb how the text is presented.

If you really want to level up, try drawing out your favorite pages as wireframe diagrams. This’ll help you learn how to structure your copy, how to stack your arguments, and write powerfully.

Images are a great way to attract attention, break up long boring blocks of text, and keep your copy fresh and engaging. You can use images to entertain, educate, or just hammer home a point you want to make. Here's why images are better than text.

Can you use an image instead of text here? Instead of just complementing your words, images can also just replace them. This’ll help strip down your text, making stronger and more efficient messaging.

Get in your readers’ heads with stories, especially ones in which they can picture themselves. Don’t just talk about things - make your readers imagine what it’d feel like to use your products.

All the style and structure in the world goes out the window if you use the wrong words. You’ve got to speak your readers’ language, use their terms, and show that you’re in on their inside jokes. Use their tone of voice.

Writing apps go way beyond just spell checking. Grammarly and Hemmingway are two popular tools that can help analyze your style and suggest specific nuances to improve your writing.

Transform your readers into action-takers. Use quizzes, calculators, and other engagement tools to encourage your readers to apply the concepts they’re reading about.

Keep your content up to date by regularly overhauling old articles. It’s a relatively easy step that will keep you relevant and Google happy.

You can also upgrade old articles with add ons like content upgrades. For example, create a download that complements a specific article and add it to the piece.

Writers can get stuck in their ways. If you want to stay flexible, get out of your comfort zone. Try writing as someone totally different - can you do it effectively? This’ll come in handy anytime you’re writing to a new audience and need to adapt.

If you think style’s tough, try writing from an opposing point of view. You might hate it, but it’ll force you to focus on structure, message, and all the fundamental elements of a strong point of view.

Anyone can write for length - but nobody really cares about how many words you can stuff into an article. Be ruthless when you’re editing and remove as much non-essential text as possible. It’ll strengthen your message and create a stronger, more memorable connection with readers.

Become a better writer:

We mentioned swipe files earlier in this list. If you want to get to the next level, set aside time to really study the material you’ve saved. Why do you like it? What caught your eye? Don’t just use your swipe file for inspiration - use it for learning. Here's a free & public swipe file.

What are you trying to achieve as a writer? What are a few of the crazy big goals you want to reach? If you’re struggling through a tough project or questioning your path, review your goals and re-energize yourself.

Huge goals are great for motivation….but they can be meaningless in the short term. If you have a big goal you want to achieve in 10 years, work backwards and set milestone targets. If you goal is to write for a major publication, what are the stepping stone projects that will get you there?

Monthly reviews are a great way to gauge your development. Are you on track with your small goals? Do you need to adapt your strategy or reach out to bigger clients? Reviews keep you focused and productive while still allowing you to pursue the big dream.

What are your weak points? Identify them, then attack them one by one. Get specific and measure yourself.

Who are the writers that get the most emotion out of you? The type that have you laughing out loud or welling up with tears. Break down how they do it. Can you apply similar techniques in your copy? Do "Copy Work" for inspiration from other writers.

If you had to, could you distill your argument into a single page? This is a great exercise to cut down on needless fluff and focus on your core message.

The more you connect with other writers, the more you’ll learn about writing, editing, project management, and career growth. Writing can feel like a lonely profession, but you should make it a priority to surround yourself with other professional writers.

Editing is a great chance to learn. You’ll get to see other writers’ style, approach, and thought process. If you edit others’ writing regularly, you’ll quickly see positive effects on your own writing.

Every stage of the writing process can throw up a unique set of problems. Whatever it is you’re facing, though, you can’t let it eat up your precious time. Get it done, get it out, and then worry about improving it later.

“If you’re not embarrassed by your first version, you spent too long on it.” -Reid Hoffman

Copywriters need to understand exactly how their clients’ businesses operate. The more you learn about your target audience’s industry, the more effectively you’ll write about the challenges your clients face.

Regularly read your past work to get an idea of how you’ve developed. How would you improve an article from last year? How about homepage copy from a few years ago?

Are you reaching the right people? Are you growing your audience? The only way to tell is to track and analyze your site’s analytics. What are your most popular articles? This should give you a barometer for your performance and also guide your content strategy.

If you’re working for a client, ask for access to their analytics. Copywriting is a results-based craft, and it’s important to get your hands on the data that measure those results.

Your job isn’t done when a final draft is handed in. Ask your client for feedback, testimonials, and even a case study when appropriate. This will give you a chance to make concrete improvements and connect more deeply with the client.

Treat every new project like a potential foot-in-the-door. Where else can you help the client? How can you connect your current project to one in the future?

Copywriting is so much more than just text. Nowadays copywriters need to understand UX concepts, design, and SEO. The more complementary skills you can add to your arsenal, the more effective your writing will become. Become a full stack writer.

Give yourself three drafts to produce great work. Make the first one crappy, the next one good, and the final one excellent. This’ll keep your writing efficient and clear, and you won’t get lost in a series of random drafts.

What’s the most effective way to make your point? What sort of format do your readers connect with the most? Playing around with length is a way to ask these questions while producing content.

Is your writing really that engaging? How can you spice things up and make the reader’s experience more fun? Play around with your style, break some grammar rules, use GIFs, and maybe even try swearing a little. Get loose and experiment!

Writing funny isn’t easy. If you can figure it out, though, you’ll create attention-grabbing content people will eat up. Study your favorite funny writers from other genres - what can you adapt and apply to your writing?

Limits can be great for productivity and creativity. Instead of writing generalist blog posts whenever you feel like it, give yourself structure to think and create.

Imagine you only have one hour to write this piece. How will you get it done? How much quicker will you dive into your writing? What will it do for your focus?

Imagine you only have one page to write on. What will you say? What can you drop?

What would happen if you cut your word count in half? Could you still get your point across? Could you replace text with images where needed?

Imagine finding out your audience was reading your material almost exclusively from small mobile devices. How would that affect your layout and format? Would you structure your message any differently?

Imagine your reader only has 30 seconds to skim your content. What would you highlight? How would you direct attention to specific points?

(extras -- freelancers and consultants):

The more you can specialize by field or by service (or both), the quicker you’ll build authority and attract better clients.

Let prospective clients know what you can do for them. By offering packages and productized services, you can simultaneously control what you offer and give your clients options to choose from.

Past projects are often your best selling points for future work. Follow up with clients after a project is done and ask for concrete feedback and change metrics. They’ll appreciate your concern, you’ll get powerful marketing material, and maybe even more work with the client. Make your own case study.

Do you know how much you’re worth to a client? If you want to be paid $1,000, you’d better be able to prove that the client will make a return on their investment in you.

Want to build authority and demonstrate expertise? If you don’t have an impressive portfolio (yet), run through a mock project and write about it. Take screenshots and explain exactly how and why you’d change certain things. Practical teardowns are much more effective than writing about general theory.

Are you hanging out where your customers hangout online? Do you understand industry jargon and common practices? A great way to sell clients, is to be able to understand their needs and talk like them.

If you’re offering a service, how will it affect a client’s business? Sales? Leads? Better conversion rates? Whatever it is, get specific and give examples that clients can relate to and actually want.

How often are you pitching jobs or connecting with other writers? Outreach is the most important element of a new writer’s business. Prioritize it and create a schedule for your outbound marketing. You can even make a Command Center for this.

If you reach out to a couple dozen people each week, how are you going to keep tabs on each conversation? CRMs are great because they help organize your contacts and track developments.

Trawling through job boards can be frustrating. Instead of randomly searching different boards, use a service like Feedbin to aggregate RSS feeds and create a single source of relevant listings.

Great copywriters tend to be strong interviewers. In order to create compelling copy, you’ve got to understand your audience, their issues, and their deep dark feelings. The best way to uncover all that is through interviews.

This is an ad that every time I see it....I just smile 🙂

This delightfully cute “Happy Turtle” ad from a 1936 Guinness Beer campaign is just hilarious to me:

I'm not sure if having a beer is always the answer to tiredness, but this happy turtle seems to think it is!

This is some old-school wisdom from ~5,000 years ago:

I grew up "Zoroastrian" and I think we have the best motto of any religion:

“Good Thoughts. Good Words. Good Deeds.”

I'm not an extremely religious person, but I always thought that was a marvelously simple yet clear message to live life by!

On Twitter these things called "Tweet Threads" seem to get more engagement than normal Tweets. 
It's actually a simple function of how any social media algorithm.

Let's make a simple algorithm together, it adds "points" like this:
1 Like  = 1 point
1 View  = 1 point
1 Re-Tweet  = 1 point
1 Comment  = 1 point
1 Media Click = 1 point

A Single Tweet: 5 point potential per reader.

Three Tweet Thread: 15 point potential per reader.

Our simple algorithm is designed to showcase Tweets with higher "points."

So it will favor the "15 Point Thread" over the "5 Point Tweet."

This is a massive simplification of the algorithm, but it roughly works in this manner.

This similar thing also works on other platforms. 

For example this post in a Facebook Group got:
• 0 likes
• 0 comments
• 0 shares

....so Facebook's algorithm assumes this post stinks and no one wants to interact with it

Where as this post asks for responses so it generated a ton of comments and interaction which makes the algorithm say, "hey this is far more engaging, let's show it more." 

If you were Mark Zuckerberg, and your goal was to keep people active on Facebook, which one of these posts to show the user?

That's right, the one with higher "points!"

We're done with August, and I crossed out all my August goals:

Here's an August 2022 Re-Cap:
• Copywriting Course Web Traffic: 142,545
• Swipe File Web Traffic: 41,279
• Friday SWIPE Email (what you're reading now!): 56,071 subs
• YT Channel: 63.1K Views, 2.2K new subs
• Twitter: 664 subs, 827k impression, 7.5k profile clicks

Now it's a new month, so new goals. Here's my September 2022 goals.

Feel free to share your goals with me if you want accountability 🙂

Also I randomly attended a copywriting conference yesterday and wore this shirt, what do you think? 😂

Whether you're at your job or a small business, what if YOU become the person no one can live without. It's actually quite simple. 

Let me tell you a quick story:

You can become indispensable by:

#1.) Being the go-to-person for a skill.
In the video I tell the story of John whose department of 500+ people got laid off....everyone except him and his director.

#2.) Become a triple threat:
Being pretty good at three (or more) different skills.

#3.) Volunteering for everything
Within reason, the people who volunteer to do more work (especially when you're young and learning) tend to rise.

Just curious how do YOU make yourself indispensable at your work or business?

Reply to this email and let me know!

I first saw someone low on the totem pole become "indispensable" when I was in college, there's was this guy named John and we were in a business club together. 

He worked for Intel as a lowly employee, and one of the things he did was he noticed that everyone needed to learn how to use Microsoft Excel and no one knew how to use it. 

People needed to put stuff from one column into another column and take the first letter and put it into the next column. No one knew how to do that. So he looked up on the internet and found out that you can do a thing called concatenation. The next day he goes to work. He's like, Hey, we can concatenate these two columns. And everyone was like blown away. 

So, what he did was he actually bought a book Excel for dummies flipped through it, learned a couple of things. Next thing, you know, he's the go-to guy in the entire office for Microsoft Excel stuff.

Fast forward a few months. Intel's not doing so hot. It has to lay off the entire department. He was in. This is hundreds of people. Here's the funny thing. There was two people that weren't fired. The director who got moved around. And my friend, John. And the reason was. He's the guy that used to go to the director all the time. When the director had questions with Excel help. 

He was the only guy in this tech company who knew how to use Microsoft Excel really well. And so the director kept him on specifically like this 22 year old kid. Because he knew how to use Excel . Isn't that hilarious? He made himself indispensable. 

In today's world. It's very easy to just watch a couple of YouTube videos about Excel or follow a couple of TikToK or Instagram or Twitter accounts about Excel tricks. And you will learn so much more than the average person. 

Over the years I've seen this happen over and over with a couple of people and the people that are indispensable spend maybe 25% more time just researching a topic. That's it. It seems the bar is so low to become the indispensable person. It's ridiculous. 

And if you want to become even more indispensable, I would to just becoming a triple threat, this is what mark Andreessen describes as someone who knows how to do three things really well. So if you know how to write a blog post, that's great. But if you knew how to write a blog post and make a video out of the blog, post yourself. 

Now you're a double threat. Now, if you know how to write a blog post, make a video out of the blog post and distribute that content on the internet through different social platforms and market it. You are a triple threat, you know, three things pretty well. I would say you have a 75% proficiency at three different skills. 

So an easy way to become indispensable is learn a skill really well. Just take your own time to research it and become better than everyone else in your organization. It probably won't take all that long. And then the second tip would be to become a triple threat, meaning learn that skill then another then another. 

It's super easy to learn skills nowadays. The information is out there. The only thing holding you back is just your desire to do it.

If there's a project that someone wants done, what if you just volunteer to do it? How much time will it really take? A lot of people will have a job and they'll say, that's not my job. I don't want to do it. 

They think that their superiors are going to be like, Hey, you're doing the bare minimum possible. You're totally replaceable. Why don't we just make you a manager? Why don't we put you ahead of everyone else? I don't think that's how it works and I've never really seen it work that way. 

This concept also works in sales. There's a lot of people that are using email. They're using text messages are using LinkedIn. They're using social media to make sales, but instead I have seen a better way to make sales. 

And that is just doing it for someone. For example, one of my goals this year was to grow my Twitter account. Someone saw that and they took the initiative to message me. And instead of saying, Hey, I can help you grow my Twitter account which I've got several requests for that kind of person. They just rewrote some of my blog posts into Twitter threads. And they're like, here you go. You could use them. 

This instantly caught my attention because they just did all the work for me. Did they have to do this? No, they could've just said, do you want some help with your Twitter? Sure. And maybe we'll have a conversation, but instead they took the time to do it themselves and show me that they could do the work and they could do a well. 

This put them far ahead of anyone else. I took them way more seriously. And I eventually started working with them. 

One of the very first mentors I had in college, he came to speak at a group, a club that I was in, and I really liked the way he thought I literally liked what he was working on. And so I went up to him and said, I'll do anything for you, whatever you want, if you want. Like, I can design web pages. 

I know SEO pretty well. I could do all that kind of stuff. Back in the day, those were kind of hot skills that were hard to find. 

So I literally met him up at an office and I said, what do you want me to work on? And I'm just, I'm just going to do it for free. I don't care. I have nothing to lose over here. 

So I started building his websites. I became the guy that was indispensable. He could update the website without me. He didn't know how to change anything. He couldn't get ranked in the search engines about me. I became indispensable. 

In return, I got money and I got access to places that I could never have gone, such as very fancy parties. 

This was all from taking a skill that I easily learned over the internet and applying it to someone's business that didn't know how to do that. I made myself indispensable and I hope you take something from the story and make yourself indispensable too. 

Look at all this wine:

What's the difference in all of these? 

When it comes to wine, there's very little product differentiation other than:
• Personal preference
• Bottle placement
• Brand name
• Brand story
• Label

It's an entire industry based off marketing and distribution.
While there are slight variations here and there, ultimately the product is very similar, and marketing a wine is all about.....marketing!