Ear Plugs for Superhuman Concentration:

How to use:

Use them for concentration when writing.  Some people prefer music, some people prefer white background noise.  But I personally have loved using ear plugs for when I do work for years.

Benefits:

I'm by nature very scatterbrained and easily distracted.  This means even a small

But it's not just noise that distracts me, it's SILENCE too!  Even if it's pin-drop-silent at home, I'll still put in ear plugs.  Somehow earplugs create this "inner silence" that feels like "I'm inside my own head."  This helps tremendously when writing!

I personally like using the Hearos brand earplugs.  They're comfortable enough to wear all day and block out over 32 decibels of sound.  I like them so much I even gift them!

The Almighty MacBook Pro:

How to use:

Open the computer and it's on and ready to go. Portable. No mess. No Fuss.

Benefits:

I've been a strong MacBook fan for a while now, and I personally bring a 13" MacBook Pro with me everywhere. If you were going to downsize your life into a backpack, this would be an essential item.

It's powerful enough to write, make graphics, edit video......everything. You flip open the laptop and you're ready to work. No fuss.

If you are doing several hours of work on the computer each day, why not buy the absolute best computer you can?? I made the switch from PC to Mac years ago and it was one of the most productive things I've ever done.

I love PC's, and had no real issue with them.....but just the flat-out ease and quickness of using a Mac is hard to deny.

Don't buy into the hype about Mac's being overpriced. You can get an ultra-fast and ultra-well-designed computer that will last you years. You can choose to buy the $200 cheap-o laptop from Wal-Mart.......but if your job requires you to be on a computer for 8+ hours a day, why would you not buy the best tool on the market??

Google Drawings for Image Editing:

How to use:

Go to drawings.google.com and start making whatever you want!  Just copy/paste images or make your own. It's crazily easy.

Benefits:

Use for making sweet images and drawings.  It's super easy to use, available anywhere, free, and can replace fancy photo editors if you make a lot of drawings.

A lot of people will use a complex piece of software like Photoshop for basic image image creation.  But if you wanna save money or just don't know how to use Photoshop, then Google Drawings is a great solution.

I use it to doodle out quick sketches or UX designs.  I also use it for building simple graphs and charts.

Here's an example of something I quickly made (I know I know.....I should totally be an artist):

I love how easy Google Drawings is!  A very under-utilized tool by most people.

Distraction Free Writing:

How to use:

Whenever I need to just sit-down-and-write but I'm tootaalllyy not feeling it....I enter into Distraction Free Writing Mode and go to town on the page. It's one of the best ways to cure writer's block.

Benefits:

No distracting icons.

No distracting menus.

No distracting programs.

Just pure white & black writing space.

Basically you just take any text editor and put it into full screen mode.  It's that simple.  It works particularly well with Text Edit thats included on all Mac's:

When I started writing this post.....I was using exactly this method :)

Edit Any Website Trick:

How to use:

If I'm doing any copywriting consulting I use this little piece of javascript code to edit the person's website live on the spot.

Just copy and paste this little piece of JavaScript into your bookmarks bar, and anytime you want to "edit" a page just click it:

javascript:document.body.contentEditable = 'true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0

Benefits:

I use this for consults and showing clients how to structure their copy live on their own webpage. If needed you can see further instructions here.

I can't tell you how often a client is just blown away when they see their copy edited "live" like this.  It makes my job 10x easier because when a client can just visually see their page as I'm intending it to read, they instantly get it.  I don't have to sit there and explain what it WILL look like with the new copy, I can just SHOW them instead.

PayPal for Basic Payments:

How to use:

I still do a lot of basic invoicing and billing through PayPal.  Since newer services like Stripe and Square have popped up, PayPal has DEFINITELY been stepping up their game!

Benefits:

Some newbies get way too fancy with their payment systems.  Stay simple till you get super big! If people want your services, they will pay you, and they don't care what payment processor you are using.

I've tried using fancier (and more expensive) invoicing systems in the past, and honestly all I really need is to send a PayPal invoice instead.  Paypal has seriously stepped up their game in the recent years, and the service is much better.  Even invoicing is literally a one-click action on PayPal now.

So if you're doing copywriting or consulting, don't spend too much time trying to build fancy payment systems, just use PayPal for now.

Siri (or any voice assistant):

How to use:

Each night when I plan out the following day I tell Siri a sequence of commands.

For example:

"Wake me up at 8am."

"Remind me at 8:50am I have a consult with Dan."

"Remind me at 10:50am I have a consult with Erica."

"Remind me at 1:50pm I have a consult with John."

"Remind me at 4:30pm to go to the gym."

"Remind me at 7:30pm I have a Sumo dinner."

.....I'll just verbally say all these things into the phone and sure enough, it'll remind me of allllll my obligations the next day. This is a super convenient thing I've come to rely on.

You don't have to click any button or do anything....just speak it into the phone.

It's like having a robot assistant.

The other great use is recording directly into your phone when you have a brilliant piece of copy pop into your head:

Just speak into the phone: "Siri take a note saying [insert your brilliant copy here]" and it will automatically get transcribed into a note!  This is how I can write copy even if I'm driving :)

Google Docs for Writing:

How to use:

Go to docs.google.com and start writing.  It's like using Microsoft Word but over the internet, and without a lot of the clutter.

Benefits:

I'll personally say that Google Docs is by far the best writing editor I've ever used. It has all the features you need without all the clutter.

You can share documents with anyone really easily.

You can edit your doc from anywhere.

It's free.

Adding images is super easy.

It converts your file to other format flawlessly.

I use a Google Doc for all my consulting clients, so when we meet we can both type in the doc together.

When someone sends me a Word file nowadays, I don't even bother opening up the Word program....I just import it into Google Docs and edit from there.  It's just quicker, faster, more shareable.  All around an incredible word processor....and it's 100% free which is amazing.

Autoresponders:

How to use:

Whenever someone signs up via email to my website, I send them through an autoresponder sequence of emails.

Benefits:

I'll send out between 1 and 2 emails a week on my own, but sometimes that number is inconsistent.  This is where I let my robots take over and do some of the work.

I have an autoresponder sequence that automatically takes the new subscriber through a journey, and also mentions my paid products:

Show them about copywriting --> Tell them about the KopywritingKourse Premium --> Show them some of the top content.  

This is all done automatically by the autoresponder.  Day and Night a tireless robot does all the work whilst Neville goes out and plays :-)

I've gone through all the different services in the past....they each have their pro's and con's but in the end are essentially the exact same. I'd just break it down by the level of automation you need:

Beginner: Aweber.

Intermediate: ConvertKit.

Advanced: InfusionSoft.

iPad Pro:

How to use:

Ever see my dumb little drawings all over this site?  Chances are I drew it myself on an iPad Pro.

I've been using tablet PC's since 2003 (yes I was a very very very very early adopter), and have always been in love with being able to WRITE on a computer.

Benefits:

The iPad Pro is the first time computer handwriting has been done really really well.  The lag time is so low you can write just like on a piece of paper, and the iPad Pro knows the difference between the pen and your finger with extreme accuracy, making using it quite a pleasure!

The best part about the iPad Pro is the portability and apps you can use. The screen is large as a sheet of legal paper, and in horizontal mode the keyboard is large as a full-sized physical keyboard.  I actually prefer using the digital keyboard directly on the iPad Pro rather than the case/keyboard combination you can buy from Apple.

Microsoft OneNote:

How to use:

Use it to take notes if you have a tablet.  You can see an example of my HustleCon Notes here.

Benefits:

OneNote is probably one of the most underrated Microsoft products in history.  I've been using OneNote since 2003 and it's been my favorite Microsoft Product ever.

It's just so damn easy and useful.....and it "just works."

I used to use this even back in college on a Toshiba Portege M200 Tablet PC, and even back then this software was extremely helpful and really badass.  Using it on a modern day iPad is even better!

Photoshop for Photo Editing:

How to use:

Copywriting is about more than just text.  In fact I can often explain something MUCH quicker with one clever image.

Benefits:

By not just being held hostage to writing words, I can create more effective messages by using Photoshop.  I'd say over the years, learning Photoshop has been one of my largest strengths.  It's come in handy in SO many ways and saved me SO much time having to outsource small tasks.

For example, I can do cool stuff like add speech bubbles to my pics like you see in the photo.

I still love Google Drawings for making quick mock-ups and such.....but Photoshop is great for actual PHOTO editing.

Google Hangouts for Video Chatting:

How to use:

Just start chatting with anyone from across the world.

Benefits:

I do a lot of 1-on-1 consulting, and I've ALWAYS found I can better asses someone's needs with a basic video chat session. The phone is great, but there's certain things I can't do over the phone:

• Pick up on excitement levels.
• See how engaged the person is.
• Show them my screen directly.
• See their screen.

These benefits make video chatting the tool of choice for all my consults.  Google Hangouts its free, and nearly everyone has a Gmail account and can therefore use it right away.  A great free tool (however for my office hours inside the KopywritingKourse Premium I use Zoom.us).

Google Keep for adding snippets to docs:

A little known product called “Google Keep” has made it to prime time, and is slowly being rolled out across Gmail and Google Docs:

Here’s why it kicks ass for copywriters (and well, other “normal” people) also :-P

Google Docs is the best text editor on Earth, and the new Google Keep lets you keep a drawer full of snippets you frequently use:

The Google Keep icon on a Google Doc:

Click the icon, and the "drawer" appears with your saved "snippets":

Simply "click-n-drag" snippets into your document:

For example I like to frequently use quotes about copywriting in things I write, but I always forget them.

I'll still frequently use my quotes swipe file, but with Google Keep I can actually click-n-drag that quote right into a doc! You can see more about it here.