Ideas for being a top 1% copywriter
I recently listened to the podcast between James and Jeff Lerner regarding the importance of being in the top 1%, and it not being as hard as you think. It got me thinking about my copywriting career. I have been a professional copywriter since 2009. I studied everything I could get my hands on when I made the transition from journalism. I am good at it. But there's so much more I could be doing to be in that top 1%.
Here are some ideas...
1. Read and study old sales letters. Yes. Again.
I have a collection of old sales letters from AWAI. I read through them when I took the course. Read through them again.
2. Develop and read an updated list of the best copywriting blogs out there. Read them. Study them.
I'm familiar with the heavy hitters. Copyblogger. ProBlogger. Hubspot. Brogan. Henneke. Let's up the ante. Develop a more inclusive list of bloggers, writers, content producers surrounding copywriting and content marketing. Study them. Reach out to them. Give ideas to them.
3. Join more copywriting-related groups.
I am part of a handful of helpful Facebook groups on the subject. Look for more. Look for productive LI groups. Find LI groups in markets that I want to write in, and add to their conversation as the marketing expert in the group. Don't discount Meetup
4. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Write more blogs for myself. Write sales letters for fictional companies (or maybe try my hand at one for myself.) Write more case studies. More emails. More white papers. WRITE. MORE.
5. Make more copywriting connections.
Reach out to other copywriters. Find out what they're doing. How they handle certain situations. How they operate their business. How they market themselves.
6. Get more professional certifications
Look into Hubspot, AWAI, LI, and other potential certifications. Get them. Use their badges on my site.
7. Exercise, eat right, meditate, and work on mental health.
I can't sit down and give my everything if I am unhealthy or incapable. I need my entire attention focused on what I'm doing.
8. Read outside my industry and make creative ties back to copywriting.
I need to bring outside ideas to my practice. I don't want to recycle old thoughts and be a one-track thinker. This means finding commonalities from other industries. Where can I draw from to breath fresh air into my work?
9. Generate 10 ideas a day and stay consistent.
These ideas don't have to ALL be about business, but some can. I also don't have to be the next anyone. I don't have to follow in the footsteps of mentors. I can be the next me. Again, good copywriting ideas might come from reading or talking with people outside my industry and thinking about them in new context.
10. Develop a personal board of directors.
I remember this bit of advice from a guest on the Tim Ferriss show a few years back. Who do I talk with when I have questions about marketing my business? Who do I talk with when I have questions about the craft? Who do I talk with that's published Amazon books? Etc. But a word of caution. These are not one way streets. I need to offer ideas. I need to bring a fresh approach to their business, too.
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