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SEO Copywriting - In the Wake of the Florida Update
by Karon Thackston © 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword After Googles most recent update, those in the search engine optimization (SEO) field seem to be standing at attention. As sites that have held long-standing positions in the top...
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Capturing the attention of your reader is paramount when writing free articles. You can make the greatest impact in capturing your readers attention by having a good title. One of the ways to do this is by using what I call Power words. By...
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One of the nice things about being an author is that we can break any rule we want. (I just did.) It's part of our job description. Language changes through usage -- definitions, spelling, grammar -- and authors can help it do this. But on the...
Write SMART: How to Create Terrific Writing Goals--And Achieve Them!
Open up your favorite calendar and circle today's date. Why? Because no matter what day it is, you've been given a wonderful gift: a bright and shiny year ahead to make your writing dreams come true. What are your writing goals for the coming...
Writing Articles - Advice For The Do-It-Yourself Webmaster
As an SME it is virtually impossible for us to hire the services of a good SEO company that is going to spend time optimising the site, adding new content and gaining good links for the site, simply because of the cost involved. Other SME's are I am...
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Freelance Copywriting Advice #1: Take the Scary Jobs
From time to time you will be faced with an opportunity that looks downright scary.
The temptation is to think, "Hey, that's way outside my level of expertise. I'm not ready for that."
My advice to you is this: Do it.
When you are faced with opportunities that are larger, more challenging and ultimately 'scary', that's when you learn fastest, stretch yourself the most and build your inner confidence as a copywriter.
Let me give you a couple of related examples.
Within my first two months as a direct marketing copywriter I was presented with the opportunity to write a mailing for Franklin Mint.
As some of you may know, Franklin Mint is a very, very sophisticated company when it comes to direct marketing. I seriously wondered whether I might end up looking like an idiot, wasting my time and theirs.
But I took on the job. Scary, yes. But it worked out fine. I learned a great deal and continued to do work for them.
Here's another, related example.
In early 1998 a friend of mine was invited to speak to a few hundred people at a conference about marketing online. He got cold feet and asked me to speak in his place. The problem was, I had only a week to
prepare my talk.
I had never spoken to a crowd that large before. I had no idea what to do. I was terrified.
But I did it.
In hindsight, that first talk was not a great one. But it got me started. Since then I have spoken at dozens of conferences and given full day seminars to numerous companies.
Speaking has made me quite a bit of money, and has led to many copywriting jobs I would otherwise have never received. It has also helped establish me as an expert in my chosen field.
And I came so, so close to saying no.
How close? Probably not as close as I think. Looking back, I have always said yes to the scariest challenges.
It's how you grow. It's how you find new opportunities. It's how you make your name as a copywriter worth doing business with.
About the Author
Nick Usborne is a freelance copywriter, author and speaker. For more on making money as a freelance copywriter, visit his site, http://www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com. For more on developing your skills, read his review of this copywriting course byMichael Masterson.
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