🧑‍💼 AI interns

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Happy Friday! In case you’ve been living under a rock, 2023 is shaping up to be the year of AI, as evidenced by the stories in today’s edition. 

It’s easy to worry about the future impacts of this new technology — and many of those worries are totally justified — but the most effective way to empower yourself is to educate yourself. 

And we’re here to help you do just that.

So buckle up, because this year is going to be a wild ride.

Mentioned in today’s newsletter: AI interns, Google, Bankrate, and CNET. Plus one mistake to avoid when looking for new clients, and why this matters more than features and benefits when it comes to making sales.

Read time: 2 minutes and 59 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Marketing agency “hires” AI interns. Aiko and Aiden, the two digital software models acting as “interns” for Codeword, a tech-marketing agency, reportedly chose their own names and avatars. And if you think *that’s* creepy, just imagine getting a Slack message from one of them 😅
  • Financial publisher Bankrate is using AI to write some of its SEO content. One of the biggest finance sites on the internet, Bankrate has begun using AI to create some of its content for search engines like Google. And they’re not the only ones…
  • CNET has published 73 articles written by AI. The articles display on the site as being written by “CNET Money Staff”, but when you click on the author, a disclaimer appears that reveals it was generated by AI and “thoroughly edited and fact-checked by an editor on our editorial staff.” Google’s stance on AI-generated content (and ability to detect it) will have major ramifications for publishers depending on search traffic.

Working With Clients

Don’t Make This Mistake When Looking For New Clients

You know what they say about planting trees…

The best time to be slinging seeds was 20 years ago…

The second best time is now.

Same thing goes for finding new clients.

You should be setting time aside each week for prospecting and business development.

If you’re using a freelancing platform like Upwork, you may benefit from a shorter sales cycle since some clients are looking to hire ASAP…

But if you’re relying on cold outreach, networking, or almost any other acquisition strategy…

Chances are, it’s going to take time for the seeds you plant to blossom into paying customers.

So don’t just jot this down on a to-do list somewhere…

Put it in your calendar.

There’s a reason why personal finance expert Ramit Sethi often says, “show me your calendar and I’ll show you your priorities.”

Because when it’s in your calendar, it’s far more likely to actually get done.

And when it comes to getting fully booked…

The secret is to schedule time for finding your next client.

From The Copywriting Gig

Forget Features & Benefits (This Matters More For Making Sales)

Humans are lazy creatures.

We don’t like to act if we don’t have to.

And even if you’re not part of the 20% of adults who struggle with chronic procrastination…

Most of us usually need a little extra nudge when it comes to making decisions…

Especially when it comes to buying something.

That’s why urgency is one of the most powerful levers for increasing conversions from your sales copy.

And it’s all because of a cognitive bias known as “loss aversion.”

Which basically means…

We’re hardwired to care more about losing $20 than we are about finding $20.

How does this apply in sales copy?

Missing out on a big discount or a limited-time opportunity to get access to a unique solution is much more likely to motivate a buyer than any potential gain.

So here are a few proven words and phrases to help inject urgency into your writing:

  • “Grab your discounted copy before it expires”
  • “Hurry! Get instant access now before the timer hits zero”
  • “We missed you on the webinar! Here’s your last chance to register for the encore…”

It’s a clichéed tactic to be sure…

(doubly so when it’s not done authentically)

But the truth is, the reason it’s become so commonplace is because it works.

So don’t miss out on your chance to get more leads and sales 😉

Gig Alerts

Looking for clients? These freelance jobs were posted on Upwork in the last 24 hours:

NOTE: We only share job postings from Upwork. We’ve found it to be the most trustworthy platform with the highest-quality clients. Furthermore, job postings must be for high-income skills like copywriting, media buying, funnel building, graphic design, remote closing, etc in order to qualify.

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Quote of the Day


“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”

— Ayn Rand