🥊 Confessions of a control beater

by

Happy Wednesday! Here’s a fun fact that could come in handy: on this day in 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail with three ships in search of the New World. Two months later, he made landfall in the Caribbean and came ashore on an island known by locals as Guanahani, in the Bahamas.

But the exact location of the island remains a mystery. Why? Because Columbus’s descriptions of the island included penetrating analysis such as “very green trees and many ponds and fruits.” Naturally, experts have since had a hard time figuring out which island he was referring to.

Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Instagram, TikTok, Shopify, SEO, and Spotify. Plus an unsexy way to build relationships with clients and colleagues, the trick to avoiding information overload, and how to write strong direct response copy that converts.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes and 34 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Instagram on track for 3X more influencer marketing spend than TikTok in 2022. File this one under “didn’t see that coming”: advertisers are projected to spend $2.23 billion on Instagram this year, compared to just $774M on TikTok.
  • Many of Shopify’s recent layoffs were in the SEO department. The company recently laid off roughly 1,000 workers, and it seems like most of them worked on search engine optimization (SEO) for the company. 
  • TikTok files patent for TikTok Music in potential attempt to compete with Spotify. Operation World Domination continues to proceed at breakneck speed for the short-form video app. According to the patent filing, the new platform will allow users to “purchase, play, share, and download music.”

Working With Clients

No Pants, No Problem

Video calls are an essential part of running a remote freelance biz.

But even though we love a good 60-minute Zoom as much as the next person…

It can be tempting to go “camera off” sometimes.

Whether you’re talking to a new prospect…

Or if you just had one too many tequila shots on Taco Tuesday the night before.

The benefits of being on camera can’t be overstated, though.

Being on camera helps develop a strong personal connection with colleagues and clients.

Relationships are what your business is built on.

So don’t be that guy or girl who’s making it weird by having your camera off while the other person’s camera is on.

“Camera on” is a mindset.

When talking to prospects, it proves you’re a real person and not some deepfaked AI-bot from the Philippines.

And when talking to existing clients or colleagues, it adds valuable context to deepen the back-and-forth.

Plus you don’t even have to put pants on if you don’t want to.

Working For Yourself

ALERT: Knowledge Banks Nearing Maximum Threshold

Living in the Information Age has its pros and cons.

On the one hand, you can teach yourself the basics of just about any skill for free online.

But on the other hand…

This embarrassment of riches creates a paradox of choice.

Who do you learn from? Who do you ignore?

It’s no easy task.

That’s why the secret to avoiding information overwhelm is…

Choose 1-2 experts to learn from and ignore everyone else.

– Consume everything they put out

– Implement their strategies as best you can

– Find out what works and what doesn’t before moving on

Learning a high-income skill like copywriting, sales, or paid ads can feel like drinking from a firehose.

You need to control the flow of information you’re taking in.

Otherwise your head will explode.

And the only way to do that effectively is to narrow your focus.

Bottom line: don’t get high on more than one guru’s supply.

The lessons you’ll learn from executing on ONE person’s strategies will trump it every time.

From The Copywriting Gig

Confessions of a Control-Beater

Looking to write strong direct response copy that converts?

Here’s a tip:

Use the active voice.

When you use the active voice, your subject takes the action.

This makes your writing feel strong and punchy.

On the flipside…

When you use the passive voice, your subject is the one being acted upon.

Which makes your writing feel weak and flaccid.

Here’s a few examples:

ACTIVE: I wrote that copy.

PASSIVE: That copy was written by me.

ACTIVE: I beat that control.

PASSIVE: That control was beaten by me.

See the difference?

If you want hard-hitting copy that can crush controls…

Write in the active voice.

Use declarations and direct commands to tell your reader exactly what to do.

Gig Alert

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

Quote of the Day

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.”

— Robert Louis Stevenson

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