Happy Tuesday! The latest Consumer Price Index reading is due out at 8:30 AM today. It’s expected to show inflation continuing to cool.
Mentioned in today’s edition: Google, Zoom, Slack, and the Department of Justice. Plus why Facebook Ads aren’t the only thing you need to make money online, what a 13” screen will get you, and one thing you need for your next Zoom call.
Read time: 3 minutes and 36 seconds
Making the Rounds
- Department of Justice pursues antitrust suit against Google over default payments. The company pays billions of dollars to device makers each year to remain the default search engine on phones, something the DOJ claims is an illegal monopoly. Last week’s preliminary hearing was designed as a tutorial to help the judge learn more about Google’s business before the trial starts next year.
- Zoom announces updates for Slack competitor. The product, now called Zoom Team Chat, aims to reduce the friction of hopping between tools, but faces steep competition from both Slack and Microsoft Teams. What we want to know is: does it have a native GIF integration? If so, we may be migrating.
- Potential port and railway strikes threaten supply chain. Having the U.S. rail system go offline would reportedly cost $2 billion per day, and workers could strike as soon as Friday. With a new report today expected to show inflation cooling off, the government is eager to avoid anything that could send prices back up.
Working With Clients
When They Think Facebook Ads Are the Only Thing You Need to Make Money Online
If you’re just starting out as a freelancer…
It’s natural to try and sign anyone with a pulse and a credit card as a client.
But that’s a big mistake.
Here’s why…
Marketing and advertising can be boiled down to taking financial risks on creative ideas.
Some of them pan out.
Some of them don’t.
In fact, it’s normal to have to iterate 3-5+ times on an angle, offer, or marketing campaign before you find a winner.
But if you’re working with a client who’s never hired a freelancer to produce any marketing assets for them before…
Or someone who’s never spent a dime on paid ads…
The odds of them having unrealistic expectations are sky high.
Which means you’ll have a hard time satisfying them unless you hit out of the park on your first at-bat.
So…
Aim to work with clients who understand (and have experience with) marketing and advertising.
People who understand you have to spend money to make money…
That having a great offer matters more than having great copy…
That you need to “buy” data through testing before you can optimize your campaigns…
And that even the best copywriters and media buyers in the world don’t hit home runs every time.
Now you may have to work a little harder to find and land clients like this…
But it’s an investment that will pay off big time in the long run.
Working For Yourself
What a Lifetime of Working On a 13” Screen Will Get You
Part of being a marketer or entrepreneur is a steady stream of “aha” moments where you go…
“Why didn’t I start doing this sooner?!?”
Such as…
- Retargeting non-buyers
- Adding a phone number to your opt in
- Creating a referral program for your newsletter
- Etc
Another one is upgrading the size of your laptop screen or computer monitor.
Now, if you’re traveling, that’s one thing.
But if you’re spending 40 hours a week working on an 11 or 13-inch screen…
You’re not doing yourself any favors.
In fact, you’re making things much harder on your eyes than they need to be.
Squinting causes your eyes to tire quickly…
And craning your neck to look down or get closer to the screen can lead to stiffness and soreness…
Both of which can lead to tension headaches.
So, our recommendation?
Grab yourself two curved 24-inch monitors (setup permitting, of course).
Bonus points if you get monitor arms so they actually sit at eye level.
You (and your eyes) will thank us later.
And if you’d like to learn more about just how much the vision system affects our mind and body, listen to this eye-opening podcast with our favorite neurobiologist Dr. Andrew Huberman.
Tools We Love
Not Even The Blip Can Stop Him
Taking notes on a Zoom call can be a major pain.
Listening and typing quickly at the same time is no small feat……
Meanwhile, everyone else is forced to listen in as you hammer away on the keys as fast as you can.
And sure, you can record the call..
But if you’ve got to go back to review something someone said…
You’re often stuck skipping around trying to find the exact moment where it was discussed.
(Or worse, trying to remember what they said if you forgot to record it.)
That’s where Fireflies.AI comes in.
It’s an AI assistant that lets you record, transcribe, and search across all your voice conversations.
Once you sign up for free, all you have to do is invite Fireflies (aka Fred) into your meeting.
Then he takes care of the rest.
After the meeting is finished, you’ll have a searchable transcript so you don’t have to worry about taking notes.
Try Fireflies.AI for free today.
Gig Alerts
Looking for clients? These freelance jobs were posted on Upwork in the last 24 hours:
Quote of the Day
“Grit is the persistence in following your own destiny.”
— Paul Bradley Smith
ICYMI:
Monday: đź‘ľ Metaverse billboards