Happy Monday! F1 world champion Max Verstappen claimed his first win of the season in a thrilling street race in Saudi Arabia yesterday. The next stop on the circuit is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on April 10.
Now letās catch up on the latestā¦
Freelance Economy News
- SpaceX is coming for in-flight WiFi. New Starlink satellite antennas could soon provide high-speed internet on flights. Make it so, Elon!
- Look out for AI-generated LinkedIn profile pics. An investigation by NPR found over 1,000 profiles with headshots that appear to have been created using AI. Their purpose? Generating leads for businesses.
- 30 companies making long-term remote work permanent. The return to the office is happening for some, but all the companies on this list are shifting their policies to make remote work a permanent option.
Working With Clients
R.I.N: Your Unfair Advantage as a Freelancer
Struggling to land your first (or next) freelance client?
Breaking in can be tough when you donāt have a proven track record or a long list of big wins to share.
So hereās a trick to help you differentiate yourselfā¦
Work in niches you already know.
āThe riches are in the nichesā is something you hear a lot from successful entrepreneursā¦
And it applies to freelancing too.
Positioning yourself as a specialist within a niche is the best way to create an unfair advantage.
And itās as simple as this:
Your freelance skill(s) + a deep understanding of the people in that niche = specialization.
This works if youāve got brick and mortar experienceā¦
If itās something you studied in schoolā¦
Or if itās just a topic youāre really passionate about.
Leverage the assets youāve already got and youāll have no trouble getting clients and closing deals.
Working For Yourself
The Ultimate Beginnerās Guide to a Sore Neck, Chronic Eye Strain, and Tension Headaches
Forget ātext neckā ā thatās old newsā¦
Thereās an even better way to crumple your posture and lock in a lifetime of upper body stiffness, aches, and painsā¦
And thatās working on a teeny tiny laptop screen.
Now, if youāre traveling, thatās one thing.
But if your home or office set up includes working on a 11 or 13 inch screenā¦
Consider upgrading to a 24 inch monitor.
Bonus points if you grab a monitor arm so it can actually sit at eye level.
The reasons why are simple:
Squinting causes your eyes to tire quicklyā¦
And craning your neck to look down or get closer to the screen can lead to stiffness and sorenessā¦
Both of which can lead to tension headaches.
If youād like to learn more about just how much the vision system affects our mind and body, listen to this eye-opening podcast with neurobiologist Dr. Andrew Huberman.
(sorry, couldnāt resist)
From The Copywriting Gig
What NEVER to Do When Writing Words That Sell
WIIFM is one of the most important concepts in copy.
It stands for āwhatās in it for meā ā a reminder that your readers donāt actually care about youā¦
(not even if you write their favorite newsletter!š)
So if you want to get someoneās attention, appealing to their self-desire is key.
But according to Gary Halbert, author of the Coat of Arms direct mail promo that ran for over 30 years and generated millions of dollars in the 70s and 80s, thereās one element of persuasion even more important than self-desire.
Something that can make readers burn through 50 pages of copy in a frenzyā¦
Something that can turn an underperforming ad or email into a customer-generating machineā¦
And something that separates pro copywriters from wannabe Don Drapers.
Can you guess what it is?
Iāll give you a hint: itās not a killer price, money back guarantee, or added bonusā¦
Instead, that special something is:
Curiosity.
See what I did there? š
Point beingā¦
You never want to reveal everything in your ad, email, or sales page right away.
Learn how to talk about something without giving away what it is.
Because if your readers arenāt curious to discover your secret, hack, trick, tactic, strategy, or 7 magic words to achieve a desired resultā¦
Theyāll never buy.
Tools We Love
Fort Knox Aināt Got $#!* On This
Death, taxes, and password resets.
Three things you can count on when doing business online.
And if you want to keep track of all your usernames and passwords, both for yourself and for clients, without going madā¦
LastPass has got you covered.
Trusted by 30M+ happy users, itās the simplest way to keep your sensitive info safe, secure, and highly organized.
Try LastPass for free and get peace of mind today.
Quote of the Day
āFearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.ā ā Arianna Huffington