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Happy Wednesday! Netflix averted disaster yesterday, reporting a loss of only 1 million subscribers instead of the 2 million they projected. They also pushed back the timeline on their ad-supported tier to early 2023.

Mentioned in today’s newsletter: Amazon, Snapchat, Zoom, and Firefox. Plus why falling on your sword is usually a good idea, an easy office upgrade your eyes will thank you for, and the No Paragraphs Allowed club.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes and 30 seconds

Making the Rounds

  • Amazon slashes its own private-label inventory due to falling sales. The reduction may be a precursor to exiting the private label business entirely to avoid regulatory trouble from the feds, according to the WSJ. 
  • Snapchat unveils desktop app that could compete with Zoom. The disappearing message app has only been available on mobile for years. But now it’s launching on desktop because the mobile version hosts a shocking 100 million video calls per month. Users in the U.S., U.K., and Canada will have to pony up for a $3.99/m Snap+ subscription to access the new desktop version.

  • New Firefox feature blocks URL tracking parameters. The new privacy feature strips URL parameters typically used to track web traffic. The life of a media buyer gets more fun every day.

Working With Clients

Why Falling On Your Sword is Usually a Good Idea

If you’ve been freelancing for a while, chances are you’ve screwed something up when working for a client.

And if you’re new to freelancing, well… give it time.

Either way, mistakes are inevitable.

They can’t be avoided.

But what most freelancers don’t realize is…

How you respond to a mistake can make or break your client relationship.

So own up to your screw ups.

If your sales letter went live with a typo in the headline…

Or you embedded the wrong video on a landing page…

Or you launched ads with a broken link…

Then take responsibility.

Don’t try to deflect the blame.

Clients will respect you for it, and — assuming the offense wasn’t firing-worthy — it will help to build trust and strengthen your relationship over the long term.

Working For Yourself

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

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.

From The Copywriting Gig

No Paragraphs Allowed

Here’s some good news for anyone who failed English class:

Writing words that sell has NOTHING to do with what you learned in high school.

In fact, it breaks pretty much all the rules.

Some key points to focus on:

  • Keep paragraphs short (1-2 lines max)
  • Avoid using big words (3 syllables or less)
  • Ellipses are your best friend
  • Moar bullets

It may feel funny at first…

But if you want to sell more stuff, train yourself to write conversationally and in plain English.

Looking to speed up the process? 

Put your copy through Hemingway before submitting it.

Gig Alert

Quote of the Day

“If you want to succeed, if you want to achieve all your outcomes, you have to think of success as a process, a way of life, a habit of mind, a strategy for life.”

— Tony Robbins

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