What to do if you can't grow your copywriting business (or it's growing slower than you'd like)

this is one of the most valuable (if not THE most valuable) skills a copywriter can learn

identifying what the actual problem is

not what they think the problem is

but what it actually is

why is that so powerful?

it allows you to create results much more efficiently and much faster

that means growth happens smoother, faster, and easier too

but how do you identify the actual problem?

easy

when it comes to a copywriting business, it always falls into one of four categories

1. attention/traffic
2. conversions
3. pricing
4. churn

do you need more attention and traffic?

do you have enough attention/traffic and need your copy assets to convert better?

do you have enough attention/traffic and high conversions, but need to restructure your pricing?

do you have enough clients at a good price, but too many of them are churning (instead of staying on and referring)?

when broken down this way, you can see how simple it is

the solutions for each are very simple and straightforward too

attention/traffic

optimise your marketing

this means:

• your position
• your message
• your distribution

the majority of what you create here to get attention, and traffic needs to help people discover you

that means:

• tell better stories (about what they're interested in)
• use more proclamations
• tease more secrets
• show up where your ideal clients already are

you're trying to get the attention of unaware and problem aware people here

so write in a way that speaks directly to where they are psychologically

you can say the same thing 11 different ways just by shifting the angle

• yay minus boo ( X without Y)
• the truth about ... (a great curiosity builder)
• what to do if ... (great for agitating specific problems)
• the great X hoax (great if there's a common enemy)
• an open letter (great for a common enemy)
• a declaration of war (X is doing this ... it's causing you this ... we do this instead so ...)
• expose (useful in BIG problem industry)
• person on a mission (inspires others in your goal)
• emotional story (great for highlighting specific problems)
• big breakthrough! (great for reengaging people or announcing something new)
• mad as hell (align people with a common enemy)

conversions

use data to optimise your copy and assets

for ads:

• CPMs
• clicks
• CPCs
• link clicks
• CPLCs
• CTR (all)

for landing pages:

• headline split testing
• design changes (get the C2A higher, add more testimonials, add a video, etc)
• test one fold only vs multiple folds

for emails:

• open rates = split test subject lines
• click rates = test the link higher in the email, test a P.S, test multiple links and ways to link

for sales pages:

• headline split testing
• test different leads (offers, promises)

pricing

it's always easier to increase price than decrease it

this is a simple game of economics

as a copywriter, your overheads should be minimised as much as possible

mainly tech, software, and tools

an easy way to restructure pricing is to have a few different tiers in your offers

think of it as a value ladder

low ticket > average ticket > high ticket

this works well with:

• DIY
• DWY
• DFY

churn rate

how can you better retain your clients and get them referring

optimising your onboarding process is one way to do this

and then you want to get them quick wins

and you want to overdeliver

and you want to incentivise the referral

this must be an incentive for them and for the person they're referring

you want them to feel like they're gifting their friend something special

then it's about timing

you ask for the referral when they've had their biggest win

and you systematise it so it becomes easier for yourself

also, for clients who do leave

perform an "exit interview"

this is just asking for feedback

what did I do well. what can I improve upon. what would you have liked to have been added/done differently

this information will help you be better

and further decrease your churn rate