Over many years working as a freelance writer, I have learned that clients who have never partnered with an independent writer are sometimes nervous about how to get started.

Hiring a freelance writer can take a lot of work off your plate, but it can be intimidating when you don’t know what to expect. So, I’m sharing with you how I begin working with new clients, and I hope understanding the process will ease your concerns.

Read full post…

Everyone has to begin somewhere. Without taking the first step—whether it’s a success or a failure—you’ll never achieve any goal you set for yourself.

My first step was fearful and cautious, but unstoppable. There were also many missteps before I found a solid foothold. When I made a mistake, I backtracked a bit to catch my balance. Then I stepped out again, sometimes in a new direction, sometimes in the same direction but on a different route.

That path has led me to being able to say that I’m more successful today than I ever thought would be possible working for myself.

That’s because I learned to value myself, value my business and value my work as a service to help clients achieve their goals. If I didn’t realize my worth, I would have quit after the first mistake I made. There have been lots of mistakes since then, but I still move forward, learning lessons as I go.

That’s what I want to share with you—things I’ve (mostly) learned not to do, and what to do instead. Hopefully you can benefit from my trials and errors.

So, let’s get started.

Read full post…

This is a G-rated post, I promise.

We’ll get to the word in a minute—first, let’s talk about why you desperately need it.

If you’re in the business of writing, you need stories to tell. Whether you write feature articles, customer case studies or even executive bios, you need a story to keep readers engaged.

For writers, that’s common sense. For anyone who’s ever read anything, you know it’s true.

But stories aren’t always easy to find, even for professionals who are trained to find them. I’ve been writing feature articles for more than 10 years, and I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews. Some are easy—these people are comfortable talking your ear off. I don’t have to hunt for the story. They just tell me. Others, well, other people just don’t know how to tell their most interesting stories easily.

So what does that mean for the writer?

Read full post…

The birth of any great blog post is a messy business.

For professional bloggers, writing is a labor of love. For business owners, however, it can be a painful, intimidating process that’s just not worth the effort.

The conception of great ideas to share with your blog audience is usually pretty easy and fun. The delivery of clear, concise writing, though, that’s a different story.

Read full post…

We celebrate Cinco de Mayo with gusto down here in San Antonio, Texas.

If you’re not familiar with the background of Cinco de Mayo, here’s a quick history lesson.

In 1862 at the Battle of Puebla, the Mexican army was outnumbered two-to-one by invading French troops. But that day – May 5 – the smaller Mexican army defeated the French and sent them packing back across the Atlantic.

Today, May 5 commemorates that important victory and honors the country’s heritage and pride.

Though the win at the Battle of Puebla wasn’t the end of Mexico’s fight against the French, it was a milestone in that direction. That victory bolstered Mexican confidence in the conflict. It encouraged and motivated the troops.

What does all that have to do with business blogging? Let me explain.

Read the full post…

When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his dreams for America in one of the most influential speeches in all of history, he knew how to incite action from his listeners.

Not only was the content of his speech provocative, his delivery could have moved mountains.

King challenged tens of thousands of civil rights supporters in Washington that day to move toward change and never give up. King so moved Americans of all races that they accepted the challenge back in 1963 and continue to do so today.

Delivering this speech, King used classic call to action techniques to inspire and motivate. By analyzing King’s speech, business copywriters can discover an effective approach to motivate even the most resistant readers.

As we celebrate his birthday, let’s take a look at what made his speech so inspirational.

Read full post…

Love ’em or hate ’em, New Year’s resolutions tempt you every year.

You may make them (and break them) faithfully every year, or you might be someone who gave up resolutions long ago.

Do as you please with your personal resolutions to meditate (who has the time?), to work out more often (who has the energy?) or to eat less chocolate (who has the willpower?). But don’t overlook business resolutions, and certainly don’t break them come Jan. 2.

Before heading back to the office after the holidays, take inventory of your business writing. Changes in the past year mean your website and marketing materials need an update. So resolve right now to take stock of what’s working well and what needs a face-lift.

Let’s take a look at a few areas you should reevaluate.

Read full post…

Your website might be missing a very important page.

If you don’t have an About Us page, you haven’t introduced yourself to your website visitors.

They’re looking for you, and you’re nowhere to be found.

Your site has no personality. But you can fix that.

No matter whether you overlooked it or just didn’t know how to write it, if you don’t have an About page, you need one. Let’s learn how to write it.

Read full post…

“Almost everybody in the advertising business will tell you that there are more efficient ways to influence the consumer than writing copy.

But here’s something else that almost everybody agrees on: It has gotten harder and harder to build brand, move merchandise, convey a message, leave a lasting impression.”

– Michael Wolff, award-winning writer and contributor to Vanity Fair

Though it seems to state the obvious, the assertion that copywriting requires a copywriter is not a widely believed principle.

Read full post…

I worked with a client recently whose business targets a few different audiences. For example, he collaborates with similar businesses, but he also works with clients directly. I was editing some copy he’d written to appeal to that second group. What I found, though, were words targeted at the first group.

My client is an insider, so he didn’t think twice about using the industry lingo. What he meant was clear to him, and it would have made perfect sense to his collaborators. But the marketing piece wasn’t meant for that audience, and they wouldn’t be the ones reading it.

It’s tempting to use the lingo because so much meaning can be wrapped up in one word. That one word can save a lot of space and shorten your copy. But it also can shorten the attention span of readers who don’t get it. They’ll tune out and move on – to someone who understands them.

Read full post…