Just starting out? Top 5 reasons your post isn't getting read/replies
This is becoming a thing lately.
Understand me - I'm not knocking newbies. Everyone starts at square one. Some of us take longer to learn lessons than others.
But if you're legitimately confused as to why your questions aren't being answered or why some questions are met with a little annoyance, this thread's for you.
Understand these are my opinions alone, and you're free to think I'm a jerk if you want.
But my hope is that some of you who are genuinely interested in learning and moving forward through this very challenging career path will get something out of it.
Without further ado:
1) Your question is incredibly broad/vague/general.
Examples:
What's the best copywriting book?
I'm new, where should I start?
How do I charge?
2) Your question has been answered so many times, it's now in the stickies at the top of the forum.
All the questions in #1.
Exactly how much research have you done on this?
I get that it's overwhelming, but trust me (and brace yourself - this may hurt): you're not unique. You're not the only one. Your case is not so special that you can't try some of the tactics that have already been tried to find out what works for you.
And that's the thing - there's NO ONE WAY to do this. There's NO ONE BEST WAY. Some of us work corporate jobs. Some of us work freelance full time. Some of us struggle to find clients. Some of us are overloaded. Some of us are broke. Some of us aren't doing too shabby.
YOU HAVE TO TRY IT. It's much easier for me to answer questions on why something may or may not have worked than to try and tell you what's right for you.
3) You're looking to have your ego stroked.
You worked hard on that piece, I get it. Writing and rewriting (and rewriting and scrapping and writing again) is freaking hard. Sometimes you really just want someone to tell you you're on the right track.
Here's the thing - you want us to tell you it's not going to work? Or would you rather spend a lot of money taking it to market and failing?
Nothing's guaranteed, of course. I could think it'll be a monumental flop and you could totally prove me wrong. But odds are if I'm advising you against something, I've seen it done (and fail) before, or I've done it myself before.
I don't tell you these things because I enjoy being the bad guy. I've trained copywriters and I see their faces fall when something they've worked hard on fails. I see their faces every time I tell you something I think you need to hear.
I don't want to be that bitch that tells you it's not going to work. But I'd rather be that than someone who skews your perceptions of reality and what's possible. I'll give you thoughts to consider and what you choose to do with that info is ultimately up to you.
4) You're asking questions that have no real answer.
Examples:
Are long-form sales letters dead?
Is internet marketing old hat?
How many times should I hand copy a letter before I'm ready?
1. No one tactic is ever truly dead. There are still people making money with faxing, people.
2. There are still a shit ton of funnels out there doing gangbusters. I've gone through them and bought something I find to be of value. I'm sure you have too.
3. The only person who knows when you're ready is you. Even when you think you're completely ready you're probably going to be hesitant to start - that's completely normal.
5) You're looking to have the pain taken out of the decision you're trying to make.
I can't make this safe for you. I can't eliminate any of the risk. I can't set guidelines for you without knowing your specific situation intimately.
It's scary. It's tough. You're going to fall on your face. If you're smart, you're going to pick yourself up, learn from it, and keep moving forward.
Send the email, let the market tell you if it works. Set the price, see how it does. Make the deal and figure out if it's right for you. If you accept it and figure out later you should have asked for more - suck it up and get it done to the best of your ability and DO BETTER NEXT TIME.
-------
I'm all ranted out for now.
But seriously, guys.
There's no magic pill. If you want to keep buying that, be my guest. You're probably making some of my friends a LOT of money looking for the next shiny object.
But the only real measure of success is YOU and how much YOU are putting into this. The only person that can win or quit is YOU.
All I know is I'm still here.
Something to consider.
Understand me - I'm not knocking newbies. Everyone starts at square one. Some of us take longer to learn lessons than others.
But if you're legitimately confused as to why your questions aren't being answered or why some questions are met with a little annoyance, this thread's for you.
Understand these are my opinions alone, and you're free to think I'm a jerk if you want.
But my hope is that some of you who are genuinely interested in learning and moving forward through this very challenging career path will get something out of it.
Without further ado:
1) Your question is incredibly broad/vague/general.
Examples:
What's the best copywriting book?
I'm new, where should I start?
How do I charge?
2) Your question has been answered so many times, it's now in the stickies at the top of the forum.
All the questions in #1.
Exactly how much research have you done on this?
I get that it's overwhelming, but trust me (and brace yourself - this may hurt): you're not unique. You're not the only one. Your case is not so special that you can't try some of the tactics that have already been tried to find out what works for you.
And that's the thing - there's NO ONE WAY to do this. There's NO ONE BEST WAY. Some of us work corporate jobs. Some of us work freelance full time. Some of us struggle to find clients. Some of us are overloaded. Some of us are broke. Some of us aren't doing too shabby.
YOU HAVE TO TRY IT. It's much easier for me to answer questions on why something may or may not have worked than to try and tell you what's right for you.
3) You're looking to have your ego stroked.
You worked hard on that piece, I get it. Writing and rewriting (and rewriting and scrapping and writing again) is freaking hard. Sometimes you really just want someone to tell you you're on the right track.
Here's the thing - you want us to tell you it's not going to work? Or would you rather spend a lot of money taking it to market and failing?
Nothing's guaranteed, of course. I could think it'll be a monumental flop and you could totally prove me wrong. But odds are if I'm advising you against something, I've seen it done (and fail) before, or I've done it myself before.
I don't tell you these things because I enjoy being the bad guy. I've trained copywriters and I see their faces fall when something they've worked hard on fails. I see their faces every time I tell you something I think you need to hear.
I don't want to be that bitch that tells you it's not going to work. But I'd rather be that than someone who skews your perceptions of reality and what's possible. I'll give you thoughts to consider and what you choose to do with that info is ultimately up to you.
4) You're asking questions that have no real answer.
Examples:
Are long-form sales letters dead?
Is internet marketing old hat?
How many times should I hand copy a letter before I'm ready?
1. No one tactic is ever truly dead. There are still people making money with faxing, people.
2. There are still a shit ton of funnels out there doing gangbusters. I've gone through them and bought something I find to be of value. I'm sure you have too.
3. The only person who knows when you're ready is you. Even when you think you're completely ready you're probably going to be hesitant to start - that's completely normal.
5) You're looking to have the pain taken out of the decision you're trying to make.
I can't make this safe for you. I can't eliminate any of the risk. I can't set guidelines for you without knowing your specific situation intimately.
It's scary. It's tough. You're going to fall on your face. If you're smart, you're going to pick yourself up, learn from it, and keep moving forward.
Send the email, let the market tell you if it works. Set the price, see how it does. Make the deal and figure out if it's right for you. If you accept it and figure out later you should have asked for more - suck it up and get it done to the best of your ability and DO BETTER NEXT TIME.
-------
I'm all ranted out for now.
But seriously, guys.
There's no magic pill. If you want to keep buying that, be my guest. You're probably making some of my friends a LOT of money looking for the next shiny object.
But the only real measure of success is YOU and how much YOU are putting into this. The only person that can win or quit is YOU.
All I know is I'm still here.
Something to consider.