Lauren Jefferson - FocusCopy®

12 Swipeable Email Newsletter Topics To Steal For Your Next Content Ideation Workshop

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / December 12, 2024 December 12, 2024

Email marketing is one of the highest ROI marketing efforts you can invest in. And it’s been that way for years. And there’s a reason for that.

Relationships are built over time. With email marketing software, you can boil down an audience and hyper-personalize campaigns based on behavior and demographics. This makes building the relationship easier.

One of the best ways to start your email marketing efforts is to create an email newsletter. But what do you even talk about in those newsletters (especially to avoid the dreaded unsubscribe)?

While we’ve created 52 prompts that you can also apply to your email newsletter, here are 12 swipeable email newsletter topics or themes to workshop.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Newsletter

Everyone has questions…And your audience may turn to someone or something (like Google) to answer those questions. But what if you could be the source they go to for all their questions related to your area of expertise?

For example, a wellness coach who focuses on menopause can start a FAQ newsletter that answers questions like:

How to avoid hot flashes
What to expect with menopause
When do you know you’re in menopause

Tutorial Or Hack Newsletter

You could also send a hack newsletter. This is great if your brand is very education-focused and you’ve been able to boil complex ideas down to simple steps. And the goal? To make the process easier for your readers. For example, Zapier’s blog and newsletters frequently offer workflow automation hacks.

Behind The Scenes Newsletter

Another newsletter option includes taking a behind-the-scenes look at your process or your development. Show the human side of your business by sharing the day-to-day operations or the journey behind a project launch. This type of newsletter creates a lot of buy-in since they’ve seen an idea or project come from its inception to fruition. Don’t forget to include videos or a photo gallery of your work.

Curated Content Newsletter

A curated content newsletter compiles valuable resources, articles, tools, or events relevant to your audience. This is a great idea if you don’t have much time to write the content or don’t know where to start. Start by researching topics impacting your target audience and industry. Then include a roundup of the apps or articles on a specific topic.

Want to speed up your curation? Prompt AI to curate the articles and provide a quick summary for you to copy/paste into your email service provider.

Tech Stack Newsletter

Have a cool tech stack that you can’t stop talking about? Turn it into a newsletter. Share the tools and platforms you use to run your business efficiently – explaining their role and benefits. Buffer – the social media scheduling platform – often shares the tech and strategies they use internally.

Lesson Learned Newsletter

Vulnerability is key to building connections. Reflect on a past mistake or success and the lessons it taught you, offering actionable advice. This could look like: What we learned from launching too soon (and how you can avoid it).

Our Copy Roast is a combination newsletter, but most often features our lessons learned. This is the perfect newsletter for busy entrepreneurs who want to communicate better with their target audience. Subscribe here.

Core Values Newsletter

Become a thought leader in your industry by sharing your core values. Highlight your company’s guiding principles and how they shape decisions and culture. Patagonia often shares newsletters emphasizing its values. One of my favorite emails they send each year is around Black Friday and their reasoning for not being open on Black Friday…They want you outside, exploring and enjoying nature (and it makes sense for them to say so).

Mythbusting Newsletter

Debunk common myths or misconceptions in your industry to provide clarity to your audience. HubSpot frequently tackles marketing misconceptions in their blog and email content.

Your Why Newsletter

Go a little deeper with your target audience…Explain the purpose behind your business or product in detail, noting its impact on your audience. Need some inspiration on where to start? Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” message often translates well into newsletters.

Advice Newsletter

Ever read The Morning Brew? They include actionable business advice for readers – making it one of the more popular newsletters. And the results? They make over $70 million annually…From a newsletter.

Provide actionable, expert tips for tackling common challenges your audience faces.

News Newsletter

A news newsletter is just as it sounds – the news from inside of your business or even where you have been published lately. This newsletter is more occasional than regular, depending on how frequently you have news about your brand to share. For example, Crunchbase’s newsletters focus on startup and funding news.

Process Newsletter

Have the best processes? Break down your workflows or strategies so your audience can replicate your methods. Trello often shares how they use their platform internally.

It’s Time To Nurture Your Email List With An Engaging Newsletter

Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing tactics you can deploy in your business. But saying you’re doing email marketing and actually doing it…2 entirely different things. That’s why it’s critical you consider the best type of newsletter for your target customer and how that fits into your customer journey.

Then you can start thinking about the topics…Our favorite part!

Don’t know where to start? Download 52 email prompts to start brainstorming your upcoming newsletter.

Prospects Slipping Through The Cracks Of Your Sales Pipeline?

You may be leaving money on the table if you aren’t following up with them regularly and relationally.

The USP Framework Builder To Skyrocket Sales

Copywriting / By Lauren Jefferson / December 9, 2024 December 9, 2024

How are you unique?

If you can’t answer that question in a few seconds, it may be time to investigate your uniqueness and reveal your authentic self. Now in the age of AI and the competitive business landscape, it is more important than ever to differentiate your brand from every other brand – especially as the use of AI is becoming even more prevalent.

You have a uniqueness that is just waiting to be uncovered in your unique selling proposition (USP). It’s what sets your product, service, or brand apart from competitors. The right USP doesn’t just communicate why you’re different; it also convinces customers why they should choose you. Crafting a powerful USP can seem daunting, but with a framework to guide you, you’ll be on your way to skyrocketing sales in no time.

What Is A Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

At its core, a USP answers this simple question: Why should customers buy from you instead of your competitors?

Your USP isn’t just a catchy tagline or slogan – it’s a promise that highlights your brand’s distinct value. Whether it’s a unique product feature, a superior customer experience, or an unbeatable price point, your USP should clarify why your business is the obvious choice.

Now, what happens if your company does not have a USP?

Without a clear USP, you risk blending into the sea of competitors. A compelling USP not only attracts your ideal customer, but also helps you focus your marketing efforts, streamline messaging, and build customer loyalty.

And who doesn’t want that?

In this blog, we’ll share exactly how to build your USP to skyrocket your sales.

What’s The Difference Between Value Proposition vs USP?

Some companies use the terms value proposition and unique selling proposition interchangeably, but using them this way is highly inaccurate. Your value proposition is built to show your value and your difference makers as a brand through your process or offer. The USP is a little more focused on a specific offer and area of your business. And it communicates to your audience the difference between who you are and every other brand in your space.

How To Create A USP That Skyrockets Sales

To craft an effective USP, follow these five steps:

Know who your target audience is (i.e. your customer)
Identify your key differentiators
Highlight your benefits (not your features)
Keep it clear, focused, and concise
Optimize, optimize, optimize

1. Understand Your Target Audience

Customer centricity is at the core of all effective marketing. That’s why this is you need to know who your target customers are, what problems they’re experiencing, and what would push them to make a buying decision. And your USP should directly address your ideal customers’ needs, desires, and pain points.

To understand them, start by creating detailed buyer personas, conducting surveys or interviews with them, and finally analyzing customer reviews for patterns.

For example, Dollar Shave Club understood that men wanted affordable, convenient razor subscriptions without the hassle of shopping in-store. Their USP? “A great shave for a few bucks a month. No commitment.” As a result, Dollar Shave Club went from generating $4 million in its first year of business to $150 million two years later.

So who is your target audience?

2. Identify Your Key Differentiators

What makes your business stand out? This could be a specific feature, benefit, or approach no one else offers in your space. Some great questions to ask to find these key differentiators include:

What problems do you solve better than anyone else?
What are you doing that competitors aren’t?
Do you have proprietary processes, technologies, or experiences?

Apple – the technology company – differentiates itself with cutting-edge design and seamless integration across all devices. And as an Apple user, I can conclude how easy this makes my life as an entrepreneur. Their USP could be summed up as: “Elegance and innovation in every detail.” Remember these catchy campaigns?

3. Highlight Tangible Benefits

Your USP should emphasize benefits over features. Your audience cares about what your product can do for them – not the technical jargon behind it. So consider what would make their life better and even the transformation they’d love to see.

For example, HelloFresh’s USP isn’t just about meal kits. It’s about convenience and healthier home cooking: “America’s #1 meal kit, making dinnertime easy, delicious, and stress-free.” If you’re a busy family, this USP appeals to you because it brings dinner back to the table and eliminates the time component.

4. Keep It Concise & Clear

We’re inundated with so much content and information daily. So the clearer and more concise you make your USP, the better. Make it short, memorable, and easy to understand. The best USPs stick in the minds of your audience and can often double as a tagline.

For example, M&M’s USP is: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” This simple phrase highlights a unique product benefit that solves a common issue with candy.

5. Test, Refine, & Optimize

We’ve always said it…Marketing is simply a big experiment. It’s also why you need to test, refine, and optimize your USP consistently. Does it resonate with your target audience? Are people drawn to it? If not, tweak your message until it clicks.

Examples of Outstanding USPs

While we’ve already given you some amazing USPs to use as examples, let’s break down some real-world examples to inspire your own USP creation.

1. TOMS: “One for One”

TOMS revolutionized the shoe industry by embedding social impact into their USP. For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need.

Why It Works: It appeals to customers’ values, not just their need for shoes. People love to feel that their purchases make a difference.

2. FedEx: “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”

FedEx built its USP around reliability and speed. This proposition reassured customers that they could depend on the company for urgent shipping needs.

Why It Works: It addresses a specific, critical customer pain point: timely delivery.

3. Tesla: “Accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

Tesla’s USP focuses on innovation and environmental consciousness, appealing to customers who value sustainability and cutting-edge technology.

Why It Works: It aligns with a powerful mission and positions Tesla as a leader in the electric vehicle market.

4. IKEA: “Affordable solutions for better living.”

IKEA’s USP emphasizes affordability and practicality, catering to people who want stylish furniture without breaking the bank.

Why It Works: It balances cost-effectiveness with design, making the brand accessible and appealing.

Common USP Mistakes To Avoid

Crafting a compelling USP is as much about what to avoid as it is about what to include. Avoid these common pitfalls as you build out your USP.

1. Being Too Vague

Your USP needs to be specific. Broad claims like “great service” or “high-quality products” don’t differentiate your brand. They are as vague as ChatGPT gets. So get specific about your uniqueness – infusing authenticity and genuity into your USP.

When we ask clients what they want to be known for, we often hear “our intelligence, trustworthiness, and service”. But doesn’t everyone want to be known for that? Get specific.

2. Focusing on Features Instead of Benefits

Your customers don’t just want to know what your product does; they want to know how it will improve their lives. That’s why it’s so crucial that you know how to transform features into benefits.

3. Trying to Appeal to Everyone

A strong USP speaks directly to a niche audience. Trying to be everything to everyone dilutes your message. A mentor told me over and over again…If you serve everyone, you serve no one. The same is true here. Just because you can serve everyone with your offer, doesn’t mean you should. We’ve often found the more targeted you get, the higher the conversion rate you have. And you even find that people outside of your target will engage with your offer.

4. Ignoring Competitor Analysis

If your USP isn’t different from what competitors offer, it won’t stand out. That’s why we recommend conducting a competitive analysis before you start building your USP.

How to Implement Your USP

Once you’ve nailed your USP, integrate it across all aspects of your business, including your:

Website
Marketing campaigns (ad copy, email campaigns, and social media posts)
Sales pitch
Customer support

This should extend beyond marketing and should infiltrate every single area of your business.

Remember, your USP isn’t static – it evolves as your business and market grow. Regularly revisit your USP to ensure it aligns with your audience’s needs and stays ahead of competitors.

For example, Netflix’s USP shifted over the years. Initially, it focused on DVD rentals with no late fees. Today, it’s centered on unlimited streaming and exclusive content: “Unlimited movies, TV shows, and more. Watch anywhere. Cancel anytime.”

Ready To Skyrocket Sales?

Crafting a strong unique selling proposition is both an art and a science. By understanding your audience, highlighting what makes your business unique, and communicating those benefits clearly, you’ll be able to stand out in the marketplace and drive sales like never before.

Take the time to use this framework to develop a USP that resonates with your audience. When done right, your USP becomes more than a marketing statement – it becomes the reason your customers choose you, time and time again.

Need help to build a USP that skyrockets your sales? Schedule your discovery call with our team today.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words

The Power Of Customer Centricity: Our Hot Take On The Newest Jaguar Campaign

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / December 4, 2024 December 3, 2024

Over the last 2 weeks, Jaguar has been making the headlines with their…controversial rebrand launch. Watch the ad that caused a ripple effect of wild conversations.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jaguar (@jaguar)

After the dust settled and we gathered more information, we wanted to share with you our take on where Jaguar hits and misses with their rebrand and why the power of customer centricity is critical to any marketing plan.

What Is Customer Centricity?

First, what is customer centricity? Customer centricity is when a company or brand prioritizes what its target customers want, need, and desire over their own priorities. They ask questions like:

What pain points are my target customers experiencing?
Is there a solution that they are currently using that isn’t working to meet 100% of their needs?
How are they communicating their primary pain points?
Does our solution solve their pain points at a price they are willing to pay (and at which we’ll be profitable)?
What does our target audience care about in this economy, environment, culture, situation, etc.?

When you are a customer-centric brand, you base every single decision you make in the company around what would best serve your customers.

So why do we bring up customer centricity around the newest Jaguar campaign? Because it’s the biggest shift we’ve seen in their customer base since the UK brand’s founding in the fall of 1922.

The Jaguar Campaign

So what happened with Jaguar and their newest campaign?

On November 19, 2024, Jaguar released its Copy Nothing campaign that featured zero cars. As a high-end British carmaker, Jaguar is expected to exude luxury, sophistication, and you guessed it – snazzy cars. But their campaign included neither a big reveal nor a single second of footage of a car driving, offroading, or even parked for that matter.

Before we dive into what we think about this campaign, let’s go over the facts.

Their target audience is primarily made up of upper-middle-class professionals and executives – those who can afford and want to drive a luxury vehicle. Their audience is predominantly male. Jaguar has tried to create offers that will attract younger generations (i.e. Millennials) since 2015 (Jaguar).

The luxury car market is seeing growth with a compound annual growth rate of 7.7% from 2024 to 2033 (The Business Research Company). However, Jaguar’s partner company Tata Motors Ltd has been seeing a steady decline in its stock since August of this year. Maybe this rebrand is a way to jumpstart its growth again. Time will only tell.

Now, with the prevalence of electric vehicles (EV), it does seem that Jaguar needed to differentiate itself enough so it didn’t look like the rest of vehicle manufacturers designing EVs. But let’s break it down even further.

Our Thoughts On “Copy Nothing”

Here is where we believe Jaguar missed opportunities with the launch of their Copy Nothing campaign:

They pushed the limits of what their brand was known for – ignoring what their brand has been known for over the last century. And more importantly, they didn’t connect the dots about how “Copy Nothing” has been a part of their DNA for years. For someone familiar with Jaguar, this seemed very incongruous with the brand.
Jaguar neglected to feature or even hint at their offer – cars – in their new campaign (at least first). This left many of its audience confused about what the ad campaign was even about. End game? The Internet lit up with conversations about Jaguar but without any clarity for its current or potential new customers.

This was one take we read:

They wanted to appeal to everyone, not their target market. In their official launch video, they even mentioned how it’s hard to get attention anymore so they had to do something different.

Now, time will only tell what this campaign will do. Maybe they wanted to get fresh eyes on their brand and get free press? Well, they succeeded in that – especially before their big launch of its Jaguar Type 00 in two trendy shades, Miami Pink and London Blue.

But the bottom line is they disenfranchised their target market to get eyeballs on their brand. And neglecting to consider what your target audience actually wants is a big no-no in our books.

On the other hand, Jaguar may have some insights that the upcoming generations (Millennials, Gen Z, and so on) may not care for the branding that’s worked for them over the last hundred years. Now, does this mean that just anyone and everyone can do this? No. They’re Jaguar.

How To Successfully Rebrand Your Business

Now, the one thing they did well is get eyeballs on their brand. And we want to make sure that we set you up for success! So check out what to know about rebranding your business.

Never Forget Who Your Target Customer Is

Your target customer should be at the center of every single decision you make. How is this going to affect them? Will this drive them to make a buying decision quicker? Does this solve their problem or pain point? Will this solution transform their lives for the better?

Everything should come back to them.

Your customer.

And Jaguar, we feel, missed the mark by trying to appeal to everyone. On the other hand, their intention may be to go after a different audience. Regardless, they haven’t been a part of the regular conversation like Tesla, Kia, or BMW with their EVs.

Don’t Follow Trends Unless It Aligns With Your Brand Or You’re Willing To Risk Losing Business

Trends are killing brands – especially when they choose a trend that either lands them in hot water or makes the brand out to be like everyone else.

As a brand, you need to put on those blinders and do what feels authentic to you. That means if doing some flashy campaign feels disingenuous, don’t do it.

If everyone is telling you that you need to be on social media, but email marketing is serving you perfectly well, don’t waste your time on social media.

I’m not saying this to avoid trying anything new. But what I am saying is to try marketing ideas that still feel in line with your brand.

Now, I will say that if you’re trying to do a complete 180 on your business and are willing to grind it out for the next 6-12 months, go for it. But don’t expect immediate gratification when you launch a massive change in a rebrand.

Know Who & What Your Brand Is Before Marketing

Before you start marketing, you need to know a couple of things:

Who you are
What value you offer
Who you target
What message resonates

When you know all of these things (and have them well documented), it makes it so much easier to come up with new ideas, vet ideas, and refine how you communicate to your audience.

Identify Your Value & Stick With It

You know your value, but do you know how to communicate your value? As a brand, you should start by defining your value and how your target audience actually defines it. You may be surprised at how different the language is.

Then after you define it, stick with it.

Sure, you can experiment and test the words, but you need to know the value at its core.

Changing Your Logo Won’t Fix All Your Problems

Lastly, changing your logo will not fix all your problems. In fact, it may even show you all the areas that you need to improve.

We highly recommend you start with your brand messaging first. Begin by describing your brand, your value, and your offer first. Then move on to how you visually communicate your message.

If you need help, we’ve created our proprietary Fundamentals Package where we define and document your brand messaging, voice, customers, and marketing objectives in a comprehensive package. And now, you can access it through either a done-for-you or a guided practice. Explore what this could do for your business here.

Cover The Fundamentals To Successfully Rebrand

Vince Lombardi said it best,

“Excellency is achieved by the mastery of the fundamentals.”

That’s why we’ve crafted the Fundamentals Package to craft the most important items you need to market your business and sell your offer effectively. Explore how you can create a launch pad for energizing transformation here.

Why Every Business Should Have A Website

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / December 2, 2024 November 30, 2024

Don’t you love it when a prospective client says something that you’ve been preaching from Day 1?

Recently, this prospective client approached us and said that he’s lost business because he did not have his website ready. Of all small business websites that are up, 70% lack one simple yet critical component on their homepage – an action button for buying visitors.

And that’s not something any business owner needs – especially in this economy and this culture that demands instant gratification. Now there are a lot of arguments for not having a website (and we’ll cover those), but the truth is…every business should have a website. What you do with that website…Well, we’ll get into that too.

P.S. The #1 neglected thing on a website is the copy. Shocking! And AI is not going to take you the distance you need it to go. Schedule a virtual coffee with us to discover your website’s potential.

The Top Arguments To NOT Have A Website

Now, we’ve heard a ton of arguments for businesses not to have a website, including:

I’m not selling online
I get my clients from word of mouth
I don’t know how to build a website
Website developers charge too much
That’s what social media is for

And while those are valid comments, they do not hold any weight in today’s digital world. Your target audience relies on Google for information – to see if you’re open, what you offer, and how to work with you. And you don’t need a professionally designed website to do so (although that is helpful).

I’ve been able to generate over $20,000 of monthly recurring revenue from a website that should’ve probably been redesigned 5 years prior. And lastly, a website is like a piece of real estate. There is more value in owning than renting and being hostage to your landlord (read: social media platforms).

So let’s dive into why every business should have a website (regardless of whether they think it’s necessary).

7 Reasons Why Every Business Should Have A Website

Your website should be an extension of your marketing and sales team. It’s not a nice-to-have… It’s a NEED-to-have. There is simply not enough time, resources, or money to do it all without a website. So let’s get into it!

You Legitimize Your Existence

If no one knows about you, do you even exist?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of a coffee shop, restaurant, or other service-based business recommended to me that didn’t have a website. After a quick Google search, I’ve automatically deemed it not worth my time if they don’t have a website.

Why? Because I want to verify information about that business before I brace Houston traffic – only to find out that the business did not meet expectations or even exist in the first place.

Put your flag in the ground and yell from the rooftops that you exist…starting with a website.

P.S. If you don’t have a website just yet, create a Google Business Profile to legitimize your company.

Prospects Verify Your Credibility

Credibility is one of the most important components of earning trust from prospective clients. You can talk until you’re blue in the face about your credentials, experience, and expertise. But that person is most likely going to validate what you say by Googling you.

And what happens when they don’t find you?

They don’t think you’re legit and you’re most likely a scam artist.

Ouch!

One of our clients recently expressed that he lost several clients because he didn’t have a website. His experience, personality, education, or any other items of credibility meant nothing because his prospects couldn’t reach him through his nonexistent website.

You Become Searchable

Part of creating a website is also becoming searchable. Sure, we have people Googling FocusCopy, but a majority of our traffic comes from people googling B2B copywriter, website copywriter, or even strategic copywriter (just to name a few). When you optimize your website for search engines (i.e. SEO), you expand your imprint so that more of your target audience will find you.

Then when they get to your website, that’s when the real magic happens (especially if your copy resonates with your target audience and primes them for conversion).

Your Reach Expands Beyond Your Network

Although you’re an amazing networker and person to know, you have the same 24 hours in the day as everyone else. With a website, you can connect with more people, more prospects, and more referral partners in a very systematic way.

Because of our website and our work to optimize the site, we’ve connected with dozens of qualified businesses to either work with or partner with. And it’s made my life as an introverted entrepreneur that much easier.

Ready to go beyond your network and find more prospects? Let’s start the conversation on how to make that happen.

You Differentiate Yourself From Competitors

Whether you acknowledge it or not, your industry is swamped with competitors (even if they shouldn’t be considered as such). You need to show the public how you’re different and even better than your competitors. You can do this by:

Explaining your unique process
Showing how your offer is better than your competitors
Demonstrating how personable and likable you are

It Provides A Communication Platform

Think social media is the only communication platform? Think again. Even the most popular and profitable social apps are known to experience significant downtime now and then.

A website is a great way to update your status, share about sales, and communicate your process. You can do a lot with your website that you’re limited to when you rely on social media or email marketing alone.

Your Business Owns It

Like I said before…a website is a piece of real estate. It’s more profitable and beneficial if you own rather than rent (like you would with social media). So create an asset for your business and start to build your website.

Effective Websites Start With The Right Copy

Having a website is a great first step. But having the right words on the site will take it to the next level. And AI will not cover all the bases you need it to because it lacks one crucial thing…The human element. You need to remember that people do business with people they know, like, and trust. That means that regardless of how big your brand is, you need a human touch to it.

Discover how to create custom, human-touched copy with FocusCopy.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words

What Every Entrepreneur Needs To Be Successful In 2025

Entrepreneurship / By Lauren Jefferson / November 6, 2024 November 6, 2024

2024 is the year we’re coining the Year of Life. So many life events have happened to us, our clients, and our partners. From family deaths, illnesses, hurricanes, burnout, and priority shifts, life doesn’t wait for the perfect moment in your business to slow down.

No ma’am. It continues whether you want it to or not. And while that’s frustrating, it’s taught me a couple of crucial things you must have in place if you desire continuity in your business and life.

6 Things Every Entrepreneur Needs To Be Successful In 2025

While success can be defined in a million different ways, we define it as making progress towards your specific goals. Ideally, success is even reaching those goals. They can be financial, physical, emotional, spiritual, or any other -al variation. The key is it’s a big win for you and your business.

Solid Strategies To Filter Through The Noise & Find Your Focus

When applied, focus truly amplifies your impact. And while it’s probably the most underrated skill, it’s also one of the hardest things to do with all the distractions thrown at us. It takes time to build in focus. But 2 things have really helped me focus on the right things.

First, I’ve created systems in ClickUp – our project management software – that help me focus my energies on one area of the business at a time. For example, if I’m in our Clients space, I am all about each of our clients – focused on delivering the best results, customer service, and communication. But if I’m in our Marketing Schedule space, you better believe I’m throwing all sorts of ideas at the wall to see what sticks. And it wouldn’t be focused if it wasn’t color-coded either. So because of the division of tasks, color association, and knowing what mindset I need to be in, my focus is that much more amplified.

Secondly, I’ve created a place to dump all my amazing (and not-so-amazing) ideas. As entrepreneurs, we are constantly thinking of new ideas, strategies, and ways to accomplish our goals. And while there is a time and place for that…It can stifle our productivity. But what if it’s a million-dollar idea? Write it down in one place so you can pick it back up whenever you’re ready.

A Strong Business Referral Network

It is simply impossible to have your ear in every conversation so that you can identify and talk to every single person who’s interested in what you have to offer. But what you can build is a strong business referral network to help you mimic that. This network is either a formal or informal group of individuals who know what to listen for to make an introduction or pass a referral to you. They are usually interacting with the people you want to connect with – so start building, reviewing, or reshaping your list of contacts.

Lauren, how do you build a strong business referral network?

There are 2 ways we’ve seen this done:

Join a referral networking organization like BNI (Business Network International) or Network In Action to build a formalized network.
Do it yourself and find people who understand your value. The key here is to document and regularly maintain those relationships.

Want to start building your network? Let’s grab a virtual coffee to see if there’s something to explore.

A Curated Collective Of Business Besties

Having a business bestie (or a few) takes your referral network to the next level. Whereas the previously mentioned option is based on referrals, a collective of business besties is based on seeing you succeed.

You could have 1-2 or 5-10 business besties. As long as your business besties are other entrepreneurs who…

Want to find and send referrals to you
Are vulnerable enough to confess their business challenges
Are confident to cheer you on when you feel weak
Will help you strategically overcome challenges in your business

The only rule? There should be an equal balance of giving and receiving, expressing challenges and celebrating wins, and support for one another.

You cannot force this type of relationship. But as soon as you find it, you’ll know it and grab tight onto those people.

Documentation For ALL Your Processes

Ever dream of…?

Selling your business
Getting acquired
Adding an investor to your team
Growing your team beyond yourself
Leaving a legacy you’re proud of

Well…you need documentation. Consider every single thing that needs to happen inside your business to make it operate. Then start by tackling each “department” and get it written down. The best way that we’ve found to do this is…

See one. Host a team training to teach them how to do a single process.
Do one. Have your team do the process with you so that you can adjust or correct their steps.
Teach one. Once they are proficient, have them teach that same process to other team members.

P.S. Copy Systems is your way to document, implement, and experiment with all your copy- and marketing-related tasks for your business. Explore a membership here.

A Better Recipe To Write High-Converting Copy

No matter where you stand on copywriting (you love it, hate it, loathe it, AI it, outsource it, do it yourself, etc.), you need good copy to connect, engage, and convert prospects into clients. But there are a lot of barriers to creating effective copy…

…Starting with you. You may not like it or even have the time to do it. So you have 3 options:

Do it yourself and (probably) hate yourself for it every single step
Use AI and settle for subpar, inauthentic, and robotic-sounding copy
Outsource it to a copywriter (hopefully not to a freelancer who is not fluent in your specific language)

While there are obvious issues with options 1 and 2, let’s dive into option 3. Even if you hire an outsourced copywriter, you still need to communicate your brand, messaging, voice, target customer, and marketing objectives.

What happens when you don’t have any of that? The copywriter will fail to achieve your goals…every single time. Then, you’re stuck with editing until it’s perfect (another pain point for most entrepreneurs) or rewriting it yourself anyway. Yeesh!

That’s why we’ve developed Copy Systems to help you build out the core tenants required for effective copywriting – whether you write it yourself or outsource it. Explore your membership here.

More Time To Pour Into Your Business

You may be laughing at this point, but hear me out…When you have more time, you have:

More space to think and dream
Increased capacity to actually get everything you need to get done
Freedom to spend your time as you please (whether that’s with family, traveling, or at a coffee shop alone)

And who doesn’t want that?!

Here is how to build more time into your schedule.

Create a theme for the year and break that up by each quarter.
Assign one SMART goal that fulfills your theme.
Choose no more than 3 sub-goals that fulfill that 1 big goal.
And do nothing else besides that.

Sure you’ll think of plenty of ideas. Create a place for you to dump those brilliant ideas for you to pick up when you’re ready to focus on other areas of your business. But the idea here is when you are laser-focused, you create more time because you aren’t chasing the shiny objects or squirrels. Your distraction and tenacity to dream may be the one thing limiting your schedule.

For Q4 2024, here is how we structured our time:

Theme: Building better rhythms
Primary Goal: Build a more sustainable business (starting with the financial side of the business)
Sub-Goals:
1. Launch our brand new Copy Systems membership program.
2. Continue to be profitable.
3. Grow our recurring revenue.

Filling each of these out for yourself does not need to be complicated. In fact, the simpler you make it, the easier it’ll be to follow.

Implement Better Systems To Set Your 2025 Up For Success

…Starting with your copy.

We’ve developed Copy Systems to be an easy-to-implement membership that dives into specific topics that will make your marketing and messaging so much more effective. And when you have the right words, you connect with the right clients and convince them that you’re worth investing in.

We believe that people want to work with other people and, ultimately, businesses they know and trust. This is another reason why we’re giving you the same tools we use to define your brand, target your audience, and write marketing materials that speak to the core of your successes.

Start towards your path to success today with Copy Systems!

When Your Company Does Have SOPs (Get Your Free SOP Framework)

Systems / By Lauren Jefferson / November 6, 2024 November 6, 2024

Implementing a free SOP framework into your business gives you the tools to improve your entire operation. In case you missed it, one of the very first blogs we ever wrote was What Happens When Your Company Doesn’t Have SOPs. Surprisingly, it has remained one of our most popular blogs ever.

Why?

Well, we have our suspicions, but we believe it’s because entrepreneurs don’t want to be managed. And System Operating Procedures (SOPs) simply manage us. It feels like the antithesis of why we left working for someone.

But in reality, SOPs create consistent and continuous results…For your business, your clients, and your professional network. Implementing well-documented SOPs in your business model has potential benefits to…

Boost business productivity by up to 25%
Reduce errors by as much as 60%
Reduce employee training time by 40%

…To name a few.

Ready to transform your marketing to be more efficient, productive, and effective? It starts with building our Scalable Marketing SOPs. Download our free SOP framework to get started.

How SOPs Transform Business Operations To Enhance Customer Experiences & Support A Collaborative Culture

Explore what happens to your company when you implement SOPs into your marketing (and more importantly, into your business).

1. Companies Perk Up & Become Efficient

Systems make businesses more efficient (duh, Lauren). And your team members in management, HR, and accounting know this. However, it isn’t enough to simply produce SOPs. You must also ensure that you implement and use them. Especially for emerging entrepreneurs, small businesses with SOPs are 75% more likely to survive their first 5 years.

This is a staggering statistic, but survival isn’t the only benefit of implementing SOPs. Making your business more efficient with SOPs also has the potential to improve your…

Process automation
Communication
Data management
Scalability
Customer experience

Most importantly, SOPs give you a tool to use whether you need training materials or a comprehensive process refresher.

Looking for a free SOP framework? Access our Scalable Marketing SOP Framework.

2. Your Processes Improve With Every Customer Engagement

When you know what you’re doing, it’s easier to improve your processes. One thing we changed two years ago came from some client feedback. He asked us to wrap a “red bow” on the project, wanting to meet. Never before had we thought of having a Close-Out Meeting for a project. But it made sense!

Immediately after that meeting with our client, we revised our SOPs and implemented Close-Out Meetings into our overall process. It was just the type of detailed feedback that we needed to improve our systems right away.

The results? We’re able to gather feedback from our clients and immediately apply it. Our processes are 100 times better than when we first created them. And our end product is also better for it – benefiting both the client and our team.

This proactive approach not only enhances our workflow but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement. By regularly integrating client insights and refining our methods, we create a feedback loop that drives innovation. Each project becomes an opportunity to learn and adapt, ensuring that we’re not just meeting but exceeding expectations. This commitment to improvement strengthens our relationships with clients and positions us as a leader in our industry.

3. You’re Not Being Held Hostage By Employees

As a business owner, it’s easy to feel like you’re at the mercy of your team. But let’s flip that narrative: you’re not being held hostage by your employees. Instead, think of your workforce as a dynamic group of partners who can help propel your vision forward.

When you build a team grounded in trust and authentic connections, everything changes. Say goodbye to the “sacred cows” or those seemingly untouchable employees who seem to hold invaluable company information that they keep close to their chests. Instead, you foster an environment where every voice matters and every idea counts.

This mindset encourages open communication and transparency. You can tackle challenges head-on without fear of resistance. Working with people you genuinely vibe with transforms the workplace into a collaborative space where creativity thrives.

Embracing this approach not only eases the weight on your shoulders as a leader but also enhances job satisfaction for everyone involved. When you cultivate a culture of collaboration, your team evolves from a collection of employees into a community united by shared goals.

4. Your Company Operates As A Team

In today’s fast-paced business world, collaboration isn’t just a buzzword – it’s essential. When your company operates as one unit, you unlock the potential for creativity, efficiency, and a positive work environment. So, how do you nurture team spirit among your employees?

Take the time to understand what drives each team member, their strengths, and their preferred collaboration styles. Listening and learning more about your team members’ preferred workstyles gives you untapped tools to create a culture where everyone feels empowered to share ideas and take bold steps.

Teamwork goes beyond occasional team-building activities. It’s woven into the fabric of your daily operations through:

Regular check-ins
Brainstorming sessions
Internal communications

When employees know their input is valued, they become more engaged and invested in their work and its quality. Celebrating team achievements is equally vital. Whether it’s a small win or a major milestone, recognizing collective efforts reinforces the message that everyone plays a crucial role in the company’s success.

Use a free SOP framework to ensure your company is set up for a collaborative experience from your team member’s first day on the job to every major milestone afterward.

5. Operations Continue Regardless Of Who Is Working

I’ve had copywriters take over a week of vacation. I’ve personally taken a week-long vacation as CEO. And I was even able to take a maternity leave for 8 weeks in 2023. And guess what? Our operations continued seamlessly with little to no hiccups because we had documented and anticipated just about every scenario – including weather-related emergencies.

This level of preparedness creates immense freedom – not just for me as the business owner but for the entire team. Employees don’t feel the pressure of being irreplaceable or that they can’t take a well-deserved break. That’s a lot of pressure to put on their shoulders! Instead, they know that the systems and processes we’ve put in place will keep things running smoothly, no matter who’s in the office.

When your operations are well-documented and your team is trained to handle various situations, it fosters a culture of trust and empowerment. Team members can step away, recharge, and return with fresh perspectives, knowing that their responsibilities are covered. This not only boosts morale but also enhances productivity, as employees are less likely to experience burnout.

Moreover, this approach encourages a sense of ownership among team members. They understand that they play a vital role in the company’s success, even when they’re not physically present. This mindset cultivates a proactive attitude, where everyone is more engaged and invested in the overall mission.

Effective SOPs Start With A Solid, Free SOP Framework

When you work with us, you aren’t getting the same deliverables we wrote 4 years ago. We’re constantly evolving, improving, and creating to make a better product for you. If you want a future-focused strategic partner, we’re ready to link arms with you – entrepreneur to entrepreneur.

Searching for your free SOP framework? Access our Scalable Marketing SOP Framework to start the documentation process with ease and structure.

Implement Our Scalable Marketing SOP Framework & Scale Your Marketing Processes With Ease

become more process-oriented, productive, & focus on what moves the needle the furthest with this framework

Automate Your Networking: How To Build Automation To Keep You On Track With Your Networking Goals

Systems / By Lauren Jefferson / September 10, 2024 October 1, 2024

As an entrepreneur, you have a duty to keep your business afloat. If you’re not out there hitting the pavements selling, your pipeline will dry up and your business will essentially be non-existent.

But what happens if you’re an introvert and you loathe networking?

Trust me…You won’t find me willingly attending a networking event – especially if I don’t have a networking buddy with me. Or if I don’t know a couple of people that will be in attendance, and if I haven’t pumped myself up. I set minimal expectations for my networking outcomes. And it usually is something along the lines of: get 5 business cards.

To my extroverts, that’s small potatoes. But to my introverts, meeting 5 new people is HUGE!

So if you don’t like to attend networking events but still rely on word-of-mouth marketing, referrals, or networking in general, I’ve found the key to making it all happen.

And that’s conducting one-to-ones with prospective clients and referral partners. It all starts when you automate your networking!

Let’s talk shop over a virtual coffee and discover how you could benefit from business automation.

Why Automate Your Networking?

Networking requires a lot of time…

Finding the networking event.

Getting ready for the event.

Driving to or logging onto the event.

Qualifying people quickly.

Establishing several connections.

Following up on those connections.

Maintaining relationships.

And that’s the simplest form of networking!

If you don’t have any of those processes automated, you aren’t going to be able to build the depth of relationships you need to move your business forward.

When you automate your networking, you can better maintain relationships, keep people at top of mind to refer clients to, and become a resource for other entrepreneurs. You want to be the person who knows someone. This is an extremely valuable position to be in and not one to sleep on.

Why Networking Wastes Time & What To Do About It

Now, I’ve opted for automated networking over physical networking because I calculated the costs of in-person engagements.

Drive time to the event
Parking fees or valet tips (depending on the parking situation)
Your hourly rate for 1-2 hours
Drive time back home

Then you need to consider how many legitimate connections you actually met. Do you have a follow-up meeting? Or did you simply shake hands with no next steps identified?

It’s costly. And something that I refuse to waste my time on (unless it meets a whole myriad of qualifications for me to attend).

So here is how I save time and start automating when you’ve been hitting the physical pavements:

Schedule a 121 as your initial follow-up meeting.
Complete their profile in your CRM (we love to use Keap).
Set up an automated “thank you” email after your meeting.
Follow up with introductions to prospective clients, referral partners, or people you think they should meet with.
Put them in an automation that sends an email to schedule another meeting in 6 months (or whatever time you want to meet).
Repeat the cycle.

This is how you build relationships where you are the first person they think of when they think of your profession, service, or product.

6 Steps To Build Automation To Keep You on Track With Your Networking Goals

Now you know the general basics of what an automated networking campaign looks like, here’s how to be extremely targeted in your strategy.

1. Identify Who You Want To Connect With

It’s all about the who. You need to know before you step into a networking event or meeting who you want to be introduced to. This doesn’t have to be a client. But it does need to be super specific.

Consider researching them on LinkedIn to see who they are connected with that you want to be introduced to.

If you’re meeting strangers, identify what types of people you want to connect with (and be specific). For example, I’ll say I want to be introduced to marketing agency owners who do not have a copywriter on their team.

When you’re specific, you become exponentially more effective in your networking time.

2. Know Where You’re Going To Meet Them

Depending on your preferences, you may want to meet them in person or virtually. Determine what works best for you. Personally, I love meeting virtually because I meet with people all around the world – from the US, Canada, Argentina, England, Mexico, and Australia. But there are other times when I want to meet up with local contacts in person. I usually do this over lunch, coffee, or on a walk (where I bring my son and dog). It’s killing 2 birds with 1 stone. I need to do all those activities anyway, so why not make them productive activities?

When you’re networking in person, it’s helpful to book that follow-up meeting while you’re there. Do not let time go by before you secure the next step. And please do not set it up as a sales call! Nobody likes to feel like they are being swindled into a gross sales call.

3. Have A Process For Your Stack Of Business Cards

Ever found yourself collecting stacks and stacks of business cards? I was recently cleaning out my home office and found a gallon baggie of business cards. Slightly ashamed of that! But what I realized before throwing out those probably decade-old business cards is the opportunities lost with those contacts.

I didn’t have a clear process for following up. And that’s ultimately leaving money on the table!

So what do I do now? I immediately upload a business card into my Keap CRM. I want to fill out as much information as possible so that if I have someone in my network who is searching for someone like them, their name will pull up. This process usually includes me connecting with them on LinkedIn and researching them. I want to know as much as possible before reaching out to them.

Part of my reasoning for this is to know before I meet with them exactly how I can support them. But I also want to see if they can support me. Networking is a mutual activity.

4. Set Up One-On-One Conversation With Contacts

After I upload networking connections into my Keap CRM, I push them through a specific networking automation that gets them to book a networking meeting with me. This is a simple 30-minute introduction call where we get to know each other and see if there’s any opportunity for us to continue the conversation.

Some of the questions I ask in that initial conversation include:

Tell me about your business.
Who do you want to work with?
Who are clients you do NOT want to work with?
Who are your ideal referral partners?
What are your goals for the year?
How can I support you? Or connect you with?

5. Follow Up On Conversation Promptly

Finally, you actually need to follow up with your conversation. Create a task for you to connect them with your network, and complete that task in a timely manner. If it can’t be done within a couple of days, set expectations or even update your new friend of when they can expect that introduction. This will build loads of credibility with them. And they will be more likely to refer to you.

Remember, just because they aren’t introducing you to someone in their network, doesn’t mean you need to sleep on it. The goodwill will come back tenfold, I promise. I don’t know how it works, but trust me on that.

6. Schedule A Repeat One-On-One

Finally, you need to make sure that you schedule a repeat one-on-one meeting. Now, you do not have enough time to keep track of everyone that you’ve met with. In one year, I conducted over 1,000 networking meetings with various people (including repeat meetings). There’s no way I can keep all of that in my head.

That’s why you implement an automated email campaign that will send those follow-up emails in 3 or 6 months (whatever your preference is) to schedule another meeting.

Ready To Automate Your Networking?

Your networking efficiency is on the brink of bursting into profitability. And it starts with investing in a quality system to get you there. We LOVE Keap and have been using it for years. Before you explore if it’s the right business automation tool for you, let’s schedule a conversation to get to know your company better.

Here’s to better networking!

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words

FocusCopy Turns 5 Years Old (PLUS 6 Lessons We Learned In Our Fifth Year In Business)

Entrepreneurship / By Lauren Jefferson / August 15, 2024 August 15, 2024

It never fails that when I start writing this blog each year, that all the emotions from the year compile together. And this year is no different.

But today, we hit a milestone that I’ve been anxiously waiting for since the day I founded FocusCopy back in 2019. Why? Because statistically, the odds were stacked against us with over 50% of businesses failing within the first 5 years (Luisa Zhou). Moreover, wiser founders (i.e. in their fifties) are nearly 2x more likely to succeed than a 30-year-old founder (Luisa Zhou).

I started this business as a 24-year-old without a dog, house, or baby. This was my first business venture. And I can officially say that we made it!

Now, it’s time to turn up the heat and create more impact for service-based entrepreneurs and marketing agencies around the country!

So here is our annual letter, giving you a deeper understanding of what we’ve learned and what we’re doing differently going forward.

Want to see the other lessons we’ve learned over the years?

Read Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4

The Year 5 Mindset

Reaching year 5 is an accomplishment of its own. And it’s a goal that I’ve been working towards for…5 years. This past year with all the changes of becoming a mother, dealing with family health issues, walking through the passing of my mother-in-law, and surviving a hurricane alone (another story for another day)…my mindset was simply to get through and survive.

We missed goals. We didn’t do as much as we wanted to. But what we did do was build a more sustainable and profitable business so that when the inevitable life events happen, we aren’t crippled by them.

And you’ll see a lot more of what we’ve been working on this past year coming out in the next couple of months. To be in the know, you’ll want to be on the Copy Roast.

6 Lessons We Learned In Our Fifth Year In Business

Reflection is a crucial part of growth. That’s one of the primary reasons that we reflect on the previous year so that we can climb even higher for the next. Here are the 6 lessons we learned in our fifth year in business.

1. There Is Power In Human Relationships

Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to take over our businesses and lives more and more each day. But the people and businesses that prioritize humans over AI, efficiency, and productivity will always win. Why? Because people want authentic connection. They want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. That’s why there is a big push in marketing for brands to step away from the brand and show more faces. That means showing up at events, posting pictures and videos of yourself, and sharing vulnerability in your marketing. Here are a few places you can find us:

2. Partnerships & Community For Entrepreneurs Is Critical

I’ve always said this…You need partners and you need community. Entrepreneurship is one of the loneliest professions out there. And the amount of mental health diagnoses among entrepreneurs is sometimes unbelievable. But when you’re living it, you understand. That’s why it’s so important to find your proverbial village.

How do you go about finding these people for yourself?

Ask the people you’re networking with to meet up
Connect on a deeper level with your strategic or referral partners
Don’t be afraid to build your own group and meet regularly
Talk about everything with your business bestie

I would not be here after this past year without these 2: Savannah Becerril of Go Savvy and Houston Marketing Alliance.

Savannah Becerril of Go Savvy was actually our very first client. Since then, she’s become my best friend, a confidant, my son’s Aunt Sav, and the person who we bounce ideas off of (regardless of how outlandish). She is my sounding board for doing business. And we know each other’s businesses so intimately, we could go into any sales pitch successfully for the other person.

Then, Houston Marketing Alliance (HMA) was born out of a group of marketing specialists who wanted to refer to top-quality experts in their area. Since then, it’s become a place where we regularly check in, hold each other accountable, collaborate, and rely on each other. We are constantly building each other up.

3. Life Happens…It’s Okay To Re-Prioritize

When life happens, it’s okay to re-prioritize. Last month (July), Hurricane Beryl hit Houston unexpectedly as there were only 2 spaghetti models directing it at us.

My husband had left a few days prior for a work trip 9,500 miles away when the hurricane wasn’t directed towards us – leaving me with my 85-pound boxer mix and my almost one-year-old son. I had everything. But then Beryl hit, knocking our power out at 5:50am on Monday morning. I had no cell signal – severely limiting my ability to access information or even run my business. I wasn’t even able to notify our clients of the situation until the next day. My priorities had shifted entirely that week to taking care of my boys.

It took 7 days for us to get back power and 8 days to regain Internet.

This is simply one example of how life gave us a curveball and we had to readjust. July definitely didn’t turn out how we intended it to go. But we were able to connect with other Houstonians and linemen from around the country. And I was able to spend a bunch of quality time with my boys.

Give yourself grace when life happens. It’ll turn out okay.

4. Find People Who Refuse To Let You Fail

Over the years, I’ve found the people you surround yourself with are ultimately more indicative of your success than your actual work. This year was tough balancing it all – motherhood, homemaking, entrepreneurship, wifehood, church, community, etc. And, at one point, I told my husband – “Should I just step away from entrepreneurship for this season and focus on other areas of our life?” He immediately reassured me that I was so close and not to give up.

The very next day, we signed a massive contract with a dream client. And we had our best month revenue-wise. The next month followed suit and became our newest and largest revenue month.

Keep your circle close and intimate so that they are more equipped to hold you up when you’re feeling weak so that you can fulfill your company’s mission.

5. It Isn’t About Work-Life Balance Anymore…The Focus Should Be On Creating Balance

This notion of creating work-life balance has been one of my big soap boxes this year. You see, there’s been a big push to find work-life balance over the last couple of years. But I concluded that we only have one life. And we fit family, work, friends, exercise, hobbies, etc. into that one life.

When we focus on creating balance, we find that there’s more flexibility. We become more productive because we push in certain areas when we need to, and we ultimately design days that are more conducive to our vision.

So how are you creating balance in your life?

6. Roll With The Punches

Years ago, the late Bill Sherrill spoke to the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at our retreat. He took a step back and actually rolled down the hill at 90 years old. You can imagine 70 students running after him. Thankfully, he wasn’t injured. But what he responded with was profound.

“Sometimes, you just have to roll with it and not fight it.”

I keep that sentiment close to my heart. It’d be easy for me to fight my son’s naptime and stress myself out…Stress about the business when putting my mother-in-law on hospice and planning her funeral the next week…Figure out how to keep the business operating when the hurricane knocked out power for over a week and the Internet for even longer.

Instead, I knew that I had fantastic relationships with my clients. I knew they would understand that some things were simply out of our control. And I knew that there would either be coverage – through my team and strategic partners, or things would be delayed by a couple of days. It was all going to be okay.

Year 6, Here We Come!

Year 5 was a doozy, left us with a couple of black eyes, and exhausted. But we are so looking forward to what the future holds for us…

More value
Increased sustainability
Greater impact
Better offers
Opportunities to be our creative selves

Join us along for the ride when you subscribe to Copy Roast.

The Email Marketing Metrics That Will Dictate Your Copy

Marketing / By Lauren Jefferson / May 7, 2024 May 7, 2024

Does the idea of reviewing your email marketing metrics make you yawn?

Stay with us because you should know that if you can’t devote enough time or establish a process to continue connecting with your customers through email, it’s not enough to keep it growing. And your click-to-open rates (CTOR) probably reflect this.

If you’re picturing a dark room with just you and your laptop hunched over crunching numbers, stop stressing. This may be what it looked like years ago to track the progress of your email marketing. But modern solutions like Keap give business owners the automation and data necessary to track, measure, and implement future changes to their email marketing strategy – mainly, the copy.

Want to automate your email marketing? Let’s chat.

The Secret To Building Your Email List Is In Your Email Marketing Metrics

Why use email metrics to come up with fresh copy? First, it lets your audience know that you’re listening. Furthermore, it shows an intentional effort to keep what’s most important to your customers at the top of your list. And more importantly, it can help you to strategize what will drive prospects to join your email list.

Whip Your Email List Into Shape With A Spring Cleaning

Before using any outside email marketing tools, look into your specific email service provider for existing tools and rules about using third-party resources like Klean13 or SpamKill.

Depending on how long you’ve used email marketing, your subscriber lists may go from hugely profitable and engaging to downright confusing. A few things we’ve heard from clients interested in email marketing include…

My lists are unorganized and it makes me feel overwhelmed.
How can I spot “spam traps” or fake email addresses in my email lists?
How do I know which email addresses are simply bots?
Is it okay to delete everything and skip email marketing altogether?

Hold up on that last one!

The average ROI for email marketing is $44 for every $1 spent.
— Insights For Professionals

It’s easy to give in to your intrusive thoughts and scrap everything you’ve ever done without looking back. But the last thing you want to do is lose any valuable data and traction you already have by abandoning your email marketing. You also don’t want to interrupt any campaigns that are still in progress.

Another way to be productive AND start fresh is by cleaning up your email lists. You want clearly defined email lists you can easily categorize and label. Doing so not only helps you clear out the old and obsolete. It also makes it simple to filter further and tag contacts with automated follow-up actions to keep them engaged – even when you’re sleeping.

Know How To Handle Improving Your Bounce Rate

One of the most fundamental email marketing metrics out there is your bounce rate. This percentage reflects the number of emails returned to the sender (you) because they could not be delivered to your customer’s inbox.

If you struggle with your email bounce rate (and it isn’t due to your message being too large) it’s likely because the email or inbox you wish to send to is…

Invalid or non-existent
Blocked from receiving communications
Full
Experiencing server issues

Look again at your bounce rate metrics to find out where the holes in your contacts exist. Then, eliminate those emails from your lists and watch your bounce rate decline.

Take Action Against High Unsubscribe Rates

Email is a proven marketing tool that regularly yields results for business owners. But if you’re running into high unsubscribe rates, it’s time to make a change.

The average unsubscribe rate is below 1% for most industries.
— Constant Contact

However, figuring out why people unsubscribe to email marketing isn’t a mystery by any means. In fact, it doesn’t take too much of your time to identify what you’re doing wrong by looking at the emails you’ve already sent.

If your business emails…

Are too frequent
Contains irrelevant or repetitive content
Look like spam
Offer unsolicited promotional information
Are no longer relevant to your audience
Provide too much or too little information

You’re in for an email copy overhaul. Make more of an impact with Keap for your email marketing.

Count Those Open Email Clicks

Everyone wants to know…What is a good email open rate?

The average email open rate across all industries is 26.80%.
— GetResponse

That’s just the starting point. Depending on the list maintenance and existing list, we typically produce emails with open rates of 40% on the low end and upwards of 65% on the high end.

If you don’t know how to measure the success of your copy with the goals you have in mind, then you will continue to struggle to convert leads into loyal customers. This is why you must pay close attention to your click-to-open rates (CTOR) and ask yourself…

Is my subject line sexy enough?

Changing how you write your subject lines, preview text, and body copy directly impacts your sales. Effective copy that makes people jump to open your email should…

Speak to your customers in your brand voice
Make your audience think
Relate to your audience personally
Be authentic

If you’re looking at your email’s subject line or preview text thinking you wouldn’t click on it yourself, take a few minutes to write something else. You don’t need to get too technical to get your point across and entice your audience to click.

BONUS TIP: Ask a question in your subject line and let us know how it goes.

Know What Your Average Engagement Looks Like

Did you know…?

The average email clickthrough rate (CTR) is 2.6-3%.
— Hubspot

Your CTR offers data on who and how many people actually engage with your email marketing content.

Notice a dip in your CTR? Again, it’s important to review your email’s messaging. Your overall message should be concise and equipped with a clear call to action.

Craft Your Success With The Right Marketing Recipe

Adding email marketing and automation to your business model may sound like a ton of extra work. However, it’s much easier to implement when it’s done for you.

Catch up over a cuppa with us to get started.

The Pros And Cons Of AI For Content Writing

Systems / By Lauren Jefferson / May 1, 2024 May 1, 2024

Want the pros and cons of AI for content writing without any bias? Many people expect us as copywriters to tear AI writing to shreds (we won’t) out of fear of it replacing our expertise.

P.S. It won’t, but we’ll get into that later.

We will fully admit that we’ve had (and still have) questions about AI for content writing and its future impact on businesses across the world. We’re not doing this to poke holes in its possibilities…We believe in the power of technology!

What we want to do is approach AI writing with an open mind while remaining diligent about answering a few pressing questions like…Can I use AI copy for my business without dealing with copyright infringement?

Is AI writing plagiarism?

Can I trust AI to routinely write optimized copy for my business?

Will AI be able to fully replace my copywriting team?

Let’s dive into all the pros and cons of AI for content writing!

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The Cons of AI For Content Writing

Without sugarcoating, let’s get directly into the cons of AI writing.

1. AI Lacks Creativity & Authenticity

AI writing is an excellent tool for certain parts of the writing process. But using it to completely mimic your brand’s voice, tone, and personality is nearly impossible. And this is why…

Creativity requires a human touch. AI is not able to convey genuine human experiences because it cannot feel or express emotions as we understand them. This makes asking AI to write about certain experiences a headache-inducing task.

When AI is prompted to write about an experience in first person, it may use several general descriptors without being able to connect with the reader further. Even with all of the right information in front of it, AI will never be able to describe what you felt as an entrepreneur opening your doors or launching your website for the first time. Because it’s an experience unlike any other – it’s human.

P.S. We are working on how to prompt AI writing tools to better understand your voice and brand so that it can provide more authentic results. Be sure to subscribe to our Copy Roast to be the first to know when they are out!

2. AI May Provide Inaccurate Information

In a dream world, AI researches AND writes everything perfectly the first time around – artfully capturing your brand in every way. It’s an incredible idea but current AI capabilities are much further away from this reality than you may realize. This is why AI writing continues to confuse business owners. Because AI writing should be able to take over all copywriting, right? Not at all.

The thing about AI for content writing is that because it pulls together all information online, it isn’t capable of deciphering which data is reliable or current. This means that while you can prompt AI to write almost anything, you must also have the time, know-how, and resources to spend dedicated to fact-checking and correcting information.

Also, AI responds best to extremely detailed, specific writing prompts. If you have trouble expressing your thoughts and ideas, getting your prompt just right can be a time-sucker itself.

You can avoid both of these issues entirely by having a professional copywriter write your website for you with unique, optimized content. It’s a good idea to have a copy audit of your business copy if you need help finding where you stand.

3. AI Does Not Protect You Against Plagiarism Or Copyright Infringement

Plagiarism and copyright laws have everyone from creative professionals to academic institutions wondering how AI writing will have an impact. And entrepreneurs want to know…Is it legal to use AI writing for my business including AI-produced taglines, naming ideas, mission and vision statements, etc.?

Brand messaging may be produced by AI. But if it’s still being published by your organization, YOU will likely remain liable. AI writing is such a new tool that it makes zero promises about its long-term use and impact – focusing most on its ability to churn out lengthy copy in seconds.

Simply be aware as you use AI-generated copy and check that it is not already being owned or used by another business. Doing so could get you into some real legal trouble with a copyright infringement attorney.

Beyond plagiarism, many publishing organizations are now requiring disclosures if you use artificial intelligence to produce your content.

The Pros of AI For Content Writing

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get into the pros of AI writing. Here’s a hint…automation is everything.

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1. AI Produces Ideas Quickly

Many people absolutely hate writing. It’s time-consuming, tedious, and takes brain power. AI helps you break down your writing tasks into smaller segments.

For example, you can use AI to help you brainstorm and sift through topics to be sure they align with your company and brand. As you tweak your prompt, it should be able to refine your results better. Think about using prompts like…

Come up with 10 modernized ways to market my [business industry or product] business.

What email marketing examples can assist in boosting sales for my [company or product]?

What are the latest most-discussed topics related to [your industry]?

Even if you don’t fully agree or understand every suggestion, it’s a good way to get the creative juices flowing. With vague and short prompts like this, we usually get 1-2 sparks that lead to some brilliant ideas.

2. AI Offers A Great Starting Point For High-Level Information Or Ideas

As you transition from generating topics, AI is also good for organizing high-level information and ideas.

Instead of seeing a blog as one huge undertaking, for example, you can use AI to help you strategize and map its flow for your audience. With a solid outline, you can easily fill in each section of your blog with your unique thoughts and suggestions.

AI is also fantastic for note-taking as it can transcribe, add time stamps, provide a table of contents, and much more. This is a BIG win for copywriters as it frees up our resources (especially in meetings) to focus on our client’s creative vision rather than simply recording what’s being said, leading us to touch on the relationship between…

3. Cultivating The Relationship Between AI & Creatives

Creatives and AI are extremely familiar with one another (trust us, we go way back). AI isn’t new to copywriting or marketing. Older office assistant applications like Clippy have been around since the 90s. Ever since then, copywriters and other creatives have implemented as much AI as possible to streamline non-creative workflows.

Again, it’s important to know that using AI for content writing is a tool, not a replacement for writing. Even AI software like Grammarly and Monica seem to agree…

Monica website screenshot with headline that says All-in-One AI Assistant Personal and Fast

Grammarly website screenshot with headline that says AI-Powered Writing Assistant

Using AI as an assistant is helpful to…

Spellcheck
Fix grammar mistakes
Clean up punctuation errors
Make structural suggestions

You get the idea. When it comes to automation for tedious tasks that don’t require a huge amount of creativity, we’re all in.

Creatives & AI Technologies Make One Hot Pair

Over the years, we’ve accomplished so much in the digital space with assistance from AI and will continue to work together in the future. Doing so helps make creative services more accessible and affordable to business owners without compromising the quality of creative work needed. Don’t miss a thing when you join Copy Roast for the latest marketing updates.