The Success Center

This is Tim Tebow, he’s the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. You may have heard of him (who hasn’t?!).

Tim loves the Lord and everybody knows it (Can’t you tell?!). His customers (the football fans) know it and so does his co-workers (teammates).

However, he’s gotten a lot of negative and positive attention because of his faith. I can relate to Tim’s story because just recently, one of my clients asked me why I “only offer my services to Christians.”

My reply was that I don’t offer them only to Christians, but I know what I’m called to do and who I’m called to help. That’s why this blog is dedicated to Christian entrepreneurs, because we have unique entrepreneurial challenges.

Do I advertise my faith to clients?

It depends – it depends on which facet of my company they meet first. If they contacted me through this blog, then yes, I guess I do advertise my faith. However, if I meet them for the first time at a networking event, I wouldn’t start a conversation by reciting my declaration of faith.

So, for me, it depends.

Do I mention to them that I’m a Christian and if they’re uncomfortable working me I’ll understand?

Absolutely not! – that’s just not wise. My faith is personal unless it comes up during the right time (a spiritual question is asked) or in the right forum (like this blog).

I suppose everyone is different and it also depends on what kind of business you operate. So, let me pass the torch to you.

Do YOU as a Christian entrepreneur let customers or clients know that you’re a Christian? Is it the right move to make? If you’ve never told your customers, how do you think it would affect your business and sales? If you’re not a Christian, how would you handle someone you do business with advertising their faith?

Drop your answer in the poll below and be sure to let me know why you chose it in the comments too.

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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Here we are again, you, me, and more questions to help you align your goals with your values for success. Did you answer any of the questions from the last post? If not, let me implore you to do it; even if fear has you gripped, face it, and walk in success!

In this post we are going to look at three questions not to ask yourself so that you succeed.  Asking the right questions is pertinent to success; but asking yourself the wrong questions can be detrimental to your moving forward.

Let’s take a mental walk through three questions you should NEVER ask yourself if you want to succeed.

What’s Wrong with Me?

The problem with some questions is that they’re just plain wrong, right off the bat. They are based on false assumptions, they lead the questioner in a faulty direction, and they end up taking you on a wild goose chase that can lead nowhere good.

One of the questions  that is by far the leader of  the pack when it comes to wrong questions is…

What’s wrong with me?

At some point in their lives, everyone, deep in their soul, has felt that they are “less than,” like they just don’t make the grade. They wonder what everyone else has that they don’t, why “they” have it so easy, and what they did wrong to cause so much misery in their lives.

Yep, everyone has those moments; some of us are just better at hiding it than others. Even the most successful people on the face of the earth, from Oprah Winfrey to Sidney Poitier to Richard Branson would likely admit that there were times when they just didn’t know if they could measure up.

While it’s natural to start falling down the well of self-doubt, it serves no purpose. Each time you give in to those demons, you allow yourself to fall away, little by little, from your true power. Pretty soon, all you’re doing is sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos in one hand and the remote in the other; watching hours of “The New Jersey Housewives” rerun marathons and wondering how Teresa is able to live with herself day after day.

Don’t go there! Don’t even take one step in that direction!

As soon as you get the “woe is me’s,” freeze! Go do something productive. Try helping someone else out. Preferably someone whose position in life is so disadvantaged when compared to yours that you’d feel completely silly complaining about your life. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, read to kids on the critical care ward at the hospital, or take a load of old towels to the animal shelter. Get outside yourself and stop worrying about you. Worry about someone else for a change, and see what you can do to make their lot in life a little easier.

We’ve all got things wrong with us, whether it’s an extra-large nose, an extra-large chip on our shoulder, or an extra-large something else. The only difference between those who make it and those who don’t is that some of us stop thinking about their faults and do it – hit the homerun, write the best-seller, start a revolution – anyway.

Can I be honest with you? My forehead is not exactly small but until I laugh about it myself or tell people that a high forehead is a sign of royalty in Africa, they never notice. Why? My attitude about it is “So What? I know it  is  big and I wear it well!”

Am I making sense to you? It’s not about what’s wrong with you but rather what’s RIGHT with you. You are a creation of the most high God and He makes no mistakes.

How Can I Do This Faster?

Speed is good. Just ask Danica Patrick. But which is worse: Doing the right thing, too slowly, or doing the wrong thing really, really fast? My vote is for the latter. That’s why I believe you need to stop asking yourself this question:

How can I do this faster?

Efficiency in and of itself is not a bad thing.  It’s highly prized by manufacturing line engineers, train conductors, and Swiss bankers. But just doing something faster doesn’t earn you a gold star. In fact, spending resources, even in an efficient manner, is more wasteful than taking too long to do the right thing. Not only are you directing valuable money, time, and energy in the wrong direction; you’re also falling behind on the things you should be doing.

Think about it this way. You ask your teenage son to get his homework finished. Half an hour later, you check in on him and he says, “No, I didn’t do my homework, but I did a great job moving up to the next level in Just Dance! I was really efficient, too – I’ve learned every move”

Umm… no. Now, not only is it a half-hour later, the homework still isn’t done and your son has spent 30 minutes doing a wasteful task really, really, well.

Here’s when you know efficiency has become an enemy instead of a friend:

• You use efficiency as an avoidance technique to keep from handling the less enjoyable, but oh-so-much-more important, tasks. You revamp your website for the upteenth time, moving the sidebar a fraction of an inch to the right. You did it really, really, well… but you should have been working on lining up sales calls for next week.
• You fall into comfort zones of things you do very quickly and very well, failing to recognize that it’s the things outside your comfort zone that help move you closer to your goal.
• You keep doing tasks on automatic pilot, even though you could have outsourced them or automated them. After all, it’s a no-brainer to sit and feed the copy machine – and after all, you’re working, right?

Often times the reason why we are trying to do something faster is simply because we really don’t want to be doing them anyway. So why do it?

When you find yourself asking, “How can I do this faster?” stop and ask yourself if you should be doing that task at all. Many times, the answer will be no. Then you can let go and get on with your real work – the work that may not be as efficient, but makes a bigger difference in the long run.

Do I Really Have To

Inside of all of us is a three-year-old toddler who likes nothing better than to throw a screaming fit every time someone makes him do something he doesn’t want to. It could be skipping dessert, writing a sales presentation, getting to bed at a reasonable hour, or putting the credit card away before buying yet another Fred Hammond or Mandisa CD.

That three-year-old is sulky, whiny, and generally unpleasant, so much so that often we’ll give in just so we don’t have to listen to him whine anymore. While this technique works in the short run, in the long-term you end up suffering.

After all, vegetables are good for you while ice cream seven days a week is not; the sales presentation must get done, you do have to get up early for work, and someone’s going to have to pay that credit card bill.

You can tell when you’re giving in to this little tyrant when you start asking yourself:

Do I really have to ____?

When you catch yourself uttering this phrase, it’s time for a reality check. Your rebellious streak is rising faster than the National Debt, and if you don’t keep it in check you’re going to pay the price at some point. After all, the piper always wants to be paid – now or later.

It’s interesting that one part of our brain knows very well what needs to get done while the other part rejects the whole idea. Without diving too deeply into the psychology of it all, it’s easiest to just admit there’s part of us that really would prefer to sit on the couch and gain 150 pounds worth of cheese fries rather than head out for a nice jog around the lake. The duality exists, and one way to let your sane side win is by never letting the little kid have the microphone.

As soon as you start wondering if you really have to go to work, answer that email, create the new web form, it’s time for a smackdown…but try not to hit yourself too hard. Instead of giving in to the beast and beginning a cost-benefit analysis of letting your diet slide for another day, stop thinking about it.

Remember that you’re dealing with a 3-year-old, and you cannot reason, outwit, or outsmart him. All you can do is refuse to engage. Remind yourself the decision has already been made, and don’t revisit it. Pull the old, “Because I’m the parent, that’s why.” Then send him to bed without any supper and get on with your life.

Conclusion

As we’ve discussed, questions are powerful tools, but they can steer you off track. It is imperative that you examine the questions you ask to see if you’re helping yourself or knocking your ability to think innovatively.

Many of the internal discussions you have with yourself are so routine, we don’t even realize they’re going on. It is time, for the sake of success, for you to bring your internal dialogue to light. In doing so you can determine if what you are saying is beneficial to your success or causing you to fail!

Don’t fall into the trap of asking questions that will only harm you in the end. You can spend your life in a repetitive down spiral because you how you question yourself or you can turn it around so that you empower your very being with how you question yourself.

What are some power questions that you think we all need to ask? What are questions we all need to avoid asking ourselves? Share your thoughts below.

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LaTara Ham-Ying is a Biblical Lifestyle Coach, online marketing consultant, and successful blogger who enjoys helping others create a life and business that fits their style and shows them the power of living in the NOW! Learn more about LaTara at latarahamying.com

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Branding your business is one of the most important things that you can do to succeed. Your brand, which can essentially be known as your reputation, is the means by which consumers will get to know your business. If your brand is portrayed in a positive light, your business will reap the benefits.

Let’s take a look at some strategies to help you brand your business online!

Online Branding tip #1 – Research your Audience

When it comes to branding your business, one of the most important steps is researching your target audience. Your target audience will affect all of your branding efforts including who you market to, where you market, and how you market.

By doing your research, you can quickly learn what your target audience likes (to create interesting webpage content) and where they surf (to get noticed by them successfully).

Online Branding Tip #2 – Give Yourself A Voice

You have researched your target audience – now you need to put this information to use and find a way to connect with them. Know what it is that your audience wants to hear and find a way to get that message across to them. Once you tell your audience what they want to hear (and uphold your promises), you will attract a much larger interest in your business.

Online Branding Tip #3 – Brand your Business online

In relation to branding, the internet is one of the best ways to get your message across to your audience. In order to do so, however, you have to make yourself available on multiple web channels. There are many different ways that you can advertise your business online including the use of social media, paid advertisements, blogs, forums, email lists, and article directories (to name just a few).

For more tips and advice on building your brand online, check out: How to Use Social Media to Build Your Brand Locally

Online Branding Tip #4 – Integrate Social Media

When it comes to branding your business, social media is the internet hotspot. Determine where your target audience hangs out. Do they use Facebook? Or perhaps they are more likely to use Twitter? A little research should tell you exactly where you can find your target audience and how you can create a marketing campaign that will capture their interests. Once you have attracted a solid base, use social media to generate more personal connections with your audience – this what will keep them committed and loyal to you!

Online Branding Tip #5 – Build Your Reputation

It is not enough to get yourself noticed online, you must also have a good reputation. Once you begin attracting customers, do everything you can to keep them. Conducting follow-ups, providing high quality products, and offering great deals are just a few of the many things that you can do to create a positive reputation for your business.

Your Turn

Now that you know more about how to brand your business online, you can use this information for generating a solid and loyal customer base. What tools do you use in branding your business online? What other ways can you enhance your company’s brand online? Share your thoughts below.

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About the Author

Silvia Pencak, also known as Magnetic Silvia around the social web, is a Brand Strategist specializing in small business online branding. You can connect with her at her blog, Magnetic Look. com.

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A wise man once said “success is goals, and all else is commentary.” I believe that success in personal finances is all about setting goals and achieving goals. Truly, goal setters are goal getters!

Mark McCormack in his book, . The graduates of the MBA program at Harvard were asked:

 The only difference between the groups was the clarity of the goals they had for themselves when they started out.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you can’t become rich without goals or that you will automatically become rich if you have goals. Goal setting will certainly enhance your pursuit of financial freedom.

Setting financial goals, working toward them day-by-day, and ultimately achieving them is the key to a life of financial abundance.

The year is just taking off and what a time to sit down and set financial goals for the year. You must be very clear about what you want to achieve financially in this New Year.

Your greatest responsibility to yourself is to invest the whatever time is required to become absolutely clear about how much money you want to make, and how youcan best achieve it.

You must have financial target that you’re out to hit this year.

A goal is something distinctly different from a wish. It is clear, written and specific. It can be quickly and easily described to another person. You can measure it, and you know when you have achieved it, or not.

The word of God admonishes that we should write down our goals, make it plain (let it be clear), so that we can easily pursue the realization of it. A goal that is not written down is a wish – A daydream. When you commit your goals to paper and read them regularly, you energize your commitment.

“Realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.”- William Moulton Marsden

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Pro 29:18 

Writing down your goals, creating plans to achieve them, and working on your plans every single day are the greatest financial wisdom you should embrace throughout your financial journey this year.

What Setting Financial Goals Will Do For You

1.    Setting financial goals will give you direction, without it, you simply drift financially.

2.    They will make you financially accountable.

3.    They will inculcate into you, the much needed discipline in your wealth building process.

4.   They will give you reasons to want to achieve.

5.    Financial goals will make you feel internally motivated.

6.     They will give you something to look forward to and your expectation will become your reality.

Now let me ask you, have you set clear, written goals for your financial journey this year and made plans to accomplish them? Are you off to a good start toward financial freedom in 2012? What challenges are you facing and how are you hurdling them? Share your thoughts below.

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About the Author

Sharon Akinoluwa is a professional blogger, internet marketer, speaker, and gifted teacher of biblical principles of economics. He blogs regularly at Wealth and Riches; a Christian blog  that is committed to solving business and financial problems.

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To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.  ~Albert Einstein

Questions, as Albert Einstein relates so eloquently in the statement above, help us frame our thinking and define our problems. We can rarely think of an answer outside of the way we’ve framed the question, so it stands that the questions we ask – particularly those we ask ourselves – will drive our thinking and our behavior.

In my last post I shared tips on aligning your goals with your values. This time around I want to focus on questions to consider as you move forward in 2012 aligning your goals so that they match what you value most.

These questions are designed to help you move beyond what you write on paper into a mode of daily success action. I am a huge believer in the fact that “success happens when you take actions”. There is so much to share and say on this topic that I am breaking it up into two posts so that you can digest the information easily.

It’s About How You Speak to Yourself

The purpose of this article is to help you take a look at the way you speak to yourself, and to make some changes along the way. In this article I have listed five questions you should be asking yourself to broaden your thinking and make you more successful.

Whatever it is that you are trying to attain in life, the encouragement and suggestions in this article will help you define your path and remove obstacles that may have been holding you back.

Question #1 – What Are My Highest Value Activities?

 Many people reach the end of their day, only to realize that they didn’t make any movement towards their main goals.

If this sounds like you, you’ve got an issue with the kind of tasks you’re undertaking. While it’s great to be busy and feel productive, it’s even more important to do the things that matter. The key to making this distinction in what your highest value activities are.

The answer to this question is going to be exclusive to you. No coach, no matter how skilled, can tell you what you receive the most value from. It stems from a blend of your unique gifts, talents, skills, and your overall goals and dreams. Join the two, and you’ve got a list of the things that only YOU can achieve – and these are the things that should get priority on your daily to-do list.

If you find yourself getting sidetracked by tasks that aren’t on your highest-value list, you need to find a way to remove yourself from them.

You can;

• Delegate them to someone else,
• Hire another person to do them, or
• just simply stop doing them.

Every minute you spend doing something that is outside of your highest-values is a minute you aren’t reaching your full potential. Concentrate on the tasks that you and only you are skilled at doing and leave the rest to someone else.

Think of it this way: If you call Apple, the CEO doesn’t answer the phone. He doesn’t respond to customer complaints. He doesn’t sweep the floors, order more paper for the copy machine, or make sure the cafeteria is fully stocked on coffee. He leaves those details to others, and he focuses on the projects and activities that only he can do: Visualizing the future path for Apple. Bottom line…Focus works.

Question #2 – What is the One Thing I Could Do Today to Move Forward?

 Sometimes we get stuck in the “overwhelm of life”. There are simply too many projects, too many things to do, too many people clamoring for our attention, and too much information.

We aren’t at all sure on what we should do next, and so we retreat to the relative peace and quiet of a game of Solitaire on our computer, or we check our email yet again, or we head to the refrigerator for food we likely do not need.

When we find ourselves taking the long way home to avoid dealing with the snarl that appears to be our life, we need to stop. Instead of avoiding the commotion, we need to dive in, looking for that one loose end that will unravel the mess and lead us to our goals. Sounds too easy, right? It actually is.

When you come to a spot and don’t know what to do next, or you are tempted to run away and hide in a pint of Hagen Das ice cream, ask yourself what is the one thing you could do today to move yourself forward?

Sometimes the answer is a big task but usually, it’s something very simple – Make the phone call, buy the book, or answer the email. Just like with a knot in a rope, sometimes it just takes a bit of wiggle room to make the whole thing loosen and come free.

Remember, you’re not looking for the grand gestures or huge movements (“I need to sell my house and move to Idaho”); you’re looking for one thing you can start and accomplish TODAY that will let you make progress. Here is an activity I do with some clients who have obstacles toward success :

• Choose 1 thing you can right now at this moment towards your bigger goal.
• Break that down into a small doable task for the day. Maybe that something is a newsletter that needs get out to your subscribers. It is ok to make it your ONE thing.
• Break it down with a to-do list of what is going to take to get it out at a reasonable time and in a practical manner.  No one said you had to write a magazine. Just do the newsletter in a simple yet effective way and you have succeeded at accomplishing your one thing that will help you connect with your market and increase your sales.

Make sense?

If all you did was ask yourself this question day after day, and then take action on the answers, you’d soon find yourself closer to your goals than you ever imagined.

Are you moving in your seat yet? Did I touch any nerves? Trust me when I say that I have not arrived and I struggle with some of these very issues (especially the second one). I think most entrepreneurs do! Don’t you?

Don’t get comfortable yet, there is one more post coming soon to help you. I have even more questions to help you succeed in 2012. If you aren’t moving on your goals for 2012, why aren’t you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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LaTara Ham-Ying is a Biblical Lifestyle Coach, online marketing consultant, and successful blogger who enjoys helping others create a life and business that fits their style and shows them the power of living in the NOW! Learn more about LaTara at latarahamying.com

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Small business blogging isn’t dead, but your blog can become “dead in the water” if your posts don’t deliver for your readers.  If your blog posts are too long, confusing, hard to follow, or not well thought-out, you can lose opportunities to convert readers into buyers.

What is a Killer Blog Post?

A killer blog post is one that gets shared across social networks, leads quality discussions in your comments section, and ultimately generates business leads.

It consists of;

• A Killer Idea which gets people interested in your post, captures the imagination, and solves a problem. Think of your business’s industry and help your customers solve their biggest challenges.
  Note: Need help organizing your blog post ideas? Start an editorial calendar. Here’s a video tutorial to help you get started!
• Killer Content brings the idea to life and holds your reader’s attention. Videos, pod-casts, and other media can be used to enhance your idea. You’ll find a couple of ideas on good content creation in this article.
• and Killer Copy-writing which moves the reader along and keeps them engaged until the very end. Copyblogger has an excellent tutorial on copywriting that I highly recommend if you want to learn how to write great copy like a pro!

If you want to write awesome blog posts that engage your readers, builds community, and generates leads, you’ll have to follow 12 easy steps. Go through each using the info-graphic below and bookmark this page to reference it whenever you need it.

Note: Want my best advice for writing killer blog posts and growing your blog? Sign up for my 2 for 1 Success Coaching special. If you want to get more blog traffic, create deeper connections with your readers, and generate more business sales then this deal is for you!

Click the Image below for a larger view

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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There’s a lot of debate about whether or not the golden age of blogging is dead. Robert Scoble doesn’t think it’s dead, simply evolving. And Mathew Ingram of Gigaom thinks that traditional “blogging” may be on a decline but personal publishing is healthy because of the many platforms people use to share the world around them [think Facebook, Google+, and Tumblr].

I agree with both points of view when it comes to personal publishing, but as it pertains to professional publishing, blogging is alive, doing well, and still relevant.

Just like speaking at a major conference, publishing a book, or landing a major Television interview is a great career launching platform – so is blogging!

As a business owner, launching a blog can;

• Enable you to build a strong web presence,
• Help you to build a community of people who are interested in your business,
• Generate sales leads,
• Open doors of opportunity,
• Expand your network,
• and more!

We live in a socially connected internet age where people look for you on Facebook, Twitter, or your website before they inquire about your products or services.

So, is blogging dead?

No, but, like Robert Scoble said, it is evolving – especially for entrepreneurs.

If you have a blog or want to start one for your business you have to think beyond simple or self-serving blog posts. In order for your blog to become a marketing platform you have to think of it as a media property. Consider your blog as your own TV station, radio station, or magazine with content readers want the most.

Your blog’s content should include a mixture of the following types;

• News articles that inform readers of happenings in your niche on a consistent and timely basis,
• How-to articles that show readers [step-by-step] how to be successful using your product, service, or in their everyday lives,
• Editorial articles that educates, informs, inspires, or provides them new perspective on related topics,
• Info-graphic styled posts that break down typically complex information into easy to understand terms using graphics & pictures,
• Videos that reveal day-to-day activities around the office, interviews with interesting subjects in your industry, lessons on best practices when handling your products, or useful tips & advice,
• Audio pod-casts that include round-table discussions with multiple guests on related topics in your industry, interviews with satisfied customers, news, and more.

Tip: Learn how to Write Killer Blog Posts with this Infographic!

The traditional business blog where you “talk up” your products & services, try to entice readers to sign-up to your email newsletter without giving them valuable information, share a few pictures of that company trip to Mexico, or bore people to death with industry lingo, facts, and figures . . . is dead.

You have to think beyond yourself and a traditional blog in order to successfully build an online platform for your business. Your content should be original, fresh, and “sucka-free”. That means devoid of pushy sales pitches, crappy content, and updated consistently.

If you blog for business is your blog “sucka-free?” What kind of content are you creating to build your platform? If you’re not blogging for business, why not? Do you think blogging for business is dead and Facebook is where it’s at? I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below.

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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During the holiday season, I ran a very successful promotional that gave you two full hours of 1-on-1 coaching for the same price as one. I knew, when I started it, that it would be very popular so, I’m extending the deal.

For a very limited time, get the best deal in personal & professional development since sliced bread! Get 2 full hours with me to;

• Develop a solid business plan,
• Develop a marketing plan designed to make you money,
• Get advice for growing your blog’s traffic,
• Get my best advice for branding your business,
• Learn the tools I use daily that help me master social media marketing,
• and much more!

This is an excellent opportunity to get the help you need at an affordable price that you won’t find anywhere else!

The holiday season is over – it’s time to kick 2012 into gear and I want to help you do it. If you need some help starting, growing, or marketing a business this is the promotional you’ve been waiting for. Don’t let this offer pass you by, because once February comes, it goes away.

If you’re excited and ready to take your personal life and business to the next level, click the buy now button below, and let’s schedule your coaching session. If you have any questions, check out the F.A.Q. and customer testimonials on the official page.

Let me help you make 2012 your best year yet.

To your success!

Rod

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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What can you do now to position your business for success in 2012? Invest the time in upgrading your copy-writing skills! The best color scheme and graphics won’t help you convert browsers into buyers if the content on your website is poorly written.

Sure, good branding and an amazing design will be attractive to your prospects, but what will keep them glued to your site is your content – your offers, articles, and invitations.

Hiring a good professional copywriter can cost thousands of dollars. If you are just starting your business and building your client roster, you may not have that kind of investment in your budget.

Of course there are special projects, like product launches or high – ticket events that you may want to outsource to a professional. But for regular content for your blog, online sales letters, or newsletters, it may be wise (and budget-friendly) to learn the art of copy-writing for yourself.

Note: Even if you don’t plan on doing it once you generate enough capital from your business to cover the expense, knowing the difference between good and bad copy can save you a ton of money (and embarrassment).

With a bit of hard work and determination, even newbies at writing can craft sales letters and website content that converts rather well in a short period of time.

Listed here are a few ideas to help you learn the art of good copy-writing easily.

Read Through Sales Pages for Fun

Make it an obsession. Allow yourself to get absorbed in the copy. Read almost everything that you can about great copy. Read record-breaking ads for fun. Much like an art collector admires art, so a great copywriter admires copy. Read good copy over and over and absorb all of the nuances of what really made it convert. Ask:

• Why did the author select this word instead of that one?
• Why did the headline work?
• What kind of feelings did the piece of copy invoke?
• How did the copywriter structure the call to action?

Develop Your Power Words Vocabulary

Start paying more attention to phrases and phrases that paint images and invoke feelings. These words and phrases are the bread and butter of any good copywriter. Anytime you come across a word, phrase or strategy which you could possibly use in your own writing, write it down. Keep a file of these words and ideas. As the list grows over weeks and months, you’ll soon have a powerful library of words and techniques at your disposal.

Start Writing and Ask for Reviews

As much as you can uncover by reading other people’s writing, the only way you are going to really learn to write copy is to just get started writing. Go ahead and write your first piece of copy. If you’re working for a small business or website, try to split test your piece. If you’re a freelancer, see if you can find a pro-bono client or two to begin with.

Ask for Feedback from other Copywriters

Sign up to several copywriting and marketing forums to connect with other copywriters to compare notes. Finally, observe your actual results from live sales letters and pages. Were they what you would have anticipated? Why or why not?

Learning to be a good copywriter isn’t easy, but it will go a long way in helping you win more clients and grow your business. Start studying past successful campaigns, letters and pages, build your vocabulary and get writing. You’ll have both successes and failures; pay attention to both. Figure out what’s working and what’s not in your writing and move forward from there.

Can you share an example? What are some of the best written sales pages or web pages you’ve seen? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comments below.

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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