"Sure You're Using the Right Bait, Son?"

Whenever you’re writing headlines for articles or blog posts, your main goal is to “hook” or grab your readers attention. You’re not trying to provide your reader with “useful information” or promise them the world in your headlines. All you’re trying to do is to give them a very good reason to continue reading….

That’s all!

So how can you do this?

There are many headline writing formulas available to you as a writer. However, here are four to get you started for now…

State a Benefit That Your Product Provides That Others Can’t — When it comes to grabbing your readers attention, few things work better than clearly stating how your product differs from all others. Done successfully, your readers will have a “light bulb” moment where they realize why your product is so much better than other options available. If you can get them to have this moment while reading the headline (rather than later) then you know you’ve got a great headline writing formula for sure!

Announce a Benefit by Expressing a Bold Statement — Rather than asking your reader a question or plainly stating a benefit, forcefully order your reader to do something. For example “Become a millionaire in just two years!” or “Live an additional 20 years by practicing these 7 secrets of longevity.” By commanding your readers to do something, instead of suggesting it, You’ll subconsciously push them to take action.

Ask a Question — For instance, ask your readers what they’d do if they all of a sudden became wealthy overnight. How would they spend that money? What charities would they donate to? Use this as a way to get them to think about how their lives will change after using your product. And then specifically state that your product will make it happen.

Frame Your Product’s Main Benefit as a Newsworthy Item — As mentioned previously, an excellent way to hook people with your headline is to make it newsworthy. Consider writing it in the third person, talk about the newsworthy features of your product, framing it as an important development in your niche. If your product is indeed innovative and good, then there’s nothing wrong with using this method.

In short, use your headline to communicate at least one major benefit of your product; or to propose at least one thought-provoking question. Doing so will cause your reader to take notice since you’re addressing the question, or problem, they are already thinking about anyhow. Start using these simple headline writing formulas to hook your reader and force them to notice you like a moth to flame.

Be good to yourself,

James

Have you struggled to get “inside” your readers head, trying to figure out what will make them stop and take time to read your articles or blog posts? Or have you ever wondered what it is that some writers have that maybe you don’t?

If this describes you don’t feel bad… I used to feel this way too. Seriously, I used to get so frustrated trying to figure out what it would take just to get people to stop and even take a look at what I wrote. It seemed like I had the power to repel people like a skunk when I first started writing!

But then it hit me…

I wasn’t connecting emotionally with my readers!

People want to connect with people they have a connection with. It’s just that simple. And either you have that connection or you don’t.

Your readers will not connect with you simply through your content, but through your emotions. The emotional connection with your readers is just as important as the actual content itself.

So… how do you connect emotionally with your readers?

Well for starters, you can begin sharing personal experiences and stories. Tell people about the time your dog died. Or about the time you dared to dream big and it didn’t work out for some reason.

Tell people about your screw ups, as well as your successes. Talk about where you were raised, your dream home/car/boat or places where you want to travel.

Tell people what you’re doing to build your business and why. Reveal the real you to your readers.

Obviously, you’ll want to connect what you’re sharing to a lesson or a “moral of the story” that they can learn from. It’s okay to talk about yourself, but you don’t want to make it “about” you.

Another tip for connecting emotionally with your readers is to “Pace, Pace, Lead.” No I’m not talking about a new walking tip, but rather a technique developed by Milton Erickson (Milton Erickson is one of the therapists whose techniques were used to form today’s Neuro Linguistic Programming, or NLP).

Pace, Pace, Lead (PPL) is a technique for building trust and making an emotional connection with people. Using this technique, Erickson was able to get even his toughest clients to trust him and open up.

How to use PPL to Connect with Your Reader

First, let me start by stating that this isn’t some voodoo, doodoo mind trick. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Essentially, you start by “following along” or pacing with your reader’s emotional state. Describe their frustrations, their wants and their emotional frame of mind to them so well, that they feel like you really understand them.

Once you’ve been successful in the pace phase, then and only then do you try to “lead” them to where you want to go. Such as a lesson you want them to learn, take action in their lives or on their business.

Keepin’ It Real

Whenever we’re speaking face-to-face with someone, our body language and facial expressions convey our emotions to other people without ever saying a word.

Likewise with phone conversations, even the slightest variation in our tone of voice give people clues on how we’re feeling, even though they can’t see us.

These same characteristics exist within our writing as well. Even though there are fewer clues to work with, people still can sense when you’re sincerely engaged emotionally when you’re writing.

If you’re very passionate about a particular subject, it will come through in your writing. If you are angry about an injustice, for instance, people will sense this. If a product you’re promoting really does what it says it will do, and your excited about this when writing, people will feel that as well.

Obviously written communication doesn’t convey your emotions as well as speaking face-to-face with someone. However, the person-to-person connection still comes through in your writing.

If you’re serious about making an emotional connection with your reader, then put yourself in an emotional state before you begin to write. If you know you’re going to be writing articles on loving relationships, for instance, then watch something like “PS: I Love You” or “The Notebook” to help get you in the mood. Write when the emotion is there and people will connect with that.

Connecting emotionally with your readers in your writing requires more dedication. You must be willing to put yourself “out there” and open yourself up to a little vulnerability. It involves peeling off the mask you’re hiding behind and revealing more of yourself to your readers. But this is what it takes to make an emotional connection with your audience and build a loyal following.

Be good to yourself,

James

There are some great writers around who can write an ebook in nothing flat. Unfortunately for most people I know – if given the choice – would rather not write. However, if you want to make a decent income online, you’d better find a way to enjoy it.

Many people starting out in the world of online marketing and publishing get stuck with this single challenge – learning to love writing. That said, whether or not you believe you can write an ebook shouldn’t stop you from making money online right?

Absolutely not!

Especially today, you can have access to brilliant writers who can write an ebook for you, or at least help you share your expertise in better words than you would on your own.

Outsourcing writing to freelance writers is nothing new. It’s been done in the publishing industry even before the advent of the Internet and digital info products.

How many athletes, celebrities, politicians and business gurus have written their own books or autobiographies, despite their extremely busy schedule? Chances are they hired a professional writer to do the writing part for them.

Writers are everywhere – Literally.

Today, you can find writers who will write an ebook for you with relative ease. Many freelance writers provide their services online through their own website or on freelance service sites like Elance. You can even read reviews of clients who have hired them and select someone based on their reputation (usually their rates go up with their reputation).

As long as you do your part in providing overall guidance around the topic of your ebook, the tone of voice and mood you want to express, and prepare a strong outline of subtopics to write about, you can outsource nearly all of the writing tasks.

Not everyone wants to outsource the writing to a freelancer though. Some people prefer to have more control when they write an ebook, and retain their own voice and tone. Hiring a writer as a staff is one possibility, if you have the budget for it. You could train your writer to match your tone and voice.

If you don’t have the budget for this, there’s another trick you can use to “write an ebook”…

Record yourself speaking the information into an MP3 recorder or your computer!

Can you see the triple benefit in doing this? For one, if you’re not a writer, you’ve eliminated having to do the writing yourself from the equation. Speaking into a recorder gets your words in and you avoid writer’s block.

It also sets your tone to conversation mode. When you record yourself speaking, you automatically register your words in a dialog tone, between you and the listener. Now all you have to do is hire a freelancer to transcribe your words.

Going about it this way, you don’t need a professional writer to do the transcription. You can even hire a student to get this done for you.

Having audio versions of your ebook is also going to give you the opportunity of sharing and selling your ebook in an audio format. Not bad at all for those who prefer listening to reading.

If you’re prepared to invest in some software, you can get most of this done on your own.

Dragon Dictate by Nuance is a superb voice recognition and speech-to-text application that is available on both PC and Mac. It runs about $200, but it’s worth the price for what it does.

Speech recognition and dictation software has come a long way from the days of Windows XP. You do need to train the software, but as you train it more frequently, it gets pretty accurate.

The main advantage to doing this is that you get near instant transcription of your voice, so you can replace the writer and still get the writing done, right at home, instantly.

Who said you have to be a writer to write an ebook?

Be good to yourself,

James

Private Label Rights (PLR) material is a great way to determine information that is demand, as well as a foundation for creating a unique product of your own. Using PLR to create your own product can save you a lot of time, especially if you need to create a lot of material, or if you need content for a subject you’re not completely familiar with. Here’s a few pointers you can use to convert PLR into a unique product fast!

How to Convert PLR Into a Unique Product Fast

Whenever I need to use PLR, the first thing I do is go directly to the table of contents, or the opening paragraph if it is an article, and see what is being discussed. Not only am I looking at what is there, I’m also looking at what is not there (points they may have missed, or how I may improve it). I also look to see if any of the content is outdated and needs updating, or deleted entirely. You can call me “old fashioned” – but I still like to print out the PLR and make my corrections and notations using a red pen and yellow highlighter.

Next, I skim through the report or article for quality. If it’s really good content I’ll actually read it and learn something from it I can use. This is where you discover whether or not the PLR you’re buying is worth a flip. If it’s not that good, then I’ll simply focus on any ideas I use for the base article.

Using the ‘Save As’ function I create a copy of the original document. I usually name the copy Outline or ArticleTitle01, ArticleTitle02 or something along those lines. These become my outline for the product I am about to create.

Now I start to tear apart the Outline I saved. I’ll begin by deleting redundant or poorly written sections, then I’ll make notes or circle sections that have some substance to them. My notes may include things such as: what I need to add or remove to improve the H1, H2 and H3 headlines, what I may need to do to better capture and keep my readers attention, or they may include entire paragraphs illustrating my ideas.

The Key to Rewriting PLR

Once I’m done tearing apart the report or ebook outline, I will go back and rewrite the table of contents to reflect what the PLR report or e-book is going to cover. If it is a PLR article I’m rewriting, then I go back through it to ensure that my notes reflect what it is I want the final copy to look and sound like. Remember: your outline can, and most likely will, change as you are creating the final piece. However, the key to rewriting PLR is to have a structured path to where you’re going.

About this time is when I need to take a break, especially if it is a long report or ebook. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke, so I usually head out to the back porch overlooking our property in the country and simply enjoy the peace and quiet. The idea is to get away for a few moments to recharge and let your mind relax for a little while. I strongly encourage you to do this; get away from TV, radio or any other outside stimulus, and simply relax. You’ll find that you’re actually more productive in the long run, and you’ll also come back to your writing with “fresh eyes” and perhaps see some things you didn’t see previously.

Once I’ve finished my break I look over all the changes in my outline. If it still looks like something I can be proud to put my name on I move to the next step, if not then I make the necessary changes and then move on.

Finally I get down to the business of writing and re-writing! Now here’s the part where I could tell you how simple this is, but the truth is… it’s really about as simple as this: First, I fill in the content I tore out and then rewrite the parts that are worth keeping. The only content that I keep is that which is generic, or evergreen, and reword any of that which needs it.

The time consuming work is the tearing apart, notations and corrections. Once you’ve got this completed, now all you have to do is insert what you’ve rewritten and then make a final draft. Once you’re final draft is completed, read and review, make any final corrections and you’re done. And the more you do this, the more you’ll be able to convert PLR into a unique product fast!

Be good to yourself,

James

Writing confidence is something that comes and goes for most writers. Some days the words flow and you feel good about them. Other days can be a struggle. However, the more confident you are overall about your writing the more comfortable you’ll be setting higher rates. And the more willing your customers will be to pay those rates!

Here are a few tips to help you boost your writing confidence and make more money.

Focus on What You’re Good at Writing and Offer That

Chances are you’re confident in a few areas of writing and not so confident in others. Offer your services in areas where you’re confident. For example, if you’re comfortable writing articles and reports but not confident with your copywriting skills then don’t offer copywriting skills. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t offer copywriting in the future. You can, once you’re confident with your skills.

Read About Writing

Most writing experts will tell you that there are two things every writer must do to improve and boost confidence. The first is to read. Read books you enjoy reading and also read about writing. Read blog posts from writing experts. Take classes and strive to read about different styles of writing.

Write, Write, Write

The second thing writing experts will tell you is to write, write, write if you want to improve your skills. You’ve no doubt hear that it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to become an expert. The more you write, about anything, the better you’ll become.

Change Your Mindset – Learn

Adopt a positive mindset when it comes to writing. Some customers will have negative, and hopefully constructive, feedback for you. Instead of thinking, “I’m no good at this,” put the feedback to use and improve your skills. Adopt a mindset that every new client and writing project is an opportunity to learn and improve your writing skills.

Share Your Knowledge – Connect

Connect with other writers. Learn how they adapt and grow professionally. Simply speaking to other writers can help you feel like you’re part of a collective group. Writing, as a profession, can leave you feeling very isolated. When you connect with others and realize they’re dealing with the same challenges you are, you begin to feel better about your skills and path.

Start Raising Your Rates for New Customers

Raise your rates. Sounds like a risky step, right? However, when you raise your rates, and clients pay them, you begin to realize that you really are good at this writing thing. Additionally, your client’s expectations rise when your rates increase. It forces you to step up your game.

Take time to celebrate the positive feedback you get from clients. Enjoy the good moments, learn from feedback and realize that writing is a continual process of improvement and growth. Confidence comes with experience. Read, write, and connect with others to increase your experience and confidence.

Be good to yourself,

James

The more time you have to write, the more money you make, right? Besides, who wants to spend all their time managing their business when there are so many other things to do and enjoy. You can make more money writing and have more time during your day when you take steps to make your writing business run like clockwork. Here’s how:

• Autoresponders

Autoresponders are automated email messages. You can set them to be delivered at a certain time and date. You can also set them to be delivered in response to an email you receive. As the owner of a writing business you can use autoresponders to let clients know you’ve received their email and will respond within 24 hours. You can also use autoresponders to send a broadcast message to all of your clients to announce news or a special promotion.

• Templates

Templates basically make everything easier. You can create template email responses to respond to your most frequently asked questions or email inquiries. You can also create templates for content projects. For example, if you write articles for clients you can create a template for each different type of article. A how to article template, a tips article template, and a review article template for example.

• Automated Invoicing and Financial Reporting

Invoicing and your monthly and quarterly statements can eat up valuable time. Automate the process as much as possible and cut back on the time you spend in the role of accountant. You can use tools like Pay-Pal, Billing-Boss, Zoho or any number of other automatic invoicing systems.

• Project Management

Use a project management tool or service to make communication with your customers easy. Project management tools also help you stay on track so you deliver every project on time.

• Editorial Calendar

Some project management tools also offer calendar and milestone functions. If your project management tool doesn’t consider creating an editorial calendar. This calendar will include every single deadline you have so you can schedule your workdays accordingly.

• Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants can just make life easier. They can handle client communications. They can invoice. They can also research, edit and publish content for you.

• Work for Hire Agreements.

A simple work for hire agreement or a policies and procedures statement that your client agrees to helps you feel confident and assured that you and your client have a professional relationship. It helps remove stress.

• Client Questionnaire

Asking clients to fill out a questionnaire for each new project helps ensure you get all the information you need to do a great job. If you offer different types of writing services, consider creating a questionnaire for each type of service. For example, create a content questionnaire and a copy writing questionnaire.

• Web Forms

Use web forms on your website or blog so it’s quick and easy for prospects to get in touch with you. For example, you might have an inquiry form for new clients.

• Marketing Strategy and Schedule

Finally, because marketing is the key to lasting success, create a marketing strategy and schedule. For example, if social networking is part of your marketing strategy then schedule your daily interactions. You might schedule thirty minutes each day and one hour on the weekends for social networking.

The more you systematize your business and automate your tasks, the more time you’ll have for yourself. You can decide how to use that free time. Write and make more money or sit back and enjoy life. The choice is yours, once you have your writing business running like clockwork.

Be good to yourself,

James

If you’re serious about making money online as a writer, then one of your main business activities is seeking out and securing high paying freelance writing opportunities. With the influx of writers online, seeking their fame and fortunes, you may have found it difficult to secure your share of writing jobs online. If this describes you, or you simply need a few pointers to help give your writing business a boost, then give the following tips a try.

• Create a Referral Program

Create a referral program for your writing business. A referral program essentially rewards existing clients for sending new clients to you. It’s a great way to motivate happy clients to spread the word. And people who come to you via a referral are ready to buy from you – you don’t have to convince them or sell them on your services.

You can reward your referral clients in a number of ways. You can pay them cash. You can give them a discount on their next writing project too. For example, any client who sends another client to you receives 10% off of their next project.

If you offer a referral program, be sure to let your customers know about it!

• Keep In Touch With Your Good Clients

Don’t let your good clients forget about you! Email them occasionally with information, promotions or other special tidbits. Remind them that you’re ready, willing, and able to provide writing services. You’ll not only get repeat business, your good clients are a great source of word of mouth marketing as well. Good clients send you other good clients!

• Get Involved

Spend time each week visiting high profile writing websites or blogs and get involved. Comment on the blog posts. Network with experts and companies or people that you’d love to work with.

Get out and make a name for yourself. People will begin coming to you for answers and for writing work. Also take a look at some of the high profile writing job posting sites. For example AWAI Online has a job’s board that represents many high profile companies around the globe.

• Ask for the Work

If there is a company you’d love to work with, contact them and promote your services. Include testimonials, samples and the benefits of working with you. What makes you great and what do you have to offer this ideal client?

• Brag!

Publish a portfolio and testimonials on your website. Share your successes with others. It helps establish your credibility as a writer and it builds trust with potential clients. People are much more willing to hire you for a high paying writing opportunity when they can see from the material on your website that you’re skilled and capable.

High profile writers who are confident enough to sell their services and brag a little will get the high paying freelance writing opportunities. Connect with other writers and industry experts. Make friends and ask for the work. You’ll be amazed at what comes your way.