VOLUME 22, ISSUE 7 – JULY 2023
THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. APPETIZER: STARING ChatGPT IN THE EYE
Dealing with the AI Reality by Educating, Diversifying & Adopting
II. “FIELD” GREENS: FROM COPYWRITER TO PUBLISHER: 5 LESSONS
AZ FLCW Shares Advice to Aspiring Authors
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: THE SLOT MACHINE
Biz Coach Powerfully Reframes Cold Prospecting
IV. DESSERT: COMBO SUCCESS STORY & TIP
CA FLCW Uses ChatGPT to Determine Ideal Client Profiles
I. APPETIZER: STARING ChatGPT IN THE EYE
Dealing with the AI Reality by Educating, Diversifying & Adopting
At a social gathering last week, when the folks I was talking to learned I was a writer, their first question was: “Are you worried about ChatGPT?” Sheesh. We just can’t get away from this topic (which I discussed in the March E-PUB).
It crossed my mind again recently following an exploratory call with a referral whose small company needed to overhaul their web site copy. A week later, I got this email:
Thanks, Peter. My boss is working with a college intern this summer and plans to have him update the website. Thank you for your time. I will definitely keep your info available in case the current plan doesn’t go well!
Funny…her last line seems to reveal her own doubts about her boss’s decision.
In the wake of the seeming ubiquity of ChatGPT today, her comment triggered a nagging thought: Might that intern—no doubt young and tech-savvy—try using AI to write the web copy?
Now, I don’t know the above will happen, but given that it’s ALL ChatGPT, ALL the time now, we have to assume it will.
We know AI won’t do as good a job as a seasoned marketing-copywriting pro, but, if a client is convinced otherwise, it doesn’t matter what we know. So, what’s the answer?
Prepare to Educate: I’ve long held that our ideal clients know they’re not writers, and know they need to hire a pro. And that it’s a waste of time to try to convince the UN-converted.
That’s still the case, but the time may be right to consider crafting a site-based, downloadable free report (a time-tested lead-generation strategy) along the lines of “The 5 Reasons AI Can’t Replace Professional Writers” (or similar headline to give clients pause).
Then outline our marketing-copywriting process (i.e., asking strategic questions, gathering/assimilating content, and logically “building a case” for the offering in question); note how machines can’t generate real creativity; why their competitors using real writers will have an edge over them, etc.
If my thinking on this matures further, I’ll pass on my thoughts.
Get Specialized: While ALL AI programs can write articles/blog posts, and some, landing pages, emails, and others, none I’ve seen can crank out long-form case studies, white papers, ebooks, etc.
As such, it makes sense to expand one’s project range beyond AI’s crosshairs. If that’s the goal, my self-paced course, Well-Fed Craft, is worth a look
From Foe to Friend: AI’s not going away. As such, many writers are already reframing their perception of AI—from enemy to potential tool.
While many clients might consider AI’s output essentially a final product, folks like us could deploy it differently.
I’ve only started playing with it, but can already see its potential for creating outlines and then fleshing those outlines into copy blocks that can then be molded into a final product.
My process may be different from yours, but creating that big starting “lump of clay” is always the first big hurdle. Once I do, I can incorporate my marketing-copywriting chops—and my love of copyediting—and the rest goes smoothly.
If AI can expedite that initial rough-draft creation, it can make you more productive in less time, preserving a high hourly rate.
A few ideas, and will share more as I experiment more. In addition to ChatGPT itself, check out some different platforms here. On that “if-you-can’t-beat-‘em-join-‘em” note, let’s eat!
II. “FIELD” GREENS: FROM COPYWRITER TO PUBLISHER: 5 LESSONS
AZ FLCW Shares Advice to Aspiring Authors
Cool piece from Tucson, AZ FLCW, journalist, documentary photographer, and now-published author, Martha Retallick (with whom I had the pleasure to break bread a few years back on a trip out there).
Not all of us aspire to write books but it’s a logical evolution for many, and she shares her experience in making the transition. Thanks, Martha, and best of luck with the book!
Since 2018, I’ve been making the transition from copywriter to book publisher. Now that my book is a reality, I can tell you my copywriting experience was a plus. Here are five lessons learned:
1) Define the Audience. Before you begin any copywriting project, make sure you understand the audience; this should be one of the first questions you ask any client. In publishing, this is much more than client input to guide your writing; it’s central to defining your book’s target markets.
2) Avoid the Curse of Knowledge. Unless you’re from the desert Southwest, you probably aren’t familiar with my book’s topic—water harvesting. Thus, it’s my job to explain it in layman’s terms:
In cities like Tucson, much of our annual rainfall comes during sudden storms, and more than half of this rain becomes runoff that causes flooding in streets and washes.
To avoid such disasters, we use water harvesting—creating earthworks that slow evaporation and increase water retention in the soil—to encourage storm water to slow down, spread out, and sink into the ground.
3) Form a Team. Although my name is on the cover, my book reflects the efforts and expertise of many.
I had editors urging multiple rewrites to enhance reader comprehension, a printer’s rep telling me to re-process photos to match the company’s production process, and a designer objecting to how I originally formatted paragraphs in the layout. Tough crowd—and I thank them for it.
4) Quality Control is Your Job. Even with a team of experts, the final product was my responsibility. That’s why I proofread the book copy—aloud—from front to back and from back to front. I highly recommend this technique for any writing project.
5) Need Sales and Marketing Copy? Hire Yourself! So far, I have hired myself to write website sales copy, news releases, postcards, blog posts, and social media updates.
The employee grumbles about working for free, but the boss loves the cost savings. So, this DIY arrangement will continue.
BONUS LESSON: Peter’s Book, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher, was extremely helpful and highly recommended.
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: THE SLOT MACHINE
Biz Coach Powerfully Reframes Cold Prospecting
LOVED this excellent piece from friend, colleague, “business-building coach for writers and copywriters” and E-PUB regular, Ed Gandia.
Few of us relish cold prospecting for clients (by phone, email, LinkedIn, etc.), but shift your thinking about the process, as Ed so admirably does here, and it might just take on a whole new energy. Thanks, Ed!
Let’s take a quick trip to Las Vegas.
Imagine your best friend works at the Bellagio and he urges you to pay him a visit, ASAP.
Why? Because he just discovered that one of the slot machines in the casino will actually work without having to put any money into it.
You simply need to tap the machine a few times on one side. Once you do, it stops taking your money, but the reels will spin every time you turn the crank or hit the “spin” button.
Understandably excited, you make the trip the next day. Your friend’s told you where to find the machine and what to do, and you quickly get to work.
Again, every spin is free. You have nothing to lose. You don’t know how often you’ll win, but it doesn’t really matter. The only thing it’s costing you is your time and a tap of the button.
How many times would you play?
I’m guessing even if you won only once every 100 spins, you’d play all day long. Maybe late into the night—especially if you had a few big wins, which is likely considering the number of plays you rack up every hour.
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
So why is prospecting for clients so different? Why do we put it off? Why do we get discouraged and give up after reaching out to only 10 or 15 prospects?
You know deep down that if you made more attempts, you’ll eventually hit a jackpot. And just like with our slot machine example, the only cost is your time.
But there’s an additional cost, isn’t there? It’s the cost of rejection.
It’s the cost of not getting responses. The cost of your inner critic telling you you’re no good—that no one wants to work with you and this effort is useless. It’s beneath you. It’s embarrassing. You’re an overpriced fraud.
That internal chatter quickly spirals out of control. And before you know it, you conjure up images of going broke, shutting down your business and looking for a full-time job. Or worse, ending up homeless.
This “screenplay” could easily win a Golden Globe, couldn’t it?
But let’s get back to reality. Your inner critic doesn’t have to rule your life. That critic will never go away for good, but you can loosen its grip.
And one way to do that is to just do the work.
Focus on the effort. Do the reps every day, rain or shine—even when you don’t feel like it.
Pat yourself on the back when you do. And keep at it. Every day, every week (or whatever schedule you’ve committed to).
When your inner critic sees that you’re not easily swayed, it’ll get tired. It won’t give up forever. But it will give you the space you need to complete your reps.
That’s the game. That’s the work. Pushing through, despite all the noise.
After all, it’s just another slot machine. And it’s ready to generate a big payout for those who keep trying.
IV. DESSERT: COMBO SUCCESS STORY & TIP
CA FLCW Uses ChatGPT to Determine Ideal Client Profiles
Speaking (AGAIN!) of ChatGPT, this tip from CA FLCW Diane Holcomb discusses an intriguing application you might not have considered that could help your marketing efforts as well as those of your clients. Thanks, Diane!
When it comes to evaluating your website and homing in on your ideal client, why not put Artificial Intelligence to work?
ChatGPT is an AI site that generates rapid responses to ten free questions a day. The more specific the question, directed “solely” to your website, the better.
Here are some sample questions to ask:
“Based solely on the content on the website (insert complete URL), who is the ideal client for this business based on what you read on the website?”
Follow that up with:
“Now build five buyer personas based on the above info,” and “Now give me five more,” and “Based solely on the above information, who would you say are my competitors?”
It’s a great way to check if your website is spot on describing what you do and who you want to reach, and sparking ideas for clients.