TOC #84: 7 Ways To Bring In More Biz During A Slow Season
(August 2, 2022) Let's get proactive!
Summer is a slow time for inquiries. Period.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in business, how awesome your offerings are, or how much you market yourself. It's just slow.
People are on vacation.
They’re not thinking about their website copy or Pinterest management or Dubsado setup or content creation or brand design or finance help or SEO or social media.
They’re tanning by the lake, immersed in their beach read.
They're eating fresh watermelon salsa by the pool.
They're backpacking through Europe.
They're biking around the rail trail.
They're taking their kids to the zoo.
They’re busy doing LIFE.
…buuuuut you already knew that.
You’ve heard tons of marketers and online business owners share this same “summer is always slow, don’t worry sugar plum, fall will be better, use this time to work on yourself, and, hey, while you're at it, be GRATEFUL you have this time to slow down!” advice—and even though they’re 100% right… that advice doesn't make you feel better.
It's kind of like being served green beans, when what you really wanted was ice cream, and then being told to be happy about your green beans because some other kid somewhere else is starving.
Which, yes, true… but you still low key want ice cream, which is a perfectly valid want, except now you kinda feel bad about it.
So, even though it's awesome to put a positive spin on a slow season and feel really grateful for the opportunity to work in/on your own business, you're still allowed to want to earn more money.
Just like that ice cream, it's a perfectly valid want.
So, this newsletter isn’t another one of those “cheer up, wait it out, do some self care instead!” vibes.
(No tea no shade—I'm on board with those vibes—that’s just not what I’ve got planned for you today.)
Instead, I want to tell you how I’d go about getting more leads if I were feeling anxious about a slow season.
>> Because let’s be real - all the “wait it out” and “have faith” and “trust the process” advice doesn’t always soothe our anxiety like we wish it would.
So, if you’re feeling like being a little bit more proactive about bringing in business, keep reading for 7 things you can do to increase your chances of making it happen.
ON TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS:
How to increase your chances of getting more leads
How to write a minimal services page
How to outline your process on your site
A favorite client's services page
The only author I read in the summer
Something cool for new and/or aspiring copywriters! 👀
Marketing Tip!
7 Ways To Bring In More Business During A Slow Season
⭐️ For each of the 7 ways I suggest, I'm going to share how it could look in practice, using my own biz as an example! ⭐️
#1- Rekindle an old collaboration flame.
Consider reaching out to people you’ve collaborated with on projects before, tell them how much you enjoyed it, and mention that you'd love to do something similar again.
BTL example: I could email Sarah Kleist and say “hey, I loved working on Monocle's website with you, and I'd love to work on more collaborations like this—can you tell me more about the types of people you like to work with / projects you like to work on so I can recommend clients to you?”
#2 - Recreate your last ‘ideal client’ project.
Send an email to a past client who fits the “hell yes” category for you; someone who was an ideal client in every way. Tell them how much you loved your project, and casually ask if they have any friends just like them who need what you have to offer.
BTL example: I could email Celeste Moore and say “congrats on the launch of your website, Celeste! I absolutely loved my time spent collaborating with you—if every client were like you, I'd be happy as a clam! If any of your friends or colleagues happen to need a copywriter, I'd love if you'd consider sending them my way - if they're anything like you, I know we'd be a great fit!”
(You could even combine this with a feedback/testimonial request if the project is recent!)
#3 - Scour Facebook groups and comment your info.
Even in the depths of the slow summer season, people are looking for freelancers to work with. Hop in your favorite FB group, search for your type of offering, then filter by ‘recent’ and comment on the posts with your info.
Even if there’s tons of other comments, and even if the post is a couple weeks old—still do it. People use other people's posts as a search tool of their own when they're looking for someone, so even if the original poster doesn't hire you, someone else might.
(This has happened to me 3 separate times that I know of!)
BTL example: I could go into Create & Cultivate or Women In Marketing, search for “website copywriter” or “website copy” and comment on a post of someone looking for a website copywriter, and say something like “Hi there! My name is Sara and I specialize in website copy—I'd love to connect with you! You can find all of the info about my services and pricing at betweenthelinescopy.com/copywriting-services :)”
#4 - Blog more, and Pinterest more.
This one may not seem very bringin-in-the-bacon-y, but I promise you, it is.
Don't sleep on the blog-and-Pinterest combo—there are 400 million monthly users on that platform that could become clients. AND, if you meet the requirements, you could even be accepted to the creator fund and start earning actual cash money from posting pins.
I'd give a BTL example for this one, but let's be real, Sarah Burk has it handled. And speaking of my amazing Pinterest manager who I have to thank for countless inquiries, sales, and creator fund status—she's telling you EVERYTHING about how to make your blog-and-Pinterest combo successful inside of Site Series. Join the waitlist for a $300 discount when the course goes live to VIP-ers in October!
#5 - Tell your biz friends you’re looking for work.
That's it. Just ask. If they're true friends, it's not weird.
In fact, they'll probably appreciate it, and then tell you they're looking for some new projects, too, and then you can help each other.
BTL Example: I could text Abbey and say “hey, I'm looking to fill 1-2 spots for August, do you know anyone who needs copy right now?” or “hey, jsyk, I have the time to add 1-2 more projects on this month if you happen to have any current clients or inquiries that need copy!”
#6 - Post your availability on your socials.
This one's easy—no explanation needed!
BTL Example: I could post on my Instagram story with my available start dates and a link to contact me, or I could post on my feed about all the services I offer & their respective ‘starting at’ rates, then share my availability in the caption.
#7 - Make sure your Services page is ready for all your new inquiries!
After all your efforts to bring in new business, you're gonna need a Services page that converts!
For the BTL example, click the below button to read how to write a minimal services page! 😏
Bookmarked by BTL…
3 Ways To Outline Your Process On Your Website
BTL Showcase: A Client's Services Page I Love ft. Oh Sierra
The Only Author I Read In The Summer
Calling all new copywriters!
I have a lil somethin' you may be interested in 👀
For a little bit over a year now, I've been working with mentees one-on-one to help them develop their copywriting businesses, and I've been so happy with all the results they've achieved (and, NGL, the feedback I've been getting from them).
But, I don't talk about this service much, because I only work with one person each quarter, since it's such an immersive curriculum.
Howeverrrr—I'm sure you can predict what I'm about to say—I'm excited to announce that I've developed a program to help even more new and aspiring copywriters move confidently toward the next chapter in their success stories!
It's a 6-month group mentorship program beginning in September 2022 lasting until February 2023, for new and aspiring copywriters who want to stop relying on Google and guesswork for all things copywriting, marketing, and freelance life.
I purposely wanted this program to launch at a time when you’d need it most, which, to me, is end-of-year and new-year. That’s when everyone is the most motivated, and the most ready to put in the work & become the best versions of themselves as business owners.
We'll be covering everything from getting more inquiries, to pricing your services, to figuring out which biz investments make sense for you, to managing client projects, to money and taxes, to outsourcing, to copywriting skills, to… well, everything, actually! -
I'll be sending along a questionnaire prior to the official start of the program so I can tailor the curriculum to exactly what you want to learn.
Any new or aspiring copywriter can join, no matter what—as long as you have the desire and the drive to learn how to better your freelance copywriting business, you're welcome inside this program. 🥰
As a member of the program, you'll get:
Monthly 60-minute group coaching call
Two 60-minute strategy calls with me throughout the program (and discounted additional calls, should you find yourself needing an extra check-in or two!)
Unlimited email access to me for follow-up questions and feedback requests
Membership in the community with everyone in the program
Fully loaded Notion dashboard of copywriting resources, BTL digital products, sample client resources (like email templates!), discount codes, copy templates, copy questionnaire, and so much more
Access to 2-day virtual retreat at the end of the program with guest experts, presents, and surprises!
All of the above is available for just $500/mo if you join before August 19 🥳
(After 8/19, the price will increase to $800/mo. Doors to the program close on August 26th.)
SOOO if you're like hell yes Sara let me the frick inside this program right now, you can click right here to be let right in!
But if you'd like a little more info sent to your email, you can join the waitlist at the button below. 😊
ORRRR, if you're looking for something a little bit more robust than that, you can apply to be a VIP member for $1,500/mo, and you'll get all of the above plus biweekly 1:1 calls with me, a personalized week-by-week curriculum with homework, free unlimited copy reviews, and 24/7 WhatsApp access to me for extra support! 🥰
Of course, I'll be sending along more info about this—answering FAQs, talking about timeline, explaining who the program is meant for, sharing details about the guest educators, etc—but this is the last time I'm sharing this much detail in the TOC, because not every reader is a copywriter looking for a mentor slash group of other aspiring copywriters to connect with (duh).
So, if this is something you're interested in, make sure you join the waitlist! :)
xo, Sara
Hi, I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. Thanks for reading this edition of the Tuesday Table of Contents! If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
Check out my services. I write website copy, sales pages, email sequences, blog posts, and brand messaging guides for entrepreneurs of all kinds! Maybe you’re my next favorite client. ;)
Read my blog. It’s home to everything from copywriting tips, to marketing education, to freelance advice, to portfolio-worthy projects… if you like this newsletter, you’ll love the blog. Here’s a quick roundup of my most popular posts.
Sign up for my web copy course. Actually, it’s not *only* about website copywriting—I also teach modules on copywriting basics, developing your target audience, search engine optimization, blogging, and email marketing.
Enlist me as your mentor. I have an entire in-depth blog post about my one-on-one consulting process for new and aspiring copywriters, if you’re interested in having a big-sis-style mentor to help you grow your freelance copywriting business & get results.
To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!
xo, Sara