Over the past 10+ years, Beth has tried her hand at a number of businesses, including running a marketing agency.
“Running the agency was way more complicated than I’d anticipated. So I decided to change course and reach out to the sizable email list that I’d compiled over the years. I let people know I was going to start offering blog coaching services and online courses. It was something I’d done in the past and was comfortable with.”
But changing her entire business was a big move. And to make things even more stressful, Beth knew that her family was relying on her and letting them down was not an option.
“I’m a single mom and the money I bring in is our primary source of income. I wasn’t always sure I’d be able to cover the next month’s rent, which made things really tough.”
Although she was prepared to work hard to put food on the table, she wasn’t comfortable with what her new business forced her to do.
“I felt like I was constantly selling and pitching to people out of pure desperation. I found it incredibly stressful, and I don’t think it felt particularly good to the people on my list either.”
This new business model didn’t seem to be working and Beth grew increasingly desperate to find a less stressful line of work.
“A lot of people think that online courses are the way to go, because of the potential for ‘passive income.’ I kept thinking, ‘I’m working my ass off for what’s supposed to be passive income.’ It didn’t feel very passive, and I knew there had to be an easier way.”
What about freelancing?
Around this time, Beth started to notice an interesting trend among the business owners she coached.
“I’d teach my clients how to create blog posts, email sequences, welcome messages, and other types of content, and at that point, things often came to a screeching halt. Either they hated writing, didn’t have time, or weren’t sure how to do it. Whatever the reason, their websites would just sit there and stagnate.”
At the same time, she’d been picking up a lot of experience with copywriting.
“I’d been writing my own sales pages and email sequences for a long time. Plus, I had an ongoing gig writing blog posts for Copyblogger, which really helped me fine tune my writing skills.”
As she started to “connect the dots,” it became increasingly clear that a life-changing opportunity might be staring her in the face.
“I thought about freelancing as a copywriter and asked myself, ‘Why not dip my toe in the water and offer to write for people, and see if anybody takes me up on it?’”
Beth had no idea what kind of response she could expect. She figured the fastest way to find out was to dive right in.
“I put out a note to my email list saying, ‘If you’re interested in writing services, here are some things I can do for you.’ The response I got was really strong.”
Still something missing
Beth’s freelance copywriting career quickly gained traction.
“Within a couple of weeks, I got a whole bunch of clients who needed help with blog posts, email sequences, and other types of copy. A couple of people even hired me to do ongoing work. There was clearly a market for my services.”
Eager to develop her copywriting “chops” even more, Beth started reading books and blogs and listened to podcasts — eventually discovering Freelance To Win.
“I came across a podcast interview Danny did on Copyblogger, and I thought he was really interesting. I liked what he had to say, and he was very down-to-earth. So I signed up for his emails, and fell in love with his content, as I’m sure most people do.”
By now, her clients were really impressed with her work and she had completed multiple projects successfully. But she still didn’t feel like she had a handle on what clients expected from her.
“I reached out to Danny and told him that I sometimes feel a little lost. I think a lot of copywriters struggle because they have no set formula. You just have to figure it out from scratch with each new project you take on. I told him, ‘I feel like I’m flying a little bit by the seat of my pants.’”
She realized that she really wanted to learn from someone who had actually systematized writing copy.
“A lot of people offer advice and tips, but hardly anyone trains you to sit down and write this stuff. It’s nice to read long explanations about features and benefits, but what are you supposed to do with them? After I figure out the benefits, how do I turn that into an effective email?”
Relief in sight
Beth was itching to get a formalized copywriting education, rather than a bunch of random tips gathered from reading blog posts. Then she got some exciting news…
“Danny sent an email announcing he was launching a copywriting course. The moment I saw it, I said to myself, ‘I don’t care how much it costs. I’m buying it the day it opens.’”
She figured that if she could write copy that gets people to feel the way she feels when she reads Danny’s emails, her career could benefit in a big way.
“No matter the topic, he starts with a great story that sucks you in and manages to pivot so that you almost don’t realize you’re being sold to because he does it in such a gentle and effective way. I’m like, ‘It seems to me like the man has a magic wand, but I want to learn how to do that.'”
True to her word, Beth signed up for Freelance Copywriter’s Code as soon as it was released. She liked being able to go through each module at her own pace and knows she can “consult” with Danny whenever she gets stuck.
“I was once struggling with a difficult project, so I went back and reviewed the landing page module, and was immediately able to write the copy. The client was delighted, and I said to myself, ‘That’s because of Danny. I would not have been able to do it without him.’”
At last, a real system
Beth was thrilled to discover that Freelance Copywriter’s Code teaches the step-by-step system she was searching for.
“One of the toughest parts of being a writer is those times when you stare at a blank page and think, ‘I’m not sure exactly how to get this thing going.’ Danny’s course actually gives you a ton of ideas to help you create copy, which is something I found incredibly helpful.”
Now, Beth finally has the “inside scoop” on how Danny creates such scintillating emails.
“Danny actually shows you how he gets the ideas for the great stories he comes up with in his emails, and that has boosted my email writing game a lot.”
And when Beth learned Danny’s approach to researching projects, she was able to breathe a big sigh of relief.
“A lot of copywriters say you need to do like a hundred hours of research before you can start writing. Danny’s approach is, you should only do the research you need to find the “story.” Then you get to work. This way of doing research just makes everything so much simpler.”
Taking her landing page copy to the next level
Despite having years of experience, Beth still learned many surprising landing page insights and strategies that she’d never heard of before.
“A lot of copywriters write landing pages in a vacuum. But in the course, Danny teaches that readers aren’t just coming out of nowhere– they’re coming from a specific place and as a copywriter, you need to focus on where that person is coming from.”
She used this exact strategy on a recent landing page project, and it made her creative process smoother and more efficient.
“The goal of my copy was to get people searching for the term ‘business coach’ to sign up for a free consultation. So I put myself in the reader’s shoes and asked, ‘What do they need, and how can I make this copy offer it?’ It made things a whole lot easier.”
Within a few weeks of taking the course, Beth was already putting to use a lot of the tools and techniques she had picked up to work.
“Danny’s lessons on writing headlines are fantastic and super practical. His headline generator is one of the most helpful parts of the course. One time I was unable to come up with a decent headline so I tried the generator and came up with 15 headlines right off the bat.”
More confidence and control
For the first time, she has the confidence to tackle new and unfamiliar projects, which she’d been afraid to try in the past.
“Before taking the course, I didn’t have the faintest clue how to write a video script, they were a complete mystery. Then one of my clients asked me to critique his video, and since I’d gone through Danny’s explainer video module, I gave him my feedback, and told him how I’d improve his script. He paid me for my time, and immediately hired me to rewrite his script.”
Not only has the quality of Beth’s copy improved, her entire process is faster and smoother.
“My productivity has gone up considerably, and I’m working more efficiently. I can often whip out a landing page in about an hour and a half, which has allowed me to take on more clients, and do more projects in less time.”
She feels more ready than ever to take her freelance copywriting business to the next level.
“I used to feel uncomfortable with how high my rates were. Now I have the confidence to raise my rates even higher. Sometimes I swear to God, I look at this work and I say, ’I can’t believe people are willing to pay us this much to do this.’
Happier than ever
Beth is thrilled she decided to gamble on freelance copywriting.
“In over 10 years running a business, this is the happiest I’ve been. It’s the most stable business I have ever run, with a stream of clients so steady that I never need to stress about where the next one will come from. And even if it drops off, I can reach out to previous clients, and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got an open spot in my calendar.’”
In addition to the income, she loves the freedom and flexibility that come with freelancing.
“In my previous business, I’d put the kid to bed and then go back to work for several more hours. Now I can just pound out a bunch of hours during the day, pick my kid up at 3:00 in the afternoon, and we get to hang out together the rest of the evening.”
As a single mom, being able to create her own schedule is something Beth really cherishes.
“I want to be able to pick my kid up from school if he gets sick, be there during school day events, and take him to the dentist. At this point, I tell myself, ‘I never ever want to work for someone else…ever.’”