Newsletter #28 Is trying to compete with other freelancers making you…mediocre?
Hi everyone
First up – in case you missed it, the Copywriter Accelerator, run by legendary copy duo Rob and Kira of The Copywriter Club, has opened its doors for the first time in aaaages. So if you’ve been wondering when you can join again, that would be….right now. This isn’t another boring course you’re never going to finish – it’s a mentoring and networking group to help you develop a plan for creating and growing the copywriting business that’s right for YOU. And then going and getting those dream clients. I went through this as part of the Copywriter Think Tank a few years ago, and I know for a fact that it has helped a lot of writers in my network get to the level they’re at today. You can learn more about the Accelerator here. Doors close in 2 days!
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I finished reading The Artist’s Way over the weekend – and if you haven’t read this yet, I highly recommend it to get some new ideas, and to get more in tune with the inner creative inside you that is just busting to be let out – whether that’s to do with writing, or something refreshingly unrelated.
As freelancers, our creativity often takes a back seat as we get stuck in the rut of:
- Feeling like there’s only one way to do things based on who we’re learning from (e.g. courses, marketing best practices, and mentors)
- Feeling constant comparison-itis from reading about what other writers are doing
- Feeling like our business will implode if we try anything new or different
All these things can leave us feeling somehow discontented and unfulfilled – like the work we’re doing isn’t aligned with who we are or what we want to be doing.
And this isn’t just a freelancer problem – it’s something our clients feel as well.
I was on a call yesterday with one of my favourite clients, a scrappy and fun SaaS startup, and while we were chatting about landing pages, he suddenly blurted out: “I just feel that we’re doing the exact same as everyone else and it’s not even what I want to be doing, but there’s like, zero room for me to explore my creativity”
I was SO happy to hear this because it instantly put us on the same page.
Looking and sounding the same as everyone else in your industry is definitely “a thing”.
This is especially noticeable in SaaS, where every website and sales message sounds and looks nauseatingly similar.
And when you look at other freelance writer websites and social media posts? We all want to reach the same heights as other writers we admire – so there’s a lot of borrowing of ideas going on, which leads to sameness and mediocrity.
Client websites in your niche? You’ll notice a whooooole lot of same-same going on there too.
This is known as competitive herding (read the book Different if you want to dig into how this concept shapes brands and brand messaging) – where companies in each industry become nearly identical as they strive to outdo each other, making them pretty identical and boring when you step back and look at them as a whole.
I discussed this concept with my client, and we chatted about how we could play with more counter-intuitive messaging and visuals to make their website meaningfully different — in a way that supports the founder’s need to put more of himself into the site and explore his creativity, but at the same time not alienating customers who still want the “familiarity” and “safety” of visiting a standard SaaS website.
It’s going to be tricky, but I’m up for the challenge.
This got me wondering – are more clients (and writers!) out there ready to stop conforming with industry norms and start trying out some more creative stuff to grow their businesses?
I really hope so.
Wishing you a week full of great clients and instantly paid invoices!
Rachael
Newsletters I’m loving
- Get Unstuck – The legendary Pat Flynn, author of Superfans and online-audience-building genius, now has a weekly newsletter to help entrepreneurs and creators with planning and goal setting, overcoming obstacles, and practical business how-tos.
- Life With Amada Goetz – If you follow Amanda on Twitter, you’ll enjoy her newsletter too. Her focus is on helping marketers improve personal and business growth.
Procrastination Station
- If you love snooping around at what other freelancers earn, All Things Freelance Writing has just released their survey results from 350 writers to find out how much they’re earning, how they’re charging, and what is helping them increase their income. Check it out here.
Memes Of The Week
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