THE ONE THING I SUGGEST YOU WORK ON AS AN ONLINE BIZ OWNER.
This episode is really two things I think online entrepreneurs should always be working on, but even if you know one…it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t do the other.
We communicate in the online world, MOSTLY via writing.
Now there is a caveat here. And that is if you solely use video or some other medium to communicate in the online space. Say you have a YouTube Channel or you only make videos for Instagram and then your product or service doesn’t have a sales page with writing, rather people have to apply to get on a call with you and that’s where you make the sale.
IF THAT IS YOU, then this mostly doesn’t apply to you.
But if you’re like most other sole preneuers in the online world, and write captions for Instagram or emails or blog posts and have a sales page on your site or landing page where someone will decide to enroll in your program or not… well then, I’m talking to you.
You need to, and will likely forever need to get good at writing.
This does not mean you need to be an author, or have perfect grammar. What I really mean when I say “get good at writing” is spend time improving your ability to communicate through the written word.
It makes sense doesn’t it?
If how most of your humans hear about you, your offer, and what you do is through reading…it makes sense that you’d want to get better and better at writing to your audience, yes?
So, when I say that writing is the #1 thing I think entrepreneurs should work on, it’s really a two part deal.
If you get better at communicating through the written word, that’s great…but you also need to be clear on what it is that you’re communicating and who you’re speaking to.
That’s where part 1, or 2 if you want to call it that, comes in. You forever need to know your ideal client and be working on how to communicate to her or him effectively. In a way that makes them feel as though you already know them, yet you’ve never met.
So I suppose part 1 is knowing your ideal client, and part 2 is the writing piece. How good are you at communicating with your ideal client? We are forever improving on both of these through our entrepreneurial journey.
That’s in part because you should be writing to him or her in most of your free content on social media, on your sales page, and day to day if you actually have clients already.
You’re always learning, getting feedback and diving deeper into who it is you’re here to serve in this world.
And if you’re on Instagram or want to have an expert presence on Instagram…congratulations, you’re now a writer.
Any area you provide free content to your audience is an opportunity for you to practice your writing. How you communicate to your dream client. To your human of choice.
It’s a chance to use new verbiage, new examples, see what sticks and how people react.
You might not think you’re writer and you might resist it still, as you listen to this. But it would behoove you to embrace the idea that you ARE in fact a writer. That you have the space and ability to improve. And that if you do improve, you will see growth in your audience, interaction and inquiries to work with you.
It is no secret that in the comment section of my posts and in my DMs you can find comments like “woah I’ve never felt so seen in my entire life. It’s like I almost have chills because this is so accurate.” And “never felt so understood and seen by anyone I’ve ever met” and “wait, has Annie been secretly stalking me?”
No I didn’t make those up. Those are direct quotes from my Instagram comments. You can read the post in the show notes and see for yourself.
Those comments and DMs roll in for two reasons – I’ve spent an aggressive and dedicated two years learning about my ideal client and working on my ability to communicate through writing.
Now, how do you get better at writing?
I get it. I am aware that I actually enjoy writing, I always have. Ever since childhood, writing has been my preferred form of processing and communicating. I don’t articulate nearly as well when speaking as I do when writing.
But writing might not be your jam. And I get that.
So I want to share a truth with you, and some options.
Truth- you’re not a bad writer. Period.
You can improve. Because writing is simply a skill. It takes practice and it’s nothing more than another form of communication – in this setting anyway.
You learn by doing. Write. Journal more and read more.
I rarely read books. And I don’t want you to feel confined to reading books. I read emails and Instagram posts, and I learn through daily experience on Insta and my inbox. An email from a fellow entrepreneur the other day got me good. My first sales email I ever wrote was formatted after one of my good friend’s emails. Totally different wording obviously and it was for MY OFFER, unrelated to hers. But when I read her email, it was effective and well done, so I took notes not on the words, but on the structure, the story, and the process.
Become a student of the words around you. Does an IG post hit home? WHY?! How did they communicate? Was it the topic, the voice? The structure?
And then you can take actual courses. I suggest The Copy Cure by Marie Forleo and the any writing course by Rachel Turner. I don’t know what she has to offer now, or if it’s just her biz coaching, but she is amazing at teaching you how to write in a way that paints pictures of what you’re REALLY trying to communicate.
I’m sure there are other writing courses out there. I just don’t know of them.
And lastly, you can hire a copy writer for things like your sales page and email drip campaigns. I also don’t have any specific recommendations there as I do all my own copy for emails and sales pages. But, know that you can indeed hire a human to take your ideas and communicate them clearly.
I believe writing is magical and a gift and something you can get better at for years and years to come.
I think it can be and feel fun, and I think it helps you learn your audience on a deeper level when you’re the one actually communicating with them.
So whether you’re just starting out or have been in biz for a hot minute, I encourage you work on your writing. Remember, that’s not just sentence structure and grammar. That’s communicating what you truly want to communicate through the written word.
If you have no clue who your ideal client is and want help, you can download my FREE Ideal Client Avatar Creator and get started on that immediately.
Review of the week comes from kiley z and says,
“Easily my favorite podcast. Annie is an amazing educator and finds ways to break things down in ways that textbooks do not. As a trainer and aspiring entrepreneur, I find so much value in every single episode in multiple ways. Grateful for humans like Annie who are building platforms to help improve the fitness world.”
Remember that until I am back in real time recording podcasts, you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!
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