Setting Goals That Convert

I am sure you have heard the phrase…

Time is money.

This is even more evident for entrepreneurs and freelancers.  YOUR time is YOUR money. 

Are you throwing your money away?  Are you wasting your time?

Have you ever heard the term opportunity cost?  Opportunity cost is defined as:

A benefit, profit or value of something that must be given up to acquire or achieve something else.

Every action you take, takes time away from some other action.  If you WASTE valuable time on something that doesn’t enhance your business, you are taking time away from something that could benefit your business.

If you are not focused on what matters; you are focused on what doesn’t matter.

As entrepreneurs and freelancers, we are focused on the conversion process.  We are interested in converting traffic to leads, converting those leads to clients or customers, and ultimately, converting those clients or customers to repeat business.

We are also focused on converting our time into money.  We want a return on our time investment.

Are you doing everything within your power to maximize your effectiveness in this process?

I am going to ask you two questions that could dramatically impact the success of your business.

1. Are your daily activities and objectives aligned with your goals?
2. Do you have systems and processes in place to help you remain laser focused on accomplishing the daily objectives?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions you are working inefficiently and leaving money on the table.

Entrepreneurs without focused goals might feel busy.  They might feel like they are working a lot.  They might be performing a lot of tasks.  However, those tasks might not be yielding anything of value.  Essentially, they are busy, but getting nothing accomplished.  

Consider the following story and see if it sounds familiar. 

An entrepreneur wants to start an online or freelance business.  The entrepreneur goes to the source of all things informational…

The Internet.  

The entrepreneur does a bunch of research, and ultimately buys an educational program or class.  The entrepreneur takes the class and begins following the program and establishing their business.  They run into some challenges and think, “I just need to change _____.”  Maybe the entrepreneur finishes the class; maybe s/he doesn’t.  It really doesn’t matter.  Because rather than follow-through on developing their business, they begin searching for more information again.  They register for another class.  The cycle continues in perpetuity.

The entrepreneur never actually gets their business off the ground.  Rather, they become a professional consumer of information, constantly seeking the next best thing.  The entrepreneur is VERY BUSY doing things; however, the things they are doing are fragmented and unfocused.  Even if they are doing some of the tasks exceptionally well, it doesn’t matter, because it is not part of a bigger functioning system or process.

Why do people do this?  It is simple.  People are pain avoiders and pleasure seekers.  Because they don’t like pain, they want to take the path of least resistance.    

They are looking for the secret or shortcut to success.  I am going to give that to you now.

There is no shortcut.

I am sorry to be the harbinger of bad news.  Unfortunately, excellent marketing has led people to believe that there is a quick fix or easy way.  Look no further than the weight loss industry for evidence of this nonsense; “lose 10 pounds in 2 days.”

The good news is that you are here.  

The educational material and support you will receive here will lend itself to your entrepreneurial success.  I assure you of that.  The secret is that you must develop laser focus on developing systems and processes to operationalizing the content.  

Information alone does not yield results.

You need a plan of action; a system that helps you push through the challenges and difficulties that you are GUARANTEED to face.  There is no amount of information alone that will help you negotiate this process.

On a regular basis, I see new entrepreneurs find a new concept and immediately begin implementing it in their business, with no regard for the end goal or objective.   For example, simply building an email list for the sake of building an email list is probably not the best idea.  If you are in the copywriting business, and I GAVE you a list of 10,000 people today who are only interested in puppies and have no interest in copywriting, is that going to help you?  

Puppies are cute, but that isn’t going to help your business.

What if it took you 10,000 hours to build this list?  Is that a good use of your time?

I am not saying having an email list is a bad goal.  To the contrary, having an email list is an excellent idea; it is probably one of the single most important things to an online marketer.  However, I am saying that you need to be very specific in your purpose for having the list.  If your goal is to monetize, or make money off your list, then you need to align your list-building activities with the purpose of the list.  

For example, if you are a web designer and you want a list of potential clients, you should advertise (either with or without money) in places potential clients frequent.  In other words, don’t go to the “I love puppies” group on Facebook to get subscribers for your web development business.

I also see another major error relating to goal setting.  When I read goals like, I want to make $100,000 a month (even though I don’t have a business yet), I want a steady stream of clients (without knowing who my potential clients are), or I want to lose weight.  Why?  Because those aren’t goals; they are wishes or dreams.  They are subjective to the individual.  That means they potentially have different meanings to different people, e.g. your idea of steady stream of clients and my idea of steady stream of clients might be different.  

Goals should be very specific, with a clear linkage between the goal and the required action to complete the goal.  This can only be accomplished if you are crystal clear with your goal.  For example, if you say you want to lose weight, do you really want to lose weight, or do you want to lose fat? Let me illustrate further; these two people WEIGH the same.

How is this possible? Muscle actually weighs more than fat.  But, I digress.  The point here is to ask, what is the goal?  Do you see the ambiguity in the “goal” to lose weight?  Do they want to lose weight, develop “six-pack” abs, or some other fitness metric?   The goal is so poorly defined that you can’t possibly know if you are accomplishing it or even making progress toward it.

If you want to “test” your goal, ask yourself, if someone else read my goal, would they understand what I am trying to achieve?  Setting goals is not a complicated process.  When you set goals, they simply must be SMART.  What does that mean?

There is a very clear framework in which to craft your goals.  You should always write your goals in a SMART format, which means:

Specific – The goal should be clear and well-defined.

Measurable – Progress and completion of your goal must be measurable.  This ensures that you are able to track your progress on your goal.  In addition, this provides an avenue for improvement.  Never forget; if it can be measured, it can be improved.

Attainable – It is essential that it is within the realm of possible to achieve your goal.  Your goal can be difficult; but not impossible.  For example, setting a goal to walk on the sun is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE.  In fact, you want to set goals that are extremely challenging.      

Relevant – Your goal must be relevant and important to YOU.

Time-bound – Goals must have a deadline.  

Which statement is SMART?

1. I want to be rich!
2. I want to make $20,000 a month in my freelance business in the next 24 months by increasing the number of clients I serve by 10 and increasing my rates by 30%.

Having a SMART goal is the first step.  However, having a goal alone is not going to make things happen.  Then, you must take action toward completing your goal.  This is best accomplished by beginning with the end in mind.  What do I mean?

Start from your goal and begin working backward, breaking your goal into primary objectives.  The primary objectives should support the goal.  Then, work backward from those objectives and create nesting or secondary objectives.  The nesting or secondary objectives should support the primary objectives.  Finally, break the secondary or nesting objectives down into tasks.  All of the objectives, primary, secondary, and tasks, should only be focused on one thing.  In other words, you shouldn't have an objective that reads, “Increase Facebook advertising by 50% AND increase LinkedIn advertising by 30%.”  Those should be separated into 2 separate objectives.  

In the end, this process creates a link between every task and the goal, with distinct steps in between.  It ensures every activity has a purpose.  It will be illustrated in a process map that will look like this:

When you follow this incredibly simple, yet powerful process, there is literally no goal you won’t be able to accomplish.

Let’s go back to the original questions:

1. Are your daily activities and objectives aligned with your goals?
2. Do you have systems and processes in place to help you remain laser focused on accomplishing the daily objectives?

If you follow this system, your goals will be SMART; in essence, this ensures the goals do what you want them to do.  The goal is focused specifically what you want to achieve.  Will the daily activities and objectives be aligned with your goals?  You will have created direct links between the goal, objectives, nesting objectives, and tasks.  Will this create systems and processes in place to help you remain laser focused on accomplishing the daily objectives?  Absolutely!

If you have created the direct links, by simply completing the tasks you are completing the goal.  You will not be working on things that are not instrumental or necessary for the completion of your goal.

Your actions as an entrepreneur can be linked to the bottom line.  This system ensures that your actions will make you the most efficient and effective business person you can be.

Ultimately, you will be converting your time from unproductive to productive and profitable.

Isn't that the goal?

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Ari Zelmanow is an expert freelance copywriter who believes in using the science of psychology to influence consumers. Known as the "Professor of Persuasion," he's developed a reputation for being one of the most action-driven copywriters the field has to offer. Feel free to learn more about Ari and his services here.

The Best Thing I Ever Did as a Creative Writer Was ‘Sell Out’

There’s this idea out there that “money is the root of all evil.” I’m not saying that isn’t true, but when I was an up-and-coming writer, I sure as heck didn’t want to live out the remainder of my many days (fingers crossed) having to cut coupons from the Sunday morning paper every weekend.

So, what did I do? Well, in the eyes of those artsy-fartsy professional writers, I did the unthinkable: I sold out. Yup, I put aside my dream of becoming a sportswriter and focused wholeheartedly on copywriting. 

While this might be seen as sad for some, looking back on the decision, it was the right move and, most importantly, I couldn’t be happier. How can this be, you ask? Keep reading …

Cold Hard Cash

As previously mentioned, money is important—at least I think it is. Listen, I’m not the kind of guy who craves shiny new toys all the time, but I do want to live comfortably. Is that such a crime? 

While there are a handful of sportswriters and novelists who live rather lavishly off of their editorial production, I’m not smart enough, handsome enough or skilled enough with the ol’ laptop to make this happen.

Yes, I chose the safer route and went with copywriting, but I have zero debt and have never lived paycheck to paycheck. Not too bad, eh?

Complete and Total Professional Happiness

In college, my buddies were always freaking out about what they were going to do with their lives. You’d always hear things like, “It’s just that I’m not passionate about anything.” Or maybe something more along the lines of, “There aren’t any majors out there that really catch my attention.” 

For starters, choosing a field of study should’t be treated as if you’re battling over whether or not it’s time to pull the plug on grandma—it’s just school.

Secondly, if you’re willing to modify ever so slightly what you wanted to do as a naive college student, the core of your passions can very much be present in the professional sphere. 

This is what happened with me and writing, anyway. I love to write. I love sports. As a copywriter, depending on the project, I’ve actually been able to focus on both passions at the same time.

I’ve Learned to Love Utilitarian Writing

I’ve always loved writing, and now I spend basically every hour of every day doing just that. While it’s true that the production of sales letters, email marketing campaigns and generic web copy might not be the sexiest projects on the planet, I’ve learned to enjoy doing all of them. 

The best part of it all is that this newfound passion of mine shows in my work. Clients can see this and, as luck would have it, they come back time and time again for repeat services.

Peace of Mind

There’s a certain tranquility that comes from knowing you’re spending a ridiculous amount of time doing exactly what you want to do. Sure, I’m not interviewing Kevin Durant after a game-winning triple, but I’ve got a pretty sweet gig. Honestly, I wouldn’t trade this peace of mind for anything.

Alright, what about you? Has your writing career turned out like you thought it would? If it has, congratulations! If it hasn’t, how have you adapted to maintain professional satisfaction? As always, head on down to the comments section to share your thoughts on the matter.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

The Numbers Behind Making 100K as a Freelancer In a Year

Boy, how sweet would this be, right? Well, to be completely honest with you, it’s not all that far outside the realm of possibility. In fact, it’s not outside of it at all—it’s totally doable. 

Many copywriters—regardless of experience, mind you—are able to bring in well over $100,000 in any given year. Yes, they’re hardworking writers, but many of them are only as skilled, if not less skilled, as you and me.

Make Earning Money a Focus

So, what sort of black magic are all top-tier copywriters working with that you’re missing out on? Well, for starters, they understand the concrete numbers behind making $100,000 an annual occurrence. 

If you’re going to pull this kind of coin on a regular basis, the first thing you need to do is make money a real focus. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that your wife and children need to wander the streets both naked and afraid while you trap yourself in your home office, slaving away at project after project. But, you will need to understand the numeric stepping stones that lead to making awesome money.

The Numbers

For starters, don’t focus on the totality of the year; instead, look at what sum of cash is to be made each and every day. Assuming you work 8-hour days, 5 days a week for 50 weeks, this means you’ll have to nab roughly $400 a day.

Seems fairly doable, right?

Basic math provides more detail: if $400 are to be made each week, by the end of said week, you’ll need to have brought in $2,000.

Save yourself the headache—that’s 9,000 bones come the end of the month. Simply put, to ensure this happens, dedicate your time only to the kinds of projects that pay the most money.

Proofreading and article generation are great projects, but you’ll need to focus on ghostwriting e-books, fundraising letters, speeches, annual reports and web copy if you’re to ensure this comes about.

Lastly, remember that you’re not going to make $400 every day. The work of a freelance copywriter is sporadic and involves activities other than writing. 

Realistically, maybe you’ll need to take a day or two to promote yourself and do a bit of digital marketing.

You’re the One In Charge

Just remember the specifics of what needs to take place on a more micro scale and hold yourself accountable. If you spend two days networking and bringing new projects onboard, that third day, your earnings should total $1,200. 

Conduct every work-related activity with this in mind. Though more money can always be made, time is your most precious commodity and can’t be taken for granted.

Alright, I’ve presented my findings—what do you think? With the numbers in place, is it really possible for mediocre copywriters to bring in six figures in one calendar year? Voice your take on the matter in the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

Why Freelance Copywriters Must Rid Themselves of the ‘Poverty Mentality’

I’m sick of copywriters working under the “poverty mentality.” You’re a writer, you know that right? Like, the skill you’ve taken years to develop isn’t an easy one. 

If you think about it, there are skills that require substantially less time and effort to master, but still bring in disgusting amounts of money.

Plenty of Opportunity Out There

In fact, while I was in college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, there was a young man from Ghana who’d joined the football team after having been spotted by the head coach at track practice one day. 

His name was Ezekiel Ansah and after only two years of playing defensive end for BYU, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Clearly, Ansah’s innate athleticism played a role in this fortunate turn of events, but the point that I’m making here is that little learned skill was needed to transform him from a scrub to a star. 

As a defense end, he gets the quarterback. Yeah, there’s more to it than that, but not much.

More Evidence

You’re probably thinking the following: “Lucas, makes sense, but that’s an outlying incident. Generally speaking, people don’t pay real money for easy-to-obtain skill sets.”

Really? Well, were you aware that a doorman in New York city earns on average about $30,000 a year by simply opening the door for other people? 

Not too much difficulty there, right? Yet, innumerable are the freelance copywriters who are making similar annual salaries.

The point I’m making is this—if there are employers out there who are willing to pay for skills that don’t demand much in the ways of much raw ability, the vast majority of them certainly will. 

It’s illogical to think otherwise.

Take a Stand; the Work Will Still Come

Writing is hard, so stop accepting work that’s beneath you and demand more from those who desperately need your services.

Now, with that in mind, it’s your job to always produce top-tier work so as to command higher wages, but if you can consistently do that, there’s no reason for why you can’t make anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 a year as a freelance copywriter.

I’m not one of those guys who’s always looking to revolt against “The Man” or anything like that, but this gets to the point where it’s sad sometimes. 

There are many individuals, businesses and organizations out there whose top priority is not to simply find the cheapest editorial option; moreover, they’re looking for quality, lots of it and are willing to slap some real money on the table for it. 

Find them. Work with them. Get paid. Stop eating off the McDonald’s Dollar Menu.

However, as copywriters, until we stop with the constant pity party and make it a point to seek out and astound the best, most reputable of clients, most of us are going to be unhappy with our bank statements. 

Keep at it and earn what you deserve.

Newer copywriters—what’s your experience with wages been like thus far? On the flip side of things, experienced copywriters—how were you able to overcome the aforementioned “poverty mentality” while still continuously earning real money? 

Take a moment or two to share your knowledge in the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

Why Copywriters Are Some of the Wealthiest People Out There

Copywriters are filthy rich. They really are. I know what you’re thinking: “Lucas, how can you say such a thing when all I do is bid on mind-numbing projects on UpWork all day?” 

Well, in response, you can actually make some pretty solid money on UpWork if you know what you’re doing. Secondly, monetary wealth isn’t the only kind of wealth out there.

No, I’m not trying to get all Buddhist monk on you or anything, it’s just that there’s more to life than money. Also, there’s a great deal to life that is money and, fortunately for the copywriting industry, there’s plenty of that to be had, as well. 

Intrigued? That’s what I thought. Here’s all the glitz and glamour of copywriting has to offer its faithful participants:

Temporal Comfort

Copywriting is a lucrative industry, but nobody really believes it. It’s kind of like when someone says he’s a professional blogger. Admit it—the first thought that runs through your head is, “Gosh, this dude’s wife must love living off of Ramen noodles and Kool-Aid.”

Think about it—bloggers, journalists and novelists are all starving. Their writing is doing their bank accounts little good. Yet, copywriters are sitting pretty. 

Sure, maybe it’s because they’ve “sold out” and use their editorial talents for product-and service-pushing endeavors, but I couldn’t care less. I get paid to write for living and live comfortably doing just that. 

What more could a creative person want?

Incredible Relationships

Copywriters are professional networkers, practically. Sure, PR people [quite a bit of crossover between the two, honestly] are probably equipped with a bit more tact, but copywriters, especially freelance copywriters, depend on networking for their livelihood. 

While it’s true that the occasional butt face [I’m not a profane man, so this’ll have to do] hires you for a project, many of the people with whom you’ll work are absolutely splendid. 

Moreover, your relationship isn’t limited to a handful of emails. If you’re doing your job correctly and involve a client the way you should, a meaningful, long-lasting relationship can be developed. 

I love this sort of thing. It’s awesome.

Widespread Knowledge

If you think about it, copywriters are modern-day renaissance men—and women, mind you. We learn by experience—the best kind of learning, as far as I’m concerned. 

Moreover, we’re researchers. We produce invaluable copy for any and all industries. Be it a mammoth personal injury law firm or basic tech startup, we can handle anything. 

As the months and years fall of the calendar, our craft is perfected—all while we take in more information. Simply put, there’s nothing like it.

Individual Freedom

Of all the benefits of working as a professional copywriter, this is by far my favorite. If I want to roll out of bed in the morning and work in my underwear, I totally can. I’m my own boss. 

Obviously, this kind of work environment pertains primarily to freelance copywriters or those who run their own business, but it’s still a beautiful thing. 

Imagine breaking free from the confines of the corporate environment to pursue only the work you’re actually passionate about. 

Sounds like a pretty sweet gig, eh? Like anything else, it comes with its own series of stresses, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

See what I mean? If the aforementioned can’t be classified as wealth, then I don’t want to be wealthy.

Now, what do you consider wealth? If you’re a copywriter, do you see yourself a part of one of the wealthiest professional networks on the planet, or are you just as much a starving student now as you were a few years or decades back? 

Hop on down to the comments section below to have your voice heard.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.