When you’re a one-woman (or man) show, staying on top of everything is daunting. Heck, it can be tough even with a team that puts The Avengers to shame. From maintaining current clients to business development, it’s all too easy to get caught up in doing #allthethings for everyone else and focus less and less on actually working on your business.
This rings especially true when it comes to your marketing and your copy, in particular, your website copy. Anecdotally speaking, 90% of business owners I talk to want to work on their rework their websites (and have even carved out time to), but just don’t know where to start, let alone who to approach for feedback.
And with trends that change as fast as the weather, not to mention the pivots we all seem to make every 6-12 months, it’s tough to make sure your messaging matches up when you’re juggling every other aspect of the business.
You’re not alone. Better yet? There is one amazing opportunity that lies ahead — working together.
The Power of the Hive Mind
Historically, maintaining a business community involved lots of in-person networking events, after hours dinners, and attending training retreats. And while these still exist, we can all agree on one thing about the pandemic — online communities are increasingly mainstream. And for those of us in the online space? Well, we’ve been there for years.
Spoiler Alert — you know all those great benefits you’ve been taught about being a part of a business community? Well, you can find those (and more) in an online community, too.
If you haven’t joined an online community, I’ve got a whole list of reasons that you should. But for now, I’ll keep it short.
In addition to gaining an awesome group of business besties who want nothing more than to see YOU succeed, online communities provide:
- Excellent market research
- An endless list of prospects
- A boosted retention rate
- And so much more
Your community is a great place to bounce ideas off of others in the same boat as you. Whether you share the same industry, the same problem areas, or a bit of both, your online community is your group of silent (and sometimes not-so-silent) cheerleaders rooting you on from their slice of the internet.
So, if online communities are so important, what’s so special about having an online community to help with writing copy?
Where Accountability Meets Peer Review
We all know that with any piece of writing, it’s always best to get a second opinion. And as much as it may have annoyed you in grade school, swapping papers (or copy) is a great way to check that your writing is clear, targeted, and on the right track.
So, how can you benefit from an online community when it’s time to get it done? (It being your copy project.)
Accountability
Having a great idea is one thing, but how many times does the idea get pushed under the rug when an “emergency” pops up?
Having a group of others in the same boat works wonders for keeping you accountable. If you know that someone else is depending on you, you’re more likely to carve out the extra 10 or 15 minutes and get that thing done.
Trainings
Like anything else in life, training is the best way to set yourself up for success.
Attending video calls or seminars are a great way to get an expert’s opinion (and the opinion of those around you) while simultaneously learning from the feedback on other’s work. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Hot Seats
Hot sets give you a space to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Similar to attending a training, you’ll get gentle real time feedback from those around you.
Unlike attending a training, you may be the only one (or part of a small group) who is getting an in depth analysis of your work. This structured “on the spot” system can be a great way to see an example of ideation to fruition and all the steps along the way.
Group Chats
Not everyone has the time to attend an extra hour or two long meeting each week. And that’s okay.
Group chats, whether they are on Slack or Facebook or even a plain old text, help connect you with your community at all hours of the day. And while you may not get a response immediately, it is a good way to get your questions or thoughts stated before it gets lost in the hustle and bustle of the workday.
If you’re reading this and thinking: “dang, this sounds like something I need in my life”, you’ve stumbled on the right place to read.
The Snack Bar
While in my Whomp Whomp to Wow workshops, I consistently received the same feedback: attendees loved being on calls where they were able to workshop their problems they were having with those in the group.
Enter The Snack Bar: your next online community of business besties.
Launching soon, The Snack Bar is the next best thing in the CopySnacks universe – an online community to get the feedback you need on your marketing strategy and copy, while also having set time to learn from the experts (hi!)
But wait, there’s more. In The Snack Bar, I’m offering:
- 4 copy punch ups a month
- 1 training session per month
- Slack groups + Zoom calls for collaboration
Remember those 3 great ways to use an online community? Bingo.
And while this is not a way to have someone write your copy for you in 4 weeks (but we can talk about that too), it is a great way to see if it’s just that headline that needs help, or if your whole page needs a rewrite.
Time to Join the Club
No matter your stage in your web copy journey, there is always room to ask for a helping hand. And whether that is getting some one-on-one time with an expert, or having a community of like minded individuals to bounce ideas off of, I’ve got you cove
Sound great? Join the waitlist for The Snack Bar to be first to know when doors open. In the meantime, I’m here to answer any questions you may have.
