My guest today is Laura Peterson from San Diego, California. She has degrees in Mathematics and Psychology and has used this knowledge to become a best-selling author, speaker and persuasive writing expert, teaching people how to make money from writing books. Laura also has a very successful podcast called Copy That Pops.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
At 21 years of age Laura's Dad gave her a copy of Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad and that was her first introduction to the idea of making money, which began her entrepreneurial journey. But it wasn't until she turned 30 that she decided to make the entrepreneurial jump.
Book Writing
The most effective thing you can write about is a topic that will help you sell more of the product or service you already have. And you don't have to write one large manuscript of your life story. Just pick a topic and write a book that gives value to someone who is a couple of steps behind you.
Share The Book Writing Journey
Don't just write a book and then try and promote it. Instead, share the book writing journey and involve your audience.
Have people help you select a book cover and vote on titles and subtitles. If they are psychologically involved in the process, they will be more likely to buy your book, support you, and hire and recommend you to others.
What Is Copy?
Copy is just writing with a purpose for business. So the purpose of your writing is to compel someone to take action to go from one step to the next. So as you write copy, you need to be aware of your ultimate goal?
What Is Bad Copy?
Long/large paragraphs, big words and too much fluff are off-putting to today's reader. People today are scanners, so to be compelling, you need to get to the point of what your writing as soon as possible.
What Makes For Good Copy
- Less is more.
- Plenty of whitespace on the page
- Shorte scannable paragraphs
- Avoid trying to overprove yourself
- Bullets points
- Using numbers and listicles
Using odd numbers seems to work better than even numbers.
Seven Or Less
As a rule of thumb, psychologically speaking, using seven (7), plus or minus two (2) is the maximum number of things we'll remember before we have losses. Therefore seven or less is ideal.
This is why we often see 3 Best Ways to..., etc.
Visual Aspect Of Writing
Don't overlook the power of using photos/visuals. Visuals should be used and can go along with what you've written to assist it. You can use a photograph, emoji and other images to explain and complement what you're saying. (Infographics)
Mirror Neurons
People relate to other people, so using photos of people doing something they could do, invokes an emotion. You can then tie that emotion to the copy you're writing.
Done is better than perfect
Never be concerned with what you write and put out there because it can always be edited later.
Repurpose
When you write a long article make sure you cut it down and repurpose it on Linkedin, Medium. The best part about doing this is it requires no further research. Make sure you redirect the shorter articles back to the main article on your website.
Monday Morning Tip
As soon as you arrive at your office, start working on the top one to three ultimate priorities, and if that's all you got done today it made you happy, then you're doing the right things. Do this before you open Facebook, etc. otherwise other peoples emergencies will become your priorities for the day.
Monday Morning Writing Tip
Whatever goal you have for writing, whether it's a book, blog or social media post, you need to put a deadline on it. If you are considering writing a book you also need to make it public. Making it public keeps you accountable and motivated.
If you have any questions about this podcast, please email me at and if the mood feels right, share this podcast with your friends, family and work colleagues, and even better still, leave a review on iTunes.
Connect with Laura Petersen at:
- Website https://www.copythatpops.com
- On all social media platforms, just look for @laptoplaura
- Facebook Group: https://www.copythatpops.com/facebook
- Free Download: https://www.copythatpops.com/bookchecklist
- You can create an account with Amazon at https://www.KDP.amazon.com
If you liked this episode
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The Psychology of Commitment with Dr David Weiman
Make Everything Fun with Kathryn Kemp Guylay
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First 16 Pages of My Book – It’s No Secret There’s Money in Small Business.
