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November 11, 2016 by stefwhitlow

Time is Chasing You!

time-clock-management

“I suppose it’s like the ticking crocodile, isn’t it? Time is chasing after all of us.”

–J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Yes, time is chasing you every hour of every day and if you are an entrepreneur (or solopreneur), this prompting predator is always nipping at your heels.

This month’s newsletter (sign up here) covered a few links for managing time, but what if you want to become more efficient with the time you have, not just find out what you’ve been doing?

Below I’ve added a few more links that may help in your daily race with the ticking crocodile.

Planning

Pick the time of day when you can get the most work done. 

Morning Lark

If you are a Morning Lark (aka the Early Bird), you bound out of bed and start your day before the sun comes up or before the household is awake. Early birds are known to be calmer, more organized and productive. Most take the early morning to plan their days.

Morning Lark Productivity Tip:

Do the most important things first. Your productivity may wane later in the afternoon.

Night Owl

The Night Owl is famous for being more creative and their energy actually increases throughout the day. Night Owls have adaptable sleep patterns, they can do an 8am-5pm schedule or an 11pm – 7am schedule with equal contentment.

Night Owl Productivity Tip:

Make all the decisions for the following day at night – work outfits, breakfast, lunch, etc. – fewer decisions to be made in the morning, the better. In a diurnal world, coffee is a nocturnal person’s best friend.

Determine what keeps you energized.

Morning or night, time is time and we’re only allotted 24 hours. To a make the most of that time, we need energy.

Exercise is a great energy boost. Whether your choices are first thing in the morning, running at lunch, walking breaks during the day or swimming later in the evening, getting your heart rate up increases brain power thereby making you more productive.

Some swear by meditation. This practice has been shown to reduce stress, improve focus and concentration and enhance creativity. Strangely, it seems that taking a time out allows you to get more done.

It has been proven time and again that eating healthfully will give you more energy. Yes, sugar is wonderful but the energy boost doesn’t last and the crash makes your more tired than when you started your task. The best boost comes from complex carbohydrates, fats and protein. Even if you’re a Night Owl and you’re living on caffeine, get out your glass water bottle and fill it with water instead of having another cup of joe. Trust me, whether your water is iced, with lemon, or cucumbers or just straight up, being hydrated gives you the most energy.

A lot has been said about the differences between introverts and extroverts lately. The world seems to be in tune with extroverts, or those who draw energy from social interactions. This can leave introverts, those who derive their energy from quiet surroundings and deep concentration pushed out of their comfort zones.  This may seem like a weird productivity consideration, but finding out how you work best is important. Are you most productive in a lively team environment and lots of face-to-face meetings or do you prefer a dimly lit office and conference calls? Determining how you work best can help you produce your best. Any question about which you prefer? Take an assessment and see what type you are.

Systems

With smart mobile devices all of our lists are in the palm of our hands and can be accessed anywhere, anytime. For the list makers, this is ingenious. I’ve pulled a few links from two of my favorite podcasters – Tim Ferriss (The 4-Hour Workweek) and Nick Loper (The Side Hustle Nation).

The following should help with being more productive using apps.

Calendly – Schedule meetings with clients, team members and even friends without the back and forth texting and discussion.

If This Then That – Combine all the things you need to get done into one app. Get the weather report each morning, connect with your Fitbit and get notified if you haven’t taken all your steps by 2pm or tag photos to be sent to Dropbox or posted to Instagram at a certain time.

Sanebox – Do you have tons of subscriptions, signed up for lots of interesting newsletter, or wanted the latest deals at your favorite retailer…but you also want your important emails to not be buried in all that? Sign up for this tool and it will filter out those emails only leaving the most important ones in your InBox. They have a “snack” version for $4.92 a month to filter one account, but you can also try them free for 14 days.

Procrastination

The easiest way to pull yourself out of this is to first admit you’re doing it. Then admit that Facebook knows you’re doing it, too. It can lie to you sometimes and make you feel like you’re accomplishing something. You are not. Admit it then try apps like Finish or Procraster to help conquer the urge procrastinate.

Also check out this infographic from Entrepreneur about ways to overcome procrastination.

And a final tool on your skills belt to help with procrastination is Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art which calls this issue with not being creative and just goofing off, “resistance.” He states, “Resistance is the most toxic force on the planet” and continues with “To yield to Resistance deforms our spirit. It stunts us and makes us less than we are and were born to be.”

I suggest you get the book on Audible, and LISTEN to it so you can keep working!!

Hopefully with these suggestions you can outrun the ticking crocodile and make more of your time so that he becomes more a whimsical pet than a toothy time predator.

If you need more time in your day because the workload is too much, hiring a writing consultant can help

I’ve been known to slay a few time crocodiles!

For time slaying, email me to setup a call!

 

 

Filed Under: Call-to-Action, Conversions, Copywriting, Freelancing, Learning, Marketing, Myers-Briggs, Plain Language, Projects, Technical writing, Value statement Tagged With: apps, best, boost, creative, early bird, energy, night owl, procrastination, productivity, resistence, schedule, time management

July 8, 2016 by stefwhitlow

Meet the Hyper Writer, Part 2

blue dress

I’m continuing the interview format today with the second part of Meet the Hyper Writer. I think it’s the best way to introduce and learn more about a subject, even if the subject is me, so, with that…once again…meet and learn more about the owner of this blog, the Hyper Writer…Stephanie Whitlow.

  1. What’s next for you?

More education and lots of networking! I’m a fearless learner and I will be tackling the latest software advances in tech comm. I’ll even be sharing my journey on my blog with “The Learning Curve” posts each week. Right now, I’m upgrading my skills with Adobe’s Technical Communication Suite 2015. I’m also taking classes through Google and Lynda.com to learn SEO and how to use analytics. I’m adding a Wiki plug-in to my site (www.hyperwriter.net) so those wanting to get started in technical writing can access the profession’s lingo (speaking the language is half the battle when you’re new to the profession.) Networking will include lots of local meet-ups and probably a great deal of coffee!!

  1. How has the profession changed since you started?

When I started, we mostly wrote in Microsoft Word or FrameMaker then some companies moved to online help which is when I learned RoboHelp. Users have become a lot more technically savvy over the years; however, based on the job openings I’ve seen, there’s still a need for documentation. This takes the form of help on mobile devices, instant online help within an applications, tool-tip help for in-house software, chat support or how-to videos. Lately, it seems the push has been to create documentation for code in the form of program guides.

  1. How did you know you wanted to be a technical writer?

My career plan in college was to go into Human Resource Management but I took a Technical Communication class as an elective my senior year in college and truly fell in love! I thought; this has to be the best profession. It takes into account my love of process, project management, interviewing, team work, helping others learn and it provides endless chances to get experience with emerging technologies. Honestly, I still light up when I think about taking that class and how it changed the course of my working life. I’ve met so many fascinating people and had so many opportunities presented to me through this profession.

  1. Who are your influences?

Those in the profession who keep up with trends – As far as tech comm goes, I’m a fan of the TC Dojo where I’ve learned a lot about single sourcing and have gotten the latest information about what’s happening in our profession.  I’ve read Tom Johnson’s blog for years and appreciate his insight. I listen to The Side Hustle Nation for news on working as an entrepreneur in my spare time. And I really enjoy listening to Tim Ferriss’s podcasts, The Four Hour Work Week changed my perspective on work.

  1. Do you have a special quote or motto?

“If you don’t know it’s impossible, it’s easier to do.” – Neil Gaiman

Basically, keep doing what you want to do and don’t listen to anyone telling it can’t be done. A positive attitude will always carry you further than a negative one.

Filed Under: Call-to-Action, Conversions, Copywriting, Freelancing, Learning, Marketing, Projects, Technical writing, Value statement Tagged With: documentation, freelance, learning, manage, presentation, professional, software writing, technical writer, writing work

June 16, 2016 by stefwhitlow

3 Key Components for Copywriting Facebook Ads

FBAds

Facebook Ads requires an image, a link or a video to be successful but don’t discount the content! The text will keep viewers interested, engaged and interactive!

The Hyper Writer Learning Curve this week features how to write content for Facebook Ads. Having researched a lot on what constitutes good ad copy (SEO, keywords, click-throughs) and bad ad copy (unengaging, uninteresting, off-topic) over the past few weeks, I wanted to share a few things about what I’ve learned from that research and from Lynda.com and the Facebook Advertising Fundamentals training.

Aside from adding an image (always add an image – 90% of what our brain absorbs is visual!), compelling ads will need to be relevant, include a value proposition and a call to action. To write these sections in an ad will mean that you need to be concise and pointed with your copy.

The three areas that make any ad stand out are relevance, value statements and call to action. In 2-3 sentences you can convert a reader into a customer by including the following information to create compelling copy every time.

  • Use numbers to add value – “join more than 8K users” “10 pages of detailed templates to increase your business” “40% off” and “1 Day Sale”
  • Keep title to 90-150 characters – “Join us for our largest 1 day sale Saturday, June 18th and bring a friend between 2-4pm to get an additional 10% discount” “Share The Tie Outlet ad and anyone who mentions your share will earn you free gift wrapping plus a tie clip for both you and your friend!”
  • Use a verb + subject – “Get the latest trends” “Drive to our location” “Click now for an offer”
  • Use plain language – “Incentivizing the competition to disregard the proposition” could be “We are better than our competitors and we can prove it!”

Social Share

Relevant

Write copy that is relevant to the reader. Your ads can be seasonal-related or can pull from the latest trends, but make the information concise and timely. Think of this as the title that hooks the reader to go further into your ad.

For example, at Father’s Day everyone is looking for gifts for their Dad so the copy may read,

“Drive to The Tie Outlet and pick up a tie for Father’s Day at a 40% discount through Friday!”

Or something more trendy,

“Got the latest summer accessory for men? Get a summer baseball cap for Dad at Trending Caps, 1 day only sale!”

Value Proposition

The value proposition in your copy needs to show how your service or feature is unique and makes what you offer attractive to customers. The content of the statement should tell the reader how your product solves their problems or improves their situations and details what sets you apart you’re your competition.

Problem: No gift for Father’s Day.

Improves Situation: Ties are 40% off and there’s a 1 day sale on baseball caps!

Unique Differentiation: Other ties are not as affordable and this store is having a sale all day where I can purchase trendy baseball caps.

Call to Action

Though the other two sections are important, this one pushes the reader beyond seeing the ad and thinking about the ad, it compels them to act.

In the examples:

Title: “Drive to The Tie Outlet and pick up a tie for Father’s Day at a 40% discount through Friday!”

Call to Action: Your father needs a tie. You need a thoughtful gift. The Tie Outlet can make you both happy this Father’s Day. Drive to our outlet store and get 40% that special tie today!

Title: “Got the latest summer accessory for men? Get a summer baseball cap for Dad at Trending Caps, 1 day only sale!”

Call to Action: Your father always looks his best and this summer you can help him look even better. He wants a baseball cap from his children this Father’s Day. Trending Caps can make everyone happy this year if you visit our store and shop now!

So even though Facebook advertisements target viewers with lots of images, links or videos, it is compelling copy that leads to a call to action. And with text that is interesting and engaging, viewers will be more likely to interact (read: convert) to your product.

Filed Under: Call-to-Action, Conversions, Copywriting, Facebook Ads, Marketing, Plain Language, Relevance, Targets, Value statement, Verb Tagged With: documentation, freelance, learn, professional software writing, technical writer, writer, writing, writing work

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