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ConvertKit Review: What’s New for 2020

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ConvertKit brands itself as email marketing for professional bloggers.

This popular email marketing software application was built by bloggers for bloggers.

That being said, ConvertKit is a sound investment for any organization that uses email marketing (ten praiseworthy features are outlined below in this ConvertKit Review).

If you have (or plan to have) an email list for your business (and every business should have an email list), ConvertKit is worth at least trying out for free via this ConvertKit 30 Day Trial – for up to 1000 subscribers.

But if you already have over 1000 subscribers (or you know ConvertKit is right for you), you can lock in two months of ConvertKit for free today by selecting the Pricing tab on the ConvertKit website and then click on the Yearly Billing button:

Then click TRY IT FOR FREE in the column that fits your subscriber list size.

The features of this popular software application in this quick ConvertKit Review are praiseworthy, but what merits special attention is what’s new for 2018 and 2019.

ConvertKit Review – 10 Praiseworthy Features

ConvertKit’s user interface is almost too simple to be a powerful resource to segment and tag your email mailing list subscribers for strategic growth. But when you immerse yourself in complexity for so long, you expect things to be difficult to be good.

But ConvertKit is different.

Here are ten features included in this ConvertKit Review that you will discover too when you start using ConvertKit:

  1. Visual Automation Tool (Introduced in 2018)

    ConvertKit’s email automation tool lets you easily create visual funnels for your subscribers. An email funnel is a fancy marketing term for the process flow a subscriber will go through when they take certain actions as a subscriber to your email list.

    For example, if one of your subscribers clicks on a specific link in an email you send from ConvertKit, you can instruct ConvertKit to then send targeted content to just that subscriber.  This is a great way to develop a business relationship with a lead for your business. You are only sending extra information to leads who request it.

    ConvertKit also offers this capability through built-in “if this, then that” workflow rules, but now ConvertKit makes the setup of the funnel (also called a customer journey) even simpler because the process flows are visually designed by you in your ConvertKit account.  Here is a visual example:

  2. Only One List 

    Unlike email marketing services likes AWeber and MailChimp that charge you per email per list (even if it is the same email address), ConvertKit only charges you once per email because there is only one list. All subscribers to your mailing list have their unique profile where you can tag and segment them with ease. You will discover how much easier it makes email marketing to a specific segment of your list.

  3. Multiple Send From Email Addresses

    Do you have more than one custom domain or business? No worries. ConvertKit lets you send messages from different email addresses at no extra cost. You only need one ConvertKit email account to drive communication for all your websites!

  4. Nice Looking Opt-in Forms  

    One of the biggest frustrations with other email services is that their opt-in forms are well unattractive out of the box and difficult to configure.  Yes, you can customize them if you know what you’re doing (or use an opt-in designer tool like OptinMonster), but ConvertKit lets you set up simple and attractive opt-in forms when you are starting out.

  5. Built-in Landing Page Templates

    This is a very nice and unexpected benefit of ConvertKit.  Landing page templates allow you to create an entire page dedicated to your opt-in. This is a feature you can pay separately for with a more robust landing page software designer like LeadPages.  But ConvertKit lets you set up a simple landing page at no extra cost through the ConvertKit plugin for WordPress (so the landing page is on your domain).  NEW for 2020: ConvertKit offers more robust landing page designs within the tool.

  6. Easy-to-Follow Autoresponder Sequences

    Autoresponders are a term for automated sequences of emails you can send out to your subscribers. ConvertKit makes the process intuitive by displaying all of your email messages in one view in your account dashboard. You can even drag and drop your messages to change the sequence.

  7. Broadcasting While Excluding

    Broadcast emails are one-time messages that can be written and distributed at any time to your subscriber list.  Since you only have one list, ConvertKit makes it easy to send a broadcast while excluding certain segments of your list. For example, you want to send out a notice about a sale on one of your products, but you don’t want to send it to customers who have already purchased the product.

  8. Tagging Based on Your Subscribers’ Activity

    ConvertKit lets you tag (and then segment) potential leads in your subscriber list based on their activity on your website or through your email message. As mentioned as an example, you may include a link in one of your ConvertKit emails to assess interest in a new product. If one of your subscribers clicks on the link, ConvertKit can automatically tag that person as being interested.

  9. Easy to Understand Analytics

    When you log in to your ConvertKit account, you will see an easy-to-understand subscriber graph that shows you by the day which forms are growing your subscriber list.

  10. Integration with Other Software Applications

    ConvertKit integrates directly with other software apps like LeadPages, OptinMonster, and Shopify (plus it integrates with countless other apps like Typeform and Acuity Scheduling through Zapier). ConvertKit is also one of only a handful of email marketing services that have been selected to integrate directly with the Rainmaker Platform.

ConvertKit Review – What’s New for 2020

In addition to more landing page design templates, ConvertKit also introduced a new ConvertKit Free Account to its offerings.

But what exactly is a ConvertKit Free Account and how does it compare to a ConvertKit Free Trial?

ConvertKit Free Account

In short, the ConvertKit Free Account gives you unlimited (no expiration) access to most – but not all – product features for up to 100 subscribers. To unlock all features (most prominently the ability to create automatic email sequences – often call autoresponders), you will need to get on a paid plan.

The ConvertKit Free Account does let you create landing pages and forms.

Important Note: The public ConvertKit Free Account via the ConvertKit website does not permit any broadcast or message capabilities until you refer another active user. This ConvertKit Free Account referral link will let you get started with broadcasts for up to 100 subscribers – without any referral requirement.)

ConvertKit Free Trial

The ConvertKit Free Trial, in comparison, gives you limited (e.g. 30-Day ConvertKit Free Trial) access to all product features for up to 1000 subscribers.

If you already have over 1000 email subscribers, this direct link to ConvertKit will also get you started.

(Important Note: The public ConvertKit Free Trial via the ConvertKit website is for 14 days. This One Month ConvertKit Free Trial lets you test-drive all ConvertKit features for an additional 16 days.)

ConvertKit Free Trial vs ConvertKit Free Account

So which ConvertKit offer is better?

If you are not comfortable referring other people or businesses to use a particular type software like ConvertKit, the ConvertKit Free Trial is probably the way to go.

If you already have over 1000 email subscribers (or likely to have over 1000 email subscribers), the ConvertKit Free Trial is probably the way to go.

If you like to test out all software features before buying, the ConvertKit Free Trial is probably the way to go.

But if you are concerned about going to a paid plan ($29/month for up to 1000 subscribers) after one month and then canceling, the ConvertKit Free Account is probably the way to go.

ConvertKit Discount: Free Month or More

If you are now ready to try out this powerful yet affordable software after reading this ConvertKit Review, here again are three ways to save money with a ConvertKit discount:

  1. If you use this ConvertKit promotional link, you can fully test out ConvertKit free of charge for up to one month.
  2. Then set up an annual plan to get two more months free of charge over the next year via the additional ConvertKit discount available to customers – just ask for the annual plan discount after your free trial period ends.
  3. Sign up for a ConvertKit annual plan today and start saving by selecting the Pricing tab on the ConvertKit website and then click on the Yearly Billing button for two months free.

ConvertKit Review: Full Transparency

Graceful Resources has an affiliate relationship with ConvertKit so if you decide to invest in ConvertKit via this ConvertKit free month promo link or the direct ConvertKit setup link, this website is eligible for a nominal commission from the good folks in Idaho at ConvertKit if you decide to pay for the service. There is no extra cost to you.

If you start using ConvertKit, you are encouraged to set up an affiliate relationship with them as well.  You’ll want to spread the word too.  The software is that good, and I would use and recommend ConvertKit even if there was no affiliate program.

 

I hope this article has helped in your decision making.

3 Occasions Email List Building is a Poor Use of Your Time

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Many online entrepreneurs have an obsession with email list building.

Thousands of websites (this one included) strive to inspire you to submit your email address to a mailing list – often with an email opt-in incentive – also called a lead magnet (see what is a lead magnet).

Depending on your surfing habits, your Facebook feed may already be inundated with sponsored ads to sell you a course to teach you the secrets of email list building.

FYI: Did you know when you keep Facebook open in a browser tab, Facebook tracks the pages you visit on other tabs (to then share this information with its advertisers)?

While this site does not pay for Facebook sponsored ads at this time, it did throw a lead magnet project into the mix of email list building schemes.

LeadMagnetProject

Email List Building isn’t Necessarily Bad

Email list building is a legitimate online business strategy – and with good search engine optimized content on your site, email list building can be on autopilot to a degree.

As the old adage goes, it’s a numbers game.

The more people you add to your email list, the greater chance you have to sell your products or services to people on your email list.

But what if email list building is the wrong current strategy for your online business?

Here are three notable occasions email list building may not be your best marketing strategy.

3 Occasions Email List Building is a Poor Use of Your Time

1. Client Work to Do

The most valuable form of marketing you will ever have is word of mouth.

You have probably heard this adage too: People prefer to do business with people they know, like, and trust.

If someone doesn’t already know about your business, they will lean on the advice of a friend they do know, like, and trust.

That friend may be your client.

Before you invest more time in email list building schemes, don’t overlook the marketing power of an existing client.

But that marketing influence is lost if you do not follow through on agreed-upon commitments to that client.

2. Your Service is High-End Work

If your market niche is more service-oriented (e.g. consulting, project management, technical design) for only a few clients at a time, you don’t need to focus on building a big email mailing list.

You need to focus on attracting your target client through lead generation forms on your website.

Two lead generation forms used and recommended by this site are Typeform (see 8 Typeform Examples and a Typeform Discount) and WP Forms (see WP Forms and a WPForms Discount).

These two lead generation web tools allow you to create customized experiences for your site visitors.

After all, if you can make online forms or surveys kind of cool, you stand a good chance of getting a response from your target client.

3. You Have Products or Services to Create

It’s a catch-22 with email list building if the purpose of your email list building is to sell a product or service that you don’t yet have available to sell.

You need an email list to help communicate your product or service, but you need to actually create a product or service. Your offering doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be at least as good as the expectations you are setting.

In the end, email list building takes time.

Blogging is a sound strategy to generate organic traffic to your site, but the results happen through repetition not one-time inspiration.

If you find yourself focusing more of your available time on your email list building and not on your unfinished product, email list building is a poor use of your time.

 

Resources for Email List Building (if email list building is a good use of your time)

  1. Lead Magnet Guide (5 essential characteristics of a lead magnet)
  2. Lead Magnet Survey (share your own opinion about email sign up incentives and discover what other entrepreneurs recommend)
  3. Lead Magnet Project (an interactive online project for professionals building email lists)
  4. Lead Magnet Examples (Graceful Resources email subscribers can add their own web address for free)
  5. Recommended Website and Email Software Resources (you’ll also discover why these resources are recommended)

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!

Brent

How to Grow an Email List (Professionally)

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Once you have a professional lead magnet in place, there are many online strategies to further grow an email list for your business.

How to grow an email list professionally though requires one critical mindset – more on that in a moment (along with two lists of supporting resources).

The Pace to Grow Your Email List

From a timing perspective, you can go for the sprint or you can run the marathon.

If you are seeking immediate traffic to your lead magnet and email opt-in form (the sprint), you can pay Facebook and Google for sponsored ads, for example.  This short-term strategy requires a greater investment of your money than your time.

If you are in it for the long haul (the marathon), you can generate organic traffic to your website through search engine optimized content. This long-term strategy requires a greater investment of your time than your cash.

Which Pace is Better to Grow Your Email List?

The short answer is … there’s not a right or wrong answer.

You may discover the right strategy for your business is a combination of both races.

But when you plan for and run at a marathon pace, you have greater opportunities to make business adjustments as you go along.

how-to-grow-an-email-list

How to Grow an Email List (Professionally)

Independent of the pace you select, the secret of how to grow an email list professionally is one of mindset.

This may sound counter-intuitive but to grow your email list professionally…

You do not want to try to be the hero.

Yes, heroes are winners in some aspect of life. They may have achieved success in business, life, or the playing field.

But they achieved success because they were mentored by others.

In real life, the coaches are the ones to hire if you pursuing similar success.

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How to grow your email list professionally…

You want to be the guide.

(Additional resources supporting this strategy are included below for your reference.)

The truth is you already have:

  • Sufficient life experiences to be the coach for someone else.
  • Invested your own sweat and tears.
  • Succeeded and failed.

You have learned through the arena of real life.

Now it’s time to stop trying to reach some arbitrary form of success.

The world doesn’t need more heroes.

It needs more guides.

It needs you.

Maintain this critical mindset and you’ll grow your email list professionally.

Here are some additional resources that reinforce the value of being the guide over the hero:

  1. Be the Guide, Not the Hero (LinkedIn Pulse Article)
  2. Be the Guide, Not the Hero – How to Explain Your Story Better (Interview with Eric Hinson, Explainify CEO)
  3. How to be the Guide and Attract More Customers (Author Donald Miller – Interview with Dave Ramsey)
  4. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content (Book by Ann Handley)
  5. How to Write Copy That Sells (Book by Ray Edwards)
  6. Marketing: A Love Story: How to Matter to Your Customers (Book by Bernadette Jiwa)
  7. All Marketers are Liars Tell Stories (Book by Seth Godin)

LeadersInviteOthers

Graceful Resources to Grow Your Email List Professionally

  1. Recommended Website and Email Resources (along with the reasons why)
  2. Lead Magnet Project (an interactive online project launching June 2017)
  3. Lead Magnet Examples (email subscribers can add their own web address for free)
  4. Lead Magnet Guide (5 essential characteristics of a lead magnet)
  5. Lead Magnet Survey (share your own opinion and discover what other entrepreneurs recommend)

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!

Brent

ConvertKit Free Trial and Free Product Creation Masterclass

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ConvertKit is a professional email marketing service with some notable benefits in a crowded marketplace (here’s why I switched from AWeber, Constant Contact, GetResponse, and MailChimp to ConvertKit).

If you are just starting out as an online entrepreneur or you are changing direction with your web toolkit and business products, ConvertKit is a great foundation for email marketing.

ConvertKit is actually easier to use than AWeber, Constant Contact, GetResponse or MailChimp.

It’s also more powerful for your business because it allows you to create unique tags for your email list.

ConvertKit Free Trial

At any time, you can test out a ConvertKit 30-day free trial via this promotional link:

ConvertKit Free Trial

The ConvertKit free trial is good for one month free of charge for up to 1000 subscribers.

After thirty days, the cost is $29/month (until you exceed 1000 subscribers).

If you already have over 1000 subscribers (or you know ConvertKit is right for you), you can lock in two months of ConvertKit for free today by selecting the Pricing tab on the ConvertKit website and then click on the Annual Billing button:

Then click TRY IT FOR FREE in the ConvertKit column that fits your subscriber list size.

ConvertKit Free Trial and Free Product Creation Masterclass

If you are seeking guidance on how to create a new product, ConvertKit again offered a free product creation masterclass starting on January 15, 2018.

Details from ConvertKit on the free product masterclass are provided below.

As an extra bonus, if you are new to ConvertKit, you also qualify for the ConvertKit Free Trial for one month.

What is the Product Creation Masterclass?

  • A four-week long project walking you through every step it takes to create a successful product from scratch.
  • Twenty daily lessons sent straight to your inbox, Monday through Friday running April 24th through May 19th.
  • Weekly live trainings led by the ConvertKit team walking through the lessons and answering questions.
  • Four expert interviews from Melyssa Griffin, Jeff Goins, Chris Guillebeau, and Maya Elious where they share their experience in building online products.
  • Free trials to Samcart, Thinkific, Meet Edgar, and Teachable for all registrants, including a 30 day free trial of ConvertKit for new customers.

WebsiteAssessment

I hope these free resources are of value to you.

If so, here is what you need to do:

  1. Sign up for the free ConvertKit trial.
  2. Schedule time on your calendar starting January 15, 2018.
  3. Grab a good cup of coffee (or two) each day.
  4. Take great notes and make your first (or next) product happen!

Full Transparency

Graceful Resources has an affiliate relationship with ConvertKit so if you decide to invest in ConvertKit via any promotional link on this site, I am eligible for a nominal commission from the good folks in Idaho at ConvertKit if you decide to pay for the service. There is no extra cost to you.

If you start using ConvertKit, you are encouraged to set up an affiliate relationship with them as well.  You’ll want to spread the word too.  The software is that good, and I would use and recommend ConvertKit even if there was no affiliate program.

Rainmaker Platform Review: Is Rainmaker Right for You?

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The Rainmaker Platform is a complete online turn-key solution from Rainmaker Digital (formerly Copyblogger Media) for entrepreneurs who are seeking a WordPress-based platform with a lot of out-of-the-box functionality for online commerce – such as a landing page designer, course builder, membership area, and checkout workflow.

Summer 2017 Update: The Rainmaker Platform software application is currently closed for new customers.

Is Rainmaker Right for You?

As is the case for any software application, it depends on your online business goals and preferences.

Think of the Rainmaker Platform like owning a fully-furnished vacation home or condo that includes all maintenance, security and cleaning services. It’s not inexpensive real estate, but it does offer peace of mind so that you can focus on a great vacation experience for you and your guests.

Your property, whether we are talking about real estate or a website, can also grow significantly in value over time if operated professionally.

VacationRental

Rainmaker Platform Review

If the thought of patching together multiple pieces of technology (aka WordPress plugins) – and then testing security patches for those plugins on a regular basis – would keep you up at night, Rainmaker is worth trying out for free.

Consider what is included with Rainmaker (and this isn’t everything):

  1. A library of professional StudioPress themes to use.
  2. Top-notch secure hosting for your managed WordPress website.
  3. SSL certification for secure customer navigation and transactions on your site.
  4. Unique WordPress interface that is relatively easy to navigate and operate (especially for entrepreneurs who have not used the native WordPress dashboard).
  5.  All technical maintenance for WordPress updates and built-in plugins.
  6.  Integrated Learning Management System (LMS) for online courses.
  7. Members-only features for your customers (e.g. access to digital downloads and courses).
  8. Landing Page creator (here’s why landing pages are important).
  9. Fully integrated email marketing (works seamlessly with AWeber, Constant Contact, ConvertKit (what I use and recommend – here’s why), MailChimp, and Infusionsoft. Rainmaker also now has its own integrated mail service called RainMail that is free for Rainmaker customers for up to 999 unique emails on your mailing list.)
  10. An extensive library of marketing and how-to resources to build your platform.
  11. Exclusive access to an online community of other Rainmaker users. This is a great forum to ask questions.
  12. Friendly and helpful customer support if you ever get stuck. Just submit a support ticket from your Rainmaker dashboard.

Customers can give Rainmaker a test drive for 14 days.  After that, the complete professional package is $145 – $165 per month (subject to change). If you add up all the costs of running a website (e.g. software, WordPress hosting, email marketing, landing pages), it can actually be a significants savings for your small business.

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If you are planning to offer online courses, then you can really come out ahead financially because Rainmaker has that covered too with its own integrated Learning Management System (LMS).

Most reputable LMS software services like Teachable.com, Thinkific.com and NewKajabi.com will run you at least $100/month for their professional plans. With Rainmaker, your customers never have to leave your site for a consistent and integrated experience and it is included in your account.

10 Benefits of the Rainmaker Platform

  1. Secure website hosting and performance.
  2. Design tools to create and modify a WordPress website that looks equally great on computer screens and mobile devices.
  3. Content creation tools for text, audio, video, and graphical messages.
  4. Search engine optimization recommendations (through the proprietary Scribe Content software – now called Content Optimizer). This feature is big (I once paid $47/month just for this SEO software).
  5. Lead generation tools via email integration and membership pages.
  6. Easy to access metrics about your site’s business performance.
  7. Extensive library of marketing webinars to build your business.
  8. SSL Certificate included for secure payment transactions with customers (another cost saving with Rainmaker).
  9. Integrated Learning Management System (LMS) to host your own online courses.
  10. Landing page creator for sales pages, opt-ins, and call to action opportunities. You can even set your Rainmaker site to display your own custom landing page while your site is being developed or under maintenance.

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Lesson Learned

This site called Graceful Resources runs on the Rainmaker Platform and is the fifth WordPress site I’ve designed for my own online business. I now professionally design and integrate sites for clients. Over the past nine years, I’ve learned a lot about setting up and maintaining business and community websites (and always learning something new every week!)

It’s a rewarding experience to do-it-yourself, but it is also brutally time-consuming. The online rules of engagement continue to change and you are forced to learn something new technically-speaking almost every week. It can be very hard work and frustrating.

The Rainmaker Platform launched publicly in 2014, and I now highly recommend it for clients and prefer to use Rainmaker (over native WordPress) when setting up their sites for long-term growth and impact.  When I hand over the keys to clients on a new site, Rainmaker makes the transition much easier because the technology side of things isn’t as cumbersome as it is with a self-hosted WordPress site.

Discover More About Our Project Work

Is the Rainmaker Platform Right for You?

Rainmaker was created by Rainmaker Digital (the same team behind the industry-recognized StudioPress Genesis framework and child themes, and the Authority content marketing training).

There is still a lot to be learned about blogging, content creation, product development and online marketing. Thankfully, Rainmaker allows customers to focus more on that business learning curve, and not on the technical one.

Give Rainmaker a Try

If you are the fence about Rainmaker, I encourage you to give it a try for two weeks for free so that you can make an informed decision.

This site runs on Rainmaker so I am a customer too. I trust it for my long-term growth and I think you will too.

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Savings Opportunity

If you prepay for a year of Rainmaker (click here to get started), you receive almost two months free of charge per year.

Full Transparency

Graceful Resources has an affiliate relationship with Rainmaker so if you decide to invest in Rainmaker via this link (or any of the Rainmaker links in this post), your use of this affiliate link helps support the growth of Graceful Resources. There is no extra cost to you.

If you start using Rainmaker, you are encouraged to set up an affiliate relationship with them as well.  You’ll want to spread the word too.  The software is that good, and I would use and recommend Rainmaker even if there was no affiliate program. But simply one referral per month will cover your software cost of this powerful platform.

Do you have other questions about Rainmaker?

Please let me know via response to the free Graceful Resources weekly email or my contact form.  I am here to help.

If you end up building your website through Rainmaker via this affiliate link, please drop me a note.  I am happy to take a look at your new site and to offer you free feedback to help grow your online business operation.

Cheering for your online success – one project step at a time!

Brent

3 Bad Words to Avoid in Copywriting

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The previous blog post about the upcoming guided project was a copywriting mea culpa.

Stated humbly another way, it was a content selfie. You deserved better.

It contained three bad words to avoid in online copywriting, both in web content and email forms.

The project announcement has now been adjusted but you can probably spot the three bad copywriting words between these original and revised paragraphs:

Original Paragraph

In alignment with my three goals to guide you strategically, keep you moving forward every week, and save you time and money, I am now preparing a new interactive do-it-yourself guided project for those who want to build an email list even without a website.

This project is for professionals like you and me who what to get things done now.

Revised Paragraph

In alignment with the three goals of Graceful Resources to guide you strategically, keep you moving forward every week, and save you time and money, a new guided do-it-yourself project is being launched to help you build an email list even without a website.

The project is going to be a meaningful experience for you as an entrepreneur to start building an email list of people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say or offer.

3 Bad Words to Avoid in Copywriting

As you probably guessed, the three bad words to avoid in copywriting are:

  1. Me
  2. My(self)
  3. I

Full Disclosure: There were originally 27 instances of these three words in the post How to Build an Email List Even Without a Website. Ouch!

Hat tip to copywriter Carrie Glenn who shared the dangers of me, myself, and I.

So as you share your passion with others, be mindful of these three words.

They are the copywriting equivalent of a selfie. 

Words-To-Avoid-in-Copywriting

Me, myself, and I focus the content on the writer (not good).

You, yourself, and yours shift the content focus to the audience (good).

Plural Words to Avoid in Copywriting

Accordingly, avoid the plural selfie versions as well:

  1. Us
  2. Our(selves)
  3. We

They are just as damaging but thankfully easy to correct too.

If you decide to join in the upcoming guided project (click here to stay connected to announcements), you’ll be able to share drafts of your content with the Graceful Resources team and with other project participants.

Copywriting selfies will be caught! 🙂

Hope this blog post helps,
Brent