Creating Opportunities for Yourself by Identifying Marketing Blind Spots
By Rebecca Matter

A while back, my youngest was “dismissed” from his daycare.

He was … . how did they put it … a “challenge.” 😉

So, of course I wrote a VERY persuasive email, proving why they should overturn the decision.

We’re trained copywriters … it’s what we do!

Feeling quite proud of my letter, I circulated it to many of my friends and family so they could rally behind me.

Most responded with, “Wow, great letter!”

But not Theresa …

My shoot-me-straight friend responded with a simple sentence: I’m not sure I’d want my kids to be at a place that didn’t want them to be there.

Hello blind spot.

I was so caught up in getting what I wanted, I was missing a key piece of the puzzle that could have had a negative impact on my littlest love.

We have so many blind spots in our lives …

I’m always so grateful when a trusted friend or colleague points one out.

There’s always that “A-Ha” moment where things become clearer, and you can see the path forward.

Or sometimes it’s an “A-Duh!” moment — why didn’t I see that!?

That new perspective can change everything.

Businesses often have blind spots too … and for them even a slight change in thinking can yield big results.

And as a writer, identifying blind spots (a.k.a. “missed opportunities”) can be your “in” with any company …

Let’s say, for example, you want to get paid to write an email …

Which is an awesome choice, by the way, because emails never end. The volume is insane for any one client. And once you learn the basics, you can whip one up in less than an hour.

Here’s what you do to get your foot in the door with any client …

Sign up for their email list and see what you get. How does the conversation flow? Is there value in reading the emails they send? Are you receiving them regularly?

What would YOU do to make them better? What do you, the reader, want to know more about? What kinds of emails do you WISH they’d send you?

Or here’s another idea …

Think about the places where you are already a customer. Look at those emails and ask the same questions above.

When you buy something from them … do you get a series of emails that make you feel good about the purchase? Is there helpful information on how to use the product? Do you feel like you’re being supported?

You can do the same thing with social media, newsletters, blogs, sales funnels, really any copy or content you come across as a prospect or buyer.

Because here’s the thing …

The company is already investing in that form of copy. Which means they value it. And want it to work.

But just like in life, they are often way too close to it … to be able to really see things through the eyes of the customer.

Blind spots = writer opportunities.

So, think about what you want to write … and the companies you’d like to write it for …

And get curious.

Experience the copy through the eyes of the prospect or customer and think about what would make it better.

Find those blind spots!

And then …

Present those blind spots to companies and set yourself up with a paid opportunity to write them. 💰 💰 💰

There’s a specific way to do this that immediately sets you up as an expert (even if you have no experience) and gives the client a very compelling reason to follow-up with you.

Before you can do it right, the first step is to be aware of all the places where blind spots may be present in a company’s marketing …

If you’ve been around AWAI for even a little bit, you already know how much copy and content is needed by companies. (A lot!)

Emails, blogs, social media posts, newsletters, case studies, white papers, landing pages, sales funnels, space ads … we literally cover 80 different projects in our Annual Pricing Guide for Copywriters (which is free by the way, so grab a copy!).

But that’s only one lens to look through …

The second is where each copy or content type is used in the “customer journey.”

Here’s a great illustration of that journey (and where the pieces of copy fit) in what’s called the “Copy Content Continuum.”

If this concept is new to you, I recommend you read the article this illustration came from, here.

It details each stage of the journey, so you know where the reader is, and how you speak to them differently based on that stage.

When looking for blind spots, you can observe what a company is doing, and identify opportunities that are missing altogether …

For example:

• Do they have social media?
• How do they use videos (YouTube? Facebook? Website?)?
• Do they offer a free report to sign up for their email list?
• Do they send emails to their list daily?
• How do they communicate with customers after the purchase?
• And so on …

But you can also identify blind spots based on where the copy or content is showing up in this journey …

And whether or not it “meets the reader where they are” based on the four stages above.

For example, let’s say you see that a prospective client has an email series that gets sent after someone downloads a free report. (You know this because you downloaded the free report to see what would happen!)

When you get their follow-up emails — how familiar do they sound?

Do they sound like they’re talking to someone who has only downloaded a report and has no real relationship with the company? Or do they act as though they’ve been a customer for years?

Small nuances like that make all the difference for a company’s marketing efforts.

And finding ways to help them improve is an easy way in for you!

So here’s what to do next …

Once you find the blind spot … simply reach out and say:

“I recently signed up for your free report and received a series of emails. I love how they do A, B, and C … but I think you’re missing an opportunity by not doing X, Y, and Z. I have some ideas I’d like to share with you, on how to fix it.”

This magic formula works with any project type!

What I love most is it immediately presents you as a high-value writer … and an expert on whatever you’re “critiquing.”

And you’ve even provided proof by offering specific ways to improve it.

Plus, it starts by complimenting the potential client. Which helps reduce any defensiveness they might feel when being told something isn’t good enough.

So, whatever you want to write … in whatever niche … for whatever companies …

Study what they’re already doing and think about how you could make it better.

And if you’d like a crash course in marketing to make it even easier, check out our training program, The Copywriter’s Ultimate Guide to Marketing: How to Impress Clients, Attract Bigger Projects, and Command Higher Fees.

Either way, give it a shot …

And then share your experience with me in the comments below!

I’ve heard from numerous writers just how well this works, and I’d love to hear your story too.