The top 5 tech tools I use for my copywriting business
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If you’re running an online business, tech tools will be part of your life. Here are my top tools I use for my copywriting business. These can also be used for any type of online business including ecommerce if you want to be productive and efficient!
The top 5 tech tools I use in my copywriting business
These tools are great if you operate your business as a solo-preneur and offer either products or services..
I’m a bit of a tech geek at heart so no tools or platforms intimidate me (okay, maybe Infusionsoft/Keap does but don’t tell anyone!). When I first started out in online business many moons ago I signed up for all the gadgets and gizmos, to then only realise I didn’t really need as much as I thought.
Now though, I’ve a streamlined my business and have minimal outlay for recurring services. I take advantage of as many free platforms as I can, but the ones I do pay for are worth every penny.
Today I’m going to share the top 5 tools I use in my copywriting business, that I couldn’t do without. Plus I’m going to tell you why you too should be using them if you have a service based business.
#1: Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)
Top of the charts for me is Google Workspace. I lurve Google - so much so that I’ll most likely be ditching my iPhone and iPad for Android devices when they finally give up the ghost. But Google Workspace is the best thing about Google.
You may ask why pay for a Google Workspace when you can have a free account. True the free account gives a lot, but G Suite is only about £6.50 a month and gives me a professional edge. My calendar, my Drive, my Mailbox and all the other wonderful apps Google Workspace provides all fall under my domain name.
If my clients need to share Google Docs with me (or I to them), it uses my professional email address. All my docs I create and share, plus comments I make come under my professional address too. I couldn’t do my work as a copywriter without my GDocs!
Plus I get unlimited storage which is great for me to house all my client Zoom meetings that I’ve recorded because hey, you never know when someone’ll say a golden nugget during our deep dive sessions that I’ll need to refer back to at some point. I also store all my education and training materials because I’m forever learning (Come on, you do too surely? That’s what we entrepreneurs do right?).
If you want a peak into how I organise my GDrive, I recorded a video here.
Another thing about the Google Workspace is that I can integrate alias domains! So far I have had three incarnations of businesses in Google Workspace and it has been so easy to add a new domain name when I switch, without losing all the information I’ve uploaded to my account. If you haven’t a clue how any of that works, you can find out more here.
My work account calendar is synced to my personal gmail calendar so I can see all the goings on in my life - believe me, two kids and a business is enough to fill a calendar chock-a with colour coded blocks! And it best of all it syncs beautifully with my two other tools I love that help me connect with my clients.
And that brings me to my next two tools which I’ll discuss together because they’re a match made in heaven… (scroll down)
#2 & #3: Acuity & Zoom
Acuity is my online appointment scheduler and Zoom is what I use to chat with my clients face to face (but online).
Acuity is the best because it has sooooo many features. Not only can you create appointments, you can create classes, products, packages...oh my! And it’s so affordable.
It takes the ‘too-ing and fro-ing’ out of client scheduling so everything can be automated and also helps if you want a basic set up for someone to buy your services even if it doesn’t need an appointment booking (using ‘products’).
Every offer you create in Acuity has its own unique link AND you can even embed it right into your website using very simple code.
And why have I lumped Zoom along with Acuity - well these two are best buddies and are made for each other. If you have both these services on a paid account you can integrate them so that as soon as a client or prospect schedules with you, a unique Zoom room is automatically generated for the meeting.
If you’re new to business and have no idea what Zoom is then all you need to know is it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Well, that may be going a bit far, but it’s a super useful way to connect with your clients online face to face.
It’s better than Skype because you have the ability to share your screen if you need to show your clients work on the computer plus you can record (either into the cloud or onto your device) so you can always refer back to meetings if you need to.
This feature is so good for me when I do my deep dive copy calls with clients. I can record then get it transcribed for me to refer to when I’m writing. There’s so much gold my clients say when just chatting about their business so no one likes to say “I wish I’d recorded this!”.
So for a perfect match - get both Acuity and Zoom. You can thank me later!
Next up…
#4 ConvertKit
I’m an email copywriter so naturally I need to practice what I preach. I use ConvertKit for sending my emails and automated sequences, and to also collect emails through any content upgrades on my blog or offers I create.
During my time as a copywriter I’ve mostly been working for clients to email their subscribers and create copy in their business but recently I decided I needed to up my personal game in business and create my own community and audience through my email list.
ConvertKit is by far the best platform to use. ActiveCampaign comes a close second but they have strict rules against affiliate marketing and since I like to recommend products and services to my subscribers... I don’t want to be breaking no rules!
ConvertKit is easy to use and is so logical in the way it works that it really reduces many of the headaches other platforms have. For one, it’s a subscriber centric platform so you only pay once for each subscriber. Some other platforms operate on a list basis and if a subscriber appears on more than one list you can be paying for them multiple times.
The real beauty of ConvertKit is the ease in which you can tag behaviours and create automation sequences and rules - which is what I’m all about baby!
So if you’ve yet to get started on emailing your list regularly and need to up your game too, then sign up for ConvertKit.
Finally my 5th top tool for my business is..
#5: LastPass
LastPass is a chrome extension for your browser that allows you to store all your passwords for the various sites you use. This is the almighty best solution that I just love and couldn't’t do without. I personally have a system for my passwords for the platforms that I use which generally means that I can remember my passwords, however LastPass just makes life so much easier.
I have enough going on in my brain (hello life as a mum and entrepreneur) without having passwords take up my bandwidth! LastPass means I can save all my passwords plus my clients can also share their logins with me without having to reveal the password.
I get access to their logins and use them to sign into the email accounts - this means no sending passwords over messenger, text or email. What’s the use of having passwords (especially for sensitive platforms like Paypal or Stripe) if you’re going to be sending via unsecure methods?! Let’s be sensible people!! LastPass is your ticket to password freedom!
So those are my top 5 tools I use in my business - not just tools I use, but tools I love and pretty much couldn’t do without.
If you want to get your hands on my top 24 tools that help me run my ship over here at SarahHenson.co.uk then download my PDF guide below by entering your details. These tools keep me sane and keep my business running like clockwork. Plus I tell you why you too should be using them in your business to create more space and time for other things - like serving those awesome clients. Because, automations RULE! Period.
If you’re constantly challenged by tech issues because things don’t work the way you want them to, grab this guide and see how you can streamline your business to be more productive and efficient! You’ll get a comprehensive list of 24 tools I use in my biz plus why they make freelancing and entrepreneurship that bit easier!