The Tools of the Trade
I'm a sucker for software and apps.
Always have been.
I've had iPhones since the iPhone 3G and love to geek out over iOS beta versions and see what new toys there are to play with.
Even when they break my phone or make it as hot as the sun.
So when the chance to do a live video in my copywriter Facebook group came up, I thought, I’d share my recommendations for the software I use every day to make my life a little easier.
And since I’m all for an easy life, I thought I’d double up and make this the topic of this blog post, too!
So...brace yourself...it’s time to talk tech!
Grammarly
Most writers worth their salt use Grammarly.
My spelling can be attroccious, so it would be career suicide not to run my work through a spell check or two.
But Grammarly is more than just a spell check.
It's on the hunt for a whole range of grammatical issues, too (I mean, the clue is in the name).
It has saved me from writing in the passive voice more times than I’d care to imagine and is great for knowing when a semi-colon should be used (in copywriting, virtually NEVER!) and what on earth a comma splice is.
Had he been alive today, I'm sure Hemingway himself would have used it...
Hemingway
Speaking of Hemingway, my next recommendation has a rather appropriate name.
Hemingway is for you if you have a tendency to waffle on a little….
The old phrase ‘Keep it Simple, Stupid’ springs to mind.
Hemingway colour codes your writing to show when you’ve written difficult to understand sentences and paragraphs and highlights when you’ve used too many flowery adverbs.
And if the passive voice was missed by Grammarly, don't worry. Hemingway has got your back.
It also shows you what grade you’re writing at so you’re not being overly obtuse or obfuscating, which is an instant customer turn-off.
meta…
So those are the writing apps I use, but that writing needs to go somewhere.
Which is where my next recommendation comes in...
ConvertKit
The very tool I use to send my newsletter emails (most) weeks.
You can do amazing things with ConvertKit, from funnels to landing pages, automated Welcome emails, to list segmentation.
It’s a great way to get to know my subscribers better, and make sure I send relevant emails!
When I know what it is you're looking to get out of being on my list, I can focus my efforts into making sure I deliver for you.
And the best way to get to know someone is to have a chat, but it's always a bit of a hassle trying to align calendars.
If only there was a way to do that...
Calendly
I love me some Calendly.
With Calendly, you can see my availability and book time straight into my calendar.
I know, right?
So whether you want my thoughts on your website or welcome email, or you want to kick-off a new copywriting project, you can do it in one click (as long as I’ve remembered to update my calendar of course 🤦🏻♂️).
And once that project is complete, there's the...ahem...
....slightly...well...awkward task of...
...settling the bill.
Wise
I work with a number of US and European clients and I was getting a little peeved at PayPal and their less than generous conversion rates.
Thankfully, Wise (formally Transferwise) lets you create ‘virtual’ bank accounts in a whole range of different currencies and countries, and their conversion rates are often the best around.
Admittedly, you need to pay £16 to get account non-UK account details, but it’s only a matter of time before you break even and then you’re quids in 🤑
If you fancy getting yourself a Wise account, click here to sign up.
(Disclosure—this is an affiliate link so I may earn a little commission if you do, but it doesn’t cost you anything.)
So there you have it. A few of the recommended tools of the trade.
Do you have use any you’d recommend?
Add a comment below.
Until next time…