Jurek Creative

23/02/2021

You can have a great product, great salespeople, great ideas... and none of it matters if you aren't reaching your target customer.

The reason most B2B brands can't crack a 15-20% open rate is because they're using the same tired subject lines. "Name + Company", "quick question", "re: intro".

But one of our tech clients just achieved a 38% open rate with an 8% CTR to set up a call.

Nothing magical here - just straightforward subject lines that are relevant and interesting combined with clean email copy that clearly lays out the company's accomplishments and the product's benefits.

What could you achieve if 38% of the folks on your list were paying attention to what you have to say?

26/06/2020

"From anywhere" is not a marketing benefit.

Thanks to the cloud, mobile devices, and laptops that don't weigh as much as a brick, most things can be done "from anywhere."

If you're thinking about using this phrase in your copy, stop and consider:

- Why is it important that this task be done remotely?

- How common is remote work in this industry? If the cloud is already proliferate, this isn't a strong benefit.

- How can I tell a story about working "from anywhere" instead?

For example, "collaborate from anywhere" can turn into "build remote teams" or "strengthen relationships between coworkers and collaborators."

But simply tacking on "from anywhere" is a disservice to your brand. Diving deeper into WHY "from anywhere" is so important will provide the clarity your customers need to feel engaged with your messaging (and also keep their eyes from glazing over!)

15/06/2020

I'm testing out a new packaged service and seeking testimonials and feedback from folks who frequently use cold email as part of their full-time role, side hustle, or freelance gig.

Specifically, if you are a...

- Salesperson

- Recruiter

- Small business owner/founder/entrepreneur

- PR/Communications associate

- Marketer
..and you're interested in having a second set of eyes (that's me!) with 8 years of experience in marketing and cold pitches take a peek at one email, that's where I come in. I'll offer feedback to help boost your response rates in exchange for a public testimonial and your feedback on the business model and user experience.

You can message me on Facebook or reach out via my website (link in comments).

Feel free to share + tag your friends!

11/06/2020

As a consumer, I frequently read brand communications and think, “Aw, that’s nice. This brand told me exactly what they think I want to hear.”

Maybe they made a donation to a cause I support, or they’ve vowed to work to be a more equal organization.

But behind the curtain, what are they really getting done?

As you might expect, I've been serving as a "second set of eyes" on more corporate and small business communications that must create an emotional relationship with the consumer. Here's what all organizations, large and small, need to know about crafting a business response that's more than just lip service to a cause.

Before you write your next public statement, ask yourself: what is your brand really doing to address the causes you care about?

09/03/2020

Over the last five years, I've worked on 30+ ghostwriting projects for enterprise tech companies.

When I sat down yesterday and counted the number of women at enterprise brands that I've ghostwritten for, the number surprised me.

Zero.*

This is not caused by a lack of women with stories to tell. There simply aren't many (or, in some instances, any) women left at the top.

I hear and read stories of women every day who are being squeezed by the lack of parental leave/PTO, affordable childcare, and affordable elder care.

At what point does working outside the home no longer make sense? Is it when you spend 3 hours a day every workday pumping breastmilk and daycare is 60%+ of your take-home salary? Is it when your child is sick and you run out of PTO? Or when you have multiple kids and aging parents/in-laws who need your help?

Until we address these systematic issues, there won't be many women's voices left at the top of our biggest brands. All of us can do better by elevating women's voices and helping them tell their stories and working for policy changes that impact primary caregivers.

*When I counted women at medium and small businesses, the number rose to 4.



Image credit -

03/01/2020

Developing content as a small business owner or just as a human being can be a slog. You set deadlines for yourself, you miss those deadlines, you ignore your blog/LinkedIn for months, and then the guilt sets in.

This year, I've vowed to be consistent without letting my feelings about slipping up get in the way. These are the three resolutions I've made to help grow my personal brand, online presence, and business in 2020.

This year, I’m making consistency a priority with these three resolutions focused on growing my personal brand in 2020.

12/11/2019

When I took my first job as a remote employee, I was still a Baby Creative™.

I didn't know how to manage clients. I didn't know how to lead a sales call, or pitch, or guide people as they provided feedback.

And I didn't really understand how to get work done when all, or most, of my team was working remote, too.

We got work done thanks to collaboration tools, but I had no idea how to speak up, or build consensus, or reach a solution when I felt left out. I built up a very specific set of skills tailored just to working remotely and staying connected - skills I hadn't needed when I was in an office environment.

Here's four lessons about remote work and team building I wish I could share with my Baby Creative™ self.

How to stay connected, be vocal, and reach your goals as a remote employee.

19/09/2019

I always feel more relaxed when there's a friendly office dog around. Cheers to Hank and the team at Quesinberry and Associates, Inc. for making me feel so welcome yesterday!

10/09/2019

Appealing to your buyer's emotions is one way to drive sales. But all too often, the only emotion people are capable of pushing on is fear.

Don't get me wrong, fear is an excellent motivator for some industries. But for others, it falls flat.

When you truly understand and empathize with your buyer, a whole new world of emotions opens up to you.
Joy.

Disappointment.

Appreciation.

There's a whole wealth of emotions beyond fear. Don't be afraid to dive in.

Struggling to get positive responses to your cold emails? Learn how to use empathy at scale to write cold emails that flatter and entice.

04/09/2019

The end goal of building relationships with clients and partners isn't closing deals or increasing revenue.

It's about connecting with folks you think are interesting and doing important work, and doing so in an authentic way.

It's about thinking, "How can I help you?" instead of "How can this relationship serve me?"

It's sometimes saying "I'm not the best person for this job. But I know a few people who might be."

80% of my clients are referrals. I'm grateful that they trust me to do good work, but, more importantly, they trust me with their relationships.

That's why Sara's kind works mean so much to me. She's a model of how authentic relationships work, and a dream client to boot.

And if you need help implementing or choosing new software for your small business, you need to get in touch with Sara Kappler Consulting. Tell her I sent you 😉

Meet Kathie, founder of Jurek Creative. She's great at what she does - writing excellent copy that converts. That means your email sequences, campaigns, freebies, landing pages, blog posts, etc.
So if your audience needs something new - give her a call.
I love working with Kathie because good copy is essential to good implementation.
We can set up all the software flawlessly, automations can be perfect. But if the content you're sending to your audience isnt written with conversion in mind, well, there goes an opportunity, out the window.
As a consultant, our teams are who we know and how well we work together.
I don't do it all, but I do know who to call in, and when, to get your software to bring value to your business.

30/08/2019

Anyone else feel their blood start to boil slightly while reading these? 🙋‍♀️

An ounce of prevention will keep you from sending the wrong message when you hit 'send.'

02/07/2019

I've read a lot of sales emails in my 5 years as a copywriter. Thousands, at least.

And the biggest mistake I see people making?

Emails that try to cover too much ground.

You might think, well, all of my customers have different pain points and are drawn to different aspects of my product. I need a message that covers every possible scenario, or people will unsubscribe from my list/click away from my landing page/ignore my ad.

But this isn't Middle Earth, and there is no One Message to Rule Them All.

Heather Reyhan invited me to write a guest post for the Salesfolk blog discussing how you can turn generic copy into tight, specific messages that get the attention of prospects.

Don't ruin your first impression with sales prospects by sending a mediocre cold email. These cold email mistakes can kill sales conversations and deals.