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In this episode, Samantha discusses the copywriting myths she keeps hearing from clients and followers, sparked by a friend asking whether round buttons convert better than square ones. She digs into the data behind buttons, email subject lines, and sales page headlines to separate what the numbers show from what people assume works. Samantha shares specific findings on emoji use, subject line length, urgency language, and headline tone, then compares that data against what she has seen in her own audience's A/B tests. She closes with the free tools she recommends for tracking your own results, including Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity. What You'll Learn Whether round buttons or square buttons get more clicks (the answer might surprise you)The two things that make any button clickable, no matter its shapeWhy two emojis in your subject line could boost your open rate, and when to skip them entirelyThe word that can tank your email deliverability without you noticingWhy generic sales page headlines like "Introducing my offer" cost you clicks and SEOResources Mentioned Flodesk State of Email report: https://flodesk.com/email-marketing-trends-reportKit (Samantha's email service provider): https://partners.kit.com/qumvycr8rhkfForgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha discusses the biggest tells that give away AI written copy, and what to do instead so your writing sounds like you. She got a wave of requests for this one and almost skipped it, since being the copywriter who hates AI feels defensive. Instead, she breaks down ten specific patterns she sees over and over in client copy, from em dash overload to the "it's not X, it's Y" reframe, and gives a fix for each one. Using AI to draft is fine. Knowing what to edit afterward, and why, is what makes copy convert. What You'll Learn What the em dash signals about your copy, and the simple fix (a comma or a period)Why saying "it's not X, it's Y" confuses buyers instead of convincing themHow to spot circular restating and rule-of-three listing before readers tune outWhy vague -ly intensifiers like "genuinely" and "incredibly" drain your authority on the pageHow passive voice undercuts your offer, and the exact swap that fixes itResources Mentioned Copy On Demand membership (currently on waitlist, opening in December): https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-on-demandSam's Instagram (DM her your questions): https://www.instagram.com/nomad.copySam's contact page: https://nomadcopyagency.com/contactGet the Forgotten Launch Emails checklist for $1 with code PODCAST: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklistConnect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

Episode Summary In this episode, Samantha breaks down what she learned in her marketing degree that no longer holds up for small business owners in 2026. She holds a marketing degree and spent years in corporate sales before becoming a copywriter, and she uses that background to compare textbook strategy with what a solo entrepreneur can pull off with far less time, budget, and data. Samantha covers four ideas from her college training, including long product launch windows, formal market research, separate marketing and sales functions, and constant feedback loops, and explains where each one still applies and where it falls apart when you are running the whole show yourself. This episode is for anyone who feels behind because their marketing does not match what they read in a textbook or saw at a big company. What You'll Learn Why a two to four week product launch timeline can beat the year-long campaigns Samantha was taught in schoolThe one type of market research small business owners should run at least once a year (and why focus groups are not it)How a single piece of marketing content can turn into a sales conversation without you planning itWhy feedback forms are one of the biggest advantages small businesses have over big companiesWhat happens when you treat client off-boarding as a data collection opportunity instead of a formalityResources Mentioned Samantha's Instagram, where she posts a short-form series on marketing degree myths: https://www.instagram.com/nomad.copyPrevious episode referenced (data-driven marketing decisions): https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-and-podcast/right-message-wrong-timingForgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha discusses what happened when she ran a flash sale workshop that got tons of engagement, lots of DMs, and only five sales, against a goal of twenty. She walks through the launch timing strategy lessons she pulled from the flop, including why running a promotion the week before Labor Day (with kids heading back to school on wildly different schedules) tanked her conversions even though the offer and messaging were strong. This episode is for anyone who has ever launched something they were sure would sell, watched it underperform, and wondered if the problem was the offer itself. Spoiler: it usually isn't. Key points covered in episode: Why the middle of an open cart period is almost always the slowest stretch of a launch (and why that's normal, not a red flag)How to tell the difference between a messaging problem and a flash sale timing problemThe exact questions Samantha asked non-buyers to figure out why they didn't convertWhy "everyone loves a Labor Day sale" is a launch myth worth questioningHow to turn a low-converting launch into usable data for your next one Resources Mentioned: Flash Sale Workshop: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/writingworkshop/Forgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)Launch Strategy support with Samantha: https://tidycal.com/nomadcopy/launch-strategy-session Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha breaks down why waitlists are one of the most underused tools in a launch strategy and how to use one to sell more copy before your cart even opens. She shares the numbers behind why warm waitlists convert so much better than cold traffic, walks through the different types of waitlists you can run, and tells the story of a recent client (a PR coach for authors) who sold 34 spots before and within hours of her cart opening because her waitlist was nurtured the right way. Samantha is writing the copy for these launches as they happen, which means this advice comes straight from campaigns that are converting right now. What You'll Learn Why a warm waitlist can convert at 5 to 15%, while cold list sales often sit at 0.5 to 2%The four types of waitlists you can build (and how to pick the right one for your offer)How one client sold 24 spots before her cart even opened, just by nurturing her waitlist with three emailsThe two to three week window before launch that makes or breaks your waitlist's buying powerWhy "set it and forget it" waitlists kill your launch results without you noticingResources Mentioned Copy On Demand: https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-on-demandConnect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha discusses how to run a flash sale without defaulting to a discount code and a pile of urgent emails. She breaks down the four goals a flash sale can serve (money, re-engagement, priming your list to buy from you, and list growth), then walks through several flash sale formats that don't touch your pricing at all, from BOGO offers to exit offers to piggybacking on another brand's price change. She also shares three ways to pull a flash sale offer out of a service suite you already have, including how to test an offer that doesn't exist yet. This episode sets up her Flash Sale Workshop starting August 31st, where she'll help listeners strategize and write their own flash sale copy. What You'll Learn The four goals a flash sale can serve, and why chasing only the cash leaves opportunity on the tableA handful of flash sale formats that don't touch your pricing, including one Sam borrowed from a college football tailgateHow to pull a flash sale offer out of a service you already sell, without building anything newWhy testing an offer you haven't built yet through a flash sale can tell you if it's worth buildingWhat happened when one of Sam's clients booked six months of work off two emails Resources Mentioned Can You Write This For Me: https://canyouwritethisforme.comFlash Sale Workshop (starts August 31st): https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/writingworkshop/Forgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha discusses how she runs her affiliate program at Nomad Copy Agency and the exact copy affiliates need from you to promote well. Launch season means more entrepreneurs leaning on affiliates for reach, but most people are guessing at what emails to send and when. Samantha breaks down her casual, relationship-first approach to affiliate marketing, the four types of copy every affiliate program needs, and the creative touches (mixers, contests, breakfast hangs) that keep affiliates engaged between launches. She also shares her honest take on ThriveCart as an affiliate platform and why she still uses it despite recent company drama. What You'll Learn The four types of copy your affiliate program can't run without (and the order to send them in)Why the invite email is the most manual part of affiliate outreach, and how to personalize it fastWhat to include in an affiliate dashboard so your best partners never lose track of their linksCreative, low-cost ways to keep affiliates engaged between launches (hint: bagels help)How to think about affiliate commission without guessing what feels fair Resources Mentioned Affiliate Copy Pack: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/affiliate-copy-pack/?seg_id=01KCHKB0S7YQQ7XCDBNCYHD1Z3.23965.1770750291007ThriveCart (affiliate platform Samantha uses): https://samanthaburmeister--checkout.thrivecart.com/thrivecart-ultimate-package/Forgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha breaks down story selling, a way to write sales and launch emails that persuade through story instead of argument. She explains why FAQ-style emails ("a lot of you have been asking about X, so here's the answer") tend to fall flat, and shows how swapping that format for a client story does more work in less space. Samantha walks through three sales psychology principles behind why stories convert, then applies all three to a specific example from her own copywriting work with a book coaching client. Key points covered in episode: The three psychological reasons a story sells better than a claim (and why your reader's brain fights back against direct pitches)How to combine an FAQ, a testimonial, and a transformation into a single email instead of three separate onesA simple framework for turning any objection into a story: problem, solution, transformationWhy splitting FAQ emails and social proof emails into separate sends is costing you opens and conversionsHow to identify which past client's story matches your current audience best Resources Mentioned: Forgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST for $1)Copy On Demand membership waitlist: https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-on-demand Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha sits down with Kaili Meyer of Reveal Studio Co, a website copywriter and sales expert, to talk about what's working in business right now: connection, community, and being unmistakably yourself, even as AI reshapes how people search and buy. Sam and Kaili dig into the weird contradiction of this moment. Every trend report says people crave human connection more than ever, and that's exactly the part business owners are outsourcing to AI first. They talk through what it means to write for AI recommendation engines (not just Google), why "machine readability" matters more than keyword stuffing, and how tools like Claude and ChatGPT are quietly learning your business the same way a friend would, if you let them. Kaili also breaks down the site audit tool she built to score websites on sales psychology, voice, and AI recommendation readiness, and shares what she's seeing go wrong on client sites over and over again. What You'll Learn Why connection and community are outperforming automation right now, and what that means for your content planThe difference between using AI as a tool versus using it as a crutch, and how listeners can spot the difference in their own workWhy AI models are learning to recommend you based on your consistency across platforms (not just your keywords)The "boring" structural fixes most websites are missing that keep AI from understanding (and recommending) themHow the buyer's journey has already shifted before someone ever lands on your site Resources Mentioned Reveal Studio Co: https://www.revealstudioco.comKaili on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revealstudio.coForgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha discusses the most common launch mistakes she's seeing right now, broken into three phases: pre-launch, active launch, and post-launch. As someone who's helped over a dozen clients land their first six-figure launch and contributed to several seven-figure launches, she's watching the same fixable mistakes derail otherwise solid offers. She walks through what's going wrong at each stage and exactly what to do instead, so you can avoid repeating these mistakes in your next launch. What You'll Learn Why your launch starts 4 to 6 weeks before cart opens, and what you should be doing during that windowWhy the old "eight touches" rule no longer covers what it takes to buy something high ticketWhy ditching your webinar because "people already know you" is costing you salesHow many emails you need during a 7 day cart open period (the number will surprise you)The exact day in your launch when sales dip, and why that's not the day to panic and pull backWhat to do after cart close so leads who didn't buy stay warm for next time Resources Mentioned Forgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1)Webinar Show-Up Email Templates: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/webinar-show-up-emails-template/Clickable AF CTAs swipe file: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/clickable-af-ctas/Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha continues her marketing vocabulary series, breaking down the terms online business owners hear constantly but rarely get a clear definition for. She moves through funnel terminology, email language, money terms, and big picture strategy words, defining each one in plain language and grounding it with a concrete example. This is part two of a two part series. Samantha covers this because she's noticed that people throw around words like funnel, landing page, and revenue interchangeably, when they mean different things and matter for different reasons. What You'll Learn Why every business already has a funnel, even if it's the simplest possible versionThe difference between an opt-in page, a landing page, and a sales page (and which one closes the sale)What a lead magnet is, and why a freebie and a lead magnet aren't the same thingThe four money terms get confused most: revenue, cash collected, sales, and profitWhy "evergreen" doesn't mean less selling, it means selling all the timeA simple way to think about list segmentation using a convenience storeResources Mentioned Opt-In Copy Bot (free): https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/opt-in-copy-botUTM link tracker: https://samanthaburmeister--akaridigital.thrivecart.com/utms-made-simple/Episode 45 (part one of this series): https://www.buzzsprout.com/2532771/episodes/19418189Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomad.copyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthaburmeisterForgotten Launch Emails checklist: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/launch-emails-checklist (use code PODCAST to get it for $1!)Connect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha breaks down the marketing acronyms small business owners hear constantly but are too embarrassed to ask about. The episode came from a client conversation where Samantha's client admitted she didn't know what ESP meant, even after running her own email marketing for months. Samantha realized that marketing jargon gets thrown around so casually that most business owners are just nodding along, hoping no one quizzes them on it. Samantha covers acronyms across four categories: paid ads, money math, marketing tools, and funnel stages, plus a handful of extras that show up everywhere in the online business space. What You'll Learn The four numbers every ad campaign lives or dies by (and which one matters most)Why MRR means two completely different things, and how to tell which one someone's talking aboutThe acronym soup behind your tech stack: SaaS, ESP, and OSP, decoded in plain EnglishWhat TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU mean for your content strategy (and why "bottom is buy" is the one to remember)The difference between your ICP and your ICA, and why both matter for who you're writing to Resources Mentioned The Art of Online Business (Kwadwo's ads course): https://theartofonlinebusiness.com/Litchfield Media (Melissa Litchfield, ads expert): https://samanthaburmeister--litchfieldmedia.thrivecart.com/test-drive-ad-sprint-live-1/ThriveCart, used for tracking client lifetime value and average order value: https://samanthaburmeister--checkout.thrivecart.com/thrivecart-ultimate-package/Kit (formerly ConvertKit), Samantha's current email service provider: https://partners.kit.com/qumvycr8rhkfSamantha's Funnels 101 series: https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-and-podcast/what-is-a-marketing-funnelConnect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha breaks down the psychology behind email subject lines and why it's one of the most important pieces of copy you'll write. Inspired by a Threads conversation with a friend who couldn't crack her open rates, Sam turned three voice notes of advice into a full episode on how to write subject lines that get clicked. If you write your own sales emails and then stare at the subject line field like it's a final exam you didn't study for, this one's for you. What You'll Learn: Why 69% of people mark an email as spam based on the subject line alone (and what to do about it)The curiosity gap concept and how to use it to make people desperate to open your emailFour tactics Sam uses to write subject lines that stop the scroll, including the one-word subject line and the "steal the most outrageous line" methodWhat formatting choices (brackets, caps, emojis) move the needle and which ones tank your deliverabilityThe subject line mistakes that are quietly destroying your open rates, including false urgency, spam trigger words, and why first-name personalization is losing its edgeConnect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha discusses how and where to disclose AI use in your business' copy. The episode was sparked by a conversation with an attorney who assumed she had nothing to disclose because she wasn't using AI. But after a copy kickoff call, she realized she should probably mention it to stand out from the competition, and Sam realized she should start including AI Disclosure statements in her clients' copy! Samantha walks through how to write AI disclosures as trust-building sales copy that  sets expectations and helps you convert! What You'll Learn: Why buyers are reading more carefully than ever and what they're looking for in your copyWhere to put AI disclosures on your website and sales pages (hint: probably fewer places than you think)How to write a disclosure that sounds like you, not a terms-of-service pageWhy disclosing that you DON'T use AI can be just as powerful as disclosing that you doThe SEO opportunity hiding inside your AI transparency statementConnect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.

In this episode, Samantha sits down with Sara Joelle of Between the Lines Copy for a candid conversation about AI in copywriting.  Spoiler alert: we don't love it, but understand where it can give someone a boost.  So we get real about those lengthy AF brand voice guides, and why we all need to exercise our creativity like a muscle.  If you've ever wondered whether your AI tool genuinely "knows" you, or whether that 86-page brand voice guide your client handed over is doing anything useful, this one's for you. Key points covered in episode: Why AI tools give eerily similar answers to different people, and what that means for anyone using AI-generated copy to stand outThe difference between using AI as a task tool versus letting it do your thinking for you (these are not the same thing)What makes a brand voice guide worth having, and what makes one a complete waste of timeHow Sarah keeps her creativity sharp with a dedicated monthly practiceConnect with Sara from BTL Copy: Between the Lines Copy WebsiteSay hi on InstagramTell her your favorite chai shop on ThreadsConnect with me: InstagramLinkedInWebsiteNomad Copy Services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more. Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you! Free Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube  Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.