60. Launch vs Promotion (and Why the Label Doesn't Matter)

In this episode, Samantha discusses the entrepreneur mindset shifts behind bigger launches with Hannah Soto, a five-time founder who started her first company at 12. Hannah runs The Arridia Group, a multiple seven-figure production company that has worked with Apple, Google, Marriott, the Olympics, and Coca-Cola, along with Loving the Gap, her coaching practice for service-based founders.Samantha brought this conversation to the show in November on purpose. Launch season has everyone staring down a big number, and most advice stops at tactics. Hannah makes the case that your company can't outgrow its founder, then walks through how to borrow from your future self when a launch feels stretchy. Samantha connects it all back to copy, including the spots on a sales page where fear tends to leak through.What You'll Learn:Why the habit that built your business could be the one capping it (and what replaces it on the way to seven figures)The difference between your goal line and your soul line, and why your launch needs bothOne question that can change how many emails you send, how you price, and how boldly you sellWhere a fear of being seen shows up on your sales pageHow to figure out what kind of support you need before the launch offers flood your inboxResources Mentioned:Loving the GapHannah on Instagram (@hellohannahsoto)Forgotten 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 minutesWatch 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 Black Friday sale ideas for service-based business owners, plus the flash sales you can run any month of the year. She starts with a permission slip: you don't have to run a Black Friday sale at all, especially if your capacity is thin or your audience isn't ready. Then she walks through nine offer structures that don't require slashing your prices across the board, from BOGO deals and exit offers to affiliate promos, secret lists, and group-pricing "reverse offers." Samantha is talking about this now because November is seeding season, and the people who win Black Friday start warming up their audience weeks before the sale opens.What You'll LearnThe capacity gut-check to run before you commit to a Black Friday promotion (and why your buyers are more distracted that weekend than any other time of year)How to sell during Black Friday without discounting your core offer, using BOGO deals and order bumps that raise your average order valueWhy an affiliate promo can be the lowest-lift Black Friday sale you'll ever runThe difference between shrinking and growing discounts, and which one pushes people to buy moreWhat drives every flash sale that works, and how to start seeding your offer todayResources MentionedBlack Friday Email Templates Sam's Instagram and Threads (@nomad.copy)Grab the Forgotten 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 minutesWatch 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 launch vs promotion debate and why she thinks the online business world has lost the plot on launching. Some business owners send four emails over two weeks and call it a failed launch. Others run a fully coordinated push across Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn and email, with other people helping them promote, and never call it a launch at all.Samantha's take: there's no difference. A launch is a more coordinated promotion, and whatever you call it, the goal is to sell your stuff. She walks through why "I don't have the capacity to launch" slides into "I don't sell in my business," how success metrics shift for service-based offers, and a four-step framework for how to promote your offer (or launch an online course) as a team of one.What You'll LearnWhy the label on your promo period matters less than whether people know you're sellingHow a "failed" service launch can keep bringing in buyers months after the cart closesWhy it's easier to sell someone else's stuff than your own, and how to get past itThe quick math on your reach that proves you're promoting way less than you thinkThe content pillars to use for every promotion, from a one-week push to six weeks of pre-launchResources MentionedCopy And episode with Taylor Lane on her service-based launch: https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-and-podcast/the-launch-strategy-that-signed-28-dfy-clients-in-13-days-with-taylor-laneCopy On Demand (doors open December 7): 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 minutesWatch 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 where to put your website link, your sales page links, and your freebie links so people can find you (and buy from you) wherever they bump into you online. The idea came from her client research process. When clients send her a list of competitors, she often gets a business name with no person attached, or a person's name with no business attached, and the trail goes cold. If your name and your business name don't connect, your potential clients hit that same dead end.Samantha walks through a practical list of where your links belong, from social bios and LinkedIn to your email signature, your Google Business profile, your presentations, and inside your own digital products. She also shares how one email signature link turned a casual introduction into a $2,000+ project, and how a single pinned Thread brings in five to ten opt-ins a week.What You'll LearnWhy your link in bio page should live on your own website (and what you lose when it doesn't)The LinkedIn spot most people skip that makes your website easier to find at a glanceHow to swap your links during a launch without forgetting to switch them backWhy your freebies and digital products should be selling your other offers between launchesThe 10-minute first step that makes you findable on every platform at onceResources MentionedSamantha's link in bio page: https://nomadcopyagency.com/linksNomad Copy Agency: https://www.nomadcopyagency.comSamantha on Threads (check out the pinned thread for inspo): https://www.threads.com/@nomad.copyPrevious Copy And episode on the different kinds of copywriting: https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-and-podcast/the-types-of-copywriters-and-which-one-your-business-needsForgotten 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 minutesWatch 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 Threads specialist and business coach Taylor Lane to break down the full launch that took her done-for-you Threads agency from a five-client minimum goal to twenty-eight signed clients in thirteen days. Taylor has run over a dozen launches since 2017, but this was the first time she launched her Threads service after a full year of running it without one. Samantha wanted her on the show because Taylor's approach mixes upfront honesty about selling with tight urgency tactics, and the numbers back it up. They walk through the masterclass strategy, the fast action bonus, the price increase timing, and the exact email subject lines that turned a stalled weekend into a twenty-eight client close.What You'll LearnWhy announcing you are about to get sold to on a masterclass builds more trust (and more sales) than hiding itHow Taylor decided which marketing levers to pull for her launch, and why affiliates and ads did not make the cutThe exact bonus structure that filled five spots live on her masterclass callWhat happened during a dead weekend mid-launch, and how the final 48 hours turned into eleven new clientsWhy Taylor waited six weeks to raise her price instead of doing it right after cart closeResources MentionedTaylor Lane on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@taylor.elizabethlaneTaylor Lane on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylor.elizabethlane/Taylor's done-for-you Threads service sales page: https://thetaylorlane.com/monthly-retainerCopy On Demand membership: https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-on-demandForgotten 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 minutesWatch 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 different types of copywriters and when to hire each one. She breaks down the difference between content and copy, then walks through direct response, brand, SEO, email, technical, and UX copywriters, explaining what each one does and who needs them. This episode is for anyone who has searched "I need a copywriter" and had no idea what to search for next.What You'll LearnThe difference between a content writer and a copywriter (it's not as clear cut as you'd think)Why a direct response copywriter is your go-to when you need a launch or a sale, fastWhen to hire a brand copywriter instead, and why retainers make sense for this workThe niche copywriters most small businesses never need (SEO, technical, UX) and when that changesHow to know which type of copywriter you're searching for before you post in a Facebook groupResources MentionedWelcome Sequence Template: https://nomadcopyagency.thrivecart.com/welcome-sequence-copy-bot-copy-reg/Brianna Owen, Owen Your Mark Copy: https://owenyourmark.com/Jess Zerrer, Tails and Emails: https://www.tailsandemails.com/Nomad Copy Agency services and pricing: https://nomadcopyagency.com/servicesConnect 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 minutesWatch 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 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 LearnWhether 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 MentionedFlodesk 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 minutesWatch 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 LearnWhat 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 MentionedCopy 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 minutesWatch 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 SummaryIn 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 LearnWhy 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 MentionedSamantha'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 minutesWatch 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 oneResources 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-sessionConnect 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 minutesWatch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube Nomad Copy Agency writes copy that CONVERTS for service-based businesses. Inquire about done-for-you services here.