10 Things You Should Absolutely Check Out For Black Friday 2021

So, firstly let me state – you do not have to offer a Black Friday anything.

In fact, you don’t *have* to do anything you don’t want to do.

And that includes feeling FOMO about missing out on giving away discounts in late November just because it seems like the rest of the world is going to.

However, you might be interested in a bit of a shop. Because investing in yourself is never a bad idea. 

CRISPY TIPS FOR BF/CM SHOPPING:

1. Buy stuff you’ll actually use.

And that’s it. That’s the set of tips.

If you’re looking for some Black Friday recommendations from the land o’ Crisp, here are mine. There’s one for you, and one for me (because the ones for you I already have, and flipping love!)

1. One for me:

I snaffled Audible for 99c for the first 3 months (then the deal reverts to regular price).

We spend upwards of 8 hours a week in the car driving just to and from Hugs’ ballroom dance lessons and classes. We’ve listened to all of Big Magic, about as much Horrible History as I can stomach, and the iBooks offered from Apple just weren’t suitable for us both to listen in to. Hugs is 9. I am 44. Generally, we have wildly different tastes in listening material – but we do love some history, some doco style storytelling (if you haven’t listened to This Is Love podcast’s story on The Wolves, you’re missing out – we both cried), and some creative pursuits.

So, we’re going to try this out for three months and see how we go. At less than $3, makes perfect sense.

I’m not an affiliate for Audible, so this one is just kindness of my heart stuff. I am affiliates for some other links in all of my blogs, but I haven’t hooked you up here with anything I don’t use myself.

Here’s the direct link to Audible.

2. One for you: MemberVault

These guys just keep getting better and better. Their course platform is a dream, they offer my favourite kind of payment plan – lifetime access – and their community is actually turning out to be second to none on my daily visits to Facebookland.

I host all my courses within MemberVault and I’ve started popping some of my freebies in there too, which has seen an increase in conversions from people who are checking out what else I got going on while consuming the course they’re currently signed up for.

It’s all very, very rad.

And there’s a free level – by the time you get over the max course participants, your course really should be paying for itself. And! They’re doing something quite speccy for Black Friday, which I think a lot of us will value. Check them out below:

Try MemberVault here. 

3. One for me: Planoly

Last year I finally started taking my IG seriously. I joined Tracy Harris’ Social Method Society, I did an IG intensive with Kat Abianac, and I turned my Crisp Copy Instagram into… something. Something other than making pretty Canva images and hoping someone liked them and chose to hire me or buy my courses because, erm, I dunno, my IG was pretty?!

Yeah, that’s not a strategy.

Anyhow, it paid off, my engagement spiked and then kept rising, I’ve made incredible connections with clients, course folk, and collaborators through my Insta account, and I’ve generally liked it, rather than just feeling like I have to do it.

Next year, I’m stepping it up. I have two Instagram accounts: my Crisp Copy business one and my personal brand. Personal Jay has been going through a bit of a transformation lately too, so this account needs some love.

Love in the form of Planoly. Looks like they’re offering 30% on new plans for BF (and upgrades, which is what I’ll be needing!) 

Here’s where you can try Planoly.

4. One for you: SocialBee

Oh seriously, SocialBee will save your brain space. I cannot rave about it enough. You know, when you’re someone like me, you’ve got a lot of content; a lot of words, a lot to say. But you don’t want to write it from scratch every single time you want to say it. Honestly, I go on whole 2 week social media hiatuses (that word always looks wrong, perhaps it should be spelled like the multiple of cactus?) and no one even knows.

Because SocialBee is doing my social media posting work for me.

SocialBee is offering an absolute ripper of a Black Friday deal with 30% off some of their plans, from the 22nd – 29th November, using code: SOCIALBEEBF21

Get the SocialBee Black Friday deal here – don’t forget the code!

5. One for me: Australian brands delivering gorgeous things

OK, so not something you’d perhaps really expect from a list of recommended Black Friday deals by a copywriter, but I’ve really gotten into the whole Support Local Business thing since getting ag-ed (um, and also perhaps becoming a Local Business?) Fast fashion just doesn’t do it for me anymore, for all the reasons (my daughter curated a presentation in Year 9 that really rocked my socks) and since participating in a rather pointed cull of my wardrobe in 2020 – oh, does my local Buy Nothing group love me – I’ve been “investing” in pieces I really, really like and that I feel good about.

Now, I can’t write any of that without feeling a stab of guilt. Because for years we lived on the Australian poverty line and Kmart and the local church oppy was my go-to. I completely and utterly realise what a position of privilege I am in even having the choice of where to shop. In no way am I suggesting people who rely on buying fast fashion, for themselves or their kiddos, are doing a bad job. Folk need to be able to afford what they can afford. I hope my intention shines through here.

Anyhow, these are the fabulous folk I’ll be hitting ‘add to cart’ on this Black Friday:

Acid & Ivy – Western Australian designed, women-owned and led, WA manufactured, and – quite honestly – the most comfortably UNSUBTLE earrings I’ve ever worn. I adore Kerrie from Acid & Ivy so much, she was the human I chose to collaborate with when I decided I dearly wanted Crisp merch.

Acid & Ivy are not putting together a BF discount code this year, but MY earrings created by Acid & Ivy can be found here. And if you order before November 30th, I’ll throw in shipping for free. Honestly, their goodies are so worth way more than she charges, so if you do want to shop with them simply because they’re gorgeous, check out their range here.

Saffron Road – because when I’m not embracing my Fat Business Barbie persona being “Australia’s Conversion Copywriting Queen – the Brand” I’m a total hippy. Saffron Road are having a sale. Tell them I sent you and I want to be an ambassador.

happymash – Crisp Copy Class Alumni (and owner of a smashing Sales Page written in my Showstopper program) Anna Walsh is our country’s answer to happy sexual health. And she has the range of delicious goodies to prove it.

I will not be shopping at happymash for my personal self this year, because you know I already own the teal. Sorry if that was TMI. But you know what they say: happy wife, happy every-darn-thing. happymash will be offering a 50% off deal when you buy 3 vibrators so get two for you and one for your bestie, or Mum, or MIL, or anyone you love. That’s my plan.

6. One for you: CRISP cohort

Yes, I’m totally sneaking one of my own offers into this blog. Heck, it’s my blog!

The CRISP cohort is an online community space delivering high-touch support, regular Q&A sessions, pop up teaching and tutorials, and oodles of copywriting, branding, messaging, and feisty motivation to write what you mean specifically for women who have invested in a Crisp Copy course or program.

That’s the official spiel.

Probably more important to you is bang for your buck.

How’s this for bang?

– I charge $550 per hour for 1:1 copy mentoring
– we spend around 4-6 hours together live each month 
– you pay around $8 per hour for that access to me if you sign up before the end of November 
– plus the option to come in and out of the FB group and course platform to ask your questions outside the live sessions

What’s the rub? You have to be a current Crisp Copy course participant to be able to join.

If you already are one, the invitation to join at the Founding Member price is in your inbox.

If you aren’t, I’m offering one free month for anyone who purchases a spot in the:

Crisp Copy Class

Showstopper Sales Page Program and/or

Unfail Your Email

until November 30th.

7. One for me: SEO Strategy Intensive with Meg Casebolt

Meg is one in a million. She’s one of my Crisp Copy Class Masterclass guest experts, she’s ridiculously smart about SEO, and she’s just about the nicest SEO tech-head I’ve ever (virtually) met. I’ve got quite a few SEO courses up my sleeve, but I’m going to refresh my learning in 2022 with an intensive with Meg and her team.

I’m a little bit like some of you fine folk, I’m done with courses and programs that are hands-off. That’s why I’ve changed up all my courses this year to include some live with me time. This offer of Meg’s means I get to skip all the prelim stuff I’ve already tackled and get straight to the good stuff – what do I need to do next?

There’s no Black Friday deals Meg’s let me know about, but if you do decide to go all intensive with Meg and you book before December 1st (and tell Meg to let me know!) I’ll gift you 30 minutes of my time in a 1:1 call with you going over your new SEO recommendations and helping you craft your copy – in your own brand voice – around your SEO plan. Deal? Deal.

Check out the SEO Strategy Intensive with Meg Casebolt here.

Or check out her awesome mini SEO course here.

8. One for you: GigSuper

I’m a word nerd, not a numbers girl. I’ve learned to be numbers-friendly-adjacent because I wanted to be good mates with my money. Before meeting my husband, I was raising two children on the pitiful wages a part-time job gifted me. So you know I had zero superannuation.

Launching Crisp Copy made me grow up in all kinds of ways and, sometime around 2016, I put on my big girl pants and gave myself a talking to about future me. When you’re practised at living in Struggle-Town, Population: 3, it can become habitual not to even spare a thought for your own future, especially when it comes to money.

My business changed that.

And then GigSuper came along with their entire business model set up for freelancers, consultants, coaches, and copywriters! I just adore these guys, so much so I partnered with them so if you do decide to go with them to manage (and learn about) your superannuation, you may want to check out getting access to some of my resources. No affiliates here, just a sound recommendation for sorting out your future money with the help of some very lovely, very clever people, and a whole community that comes along with them. Also, no BF discounts, but what better thing to do with your BF money than make it an investment for future you?

Find out more about GigSuper here. 

9. One for me: Reely Fun Membership

Cripes, when Reels came out I just about fell over, I rolled my eyes so hard. No, I did not want to dance around pointing at imaginary words. No, I did not want to learn a TikTokesque dance. No, I did not… hang on, let’s just give one a go, OK, they’re kind of, well, fun!?

Also, it bothers me I can whip together a Reel of my Hugo and his dance partner Yoyo learning new Jive steps and within 3 minutes it’s had 22873 views. I simply cannot be a cute 9-year-old redhead built like a rugby player with the soul of a dancer. What am I missing? I am finding the whole Reel thing fun, but how can I make it work for my own brand?

That’s the entire premise of Deanna sweet talking me into joining her membership. That, and it’s a whole $13 USD per month. And Deanna says “y’all”, like, for real. (For reel?) And she’s the creative brain behind the Crisp Copy GIFs you can now find in your Instagram Stories (type in crispcopy – all one word – to use them). And she’s really quite cool. I think I can learn something good, and fun, from her.

So I’m joining up.

You can join Deanna Seymour’s Reel Fun Membership here too.

JUST IN! Deanna has given me a code to share with “y’all” to get the first month totally, absolutely, jaw-droppingly FREE! Use the code: CRISPCOPY to get one month free in the Reel Fun Membership here.

10. One for you: ALL THESE THINGS!

I get asked all the time about the tech I use, from “who did your branding?” to “I love your whole course onboarding, how do you automate it?”

So, I’m finally giving away all the details. This is the tech on which the entire Crisp Copy brand runs. I love all of these products, I’ve tried a whole wad more, and these are the clear winners for my business:

Creative Market – for images outside Canva and drool worthy fonts – up to 50% off for BF/CM

ThriveCart – is just the best cart of all time, and is super intuitive for building some ripper funnels, upsells, and bumps (love a bump!) – check their website for BF deals and in the meantime, this link offers a special trial deal

Divi – it’s what both my websites are built on, it’s what the template pages you get inside the Crisp Copy Class and Showstopper Sales Page program are built on (when you join, you now get to download them and then upload them direct to your WordPress website, change out your copy using my workbook, and Ta Da! You’re done!), it basically runs my online presence. They always have a good BF deal and this year is no exception, plus some fancy win a Mac thing happening in the interim!

Interact – one of my highest converting funnels starts with my quiz, and Interact is the spot I built it on. It’s so brilliantly easy, looks fab, and converts like a dream.

VentraIP – is where I host my entire online world. I swapped over when my previous host was bought out and their support went to *side eye*. I don’t know whether they’re planning a BF sale, but, you know what? Hit ’em up in the chat. That’s how I got my ragingly good deal for the first 12 months of hosting with them, and they transferred my site over within a blink.

ActiveCampaign – is the spot all my emails come to you from. They’re having a great sale – 40% off. I’ve tried a couple of other email service providers that are significantly cheaper through AppSumo, but I always come back to AC. Talks nicely to all my other tech, easy to use, and generally I don’t make too much of a mess of my own lists.

If you’re thinking about trying any of these products and want to chat to me about them, or you just have a suggestion of good stuff I can spend my dollars on (besides my own super!), hit me up on Instagram.

Happy shopping, my friends!

Oh! And we need to buy a new dishwasher. My five are broken – all four humans and one mechanical. Any recommendations, let me know! 

Oh look, managed to sneak one more in: