The 3 Copy Questions I Got Most in Q1 of 2026 (Answered)
APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE
Inside Copy On Demand, I review copy from dozens of entrepreneurs every week. That kind of volume means patterns show up fast. By the end of Q1 2026, I'd answered the same questions enough times that I hosted a private webinar for my members called "Most Common Copy Questions from Q1."
It was too good to keep to myself and my members, so now I’m giving you a peek behind the Copy On Demand curtain. Here's what we covered.
What Should I Send in My Nurture Emails?
This is gonna sound super simple, but in your mind, go back to third-grade writing class and think about the five Ws: who, what, where, when, why (and how). Each one is a potential email!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Who – Write about a client who looks like your ideal audience. Tell their story. Their problem, the moment they found you, and what changed.
What – Tell people what you do. I know that sounds obvious, but I make this mistake constantly. I'll welcome someone onto my list for one thing (usually a webinar), and then never mention that I also offer VIP Days, hourly copywriting through canyouwritethisforme.com, or done-for-you projects. A roundup email or a short series reminding people what you offer and for whom is completely fair game.
Where – If your work is location-specific (looking at you, licensed therapists), mention it. A Texas-based therapist referencing a weird March snowstorm is a trust signal. It says: I know where you are, and I'm paying attention.
When – Tie your email to the season, the calendar, or what's happening culturally. A finance coach sending an email in July saying "did you just pay off your holiday credit card debt?" is relatable, timely, and genuinely useful.
Why and How — testimonials, outcomes, and a peek at your process. Tell people why you're the right person and what it looks like to work with you.
Bonus Tip - The One Thing Every Nurture Email Needs
A button. Every one of your nurture emails needs a CTA, or call to action.
→ Not sure what goes on a CTA? Check out this post!
That CTA button can go to your podcast, your Instagram, an offer, a blog post. Give your reader somewhere to click.
This is important for two reasons:
It gives your email service provider evidence that your audience is engaged. In the email world, that's called deliverability. More clicks mean more inboxes. More inboxes mean more of your people actually reading your stuff.
It gets your readers in the habit of clicking on your stuff. This is especially important when it comes time for you to send sales emails!
Is My Freebie Set Up to Convert?
The second question I’m getting on repeat is about freebies. Specifically, if PDF freebies are valuable enough to get readers to convert.
I usually tell people the same thing: your freebie is valuable. The copy around it is where the opportunity is.
Here's what I see over and over:
Someone creates a genuinely valuable PDF.
They set up an opt-in page, send the welcome email, and deliver the goods.
Their reader gets through it, feels good about it, and leaves.
That's it. There's no next step.
The fix: add a CTA at the beginning of the document, and another at the bottom.
Before someone gets into the content of your freebie, you have their full attention. Use it!
What Your Freebie Needs at the Top
Before the content, add a table of contents or a brief summary of what they'll learn. Then, right underneath that, build your authority. Say who you are, who you work with, and what you specialize in.
Then say this: "After you go through this, you'll probably have questions about [blank]. When you do, here's your next step." And link them somewhere, whether that's a paid offer, a consultation, a deeper resource, whatever fits.
This does two things. It positions you as someone who knows their problem better than they do, and it gives them permission to keep engaging with you before they've even gotten to the good stuff.
→ Check out the edu-selling concept here for more detail
What Your Freebie Needs at the Bottom
A second call to action. Same destination, same message. It's a reminder for the people who actually read to the end, and a second shot for everyone else.
Pro-tip: your welcome email (the one that delivers the freebie) is going to be the most-opened email in your entire sequence. Open rates drop off from there. So putting your authority and your offer in front of people early, inside that freebie, is the highest-leverage move you can make.
A data point that makes this even more important:
Your first email — the one delivering your freebie — will be the most opened email you send for the life of your list.
Open rates drop with every email after that and eventually stabilize. So your freebie delivery moment is your biggest audience of any email, ever. Position yourself as the authority before you lose that window.
What's the Difference Between a Sales Page and a Checkout Page?
This one came up a lot after the Funnels 101 series on my Copy And podcast, so I'm glad we're clearing it up.
A sales page has lots of information, and is usually for a high-ticket offer
Think about buying something over $100 - it could be a power tool, a pair of nice running shoes, or a new work laptop. You want to know the specs, the materials, the fit, and why you should buy that brand over any other. The sales page has all that information, and differentiates the offer.
A checkout page is where the buying decision is confirmed
It collects payment and shows a brief summary of what you're buying — so you feel confident clicking the final ‘buy’ button.
The difference between the two
In the online business world: my Copy On Demand sales page is about 10 scrolls long. It covers how the membership works, what you get, what other people have gotten out of it, and what makes it different from anything else out there.
The checkout page is much shorter. It reminds you of the core things included, and it collects your credit card information.
The rule of thumb: if someone has to make a decision, that's the sales page. If they've already made the decision and are just completing a transaction, that's the checkout page.
A Note on Assertiveness In Your Copy
Passive copy doesn't convert. Saying "I just want you to have the resources you need" doesn't land — not because it's wrong, but because it centers you and your feelings instead of what the reader is going to get.
Stop Telling People What Your Offer Isn't
This one is everywhere right now, and I think it's a direct symptom of over-leaning on AI for copy. It sounds like: "It's not just another course, it's a transformational experience."
Delete everything before "it's a." Just tell me what it is.
The brain doesn't process negatives well. When you tell someone what something isn't, you slow them down. They have to pause, process, and reassemble the meaning. That's exactly when people bounce.
Same goes for "no fluff" and "no overwhelm." Saying "no fluff" is itself a fluff statement. It's incongruent, and people feel that even if they can't name it. Just delete those lines. Whatever's around them is probably fine.
Key Takeaways
Every nurture email needs a button. Track what gets clicked. Use the five Ws to figure out what to say.
Your freebie probably delivers value but no path forward. Add authority and a call to action at the top and the bottom so people stay in your world.
A sales page persuades. A checkout page collects payment and confirms what they're buying. You need both for anything over impulse-buy price.
Assertive copy converts better. Say what your offer is, not what it isn't.
And if you want my actual eyes on your copy every week, Copy On Demand is opening again later this year. Get on the waitlist at https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/copy-on-demand and you'll get early access and a discount when spots open up.
Connect with me here:
Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube
See my services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more.
Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you!
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.
