Entries Tagged 'copywriting' ↓

We’ve all been there.

You’ve been approached by a customer to create some copy for them; you’ve taken a detailed brief and provided them with a written proposal and quote – the work starts and just when everything seems to be going well, the client moves the goal posts.

So what do you do?

Is it in writing?

Let’s go back a few steps.

You did provide a written quote, didn’t you?

Verbal quotes are all well and good but, if things change, you’ll have nothing to refer back to when tackling the client about the changing brief.

That’s why it’s best to create a written detailed proposal and quote based on the brief received from your client, whether it’s from an email, briefing document or a face to face meeting.

It should include details of:

• The aim of the project in question (what your client wants to achieve)
• Your fee for the project and what that will cover
• The hourly rate that will be charged for further meetings or additional rounds of amendments over and above those included in your fee
• The services you will provide your client based on the brief they have provided
• How the work will be carried out
• When the first and subsequent drafts will be available and how quickly you’ll turn round the amendments
• How payment is to be received

That way, when they want to make changes to the brief (i.e. they now want 10 pages of web copy instead of 3) you can go back to the quote that they agreed to and negotiate the way ahead for the extra work.

If you have nothing in writing it’s going to be an uphill struggle.

A professional way of working

If you think that all of this is just going to generate more work for you and you don’t have time to put formal proposal and quotation documents together, have a think about this.

Can you really afford not to?

After all, how many times have you agreed to extend the work you originally agreed because you either:

• Had no way of proving what you thought had been agreed
• You and your client had different interpretations of what was agreed
• Felt uncomfortable going back and asking for more budget

If you provide a professional, written document outlining all aspects of the project, what your fee includes and an outline of what they will be charged extra should they exceed the scope of the original brief, you can refer back to it if required.

Plus, as they would have agreed to it in order to accept your quote in the first place, they can’t quibble.

Over to you

How do you go about defining the projects you work on?

Have you experienced moving goal posts? If so, how did you deal with it?

Leave a comment below and let us all learn from your experiences.

You’re over worked and under paid – aren’t we all?

Just as you thought you were about to see the bottom of your in-tray for the first time in months, your boss dumps another load of work on you. As he walks away he mutters…

‘Oh, by the way, we need the annual report writing – see to it will you?’

ARGH!!

Not only do you NOT have time to write it, you don’t have the necessary skills to write it so you call in the cavalry.

After a quick Google search, you find a copywriter who is:

a) Available

b) More than capable of doing the job

c) Within your budget

So what now?

Too many cooks…

With an annual report (or with any other copywriting project as it happens) there is probably going to be more than one person involved within your company. There may even be cross-departmental involvement.

If that is the case, before you provide your copywriter with a full brief, make sure you know exactly what you want them to do.

If you bring them on board while you’re still thrashing out details the brief will get confused, as will your copywriter.

One point of contact

Once you’ve started working with your writer, make sure they have one point of contact (i.e. you). if they end up on a cc’d email list with ideas flying backwards and forwards they won’t know what needs to be done, what information is relevant to them or who they are supposed to be reporting to.

A single contact name makes life a whole lot easier.

If one of the departments involved suddenly has a brainwave or realises something was missing from the original brief, get them to tell you and then you can relay the information to your copywriter.

Pick up the phone

Even though email is a convenient way to communicate, if you are dealing with complex projects, pick up the phone – it really is better to talk.

You can easily get your ideas or points across, your copywriter can react immediately with any questions they may have and it will speed the whole process up.

First /initial/rough drafts

A first/initial/rough draft, whatever you want to call it, is exactly that.

It may not be perfect, there may be the odd typo, there may be omissions or inaccuracies, but that’s why it is called the first/initial/rough draft, so try to resist the urge to shout ‘you made a typo’ from the roof tops just because you can.

The idea of it is to provide you with a starting point from which to refine and shape the text.

The final draft will be perfect, flawless and divine – if it’s not, then by all means rant and rave because any errors should have been picked up and dealt with.

Is anyone there?

During the project, your copywriter will probably email you questions and draft updates.

When you get these, it’s a nice idea to drop them a quick response either:

• Telling them information they need
• Saying you’ll find out and come back to them
• Letting them know when they can expect to receive your revisions

That way, everyone knows where they stand and what’s happening.

At the end of the day, clear and effective communication is the key to your project running smoothly.

Guest post by Sam Mauzy, a copy writer and blogger and also a contributing writer for QuickSprout, a digital marketing agency.

Many copywriters are traditionalist in their approach to business, choosing to write down ideas and plans with pen and paper first, before transferring them to a digital format by typing them up manually later. However, it’s possible to circumvent what can be a laborious and lengthy process by making use of some of the modern applications and software that have been designed to help creative professionals capture ideas, create compelling copy, and deliver projects in a timely fashion and to a high standard.

1. Evernote

When starting out, many copywriters keep a notebook with them at all times so that they can jot down ideas as soon as inspiration strikes. But this is certainly not the most efficient or effective method of capturing ideas and information, and that is where Evernote comes in. Evernote is the favorite app of copywriters all over the world. Described as ‘the ultimate note-taking app’, it enables you to collect thoughts and ideas when on the move, capture text, images, video and other content from the internet. You can use it to record speech, whether it is your own, or the words of an interviewee or someone giving a seminar or talk. Everything you capture can be tagged for easy sorting and location.

2. Omnifocus

David Allen’s Get Things Done methodology is used by many creative professionals to manage time and tasks with greatest efficiency, and OmniFocus is just one of the apps available that can help you to prioritize your workload and break it down into manageable tasks. Using the projects function, you can organize tasks by their goals and group associated tasks using the ‘contexts’ tool. You can keep track of your tasks by sorting them according to project, location, person or date. Available for Mac, iPhone and iPad, this app uses a simple interface which allows you to access your tasks wherever you are, and synchronizes across your devices using MobileMe or the WebDAV servers. The app will even build your task lists according to your location, using the in – built iPhone GPS, and receive notifications when you are near a location that has tasks available. For everything from planning and organization to reminders and taking notes, this app offers users flexibility and a range of tools to make project management effortless, so you can get on with the work at hand.

3. Mindmeister

Ideas are the driving force behind any good copywriting business, and there are plenty of apps that are designed to help you maximize your creativity and make the most of your ideas. Mindmeister is one of the simplest but most successful creative apps available. The app is connected to the online MindMeister service, which is the web’s no. 1 site for collaborative mind – mapping, boasting more than 1 million users. The MindMeister mobile app can be used anywhere to generate new ideas, organize and prioritize information, and create connections between ideas. Users can create an unlimited number of folders and mind -maps, all of which sync seamlessly with the free online MindMeister account if you choose to use it. Users can share mind-maps directly from their mobile device, and make use of the app’s support for multi-touch functions to zoom in and out, pan, drag and drop. They can also add themes, styles, colors and icons to mind maps to make them visually interesting and stimulating, and to make them meaningful to those they are shared with. For busy creative professionals on the move, losing a great idea can make or break a project, so having this app at your fingertips is a great way to keep all of your inspiration in one place. A powerful internal searching function means that it is easy to find ideas again across multiple mind-maps, and the real-time collaboration enables you to brain-storm with your colleagues and work with them as easily as if you were in the same room.

The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

Exciting times!

You’ve decided your business needs a new website, so it’s time to start planning and budgeting. For many companies, their website shopping list is a bit like this one…

• Find a great web designer
• Get a photographer on board for some arty shots
• Think about keywords
• Come up with a colour scheme
• Think of some cool graphics

But there’s something missing, something very important – what about the words?

Nine times out of ten, website copy is overlooked. After all, it’s not that important – anyone can throw a bit of text together…can’t they?

Why web content should be at the top of your list

Why do I need a copywriter? I know my business better than they do.

There’s no denying that, but copywriters don’t profess to know your business better than you because they’re not experts in your business. But they are experts in creating copy that sells.

If you’re still not convinced about the importance of your website copy, think of it this way.

[You’ll need your imagination for this bit.]

Your website is your online showroom.

The design, colour scheme, photos and graphics are your shop fittings – what makes it look inviting.

The copywriting is your sales team patrolling the shop floor, ready to help your customers.

Now, if you write your own copy it tends to be focused on your business, the features of your products and contains lots of ‘we’. That is the equivalent of your sales team huddled together, chatting about what they did last night while your potential customers mill around, get bored and head for the door.

When your copy is written by a professional copywriter it is focused on your customers, their needs and highlights the benefits of your products and services. That is the equivalent of a sales team that:

• Greets your customers as they come through the door
• Offers advice about which product/service that would suit their particular needs
• Counters any buying objections they may have
• Closes the sale

I know which sales team I’d rather have.

Make your website work

If you don’t make your website copy a priority and get it written professionally, the chances are your website won’t perform.

It won’t attract visitors, it won’t inspire them to do business with you, it won’t answer their questions – basically, it won’t sell.

By understanding the power of words and investing in good professionally written content, you’ll create a website that:

• Attracts visitors
• Answers their questions
• Convinces them to buy
• Closes the sale

It’s a no brainer.

Why did you hire your copywriter?

It’s a fairly safe bet that your answer includes one or two of these reasons:

• You needed someone with experience
• You needed an expert in their field
• You don’t have time to do it yourself
• You don’t have the right skill set to create effective copy
• You wanted to make sure your copy worked

Basically, what it comes down to is that you’re serious about making your business a success and the best way to do that is to surround yourself with experts who can make it happen for you.

What does your copywriter do?

Have you ever asked that question?

Not many people (other than copywriters) understand what it takes to create amazing copy. So, what happens after you’ve briefed them?

Well, they will spend a lot of time getting to know:

• You
• Your company
• Your style
• Your products/services
• Your target market and their needs
• Your brand

Then they’ll research your competitors and what’s happening in your market. If necessary, they’ll make suggestions about how to tweak your original brief to ensure optimum results.

Once all the background has been done, they’ll use their experience and expertise to create your copy, using tried and tested techniques to get the most out of the words.

They’ll  go to great pains to make sure the writing is firmly focused on the reader, providing them with everything they need to counter any objection they may have and to reach a buying decision.

The writing will then be shaped and laid out for optimum effect.

I’m sure you’ll agree that’s a lot of value.

The first draft arrives

You receive your first draft and, in light of all that I’ve said above, why oh why do you turn round and say…

“Oh, I think it would be better like this…”

…and promptly make changes to the layout, wording and, worse of all, fill it with ‘we’ and ‘me’?

Granted, there may be a few things that need amending, but you hired a professional writer because they understand how copy works, and how to use it to convince your readers to buy.

To illustrate this point, let’s say you were about to have some plastic surgery done. After your consultation, during which time your surgeon outlines the procedure that will take place and how the surgery will be performed, would you say…

“Actually, don’t you think it would be better if you did…?”

No, you wouldn’t because they are an expert in their field and you trust their judgement.

Finding the right copywriter for you

Make sure you do your homework first.

Rather than leaving your search for a copywriter until the eleventh hour, plan ahead and look around.

Have a search through Google and see who you can find; ask for referrals from trusted local businesses.

Make a short list of people you think you could work with, and then phone them for a chat. If you get on, invite them in for a meeting so you talk over your project face to face. Ask for samples of their work – and don’t be put off if they don’t have anything to show identical to what you need. They don’t need to be experts in your industry – that’s your job. Their job is to create copy that sells.

As you are going to be working closely together it’s essential you ‘click’.

As for their fee – let’s put it this way, if they’ll do all that you ask for the price of a tea bag, you’re looking in the wrong place.

Good copywriting isn’t cheap, but it is an investment that will continue to work for your business for as long as it’s ‘out there’.

As with everything in life, you get what you pay for.

So, when you next need expert copywriting help make sure you find the right person for you and trust them – they know what they’re doing.