Freelance copywriting

Go on, admit it, you'd love to ditch your boss and escape the 9 to 5 way of life. Becoming a freelancer is the dream of many, but what's it really like on the other side of the fence? Is it as rosy as you would like to believe? As with everything in life, it has some major pluses, but there are also several minuses, so let's take a look at the lifestyle as a whole without any rose-tinted glasses on. The first thing to remember when you become a freelancer is that you can kiss goodbye to a regular salary. Granted, you can potentially earn a lot more that you could as an employee, but your income will be unpredictable. Secondly, although you will be able to work the hours that suit you, you'll find that (especially in the early days) you'll be working a lot longer than 9 to 5. The flip ...

Did I really just write that? Before worrying about the fact that I may have finally lost it, let's think for a moment about what a copywriter actually does. Yes, they write to help you communicate effectively with your audience, but they can also help you develop your brand's voice and style as well as offering suggestions on how you can improve your marketing strategy to make it more effective. So when you hire one, you get a lot of expertise for your bucks. After having said that I'm struggling to think of an occasion when you shouldn't hire a copywriter, so I'd better look at reasons why you should use one while I get my thinking cap on. 1. Professional image and results Everything you do and every piece of marketing collateral you use represents your company. So the quality of the writing and the way you communicate through words will have a big ...

  OK, a slight departure from my usual posts, but I found this video I put together a few years ago and wanted to share it with you. Although my photo and website image are a wee bit out of date now (note to self - create new, up to date video soon), it gives a good overview of what I do as a copywriter.Of course, the one thing that's not shown here is thinking, copywriter's do a lot of that, but it doesn't make for good TV. Plus, it's a fun way of showing an insight into my world. Hope you enjoy it and I promise I'll work on a new one very soon.      

Whether you're a copywriter, manager, secretary, director or anything else for that matter, proofreading is essential. Although I write for a living I am not claiming to be whiter than white on the typo front. I make mistakes because I am human, but I always do my utmost to make sure errors don't slip through the net. But spotting a typo is difficult - if you don't believe me take a look at this:                                   Second opinion The best way to make sure your writing is error free is to get someone else to read through it for you. But what happens if you work alone? Proofreading your own work isn't impossible, it's just not very easy. The reason being that your brain will play tricks on you because it will make you believe you're reading what you think you wrote even if you've ...

For a lot of people, working for themselves is the ultimate dream. No more bosses, no more 9 to 5, no more horrible jobs that you don't want to do and the opportunity to choose who you want to work with. That's all true to a certain degree, but freelancing isn't always the Holy Grail you may expect it to be. It does have it's downsides too. For example, you're on your own. Suddenly, you go from a business that had specialists in each department to just you. Overnight you've become the MD, Financial Director, Customer Service, Operations Director, Marketing Director, Sales Director - the list is endless. Rather than trying to juggle all the balls, find out what your strengths and weaknesses are and then farm out all the weak areas. Then you need to find out what it is you're going to do. Your niche When I started out as a copywriter I decided ...

If you have small children you'll be pretty fed up with the word 'why'. Almost every sentence uttered by your child with feature it. Their insatiable appetite for knowledge makes them repeat it again and again, until you reach breaking point.  But for a professional copywriter the word 'why' is one of the most important words in the English Language. Why? Well, when working as a copywriter you are: A superb sales person A magical wordsmith A persuasive orator A great writer But the one thing you are not is an expert in every industry, so it's essential your client know that from the outset. People often shy away from hiring a copywriter because they believe its impossible for the writer to know more about their business than they do. And they'd be right, but that's why they do need a copywriter. You see, you client is ...

Being an independent copywriter can be a lonely life. As you're not part of a big agency you spend many hours alone thinking and writing. To some that might sound like the perfect working arrangement, but it does pose a few problems. Working alone demands discipline and vast quantities of self-motivation, so here are a few tips to help you make the most of your time. 1. Remove distractions When you're on your own all day it is very easy to get distracted. People popping round (a particular problem if you work from a home office as for many, working from home means you're available for a gossip all day, 'cause you're at home, even though you're in your office), ringing phones (office and home), the unfinished book on the side, even the washing and ironing can ...

It happens a lot - you meet a customer, spend an hour or so with them taking a detailed brief, then you produce a proposal and quote outlining exactly what needs to be done (as agreed during your meeting), your customer is happy with it, says 'yes' and you get started. Then, just as you're nearing completion they either move the goal posts or announce 'no, I want it written like this...', which is the complete opposite to what was discussed and agreed during the meeting. What do you do? Get it in writing Make sure you always provide a written proposal and quote. That way, when your client changes their mind and you announce that that means the quote needs to amended, they can't quibble (OK, they probably will, but at least you can show what the original quote covered and ...

It doesn't matter how good you are at your job, sooner or later you'll end up drowning under a pile of paper. We've all been there; the bottom of your tray has been invisible for months, then, just as you are about to unearth it your boss dumps another load of work on you with the passing comment that the Annual Report is due out in a few weeks so make sure you're on it. Stop. Before you lose it completely, take stock of your situation and what you have to do. Be rational: not only do you not have the time to write the report, you've never written one before and have no idea where to start. Even when he tosses last year's at you for reference you're completely nonplussed. So what do you do? The simple answer is ...

What's your copywriting budget? I bet you don't have one. Come on, let's face it - you've spent hours trawling the Internet to find the best web designer you can (or at least that you can afford), they've convinced you to get a professional photographer on board and a graphic designer. Then they add in a spot of keyword research and suddenly your budget has gone. It's so exciting isn't it, as you see it all come together and you gradually refine the site until it's perfect. The photography looks amazing, your logo is stunning, your website works like a dream and then your web designer turns to you and says... "OK, we're all ready to go - we just need the copy now." Copy? Who said anything about copy? Doesn't that come with the site? Oh boy, now you're in trouble. Your designer sighs and suggests you contact this professional copywriter he knows, but ...

You hired a copywriter because of at least one of these reasons: You wanted to work with an experienced sales writer You needed an expert in their field You don't have the time to do it yourself You don't have the skills needed to create effective copy You wanted to make sure your copy worked In other words, you're serious about your business goals and you wanted to make sure you had the best team on board to help you realise them. So, what will your copywriter bring to your project? The role of a copywriter After you've briefed your copywriter, what do they do next? Well, first of all, they'll spend a lot of time getting to know: You Your company Your style Your products and services Your customers and their needs Your brand After that they'll research your competitors, find out what's happening in your market and, if necessary, make ...

No, we're not talking about what you think we're talking about - this post it all about how to keep your copywriting message on target. On the face of it, writing copy may seem simple, but it's not. For a start, you have to take a big step back from your business and look at it through the eyes of your customers. It has to be powerful and persuasive and it has to flow. That means meaningful paragraphs that slip from one to another without sounding like a load of disjointed ideas. So how do you achieve that? Well, here are 7 tips to help you out. 7 tips to retain clarity in your copywriting 1. Focus This is very important. Think of your ideal customer and write to them. If you try and write something for everyone, your message will become garbled. So, ...

No one knows your business like you do, so surely you're the best person to write your company's copy, right? Wrong. It's quite true that you know your business better than anyone else, but that's precisely the problem. Let me explain. You've spent years honing your products and services, you're rightly proud of your achievements and as a result, when you write about them you will end up focusing on how great they are and all the different things they do/offer. Although, on the face of it, you probably think that's OK, it's not. You see, your audience isn't bothered about any of that, they don't even care how long you've been in business, what they care about is what your product or service will do for them. That's why it pays to bring in a professional copywriter. They will bring their expertise ...

For some, facing a client to make a pitch or presentation is child's play. For others it's a fate worse than death. If you are one of the latter, how can you prepare effectively? The key to effective meetings Unfortunately, there is no magic pill that you can pop to make everything run smoothly. The only way to be confident in your meeting it to prepare thoroughly. 1. The beginning The whole process is likely to start with a phone call, so your aim is to extract as much information from them as possible as to what they're looking for. As a copywriter, I would want to know details about their project, who their target audience is, what the review process will be, what format will it take etc. Bur your questions should go beyond the project and also ...

The whole point of creating copy is to sell. It doesn't matter what form it takes - website copy, brochure content, email, case study, white paper etc. - its main function is to get your reader to sit up and take notice and take an action (e.g. buy, sign up, visit your website etc.). When you're face to face with someone selling to them, you have the advantage of being able to think on your feet, counter their objections and continue to talk to them until you convince them to buy. But when you're writing copy, none of those advantages exist. You're writing words that will be read at a later date by someone you've never met, so it's essential your words work hard for you. 4 things to remember when writing your sales copy OK, there are far more than ...

Tight copy? Does that mean writing: Nope. Tight copy is a way of writing a clear sales message that's to the point - i.e. no superfluous waffle. If you fill your copy with unnecessary adjectives and go round the houses before getting to the point (i.e. selling the product/service you're writing about), your copy isn't going to be very effective. That's why, before you get started, you need to plan what you're going to write. Consider: What you're selling To whom you're selling Why you're selling it What you want your reader to do Once you have that straight, you can start to write.   Keeping your copy tight As a copywriter I spend most of my time creating tight copy, so here are a few tips to bear in mind before you start writing. 1. Declutter Everyone adds in unnecessary words when they write. But you're unlikely to spot them until you read your copy back ...

Have you ever wondered how a copywriter is able to write about lots of different things? Every day they write copy about a vast range of products, services and industries, convincing the public to buy things. They must be creative geniuses with massive brains to store all that information. Of course, they could also be great researchers.   How to research your way to genius status When you think about a copywriter's day, you probably visualise them sitting in front of their computer writing. And that's all  they do until it's time to go home. Wrong. When starting a project a copywriter doesn't write straight away, before that happens they have to research. If someone asked you to build a house,  you wouldn't just rock-up at the site and start laying the foundations. You would have meetings to discuss the type of house ...

This post originally appeared on my other blog freelancecopywritersblog. For any of you considering entering the world of copywriting, it is something you have to read: If you’re thinking about becoming a copywriter, there’s one thing you must get – a very thick skin. Over the years mine has thickened to rival any Rhino – that doesn’t conjure a particularly attractive image, but it is a necessity when you write for a living. I’ve been in business as a freelance copywriter since 2007. I’m pretty good at what I do, in fact I would go so far as to say I’m an expert in my field – that’s why companies from all over the world come to me when they need help with their marketing copy. The process is fairly simple: The client makes contact I ask for a full brief on which to base a quote They say ‘yes please’ I ...

  If you could write any old thing to get people to buy, us copywriters would very soon be out of a job. But it’s very rare for someone to read web copy, an email or brochure and say “I want one of those now!” Making a buying decision is not that straight forward. The voice of reason is always lurking, ready to stop you from reaching for your wallet:     Can you really justify the cost? Do you really need one? Don’t you already have something similar? A professional copywriter will be able to overcome these objections within their copy – even before you’ve thought of them. So how do they do that? Copywriting that overcomes objections When you’re on the verge of buying something, all sorts of niggling objections will pop into your head. It’s the job of the copywriter to pre-empt them. Why? Because

  Content marketing online, gives you the power to educate, communicate, influence people and attract a continuous stream of potential customers. But you must have a strategy. Jumping in without thinking rarely works. You must be realistic and understand that results won’t happen over night. To make it work you need patience and perseverance. As a freelance copywriter, I’ve been content marketing since 2007 and it does work – you just need to understand the process and have a plan. What’s your content marketing plan? If you want readers to read what you write, you must have empathy for them and the problems they face. Writing ...

  Your headline is the make or break of your article. If it doesn’t immediately grab attention, a reader is unlikely to read your article  - regardless of how many hours you slaved over it. Many online marketers write articles because they know they are a great way to build backlinks which are vital to any SEO strategy. So a steady stream of them (written either in-house or by using a professional copywriter) will boost your visibility on line and position you as an expert in your field. But because it’s such a popular marketing tool, there are an awful lot of articles out there. That means, if you ...

  Yes I know, you’re a start-up business so money’s tight. But, you still need engaging marketing materials and an effective online presence to get things off the ground. More often than not, copywriting is the one thing that gets crossed off your set-up shopping list. Why? Because you think you can do it yourself. Granted, you can write pretty well. But can you write something that makes people think “Yes, that’s exactly what I need”? Going it alone without a copywriter This is a familiar scenario: The task to write your sales copy is passed to someone in your office. They already ...

  Regular communication with  your customers is a great way to keep them informed and to keep your name firmly etched in their minds. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through email marketing.  New subscribers will eagerly await your first email to land in their inbox. They will probably continue to welcome them until, one day, the honeymoon period is over. You will begin to realise your emails aren’t being opened as often (or at all); your messages are now unloved, unopened and unwanted. What do you do? Panic? Send flowers? It’s time to take action. Fighting email marketing ...

  In any business relationship, trust is probably the most important factor. After all, if someone doesn’t trust you they’re not going to buy from you. So, when you’re creating your marketing materials, your copy has to convince your readers that you are trustworthy. Before I go on to explain how this can be achieved, I want to look at how you can build trust through blogging. The posts on your blog are very personal to you so your reader instantly connects with you because they feel they know you through your words. This is the exact type of connection your sales writing has to replicate.  The problem is ...

  STOP – LOOK – LISTEN Those three words were probably drilled into you when you were a child. You would also do well to remember them when copywriting. That might seem a strange thing to say but when creating sales and marketing content, many people just dive straight in. That’s because it’s usually one of those jobs that is squeezed in between other projects. And there’s the problem – content creation shouldn’t be seen as one of those jobs you have to fit in now and then. It’s vital for your business from an SEO perspective and for getting your message out to ...

  Sally Ormond, freelance copywriter, comments on Kieron Hughes’ post “Using YouTube as a keyword research tool for SEO” that appeared on SEOMOZ.org When talking keyword research, most people think about what they’re selling (products and services) and probably their geographical location. For many people, the primary tool used is the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. But there is another, frequently overlooked possibility. YouTube. Yes, you would normally associate YouTube with hours of entertaining videos (and some not so entertaining) but it can also be used as an effective keyword research tool. I first came across this idea when I discovered a post on SEOMOZ.org ...

  What is content marketing? It’s all about building your reputation as an expert online. That doesn’t mean posting loads of mediocre articles and blogs in the vain hope that someone will read them. Content marketing is about providing quality, informative and interesting information that will add value to your readers. The 3 elements of content marketing If you want to excel at content marketing there are 3 things you have to do: Create content that sells you Write content that’s optimised for the search engines to increase its longevity Repurpose your content and spread the word ...

  The power of a blog is a wonderful thing. It gives you the opportunity to get your personal view of things out there in the open where others can read them. You can share tips and advice. Engage your worldwide audience and share your knowledge to position yourself as an expert in your field. You can create a buzz and a following that gets your name and your business noticed by potentially thousands of people. Of course there is one downside that puts many people off: A blog is for life, not just for Christmas If you want to make an impact with your blog you have ...

  How to brief effectively The beginning of your relationship with your chosen copywriter is vital. You’ve done your research; you’ve asked the right questions and you’ve found the perfect writer to help you with your project. So what’s next? Your copywriting need could be anything from website copy or brochure content to newsletter content or case studies. Whatever it is one thing remains the same – you must give your writer all the information they need to create your content. I use a detailed pro-forma to extract the information I need. Sometimes my clients are so great they email me immediately with everything I could possible want to know about their company and product or service. Other times I’m only given the barest of instructions. But that’s not enough. What your copywriter needs to ...

  What’s the golden rule when it comes to writing press releases? DO NOT USE THEM TO SELL. A press release is all about providing the reader with news. If you want to place an advert pay for it like everyone else. But because it’s not paid for, your press release has to be top notch if you want to get it published. Every newspaper and magazine editor is looking for genuine news that their readers are going to want to hear about. But it also has to fit the style and tone of their publication. That all sounds like a lot of hard work ...