If you thought that a copywriter only created content, you wouldn’t be alone.
After all, that’s what the name of the profession suggests.
Content, in all its forms (written, verbal, etc.) is vital for every business, which is why every company should use one.
But their skills go beyond writing. Let me explain.
Making the most of their creativity
I have been commissioned by a global multinational risk management insurance brokerage and advisory company to look at their internal information portal.
Outside of my usual remit, they identified that my attention to detail and creative thinking was exactly what they needed to help them revamp this resource.
What is supposed to be a valuable information bank for all staff members has turned into a ‘dumping ground’ for emails and random documents. With no version management in place, it’s impossible to tell what information is current.
After seeing it for myself, I conducted interviews with various staff members in different geographical locations to find out, first hand, how the resource was being used.
Unsurprisingly, the feedback showed it was seen as unwieldy and difficult to use. It was impossible to work out whether the information it contained was up to date and it was easier to go and ask the section head for advice rather than look it up.
My report concluded that there were several phases of work to undertake:
- The review of all material and deletion of anything no longer required
- The creation of new templates for the documents, which includes a version management system
- The creation of a style guide
- Re-writing of all the documents
- The instigation of a stringent version management system
- The instigation of a regular review process
Taking my external view of the company, I have now created a plan of action for the client to follow that runs concurrently with the design of new templates and creation of new content.
Creativity and clarity
Although you may initially think this is a job for a large consultancy, think again.
As a copywriter, I have the insight to understand what the end-user wants (in this case the company’s staff).
As a writer, I appreciate the clarity simple writing brings to complex ideas. I also understand how important aesthetics are when it comes to increasing understanding.
As an outsider, I can see how the processes can be improved to make sure the information library remains current.
And all of that comes with a smaller price tag than the large consultancies.
You see, there’s so much more to copywriting than you would think.
Working with numerous companies, we pick up a lot of information and ideas that can be used to enhance future projects.
So next time you have a project that involves more than just writing content, have a chat with your copywriter first.
Sally Ormond is an international copywriter whose skills are helping companies around the world improve their communications.