Rare Briefs

When a client with a decent budget wants some copywriting work done but can’t or won’t provide you with a brief, what can you do?

Insist they answer some questions

Writing copy without a decent brief is a bit like saying to someone “just design me a website”. If your client doesn’t give you the information you need at the outset, you could tell them you can’t do the work unless you have more details.

In an ideal world we could all pick and choose our clients, but the reality of having bills to pay often puts a stop to this.

You can try and try with some clients for a more detailed (or any kind) of brief but sometimes it just won’t be forthcoming, which leads me nicely on to the next point…

Charge more for market research

A good brief usually means better copy. If your client can’t supply you with what they’re looking for and you want to do a professional job, then you could ask for more money to compile your own brief.

This work could include speaking to people in their target market, researching competitor websites, and keyword research for SEO. If life was easy, all clients would agree and off you go.

However, the reality is many will come back and say they don’t have the extra budget. This leaves one option…

Rely on guesswork

I certainly wouldn’t recommend this approach, but because of the need to make money, it’s a situation most copywriters have sadly found themselves in.

Making assumptions about the target market, what problems they’re facing, and how the client’s product or service solves these is far from ideal.

This approach will often result in wishy-washy content that doesn’t really appeal to anyone.

How do you get over the issue of being a naked copywriter? 

One of the problems with clients writing their own content is managing their time. The marketing manager may start off with a few pages then pass it on to the sales director or someone else to finish off.

There are a number of reasons why this approach isn’t a good idea:

• A confused tone of voice

On one site I read, the home page was terribly formal (not entirely appropriate for selling golf clubs) and the main product pages sounded like they were written by a 15 year old.

Knowing who you’re writing for is one thing, being able target them using the right words is quite another. People like consistency. How would you feel if you met me for the first time and I was very formal initially then suddenly changed into some sort of foul-mouthed yob? You’d probably run a mile!

• An unstable structure

Bob from sales knows all about using a powerful call to action, but Jenny in marketing thinks this approach is too direct; “people surely don’t need to be asked to buy our products when they’re already on our website?”

Other things I noticed on the sites in question were some pages having sub-headings, bullet points and internal links, while others had none of these things at all.

• Nobody takes ownership

In the mad panic to “just get the damn website live” it’s likely nobody actually takes ownership of what’s being written by various individuals. Bob from sales doesn’t really want to tell Jenny in marketing that he thinks her content is rubbish and vice versa. Anyway, they don’t have the time; they have their ‘proper’ jobs to be getting on with.

• Poor online performance

A haphazard approach rarely achieves the best results. For example, a company may have spent £10K getting a website designed then completely ruin its chances of delivering a positive return by filling it with inconsistent and poorly written content.

Hands up if you want to write a web page! No thanks, I’d rather write them all.

When Barack Obama won the race for the American Presidency in 2012, he used the same words (his message was a little less focused on frozen prawn rings though!).

I think this phrase in particular is a risky one to use, not just for frozen food specialists and politicians, but in general.

Here’s why:

• It implies you deliberately haven’t been doing your best up until now

People expect businesses of all types and politicians to be doing their best all the time. How would you feel as one of my copywriting clients if you approved what I’d written then I told you it wasn’t my best work?

• It’s vague

Just exactly when is the ‘best’ going to come? Does someone keep faith for a few more days, weeks, months or even years before getting the ‘best’ and what does ‘the best’ actually mean?

• It’s a well-worn path

“The best is yet to come” is hardly a new phrase. A quick search on Google shows it’s been used by many well-known people and businesses over the years.

People quickly get tired of hearing the same words and phrases. And in the case of the supermarket adverts, many probably remember the song more than the products it was being used to sell.

Can you think of any other phrases that are overused? Please share them in the comments below.

If you’ve got a blog that’s been neglected I would suggest you either:

Delete it from your website

Imagine how you’d feel as a potential customer arriving on your website. “Oh, I like their product/service – I wonder what they’ve been up to lately?”

Your last blog post from a few months ago (or longer) will only serve to create doubt; “is this company still trading?” “Why has nobody bothered to update this blog lately?”

If you have a blog but don’t have the time or budget to maintain it, get rid of it as it’s probably doing more harm than good. (Did I mention Google likes regular, unique content too?)

Make time to blog or outsource your blogging

You don’t have to blog every day or even every week. Making time to blog just once a month will at least show your site is being updated with fresh content and lets people see you’re definitely still going.

If you’d like to blog more often than monthly (and ideally you should), then another option is to hire a copywriter to blog on your behalf. Yes it’s more expense, but an increase in traffic and search engine results are useful things to get in return!

So if your blog started out like a rocket but has turned into a damp squib, do something about it today. Delete it from your website, find the time to update it or contact a copywriter to make it sizzle. 

Image credit: brokenarts

I was surprised at the lack of activity by web agencies, but even more so by what I found when looking at the websites of copywriters in Edinburgh.

I must admit, I thought my blogging frequency was pretty bad, but I am in the 30% that have posted 10 times or more this year.

I’d love to hear from other copywriters who do blog, as well as those who don’t, to discover why. 

I know web design is a fiercely competitive industry in ‘Auld Reekie’ so decided to see how many were using blogs as a way of driving traffic and enquiries to their websites.

I took a sample of 20 established companies of all sizes, from one person bands to those with dozens of staff and was surprised at the results.

What do these results mean? Here are some possible options

• The majority of agencies in question don’t appreciate the value of blogging.
• They’re too busy to write any articles.
• They don’t have anyone in-house with the required skills.
• They don’t know what to write about.
• They don’t have the budget to pay a copywriter.

I was having a discussion with a web designer friend of mine recently about what colour the copy and background should be on a website.

Being a designer, he was open to all sorts of combinations. However, I was a lot more limited in my views – I like black or dark blue text on a white background generally. (I realise now that should say dark grey – see comments).

My argument was that because people are used to reading black text on a white background in things such as magazines and newspapers, it makes sense to stick with that formula.

His viewpoint was that using black on white all the time was a bit too boring and didn’t allow any room for the copy to really complement the design.

Excluding ridiculous examples such as bright yellow text on a shocking pink background, does copy colour really matter that much as long as people can read it?

If you’re a web designer with an opinion on this subject, please leave your comments below. And be kind, I only write the words – I’m not a designer!

Image credit: Leah Gregg (image license)

I’ve written before about common client objections when it comes to copywriting, but this post is about how a copywriter can help your agency win more business.

Is it time to stop swimming against the tide?

• Writing targeted blog posts

Do you have the time to write regular blog posts? If not, you’re missing out on an inexpensive way of getting traffic and potential new business.

A good copywriter will come up with a long term blogging plan to get the attention of the people or sector you want to work with.

• Rewriting your website

When was the last time you read your homepage copy with a potential client in mind? Does it say what it needs to, or could it have more of an impact?

Having a professional copywriter review your site from an outside perspective can pinpoint certain areas that could be improved – for example is your headline engaging, or turning people away?

• Pitches and proposals

Are you guilty of copying and pasting text when it comes to writing new proposals and pitches? Of course it takes time to write a new document each time, but that’s where a copywriter can help.

As an example, I wrote a proposal in conjunction with an agency which cost them £150 and resulted in them winning over £10K worth of work from a luxury hotel chain, despite them being the smallest and youngest agency pitching for the job.

Many copywriters will have experience in speech writing (myself included) and can also help you find the right words for your client pitches.

Confidentiality is King of course when it comes to pitches and proposals, so make sure your copywriter signs a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before working with them.

If you’d like to find out more, get in touch for a chat. 

It got me thinking; what do web designers and agencies really want from a copywriter? As a copywriter myself I don’t have all the answers, but I hope this article will generate some discussion.

Captain Peacock

Below is a list of what a good web copywriter should be able to offer an agency other than just well-written copy:

• Evidence of what they’ve done for other clients

If a web copywriter is good at what they do, they should be able to demonstrate this to you.

• Transparent pricing

A fixed price at the outset will enable you as an agency to provide your client with an accurate cost for the copy.

• Keyword research

Keyword research needs to be done in conjunction with the client. A good copywriter should be able to take the lead in this process.

• Proof they’ve researched the target market

Recommending a copywriter to a client means your reputation is on the line. Asking for proof when it comes to market research will help put your mind at rest.

• On-page optimisation

A web copywriter should understand on-page optimisation and how to do this without making the content sound spammy.

• Liaising with the client on your preferred terms

You may want your copywriter to appear as if they work for you in-house, or be happy for them to let the client know they’re an external supplier. Either way, a copywriter should be comfortable working the way you want them to.

• Taking ownership of a project

Whatever way you choose to work with your web copywriter, they should take ownership of their part of the project. They should be proactive in asking you about your deadlines and ensuring the client has enough time to look over their work and make any required changes.

• Feedback and ideas

I’m not suggesting that agencies want a copywriter to critique their websites, but an extra pair of eyes and another opinion can often help during the development of a site.

Other ideas a good copywriter may put forward are suggested blog titles for your client for the site launch, or how your own site could benefit from applying some of the same principles they’ve used for your client.

It would be great to hear direct from web designers and agencies on what they expect from a relationship with a web copywriter. Please leave your comments below. 

Copywriting is still an undervalued skill in many quarters. 

A client’s thought pattern may go a little bit like this:

“We don’t know where to start with all that techy stuff, but we can save money by writing our own content – that’s a no brainer.”

If anyone can be a web copywriter, the following skills must be useless:

• Keyword research

What words/phrases are people likely to type into Google when looking for a particular product or service? Does anyone actually search for these terms?

• On-page optimisation

How do you incorporate the most relevant keywords and phrases into a web page – just stuff them in and hope for the best?

• An understanding of psychology

Will a product or service just sell itself? Has anybody ever been persuaded to buy something they didn’t actually set out to?

• Knowing what makes a good headline

A headline can make or break a web page. I wonder if a bunch of words can actually make someone decide to read on or just go off and find another website?

• Focusing on benefits rather than features

Visitors to a website surely can’t fail to be impressed by a list of technical terms and features of a product? You shouldn’t have to also tell them why they need to buy it, should you?

The next time a client says “We’ll write the copy ourselves”, maybe you could advise them there’s a bit more to it than they think and ask them to contact us

Take a look at some other common web copywriting objections