Many businesses can be nervous involving a copywriter in their business. And outsider!
How could they possibly understand enough?
What if they write something dreadful?
It’s a fair concern. But it shouldn’t stop you hiring a copywriter. You just need to make the right choice.
Firstly, I’ll allay your fear. In 20 years of commercial copywriting, it’s been incredibly rare for me to discover a client is totally unhappy with their draft copy. I cannot remember the last time it happened.
IF it ever happens, it’s generally down to poor preparation and communication (I’ll cover these points in a moment).
Should you find yourself in such a spot with me, I’ll put it right. That’s why I include a set of amends in every quote.
You do, of course, receive draft copy to review. Sometimes, my clients tweak this a little bit, and on occasions, they approve it with no amendments at all.
Back to why a problem might arise. I’d put money on it being down to poor preparation or bad communication.
Careful preparation
Here’s an interesting fact: no copywriter in the world can read your mind. To create effective copy for your business, there must be sufficient preparation. We might call it ‘discovery’ or ‘research’. It all boils down to knowing and understanding enough to write your copy.
And we don’t have to know as much as you do. Our task is to project your message in an engaging way so your customers and prospects feel sufficiently informed and motivated to move along your sales funnel.
Your job is to take our preparation (or ‘discovery’) seriously. It’s part of the process.
When I ask you questions, please answer them as fully as you can. Cover all the points. Don’t assume I know something. The best way to approach this is to imagine I’ve just discovered your business and industry for the first time (even if I have experience in your sector).
Appreciate that to deliver effective copy, I might need to carry out further research or speak to your colleagues and customers in more depth. I’ll tell you what I need to do. You just have to understand the significance of this.
Experienced copywriters are familiar with this process. Our role involves far more than simply typing words.
Clear communication
I need to understand what you want to achieve. If you don’t tell me, I cannot help you.
If you want your blogs to be optimised for Google, tell me. If you have a specific message to convey, tell me. If your customer stories must fit a particular structure, tell me.
For fear of repeating myself, I’m not a mind reader.
It’s important we use our early communication time well. To meet (maybe exceed) your expectations, I have to understand what they are.
And when you get your draft copy, don’t expect it to be perfect. It might be, but there could be areas you want to revise. That’s perfectly normal and part of the copywriting process.
When you provide your amendments, please be clear and specific. “Jazz it up a little,” isn’t clear. Highlight the specific sections that need amending and provide clear direction. If we need a chat at this stage, let’s have one!
With careful preparation and clear communication, the risk of you not liking your copy is minimal.
Can’t say fairer than that.