Quite often your written marketing material is all that stands between you gaining a sales lead… and losing one.
I see my task here in the same life-or-death terms – my copy wins you business or loses it. It’s that fundamental.
The work I do for you matters and I take it very seriously.
So this, typically, is how we get things done.
First, the TL,DR version:
You give me some information that I need, I offer you ideas on our best approach, the strongest angle, the most resonant messaging… once we agree I write drafts, you review, I edit based on your review and when we’re done, you publish.
The longer version
1. First, we arrange a brief call. I send you a couple of questions in advance so you know what I’ll be asking you about.
We’ll talk briefly at what you’re looking to achieve, what you’ve tried so far and how that’s going.
2. I offer you some ideas, we discuss how I would help make those ideas a reality. I quote a price and you go away and give it some thought.
3. If you want to proceed we agree on final deliverables, our schedule and so on. I ask for half the fee in advance, the other half within 24 hours of completion.
4. I start our project with a short questionnaire for you to fill in. It asks pointed, specific questions about your product, your audience and your business.
Don’t worry about your written English or whether you have ‘good’ answers. This isn’t a test and there’s no judgement. I’ve worked with people who have writing difficulties and varying levels of neuro-divergence. One client actually voice-recorded their answers since they felt more comfortable doing it that way.
We’re going to be frank, open and trusting in this working relationship. You may well find – as some people have – that answering those questions gives you ideas and insights into your business that you haven’t had before.
And you’ll see the questions give us real insight into our audience – showing us how we can best reassure and persuade them that you’re the right person to be working with.
5. While you’re completing the questionnaire I do my own research and analysis so that I can address your potential customers in terms that are most convincing and persuasive.
I’m looking to familiarise myself with your industry’s norms, jargon, expectations, language, concepts… I also want to uncover what makes your ideal customer actually be an ideal customer… and I want to work out how to speak to people so that the copy persuades on the one hand but handles fears and objections on the other.
Creating copy ideas for your business
6. With your completed questionnaire I develop sales messages, angles, phrasing… and a copy structure that will present your service as a must-have for your ideal customer. We look for ways to differentiate you from similar offerings so that you are noticeable in a crowd (for the right reasons!)
I adapt tone and pace to the market we’re writing for. But what I always want to do is make a logical argument that the reader can’t ignore – and an emotional one they can’t resist.
7. Then – finally! – I write your first drafts. In fact, I throw quite a bit of copy at you initially. Your job here is to read through it and offer your view on which parts you really like and which parts either need some work or, possibly, should be dropped.
You get to see how I’m thinking at this early stage, the angles and ideas I’ve come up with so we can discuss it and get it right from there on. This is where we agree our direction of travel, the core messaging, tone and so on.
8. From there I use what we discussed and agreed in point 7 to draft the copy as many times as I need to until it’s exactly what we need to get the outcomes we want.
Time-scales, delivery dates
9. All going well, you’ll get that first draft about 3 – 4 working days after I’ve read your questionnaire responses. Depending on what we’re working on it could be a little sooner or a little later. But I will keep you informed of progress.
10. I ask of you that you review and respond to drafts within 3 working days and that your review be thorough and complete.
FYI
I’m easy to work with. I’m not just an order-taker – I run the project, share ideas and offer opinions (sometimes whether you ask for opinions or not!) I’ve served over a hundred clients – from stone-cold beginners to business veterans – and I’ve seen all sorts of marketing and business situations. I have a view on many things. I’m on your side – I want you to win and I’ll do everything I can to ensure you do.
Over to you
So, now’s the moment. Strong copy will affect your readers in ways that weak copy simply can’t. And that translates into new followers, subscribers and buyers… which is the difference between being a business that struggles and one that flourishes.
Start now and start reaping the rewards. Pop your details into the form below and let’s take step 1.