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Written by: Mary Thibault
Over the last four weeks we’ve laid the foundation for our readers to become informed writers. In our five week copywriting series, we’ve learned how to transform copy, write mission statements, structure websites & SEO, and write calls-to-action. Now that the foundation has cemented, it’s time to dive in, to continue building and embarking upon on your journey to creativity. Today we’re going to talk about the best ways to start working with your copywriter.
The term “copywriter” can be an ambiguous one. At Twenty Over Ten, our copywriters are responsible to write (obviously), research, interview, edit, proofread, manage projects, source images, and even sometimes plan campaigns. We usually have an agenda based around the client’s needs. Since we service financial advisors, our agenda is to raise awareness of the company and educate a niche audience about services.
You most likely hired a copywriter because you don’t have time to write, or the materials you were using weren’t working. Our copywriting process has three succinct steps:
Step 1: Brief Your Copywriter
This is the most important step and we like to start it with a series of questions. We want to hear from you; about your audience, your main goals, your mission, etc. These are all areas that the copywriter will rely on you for. At Twenty Over Ten we have a copywriting worksheet that we’ll send to you as a first step and to get answers. This worksheet will tell us almost everything we need to know to craft a first draft. Because it’s a collaborative effort, it’s really helpful for you to fill out everything you can ( please don’t assume that we understand your business right away). We’ll need your guidance — it’s a team effort.
Step 2: Communicate & Create
Based upon your copywriting package, we’ll review the worksheet with you either on the phone or via email and will fill in any missing holes. Then we’ll take notes. Lots and lots of notes. We’ll ask more questions and will eventually get a solid grasp of your tone of voice. As a copywriter, it always helps for us to look at examples that our clients like and don’t like. Send us websites that inspire you. It’s time to get specific here so think about aspects of the sites that draw you in. Is it the short, concise copy, the headers, the voice of the brand. After chatting, we will draft the first round of content and will send it over to you.
Step 3: Feedback
Keeping our clients happy is our number one priority. But to end up with a piece of writing that accomplishes that requires feedback. For us, the most effective way to communicate feedback is when our clients provide specifics. Give examples of the writing that you like (such as subheads or your call to action) and examples of what you want us to work on to make something more compelling. If your feedback is straightforward, send it over to us in an email. If you have something that’s much more difficult to explain give us a call. Based upon your copywriting package, we’ll continue to iterate on the copy as much as we can to create a top-notch product for you!
If our clients fill out the brief to the best of their ability and provide constructive feedback, you’ve done what you can to make the process a success. The rest is up to us!