How being a journalist made me a great copywriter

Once upon a time before I was a copywriter, I was a freelance journalist. We’re not talking a massive pivot here. I went from writing words for magazines and newspapers to writing words for businesses. I do things a bit differently now – but it’s still all about the words.

And that’s good news if you’re looking for a copywriter with shed loads of writing experience. Like nearly 40 years – blimey, that makes me old! – of writing experience.

Here’s why…

I know nothing – and I know everything!

As a freelance journalist I never knew what I’d be writing about next. Botox, celebrity diets, domestic violence, money – you name it, I’ve written about it. Sometimes topics would be way out of my comfort zone. ‘What? I know NOTHING about THAT!’ But learning something new was part of the job I really loved. I was a total research freak! With every new commission, I dug deep into the subject to build my knowledge. It meant that when it came to interviewing experts and real-life people, I was well informed and knew all the right questions to ask.

It’s a skill that’s nicely transferred to copywriting.

I’m not phased writing about a sector I haven’t covered before. Hell, bring it on! I’m going to research the f*** out of your business and your industry. And you know why that’s good? I’m going to come at your business from all angles and question you on everything. And why’s that good? Because I’m going to find out everything about your business and your customers. And all that nitty-gritty info is going to inform, engage and entice your customers to buy your stuff.

Yep, I know what you’re thinking…

Why not hire a copywriter with experience writing in your sector? Well, of course you can (and sometimes I might advise you to do just that). But what if you want someone who isn’t jaded writing about the same old same old. Someone who’s buzzing with excitement and enthusiasm. Someone who isn’t afraid to ask questions. Someone with decades of research experience.

Someone who used to be a journalist, perhaps?

* Need a research-driven copywriter for web content, blogs, award applications and case studies? Hit me up here

PHOTO: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

Do you have time to work with a copywriter?

You’re probably thinking – now that’s a funny old question. Surely the whole point of hiring a copywriter is that they spend THEIR time creating my content. What’s MY time got to do with it?

And that would be a fair point.

Thing is, though, copywriters still need some of your time if they’re going to do a bloody brilliant job.

Take me, for example. When you hire me to write your content, I’ll need at least an hour of your time on Zoom. Maybe two.

And here’s why.

I don’t do questionnaires

Some copywriters send clients a questionnaire so they can gather information about their business before writing the words.

Me? I’m not a big fan of questionnaires. It feels too much like homework, don’t you think? Whenever I have to fill one in I write the bare minimum then get back to Netflix and necking chocolate biscuits.

And here’s the thing. A questionnaire won’t give me the whole story.

I know this from my days as a journalist. Very occasionally, if there was no other way around it, I’d interview someone by sending them questions. The replies were horribly short and succinct. I got what I needed – just! The articles I wrote were OK. Just.

And that’s just not good enough for your business.

Here’s what we’ll do instead…

I get that you might want to be prepared before we chat. If that’s you, I’ll happily send over an outline of the kind of questions I’ll be asking.

I did this recently when I was writing a LinkedIn profile for a client and had a couple of left-field questions I figured they wouldn’t be expecting. It gave them chance to think – and they came up with a really sweet anecdote that illustrated why they love what they do.

It was the perfect story to make them stand out in a sea of LinkedIn competitors.

I dig deep – really, really deep

Years of interviewing people from all walks of life taught me to ask questions… and keep asking questions until I hit gold.

And that took time.

Often the gold nugget would come right at the end of the interview. They’d say something that I knew would make the perfect headline. Or would pull at the readers’ heartstrings. Or would shock or surprise.

It was always worth the wait.

Here’s how our interview will go down…

Yes, you guessed it, I’ll be asking shed loads of questions.

And heads-up – there’ll be two types of questions coming your way.

#1 The fact-finding questions. These are to find out everything I need to know about your business – so I can tell your clients and customers everything they need to know about your business.

# The touchy-feely questions. These are to find out more about you – so your target audience get to know, love and adore you.

It’s a cracking combo.

And your golden, nuggety answers mean I can write cracking, one-of-a-kind content for you.

I love a good story

When I started working as a copywriter I was worried I’d miss out on hearing great stories.

As a journalist for nearly 30 years I’d had the privilege of listening to so many people’s life experiences. I loved interviewing as much as I did writing. They were my two favourite things. (A third was chocolate, but, you know, relevance.)

When I realised that interviewing clients was a HUGE part of any copywriting project – boy was I happy!

Selfish as I am, though, the interview bit isn’t for my benefit.

Without fulling getting to know you there’s no way I can bring your business to life in your content. You’d sound just the same as everyone else who does what you do. And that’s no way to attract money-waving fans, is it?

Here’s why time with me is well spent

Unless you really, really hate talking about you and your business you’re going to love chatting to me.

We drink tea. Virtually. We laugh. Like hyenas. We talk. And we talk some more.

And I’m listening.

I listen to the words, phrases and colloquialisms you use. I keep my ears open for nuances in speech. I tune into your kind of humour.

And I use everything I hear to craft content in your brand style and tone of voice.

There’s more, too.

I’ve had clients tell me how useful our conversation was. It might have re-ignited their passion. Or sparked new ideas. Or reminded them how far they’ve come. Or how awesome they are.

When was the last time a questionnaire did that for you?

* Want to talk your way to great content? Let’s do this

PHOTO: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

Has your web content had a personality bypass?

So, I met a lovely person at a business event recently. Let’s call her Gill. Gill was bubbling with enthusiasm about how she helped her clients and loved doing what she did. She had the kind of infectious energy I love. ‘I bet she’s got an awesome website,’ I thought. And ran home to look.

OK, so I didn’t run home. I checked it out on my phone in the car park. Too soon? Too stalker-ish? Come on – I’m a copywriter!

Anyway, I must have got the wrong website because there was no sign of Gill.

I’ll gloss over the godawful design with its dated style and generic stock photos because that’s not my patch. Let me tell you about the web content – because words most definitely are my patch.

I don’t know who Gill was talking to but it wasn’t me. It was all ‘my clients’ this and ‘my clients’ that. There was no ‘you’ to be found. Gill had been so warm and friendly when we met – but now she seemed distant and cold (much like the Indian takeaway I’d ordered 90 minutes ago).

To be honest, I wasn’t keen on this new Gill.

Talking to Gill in real life was fun. She spoke quite fast, eyes shining, words tripping off her tongue in short, sharp bursts of eagerness. The way she talked pulled me in and made me want to know more. And yet here she was now with her tediously long sentences that went on for ever and told me very little (apart from the fact she’s not a big fan of punctuation).

And – I hate to say this – but Gill had become a bit of a bore. Honestly, she was explaining how I could ‘utilise’ something or other to ‘enable’ me to do some sort of stuff that would be the ‘solution’ I was looking for. Slap me awake, someone!!

I felt a bit sad, really. We’d connected so well in real life. But this Gill was the kind of person I backed away from at parties.

I wish I’d met Gill before she – or some I’ll-knock-you-up-some-words-for-a-tenner copywriter – wrote her web content. Or she’d succumbed to using AI (I mean, she knows it’s a robot, right?) We could’ve had a nice chat and I would’ve captured her personality and sprinkled it all over my beautifully written words.

If we’d met earlier there wouldn’t be two Gills to confuse and frustrate people. There would be just the one Gill. The lovely Gill. The real Gill.

Gill – are you out there? I miss you.

* If you see Gill ask her to get in touch

PHOTO: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

When not to hire a copywriter

What’s this? A copywriter suggesting you might not want to hire a copywriter? Am I mad? Too busy to take on any work? Not actually a copywriter at all? Well, no, on all fronts. It’s just that sometimes it’s probably best all round if you don’t try to hire a copywriter.

You don’t know what you want

To do the best job we can copywriters need a brief so we know exactly what’s wanted from the get-go. Still figuring out what you’re going to include in your online course? Er, that’s going to make writing a sales landing page a little tricky. Not sure what you want on your website yet or how many pages you need? Um…

Without knowing the scale and scope of the work I’m afraid we’re buggered. We can’t give more than a ballpark quote for starters. Or an idea how long the project will take. And we definitely can’t magic up blow-your-socks off content. On the few occasions I’ve gone blindly ahead (never again!) work stops and starts and takes one step forward and two steps back as me and the client struggle to – quite literally – get on the same page. It’s never ended well.

Here’s an idea…

Get clear on what you want before chatting to a copywriter. That way you’ll get an accurate quote and a good indication of when the work will be finished. And it means the project is more likely to run smoothly, with no tears or tantrums on either side.

You don’t know what a copywriter does

Hello. My mate says I need a copywriter. I don’t know what one of those does – but I found you online. Can you help me?’

Chances are if you don’t know what a copywriter does you’ll fall off your chair when you hear what they charge.

‘Seriously? But it’s only words. Forget it then – I’ll get my 10-year-old nephew to do it. Or his gerbil.’

Here’s an idea…

Why not clue yourself up on copywriters before you call. While I’ll always explain how I work and what I can bring to a project, it’s handy if you know a little bit about copywriting first. It will help you decide if hiring a copywriter is right for your business – or you’d be better off with that gerbil.

You’re not ready

You’re thinking of working with a copywriter but you don’t have all your ducks in a row yet. Maybe you’re in the middle of a rebrand or need time to sort out the budget. So you decide to sound out a copywriter or two, get a feel for how they work, what they charge and when they’re available so you’ll have all the information you need when you’re ready to hire one.

That all sounds great – except that if you’re still figuring out the job spec it’s impossible for a copywriter to give you a proper quote (see You Don’t Know What You Want). Also – there’s a timing issue. You might not be in a position to work with a copywriter right now but there’s no guarantee they’ll be available when you’re ready to roll.

Here’s an idea…

If you find a copywriter you love keep in touch to let them know how things are going and check on their availability. If they’ve been snapped up by someone else it gives you time to find another copywriter – or reschedule your project.

You don’t have the budget

You’d love to use a copywriter but you just don’t have the moolah. I get it, I do. But I still need to run a profitable business and keep myself in chocolate biscuits. I’m happy to negotiate on large projects but don’t tell me you’ve got limited funds because your house is being renovated/you’re going on a round-the-world cruise/the vet’s bill was extortionate. And please don’t try that ‘If you give me a big discount now I’ll have lots of lucrative work to send your way in future’. You won’t!

Here’s an idea…

Start small. If you don’t have the budget for new web content how about I sort out your About page at least? Or write one blog a month instead of two? Or do one press release? It will give you chance to see what my words can do for your business – and how much value I can bring.

* Go on – convince me you’re ready to hire me.

PHOTO: Pixabay

A story about calligraphy…

If you read last month’s blog you’ll know that I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions and instead make a list of lovely things to do for the year. You might recall that I wrote about lovely ways to improve your content. Hands up – it was a tenuous link to copywriting. You didn’t read it? That’s a relief – because there’s another one of those tenuous suckers coming up!

So, my lovely things list started with learning sign language. I already know a few basics as I have a brother-in-law who’s deaf and he’d helpfully taught me how to sign ‘bullshit’. Still, I figured learning some more words and phrases would be useful. I’m not sure he’d agree. Yesterday we were chatting and I signed ‘Why were you born?’ and ‘Do you want cake in your coffee?’ It’s a work in progress.

My latest lovely thing to do is calligraphy. I’d never considered it until a Facebook ad popped up and I thought ‘Ooh, hello, that sounds lovely, I’ll give that a go!’ And now for that tenuous link…

The website for the calligraphy subscription box is awesome. I loved its calm simplicity – which totally fits with the brand. How the words are really clear about the product. The photos of the happy customers. The meaningful testimonials. The way you can quickly see the different pricing options. I tell you, that website had everything I needed to decide I wanted to buy. Which can’t be said for some websites that are so cluttered and confusing I just can’t be arsed.

The awesomeness didn’t stop there. As soon as I’d signed up I received a batch of emails welcoming me, confirming payment and giving me a referral link. Some automated emails can be soooo long and dull. These weren’t. They were informative and yet short, straight-to-the point and friendly. That’s a big thumbs-up from me.

So how’s your marketing doing? Do your Facebook ads hit your target market in the eyeballs? Does your website engage, inform and invite sales? Are you communicating in the right way to keep customers happy?

No? Well wouldn’t it be just lovely if you could get it sorted?

* I can sort you out. Get on the dog and bone and let’s talk.

PHOTO: Pixabay

4 nice things you can do to improve your content

I used to be a sucker for New Year’s resolutions. Go to the gym, lose weight, eat healthily, give up chocolate. I’d kick off January with good intentions… but come the end of February it had all gone pear-shaped (quite literally when it came to my waistline). So now I don’t bother. Instead, I make a list of nice things I want to include in the coming year – like a monthly facial, eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant, learning a new skill (I’m going to give sign language a go).

While I’m thinking of nice stuff, here are some lovely things you can do for your content in the New Year. (Yes, it’s a tenuous link but I’m on a Quality Street high and my brain is a mush of caramel swirls).

#1 Be kind to your content

You’ve written a blog/newsletter/web page and you’re so excited to get it out into the world you hardly give it a second glance. It’s only later you realise it’s got a howler of a spelling mistake, is missing a vital bit of information or, um, actually doesn’t really make that much sense. Give your sales and marketing content the attention it deserves by doing this:-

* use spellcheck and Grammarly

* whack up the font size to  help you spot glaring mistakes

* print it out, wait 24 hours then read it again

* get someone else to read it

#2 Keep things fresh

Google loves shiny new content. Ever since its Freshness Algorithm Update (yes, it’s a thing) it can’t get enough of freshly written words. If Google comes across content that’s old, outdated or about as topical as an Eighties pop star it’s not going to do you any favours on the ranking front. To stop your content getting as stale as a week-old bread roll, read it through to see if it needs a freshen-up. Weed out any out-of-date stuff and replace it with more useful current information that both users and search engines will love. Oh, and don’t forget to keep your shiny new blog posts coming!

#3 Dare to be yourself

Make this the year you don’t copy your competitors. OK, so I said the same thing around about this time last year when my advice was to Be More Marmite. I’m saying it again because I come across so many business owners who don’t have the confidence to be themselves. They play it safe on their About page with a bland career summary instead of a personal story that connects with their audience. They shy away from being funny or quirky or controversial – or anything else that highlights what makes them different. It makes me sad. And I don’t want to feel sad. So for your sake and mine – could you go all out and really show off your brand personality in the New Year?

#4 Hire a copywriter

Yeah, yeah – subtle, huh? But seriously, one of the loveliest things you can do for your content is to get a copywriter on board. Imagine the relief of knowing your sales and marketing content is in safe hands. That you don’t have to come up with compelling words that fit together beautifully. Or worry about all those weeny bits of text like headlines, straplines and CTAs that you don’t really know what you’re doing with. Or figure out SEO stuff. Or any of the other frankly brilliant wordy things that a copywriter can do.

* Looking for a lovely copywriter to do lovely things to your content? I’m here for you

PHOTO: Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent/Pexels