The writing process: what does a copywriter really do? | Sunflower ...

When talking to a new or prospective client, copywriters often find themselves having to explain why their rates are ?so high?. It?s easy to just rattle off: ?Well, you get what you pay for? and, to a certain extent, that?s true. But it set me thinking that most people probably have no idea what?s involved when we sit down to put words on paper.

I can?t speak for everyone who writes words for money, but this is an approximation of what I do when completing a project.

1. Initial research.

I find out as much as I can about the project, my client and their customers. I may even give clients a questionnaire, depending on the project. This is what I aim to research:

• The customer
• The product
• The business
• The offer (or message)
• The end goal: what does the client want from the copy?

The customer is the most important aspect of all your communications. They should always be the focus of your marketing activities: who are they, what do they want and ? most importantly ? how do you and your product/service benefit your customers? If you have any customer testimonials I can look at, send them over!

You need to look at things from their point of view. You know your business and your products inside out, but that?s not always a good thing when it comes to writing about it. You?re so invested in who you are and what you do that it can be difficult to approach the problem from the outside, from the customer?s point of view. That?s why you need me: I can write for your customers, rather than for you.

2. Exploratory research.

After the initial research comes a little more research. Two sets of research, in fact: competitor research and audience research.

Old-fashioned research. Still useful sometimes.

I?ll have a mooch around the internet to find out what my client?s competitors are doing and how they?re talking to customers. I?ll look at successful competitors and not-so-successful ones, so I can learn from the best of what they?re doing and avoid the worst.

Then I?ll do some audience research. I need to know who you?re selling to and who you want to sell to. It?s useful to find out where your customers hang out, and stalk them a little. By learning about the audience, I can ensure that my copy is exactly what my client?s audience wants to read.

Talking to people is really useful. You can?t beat a conversation for drawing out information that you might not think to ask about. If I can, I record my conversations then transcribe them; if I can?t, I try to type as I talk.

While I?m researching and talking to people, I make a lot of notes. Sometimes I use a pen and ink, sometimes I use a computer.

3. Find the big idea.

Once the research is done, it?s time to find a ?hook? ? the main theme of the piece of copy. Then it?s time to write an outline or structure.

He?s cute. I couldn?t resist it.

You may be surprised at the amount of work that goes on before any actual writing is done, but all this makes the blank sheet of paper much less daunting. It leads to less wailing and gnashing of teeth. Plus, it?s fun: I draw spider diagrams, word nets and helpful doodles, and then I hide them in case someone sees.

An outline is a useful thing: by creating a loose framework and using a number of subheadings, a copywriter doesn?t have to fill a blank page with words (which is a terrible thing to have to do). It gives writing purpose and flow, helping to ensure that it stays on track.

4. Then I write.

I simply put words on the screen, one after another, in whatever order they come out. I?ll write a headline too. None of this will look the way it does when it reaches my client. The final headline is often the last thing I write, when I know what I?m really saying.

Pen and ink: retro.

A little restructuring is in order then, to improve the flow of the piece if it needs it and make sure the ideas are all in a sensible order.

Then I start editing, deleting, adding and expanding. I get rid of anything that is repetition, or fluff, or jargon (especially jargon). It?s vital to trim the fat, and there?s usually a lot of fat to trim: think back to writing school essays?

5. Then I walk away.

Overnight if possible. I?ll sleep on the writing; stop thinking about it. Coming back with fresh eyes is the only way I can really edit and rewrite as necessary, and get the words into great shape.

If at all possible, I get somebody to read the piece of work through for me. It doesn?t really matter who ? and in my case, it?s usually my husband. He?ll catch any typos I?ve missed (it?s really difficult to proof your own work ? you see what you mean, not what you wrote) and tell me if it makes sense, if I?ve missed anything vital, if I?ve hit all the pain points and benefits.

6. Then I send it.

I won?t send anything to a client that I?m not happy with myself, and for this reason I rarely take on same-day tasks (I also tend to be booked up). It?s just not possible (for me at least) to do a job I would consider first-class in such a short space of time; I like to come back to it.

Included in the fee is one set of revisions. It?s rare that a copywriter gets something perfect first time, so I build amendments into the fee.

Value for your investment

When you receive a quote from a copywriter, it?s important to ask: what value are you getting? If you?re happy with a copywriter?s work, and they?ve brought value to your business, they?re worth your investment. If you?re not happy, you should seek out a new copywriter. Sometimes it takes time to find the right person and build a valuable relationship.

Keep this in mind when you ask for something short too. We often hear cries of: ?But it?s only 100 words? or ?it?s just a picture caption!? followed by a request to halve the fee. Shorter is not necessarily easier. In fact, it?s often more difficult. After all, if it was that simple, everyone would just write their own copy. Wouldn?t they?

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Source: http://sunflower-comms.com/2013/03/22/the-writing-process/

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