Essential steps to make your copywriting effective

Regardless of what service you provide or what type of products you produce, in today highly competitive and rapidly changing world one should always have appealing, attracting and interesting content on the web site. Web copywriting process is destined to help you to create well-written content copy. Copywriters will be able to design and compose the copy that gain attention of major search engines and increase the traffic on your web site; yet it not enough. One should never forget how the text on your web site should look like.

Many copywriters, who write for online and offline companies, commit mistakes by writing and composing the copy that addresses all clients at the same time. However, one should realize that the content that communicates with each client individually rather than with the group of people is the most efficient one. The phrase” Our clients will find our services affordable” sounds weaker than the phrase:” You will find our services affordable” In this case you focus on the uniqueness of your client; you communicate with him and address him directly. Certainly, your business might provide services to several thousands of clients yet even in this case you should preserve individual, direct contact with the person. This is one of the most effective strategies in the web copywriting process.

Whatever you write-be it a sales letter or just advertisement, SEO copywriting copy or leaflet, this simple principle of direct, individual communication should be preserved. Otherwise, your copywriting content might loose some versatility. When you write online copywriting, try to maintain easy-to-read and simple style yet at the same time retain individual approach. Apart from this, your content must be designed to target particular groups of people; that is why it is extremely important to combine copywriting process with marketing research which allows you to indicate your potential customers and thus design and compose the content that matches their wishes and expectations. Do not waste your energy, skills and time on poor written content. Remember that some minor detail may ruin the efficiency of your content; do not let it happen.

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Earn Huge Money Through Copywriting - How To Become A Great Copywriter

There is generally a better way to make a copywriting material, but a lot of people are turning their backs on it due to reasons I beg not to discuss. Potentially powerful copywriting materials are those, which are able to convey the message to your prospective clients. There are good writers in terms of putting their ideas into the copywriting material but are unable to convey and relay the real message to the targeted clients. The purpose of writing an article is to primarily educate the people who read your material. If as a writer you are not able to do that, then you are not complete as a skilled and effective writer. I have given below some few tips on you can make a greatly impacting copywriting material.

When one talks about marketing strategies, copywriting for the web is one of the most commendable tools from the marketers’ point of view. This is because, copywriting as a marketing tool is an effective way to communicate with your targeted clients whatever activities or any updates that a company is engaging into – in a wider geographic range. With the present demand for huge number of copywriters the earning to become a copywriter is just so enticing. Below are some of the tips on how you can earn more money with copywriting:

- When a business owner asks you to do copywriting for them, the aim of that is to advertise and promote their products. In which case, when you do copywriting jobs, you have to make sure that you sell and sell. On your copywriting material, you have to make sure that you get to move your targeted clients to an action either to visit the site or make a purchase. These actions would mean money and more money for the business.

- You have to develop a copywriting material that is full of interest and should promote enthusiasm and immediacy. This will give your prospective clients the drive to do an action about what you are trying to promote and advertise. Overall, a copywriting material that tries to build excitement is more like to sell.

- With copywriting, businesses are not only expecting to generate sales but traffic and list, too. This means that the copywriting material should be able to capture also potential clients thru the e-mail address that you may solicit from them when they get to open and read your copywriting material. Make sure that you give these people enough reasons for them to leave their personal information, say, give away gifts or some freebies like e-book or discounts.

-Choose the topic that you have better knowledge about. Choosing a topic for your targeted clients should be anchored on two things: what interests you and what interests your targeted readers. As a copywriter, you must be able to make these two elements meet at a certain point. Otherwise, if one of these turns out to be not considered during the creation of the copywriting material, a potentially problematic copywriting material is in the making.

- Upon weighing altogether the topic that will best benefit your targeted readers and your own interest, it is now time to come up with the outline of your copywriting material. This is an important aspect of your entire copywriting material because it shall allow for a better and well-crafted copywriting material.

-Always check your copywriting material for any possible grammatical flaws. Maintain a copywriting material that is free from any flaw as this manifests carelessness and distrust from the perspective of the readers. To avoid this, you will need to be proactively checking your works at the end of the completion.


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How To Get More People To Notice Your Advertising

HEADLINES are one of your biggest weapons for getting MORE PEOPLE TO NOTICE YOUR ADVERTISING, for whatever medium you choose to use.  Now you are using headlines, aren't you?  And NOT your logo - that's not a headline.  Only one person cares about your logo, AND THAT'S YOU.

Whereas a headline is something every single one of your prospects will be glued to like a kid on a cartoon.  Whatever you're writing, you've GOTTA HAVE A HEADLINE.  But here's the deal, there a are good headlines and bad headlines, so I'm going to give you an absolute killer template headline that you should use THIS WEEK in your business.

Remember, a headline's goal is to do one thing only - STOP YOUR PROSPECT IN THEIR TRACKS AND LOCK THEM ONTO YOUR AD, and some people say you only have 1.5 seconds to catch their attention, so you need to make it good!

Master copywriter David Ogilvy has said... "On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.  When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar."  So if you're using your own logo at the top of your ad, you could improve your response IMMEDIATELY, just by sticking ANY kind of headline up instead!

So would you like to know one of the great secrets for writing headlines that literally slap your prospect in the face and demand they open their wallet?Good, well here it is for you... MODEL HEADLINES THAT ALREADY WORK!!
Don't try and reinvent the wheel, the best way to come up with fantastic headlines is to take what already works, and adapt it to your own business.Isn't that simple?

Here's an absolute knock-'em-dead blockbuster template for a headline:

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR HOMEOWNERS:
Don't pay another phone bill until you read this...

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR WOMEN:
Don't buy any makeup products until you read this...

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How to choose a professional copywriter

You already know that professional copywriting is worth its weight in gold. You know that a good copywriter can help both to drive traffic to your website, and to keep it there once it arrives.

What you don't know is how to find that copywriter.

Don't worry, you're not alone. The problem with copywriting is that, unlike, say, soda or bathroom cleaner, it's not something you buy every week, or even every month. And unlike the products and services you're familiar with, it can be difficult to know what to look for – or to spot a good thing once you've found it.

Luckily, as with most things in life, finding a copywriter is easy once you know how. And this article is here to show you how.

What to look for in a copywriting service

If you're like most people, the first place you'll turn to in your search for a professional copywriter is a search engine like Google. Wise move. Your copywriter's website is probably the biggest clue of all as to just what kind of service you can expect. Here's what to look for:

1. Client testimonials
 Any good copywriter will know that testimonials are one of the most powerful sales tools you can use to create copy that converts site visitors into buyers. (If they don't know this, then they're not a good copywriter. Hit that "back" button fast…). You'd expect your copywriter to use testimonials on their own site too, then, wouldn't you? Look for a link that states "testimonials" or "customer comments" or similar. If it's not there, ask yourself why…

2. A portfolio
No decent copywriter will expect you to commission them for a project without seeing some examples of their work. A copywriter's portfolio is his or her calling card: without it, they're going nowhere. Spend some time looking at the portfolio on your copywriter's website. How does the copy read? It should be crisp, clear, and easy to understand. It should also prompt you to take some kind of action once you've read it, whether that action be making a purchase, joining a mailing list, or simply reading on. If the copywriter's portfolio doesn't persuade you they're worth using, nothing will.

3. Client list / resume
There are no particular qualifications a copywriter needs to begin practicing. Some copywriters have English or journalism degrees, others are completely self-taught, having learnt their craft from the ground up. Instead of asking your copywriter about their qualifications, then, ask about their experience. Who have they worked for in the past? What have they done for those other clients? The answers to these questions should tell you all you need to know about how well-equipped the copywriter is to work on your project.

4. Fees
Some copywriters state their fees up front, others prefer to give quotes only on enquiry. No matter how your copywriter prefers to reveal their rates, though, make sure you have something to compare them to. Shop around. You wouldn't buy the first house or car you laid eyes on, and neither should you settle for the first copywriter you find either. Once you have some quotes to look at, however, don't make the mistake of assuming that the lowest quote must be the best value. Make sure you're comparing like with like. Beware of "article mills": companies who sell articles for just a few dollars per time. These companies tend to employ amateur writers, many of whom don't even have a good grasp of English. Remember, you get what you pay for, and if a quote sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The going rate for website copywriting is around £30 GBP / $60 per hour. If you're being quotes significantly less than this, ask yourself – or your copywriter – why.


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Discover the Advantages to Hiring a Freelance Web Site Copywriter for Your Web Business

Ok…so you already have a crack staff of writers on-hand to handle your company website's writing assignments. So why should you consider hiring a freelance copywriter?

Well, as you know, today’s corporate belt-tightening often means too much work for too few people. This is especially true in the communications area, where cutbacks have strained the resources of our workforce across the board.  The result? Stress, overwork, and low morale.

And of course, this strain is more intense when those unusual or special projects come up. The disruption in the day-to-day activities of your staff can have two results. Either this project gets low priority or the day-to-day work suffers.

What’s the alternatives?  Well, you can solicit the services of an established Ad agency or PR firm. And in some instances this can be the wise choice, especially when you need the kind of flashy productions intended to impress and entertain the client…the kind designed to win glitzy awards.

The problem? These fancy productions often come with a significant price tag. Face it, these firms have a lot of employees to feed and the cost of this high overhead is passed on to you. And that often means a budget under stress.

In addition, these firms tend to be busy with the best writers often assigned to the large, high profile clients. You may get a team of junior writers, but you’ll still pay the high cost.

The solution? Studies indicate that hiring a freelance writer can actually average 5% (or more) less expensive than work done internally.  While at first glance the higher freelance per hour rate appears more cost, when you add the true cost of internal labor, not only salary, but benefit and overhead costs. And because you use him only when needed, there is no ‘downtime’ cost.

And with low overhead, the costs for freelancers are generally significantly lower than the established ad agency and PR firms.

What are some other advantages, besides cost, to having a freelance writer in the bullpen?

·        Control…Office politics, personal sensitivities, and organizational bureaucracies often effect control of project deadlines and content.  The freelance writer is your strategic sourcing partner for any project, working with you.

·        Objectivity…Essential to creating powerful persuasive copy. Freelancers can give an impartial view and new perspective to your project.

·        Writing experience…Intimate knowledge of a product or service is not necessary to write about it. Good copywriters are experienced researchers and adept at asking the right questions to get up to speed quickly. What is more important is the fresh perspective that comes from their diverse experience in meeting a variety of communication challenges.

·        Better results… Many writers can write well…but few can produce the powerful and persuasive copy that optimizes lead generation or sales. The best copywriters are masters at pulling in qualified customers dramatically increasing profits.

·        Fees…Copy fees are almost always a very small portion of the total project cost, but its effect on money generating results can be enormous.

Don’t wait until crunch time to start seeking relief. Have a freelancer in your bullpen to come to your aid…when you need him.

Hire your crack content marketer now at www.skhbusinessconsulting.com 

Copywriting Makeover: Subtle Changes Make A Noticeable Difference

:
Changing a few words in your copy can lead to double-digit increases in conversions.  If that sounds like a bunch of hype from an online infomercial, stick around and I'll show you how it's done.

That's really all that happened with Kneelsit.com, an Australian ergonomic computer chair manufacturer.  They had what would be considered a successful site with a continual stream of orders.  All the basic information was already included on the home page, but the owner felt as though something was not quite "there" yet.  He wanted a fresh approach to the site's copy, so that's what he received.  And the results were simply amazing.

The Problems

While Kneelsit had great rankings for their key terms (normally #1 to #4 in popular search engines) keeping those rankings high required some attention to the SEO piece of the puzzle. Conversions, however, were not at their maximum.  The business was not suffering, but it did have room for improvement.  So, after receiving a sample chair to use during the process, I set (or should I say "sat") out to work.

Once I assembled the chair and rolled it up to my desk, I kept a notepad nearby so I could jot down benefits as I noticed them.  In just a few days’ time, I had a long list of features and benefits to refer to.

As I read over the original home page copy (which can be seen here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/kneelsit-home-original.html), I noticed something else.  Many of the benefits I had on my paper were referenced (at least briefly) in the original copy.  Some were phrased differently than I would later phrase them, but most were there.

However, in this highly competitive industry, I wanted to be sure to keep the uniqueness of the chair on the forefront.  Visitors needed to quickly see that the Kneelsit was superior to other computer chairs available. The changing of some verbiage and providing more details in some areas would help keep visitors reading and help them easily distinguish this chair from others on their comparison list.

Once my list of benefits was completed, I began relating these options to other kneeling chairs and to users of ergonomic computer chairs.  I wanted to see which benefits on my list were unique in the marketplace.  I also wanted to know about the users of these chairs.  After all, the buyer is the center of the process and should also be the focus of the copy.

My research revealed some of the reasons users would need an ergonomic chair and also the biggest complaints about some of the current ergonomic designs.  In addition, I discovered which benefits were common to other ergonomic chairs and which were distinctive.

The Solutions

Armed with the research results, I started crafting the copy to speak to that one person who was forced to sit at a computer all day, in pain, and who desperately needed help.  This person had tried several other computer chairs before with little to no results and was getting skeptical about finding a solution.

I looked back over my list of benefits in search of the ones that would not be found in the competition's copy.  I focused on one exclusive, patented feature (the axle design) and the fact that the chair was customizable for every body type.

I laid out a plan for the new copy including keyword selection, keyword placement, benefits and key points to be mentioned.

Similar in many ways to the original copy, the new version had some subtle, but powerful, changes. The goal of the new copy was to show the true distinction of these chairs by highlighting the most impressive benefits.

I would also focus on incorporating keyphrases in headlines and sub-heads (where it made sense to do so) and throughout the copy.  I had to pay careful attention to making the copy sound natural, as I never want the SEO factors to overshadow the message of the page.

Copywriting Tips That Will Make Your Visitors Buy!

You wouldn't believe how many web sites don't ask for the sale! After all the work people put into their sales copy, describing the benefits of their product, and leading people through their sales process, they overlook one simple but VERY IMPORTANT "call to action": "Click here now to buy."

And that oversight could be losing them 20% of their potential sales!

If you want people to take action on your site (buy, subscribe, fill out a request for more info, etc.), you need to have a call to action that tells them exactly what you want them to do. For example, if you want them to click on a link to learn more about one of your products, you have to include a link that says something like, "Click here to see how the Gadget Widget can save you hours of work!!"

And if you want your visitors to make a purchase (and of course, you do!) you should include a link that says something like, "Click here to get your own incredible time-saving Gadget Widget!"

You might think it's obvious that you want people to make a purchase -- especially if you've written a great sales pitch that explains how incredible your product is. But no matter how convincing your salescopy is, if you don't provide your potential customers with a very specific call to action, then you're just leaving them hanging -- and most of them are going to leave your site and never return, costing you big money in sales AND future leads.

Remember the "ABC" of selling: Always Be Closing. People need to be told what to do. If you want them to make a purchase, you have to ask for the sale.

And if you have a short-copy or catalog-style site, don't make the mistake of asking for the sale just once! You have to give your visitors lots of opportunities to buy your product or service. All of your web pages should include multiple links to your order form or shopping cart, as well as urgency-building action phrases like...

"Buy today!" "Limited time offer -- get yours now!" "What are you waiting for? Click this link to order your own... " "Get started today... just click here!" "YES! I want to order now... " (Remember, salesletters are the one exception to this rule. With these types of sales web sites, you usually want to include a single call to action at the end of your letter -- once you've built a killer case for your product, complete with tons of benefits!)

One more thing: You've got to leave all references to "buying" out of the top fold of your web site. That's the part of your web page that appears on the computer screen when someone first arrives at your site. If you mention buying there, people won't have enough time to learn WHY they should purchase your product, and will probably think you're just out for their money. You want your potential customers to learn about the benefits of your product before you ask for the sale.

Asking for the sale is simple, but the impact it can have on your bottom line is huge. By adding a simple call to action, you make it easy for your visitors to understand what they're supposed to do. And once they know they're supposed to buy something from you, they will -- and your profits will go shooting through the roof!

Save huge amounts of time and money and get your laser targeted SEO optimised content marketing package now. 

How to Set Your Copywriting Rates

Within this article on copywriting rates, we'll look at how much you can make both employed as a copywriter as well as what type of copywriting rates you can charge if you are a freelancer.

If you are employed as a copywriter, you can make a small amount or large amount of money depending on your expertise and how you sell yourself.  The average writer in 20016 earned roughly around $60,000 including bonuses, according to Advertising Age.  This was quoted at the following website: http://www.collegeboard.com.

As far as copywriting rates go when you are a freelancer, this is a hard question to answer.  Some people charge on a per project basis while others charged on a per hour basis. Here are some facts from a study done back in 2005 so adjust these figures slightly for the purposes of this article.  If you like to learn more about copywriting rates up front, here is the link for that: 

http://www.excessvoice.com/copyfees.htm. If you write a sales letter that is supposed to generate leads, most freelancers charged somewhere between $1000 and $2000.

If you were to charge for writing a website home page, this often would bring in between $300 and $400 for you. Copywriting is a very good profession as about two out of every five people earned somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 a year in gross income.  Be sure that you take advantage of purchasing these survey results because it could allow you to earn a great deal more money.  You could find that you are grossly undercharging your services in this could provide an immediate boost to your income without having to do any more work.

The figures that were quoted here were based upon the median of copywriters surveyed so if you have specific knowledge and experience that others do not and this can be quantified, you could charge a higher price than what the market could bear.  

This would allow you to have a greater gross income. Taking the time to learn more by your field and develop experience within a particular niche can give you a competitive attitude which would allow you to charge more for your services.

Hopefully this article on copywriting writing rates has given you some knowledge on what kind of rates you could charge.  If you want more information on particular activities that you currently engaged in, look up the survey which is listed under the link provided above.

All of the rates that were listed in here were the median rates remember.  This is the critical point that is being re-emphasized in this paragraph because it should give you an idea of what you could potentially charge.  Rates within markets can always change so you must make sure that you're keeping up with what others are charging so that you make sure you are not shortchanging yourself.  The rate that you charge for services is contingent upon what the market is willing to pay as well as how well you sell yourself.


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How to Get Copywriting Assignments

There are numerous methods for you to acquire copywriting assignments.  Within this article day, will focus on different websites where you can acquire copywriting assignments as well as how to acquire clients who will bring you copywriting assignments.

There are many different online freelance marketplaces where you can acquire copywriting science.  There are three particular websites which stand head and shoulders above most others.  The first of these is www.guru.com. This is the biggest online freelance marketplace. He second of these three websites is www.elance.com. A third of these three websites is www.findafreelancer.com.  Each of these websites has a search agent which can e-mail jobs based upon the desired search criteria which you would like.  The third website is the European version of the first two.  It is the smallest of the three but is still a significant source of good copywriting work.  Most of the websites do usually charge a subscription fee, whether it be monthly or quarterly.  This can be a great investment because you will have access to copywriting assignments that you would not normally have seen.

Laser Targeted Content Marketing Packages for £450  Learn More at SKH Business Consulting 


There are many other ways to acquire copywriting assignments other than using online freelance marketplaces.  This is a place where you can use your creativity in selling yourself.  Many companies in need of copywriting work will not normally look online first.  They may go towards local contacts and sources that they have because they feel more comfortable using someone who they can physically meet with.  You can take advantage of these needs by cultivating contacts within your region.  Look into joining your Chamber of Commerce as well as other civic groups.  Be sure to bring business cards with you and have a thirty-second speech explaining what you do so that people remember what you do and who you are.  Do not work at directly selling yourself to them at first but rather make the connection and allow them to come to you.  People are more willing to do business with you when they actually know you rather than just a face on a website or an anonymous bid to a project that they post.

Another key when acquiring copywriting assignments is to make sure that you have a website.  Many copywriters and professionals do not have a website and this can give you a competitive advantage.  You can publish some of your past assignments on the Internet so that if people are interested, they can look at your website.  You do not have to worry about e-mailing them any information and they will contact you if they're interested.  If you work on getting your site indexed, people searching the Internet for copywriting could also stumble across your website and provide other sources of leads for you.

When looking for copywriting assignments, the key is that you must sell yourself and think creatively outside of the box.  If you set yourself up well, you will find that you will be inundated with work by consistently prospecting for new business using some of the techniques explained above.

If you are looking for the highest quality content marketing management look no further 

A Day in the Life of a Freelance Copywriter

Ever wanted a job where you could spend all day, every day, writing clever and inspiring prose? Yes? Well don’t become a freelance copywriter!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great job, and for some of us it’s a calling that won’t be denied. And you definitely do get to write clever and inspiring prose. It’s just that you don’t do it all day, every day. In fact, when you sit down at the end of the day and think about what you’ve done, the percentage of time spent writing is surprisingly low.

So what does a freelance copywriter do other than write copy? Well, basically, they run a business. This article discusses 11 daily rituals involved with running a freelance website copywriting or advertising copywriting business (other than writing). It also provides some tips for performing them successfully.

1) Quoting

Freelance copywriters serve many masters. They generally have quite a few clients, and spend quite a bit of time quoting on new jobs. When you quote, you’re calculating how much to charge for the job. For a freelance copywriter, there are a number of important factors influencing quoting. You need to have some way to accurately estimate time. Generally the best way to achieve this is to be diligent in your tracking. If you know how long past jobs have taken you, you’ll be much more confident and accurate in your estimates. You need to know how much time you spend not writing (as you should try to cover as much of this as possible). You need to have a feel for what the client is prepared to pay (are they a big or small company, how highly do they seem to value copy, etc.). You need to know how much your competitors are charging for the same thing. You need to understand what differentiates you from your competitors. You need to think about how badly you want or need the work. And, of course, you need to estimate how time-consuming the client will be.

2) Submitting Proposals

A quote is not the same as a proposal. A quote is generally contained within a proposal, but it’s not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you’re marketing your skills, your solution, your work ethic, your customer service, your commitment, and your experience. Basically, you’re justifying your price and differentiating yourself from your competition. And it’s not just about WHAT you say. It’s also HOW you say it and how you PRESENT it. Everything about your proposal plays a part in the client’s decision! If possible, include additional helpful information. Use a title page, a table of contents, headers, and footers. Introduce at the beginning and summarise at the end. Include your price, but call it an “investment”, not a “cost”. Show the client you’ve thought their job through by summarising their requirements. Outline your proposed solution. And most importantly, give the client a clear call to action (“Where to from here?”).

3) Chasing reviews

The freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off – or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before the commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussing deadlines on the next job.

4) Project scheduling & tracking

No matter whether you work on big projects or small, project scheduling and tracking are vital. You need to know the exact status of all work in progress (tracking), and you also need to be very aware of what’s coming up and how you’ll manage it (planning). If you’re doing it right, you should be using your tracking and planning tools several times a day. In fact, they should be the hub of your business. TIP: A good way to track copywriting projects is to use a job (and contact) tracking database. I created my own database using Microsoft Access. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com/downloads/contacts and jobs.mdb to download a 208KB working copy for FREE. You’ll need Microsoft Access 2000 to run it. I’m no database expert, so it’s not a work of art. It’ll certainly get you started though. (TIP: When using the database, press Ctrl + ; to enter today’s date.)

5) Accounting

Issuing invoices, processing payments (and part payments), chasing outstanding invoices, recording expenses, managing bank accounts, putting tax aside… It all takes a lot of time. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you NEED a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You’ll understand why the first time you do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you’ll understand why whenever you need to chase down outstanding invoices

6) Visiting clients

Although the wonders of modern email let a freelance copywriter get through about 95% of their work without ever leaving the office, it’s sometimes still a good idea to do things the ‘old-fashioned’ way – especially if you expect to work with them quite a bit. Shake hands and put a face to a name. And remember, everything about the meeting reflects on you and your business. As with your proposals, think about WHAT you say, HOW you say it, how you PRESENT. Always organise the meeting with plenty of notice, confirm the day before the meeting, be on time, summarise the meeting, and provide a call to action. (Try to do these last two both at the end of the meeting and via email after the meeting.)

7) Office admin

Even for a low overhead business like copywriting, there’s always something! Changing phone plans, upgrading/fixing computers, your internet service is down, your website is temporarily unavailable, you’re enhancing your data storage procedures, you need new printer or fax ink cartridges… Office administration takes up a surprisingly large chunk of your day. Make sure you allow for it. This means allowing time to do the work, and factoring that time into your quotes. If you don’t, you’ll be continually working into the wee hours and/or losing money.

8) Marketing strategy

How do you generate business? Cold calls?
(See http://www.divinewrite.com/coldcallingcopywriter.htm.)
Website?
 (See http://www.divinewrite.com/articles.htm for numerous website & SEO articles.)
Networking? Word of mouth? Repeat business? Agencies?
(See also http://www.divinewrite.com/freelancecopywriting.htm for some tips on succeeding as a freelance copywriter.) No matter what your strategy, you need to give it the time it deserves. It’s a good idea to average around an hour a day to thinking about and implementing marketing strategy.

9) Industry research

Stay up to date on the latest copywriting industry research. Read research on usability, readability, and scannability (visit http://www.useit.com or http://www.goodexperience.com and subscribe to their newsletters). Read up on search engine optimization (see http://www.divinewrite.com/SEOCEO.htm or try subscribing to a newsletter from http://www.webpronews.com or http://www.site-reference.com). Try to track how day-to-day language is changing (what buzz words to use, what buzz words to avoid, what rules are being overlooked in spoken English, what sounds make a positive impression on people, etc.). Know the difference between writing for the web versus writing for print versus writing for search engines (see http://www.divinewrite.com/articles.htm for some relevant articles). If you want to scratch the surface, spend 10 minutes every day.

10) Subject matter research

Whether it’s website copywriting or advertising copywriting, to do a good job, you need to know a lot about your subject material. This means both specific knowledge about the client’s product or service as well as more generic ‘domain’ knowledge. Clients have a tendency to not supply enough information. Make sure you interview them thoroughly. And then let them know you’ll probably need to ask further questions. Even then, you may find yourself doing a bit of independent research. The Internet is your saviour, but always run any information by your client before publishing. When you’re quoting on a job, try to figure out how much detail the client will be able to supply. You can even ask them to estimate how much they’ll supply (i.e. All, Most, Some, or None). This is a good technique as it gets them thinking about your requirements while at the same time giving you some idea how much time you’ll spend researching.

11) Planning

In one important respect, website copywriting and advertising copywriting are no different from any other form of writing; planning is vital. For more specific planning information, see http://www.divinewrite.com/benefits.htm and http://www.divinewrite.com/webbenefitwriting.htm.

Happy writing!

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