When you get to the stage of talking to a copywriter about your project, they’ll have a lot of questions for you. Like, a LOT of questions. Questions you might not have even thought about before, but are important if you want the copywriter to do a half-decent job. Personally, I have a 3-page briefing document that I take all new clients through to get all of the information I need to craft your copy. I’m not going to go through all of them today, but I do want to share 6 things that I (and most other copywriters) would like you to think about before you sit down in a discovery call with us.
What Kind of Copy Do You Want?
This is a basic – what are you actually looking for? Do you need some blog posts? A series of newsletters for a campaign? New copy for your website? Whitepapers to show off your knowledge? Something exciting and creative, or more SEO focussed? Are you aiming for technical, or informative and entertaining?
To be clear there’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s whatever you need! But the more detailed and clear your answer can be, the easier it is for them to quote for the project, and to ask the right follow-up questions.
What Do You Want to Achieve With Your Copy?
Again, there are no wrong answers here. It’s more a case of what has made you seek out a copywriter, and what are you hoping they will help you with? Are you looking for more sales for your business? Making your message clearer for your audience? Generating more e-mail sign ups? To provide more information to your prospects and clients? Or maybe you’re launching a new service and want it to go well? Make sure you’re clear on your main objectives before you have that conversation so that you can be sure your copywriter is the right one to help you, and that you can actually measure their results effectively.
What’s Your Budget?
There’s no set pricing system for copywriting. Every one is going to charge a different amount, and have their own pricing systems and structures. For example, I’ve structured a lot of my prices into packages, with a bespoke option for anything that doesn’t quite fit. But I’ve known other copywriters who only quote on a job-by-job basis. Some quote a day rate (the average according to ProCopywriters UK is £440 per day), and depending on the project you’ll need a few days to a few weeks of their time.
Reminder – good copywriting isn’t quick. It involves meetings, research, first drafts, edits, revisions, proofreading and more meetings. Now not every copywriter will charge that day rate – I don’t for example. But it’s important to bear it in mind if someone’s offering to write you a multiple page website for £300, or a blog for £30. It probably isn’t the bargain you think it is.
How Do You Want to Sound?
This question is one that most of my clients get tripped up by. Because most of them haven’t given much thought to their tone of voice, or how they want to sound. The good news is, you don’t need to know all the lingo to get the message across to your copywriter. You just need to have an idea in your head of what you want to sound like. If you’re not sure, you can always go back to your branding. Is your branding more refined and serious, or edgy and cool? Are you an eco-warrior, or passionate about counting the pounds? Do you want to be playful and inquisitive, or straight-talking, no-nonsense?
If you’re really not sure, then any copywriter worth their salt can help you refine your unique tone and style. But it’s always good to have an idea of what you like and don’t like before you walk in.
Who’s Your Ideal Audience?
You should know this one without thinking. If you don’t, then you have more to worry about than your copywriting! Knowing who you are selling to is critical to the success of your business and your marketing, which means your copywriter definitely needs to know! The more info you give, the better, so if you have documents or client avatars now is the time to dig them out.
What’s Your Ideal Timeline?
Finally, we need to know how to fit you into our calendars. Once again this will depend on how the copywriter you choose works – do they have a lot of regular work to fit you in around, or are you booking a chunk of their time at once? Your copywriter needs to know if there’s a deadline, of you’re in a rush, or how long you have to refine it. The faster you need it, the more it will likely cost.
Does that help out a bit? There’s a lot more that your copywriter will ask, and a lot more that will naturally come out in conversation as you relax and get chatty. But doing a little bit of homework on these points will make the whole process go a lot smoother.
Want to experience it for yourself? Drop me a line!