Copywriter To The Rescue

Almost every time I begin working with a new client, they stress how little time they have to do everything they need to do, especially if they’re running a small business. Lack of time is often one of the reasons they’ve decided to work with a copywriter in the first place. But even large corporations have hired me to take on overflow projects that their marketing departments can’t handle because they simply don’t have the staff or the time.  So, it’s become apparent to me that we could all use a quick lesson in time management.  How do we create more time in the day?  We can’t.  But we can manage our work flow in such a way that makes time your friend, not your foe.

Today I had a new client come to me for help with her website copy.  She has a brand new business and wasn’t sure what to include on her website or what pages she needed.  She sought a professional copywriter to help her structure and write the content for her website and I was pleased she chose me.

Have you ever tried writing your own marketing material only to throw several crumpled pieces of paper into the trash?  Or perhaps you’ve just sat and stared at a blank screen for hours.  Or maybe you don’t even have the time to sit down let alone write anything for your business.  Whether writing is not your forte or you just don’t have the time, a copywriter can really come in handy when you’re looking for engaging copy.

Here’s how hiring a copywriter can benefit you:

This past Friday one of my consistent clients came to me with a new copywriting project.  She wanted me to write a press release with a hard sell of the benefits of her particular service. She made a common mistake: she assumed that a press release would be written and used the same way as marketing material.  This is simply not the case, and yet plenty of people confuse press releases with marketing material.  My copywriter friends tell me they run into the same problem with their clients. So let me take a moment to explain the difference.

Tooting your own horn.  Singing your own praises.  Writing your own bio.  The majority of my clients that have sought out a copywriter to write their personal or corporate bio are afraid of sounding arrogant.  And they’re right to be wary; there’s a fine line between communicating your successes humbly like a fine piccolo solo and trumpeting emphatically about your achievements like a New Orleans brass band.  There’s a bit of an art to writing an effective, engaging bio that keeps the blaring to a minimum.

Last week, a former client of mine contacted me in a panic.  She had discovered quite by accident that a competitor had stolen her website copy; the very copy she had hired me to write for her.  With only a few word changes to cover the difference in their services, the copy was identical.  She was furious, felt violated and emailed me in search of guidance.  As her copywriter, I was angry too.  After all, I had put in my time and effort to create copy that was original, appropriate and accurate for her organization.  Though my all my clients fully own the rights to any work I do for them, to have my work stolen is the emotional equivalent of having a stranger playing with my baby.  And although I know text is stolen all the time on the web, this was the first time it had happened to me or one of my clients.