Category: outsourcing

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5 tips to help you choose the right copywriter for you

Have a cup of tea with me and see if I'm the right copywriter for you.

There are loads of ways to find a good copywriter. You might have bumped into one of us at an event, asked your network for recommendations or searched online. Whether you decide to work with a freelancer or an agency, there are a few ways to choose the right copywriter for you. Here are my tips to help you in your search.

Can you talk to them?

The best way to learn whether a copywriter is a good fit for your business is to talk to them. You don’t have to feel as if you’ve met your new best friend, but if the conversation is stilted and awkward, it isn’t going to work. Good copywriting is built on a relationship where you can speak freely and feel that your writer is listening to you.

When you talk to a copywriter, ask yourself how much information you feel comfortable sharing. Most of my clients need to get their personality into their marketing. If that’s the case for you, a writer that lets you be yourself is vital.

Shared values

You’ve built your business around your values and how you want to work. The right copywriter for you will often have a similar outlook on life. Being on the same wavelength means they’re more likely to speak your language and get that into your marketing.

You might also share similar personal circumstances or history. That can help if you have a personal reason for starting your business or if your lifestyle influences the way you prefer to work. It can take time for a relationship to develop and for your writer to learn what you want. Having shared values can get the process off to a good start.

How do they market themselves?

However you found your copywriter, it’s a good idea to check them out online to see how they market themselves. If you want someone to write blog posts, do they have their own and write new posts regularly? Are they active on social media? If they have an email list, you can sign up to see if you like what they send.

You can also check to see if you enjoy their writing style. Every copywriter will tailor their work to you, but it’s usually a good sign if you like how they write for themselves.

What experience do they have in your industry?

You might want to work with someone who already has a working knowledge of your industry, especially if it’s highly regulated. I used to be a lawyer and work with lots of legal, finance and insurance professionals. Speaking the same technical language and understanding how their brains work helps.

If a copywriter has worked in your industry before, they may know what style works well and have results they can share. Equally, if you want to take a radical approach, they’ll know what cliches to avoid.

Ask for samples

Asking for samples lets you see examples of a copywriter’s work and how their style varies for different clients. They might have a portfolio online (like mine) with a few samples, but it’s always worth asking for more, especially if you have a particular project in mind.

You can ask for samples to narrow your options if you’ve had several recommendations and want to decide who to meet. If you already think a writer might be a good fit, looking at their portfolio can help you decide.

Ready for a chat?

If you want to find out whether I could be the right copywriter for you, let’s have a chat. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. Email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you.

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What information do copywriters need to work with you?

What information do copywriters need? Image shows me writing it all down.

Asking this question is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is. It depends. (That’s also an answer I often gave when I was a solicitor.) The information copywriters need to work with you depends on you, your business and the person you work with. It can also change over time. The most important thing to remember is that a good copywriter will explain how they work and what they need from you so you know what to expect.

In this post, I share some of the information I’ll ask for when we meet for a chat and if you decide to work with me.

Do we get on?

I won’t ask this as a direct question, but I think about it when I chat with a potential new client. I work mainly with small businesses, and getting your personality into your content is important. If the conversation is awkward or disjointed, you’re less likely to be yourself, so it won’t come across in your marketing, and you won’t get what you’re paying for.

Who do you want to talk to

If you try to market to everyone, you’ll end up with bland, boring copywriting that doesn’t speak to anyone. Think about your ideal customer and how you talk to them in real life. When you understand their lives and what they need or want from you, we can focus on them and use language that helps them feel understood.

What your business does

I know this is ridiculously obvious, but this wouldn’t be a complete list without it. You might offer a few different services or products or just one. An overview of what you do and how you work will help your copywriter think up new ideas and ways to communicate with your audience.

What does your brand stand for

Massive corporations invest heavily in determining their brand position and understanding what people think when they hear their name or see their logo. You don’t have to spend millions, but you should consider what you want people to feel when they see your social media posts or visit your website. If you’re a one-person business, your personality and values inform your branding. You might be friendly and approachable or luxurious with a hint of mystery. You might offer a high-end, tailored service but still be down-to-earth enough to chat over a cuppa. (That’s what I’m aiming for, by the way.) The language you use sets the tone and your customers’ expectations. It’s also a good idea to consider what makes you stand out.

Your plan

I’m not a marketing strategist, so I won’t help you develop a marketing plan, but I can help you bring it to life. I can help you tailor your content to different platforms and suggest ways to reuse the same words in various places so they go further (and bring your copywriting bill down).

I’ll also ask if you’ve got other people on board, like a website designer or SEO expert, as I can work with them too.

Your voice

Getting your voice into your marketing helps your future customers get to know you. If they meet you in person, you’ll already feel familiar. Of course, that only happens if your marketing sounds like you. I’ll ask how you want to come across and consider how that aligns with your customer’s expectations. For example, if you work in law or finance, your clients expect a certain level of professionalism but might also look for someone they can talk to. We’ll talk about how to find the right balance and help your personality come across.

How you prefer to work

When I work with someone regularly, we’ll usually have a catch-up once a month over Zoom or in person if we happen to be in the same place. It helps me get to know you better and keep up to date with what’s happening in your business. That doesn’t apply to everyone. Some businesses prefer to send me a written brief and their brand guide or links to previous content so I can learn what tone of voice they use. I’ve had people send me voice notes explaining what they need to say so I can turn it into a blog post or a page on their website.

I tailor my work to you, including the words we create and the process we use.

What do you want to achieve?

If you have a plan, you should also have a goal. What do you want people to do when they’ve read your words? It could be buying a product online, booking a call or signing up for your email list. Your copywriter needs to know what the goal is so they can craft a call to action and lead people towards it in the rest of their writing.

Essential information

What essential information do copywriters need from you? Well, everything I’ve mentioned so far, but there’s more. Some of it depends on whether you need ongoing support or a one-off project. If you have a particular deadline in mind, your copywriter needs to know how much work is involved and whether they have time to get it all done before your deadline. Your budget is also important, as there are often ways I can tailor my service to fit.

There might be other practical details, such as prices, product specifications or contact details. Regulations in your industry might require disclaimers, legal information or confirmation that you’re authorised by a regulatory body like the FCA.

Ready for a chat?

If you’re ready to work with a copywriter, let’s have a chat. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. Email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you.

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What can you expect from your copywriter?

What can you expect from your copywriter? Find out here.

Outsourcing can be daunting when you’re used to being the only person looking after your business baby. How can you hand anything over when you know how things work better than anyone else? If you’ve decided to get some help writing your marketing, you’re probably wondering what you can expect from your copywriter. Every writer is different, but here’s what happens when you get in touch with me.

I’ll get to know you

Whatever you outsource in your business, choosing the right person is vital. Most of my clients meet their customers face to face. I work with them to make sure that the words we use in their social media posts, blogs, emails, and websites create the same experience they’d get in person.

That only happens because we get on well. They can talk to me, and I can ask the same nosy questions that their customers would. In some cases, they’ll say, “I want to do some posts about this, you know the sort of thing,” and I do. That doesn’t happen immediately, but it starts with a chat to see if we get on. If it doesn’t feel right, we can stop there.

We’ll talk about your plan

I don’t do marketing strategy, so I tend to work with people who already know what works or have a plan for the things they want to try. I will talk to you about your business, how you want to present yourself and the kinds of customers you want to attract so I can tailor my words to match your goals. If you already have a website designer, SEO expert, or marketing consultant on board, I’m happy to talk to them, too.

Next, we’ll get into the specifics of each piece of content. If I write for you regularly, for example, on a series of blog posts, we’ll speak every month so you can talk me through the topic or give me some background reading. Chatting in person or over Zoom means I can get your tone of voice and phrases into your content.

I’ll write your content

When I understand the plan, I’ll go away and write the content. For a single piece of content, such as a blog post you can expect your copywriter to deliver a first draft of the whole thing. For a larger project like a website, I might send a couple of pages to check whether the overall tone is right. That way, if something needs changing, we can do it early on.

When I deliver the first draft, I’ll ask for your feedback. Sometimes, there might be sections where I’m unsure I’ve used the correct terminology or understood something properly, so I’ll ask about those. (Misunderstandings usually happen because I have lawyer’s handwriting. You can take the woman out of the legal profession, but some habits die hard.)

You can give me feedback

The words I write for you need to reflect your personality and values and represent your business out in the world. If there’s something you don’t like, you can tell me about it. It can be something I’ve misunderstood and poorly explained or a word or phrase you never use because it makes you cringe.

If there’s a bigger disconnect and you’ve realised I’m not the writer for you, that’s OK too. My contracts have a minimum term, but you can give notice anytime within the first month.

We’ll change what needs changing

If you’ve given me feedback and we need to change things, we can work however suits you. I’ve worked from notes in clients’ emails and done live edits over Zoom to discuss changes and find the right words in real time.

Everything I do is tailored to your needs, so you get words that work for your business.

Get in touch

I hope this guide has helped you understand what you can expect from your copywriter. If you’ve created a marketing plan and want help to bring it to life, I can help. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. Email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here for the chance to win a free copy makeover.

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Case study: writing a blog for Goldfinch Marketing’s client

Image shows a pile of magazines and a laptop with the kind of project that Goldfinch Marketing got to work on when I started writing a blog for their client.

One of my favourite things about my work is the chance to learn about the different ways that creative people work. I loved art at school, but I know that there are artists and designers out there that are far better at creating visuals than I am. Hand me a pen and a notebook, and I’m happy. I don’t panic in the face of a drawing pad and pencil, but I might not show the results to anyone. It makes me happy when I see work from people who can make stuff look beautiful.

This means that I was thrilled when I met Christina from Goldfinch Marketing. She creates gorgeous designs, and she’s also brilliant at techy stuff. It all comes together in beautiful websites that Google will love as much as your customers do. She’s also very good at writing; in fact, she’s so talented I would hate her if she wasn’t also lovely.

This may have you wondering why she’d need me, a writer when she’s already good at writing. Read on…

The pandemic

I met Christina during lockdown when everyone was virtual networking; some of us were home-schooling too. She’s based in Dorset, so the chances of us running into each other in person were virtually non-existent. Like many of us, Christina had taken some time during lockdown to evaluate her business and work out what she wanted to spend her time doing.

She’d started Goldfinch Marketing to help her clients with all their marketing needs, whether that was a new website, graphic design or content writing. Her review told her that she loved web design and graphics work but didn’t want to do content writing anymore. That’s where I came in.

The project

Christina had gradually reduced the amount of content writing she took on, but she still wrote blogs for one client. She told me they were lovely people she enjoyed working for and didn’t want to let them down. At the same time, she wanted to free up some time for other projects, so she wanted to see if I could take over writing a blog for them.

Of course I could. Writing their blog was right up my street; they’re a business offering a professional service, so they needed to share their expertise but didn’t want to be stuffy. I read the posts that Christina had already written to follow the same style and suggested some new topics. I also wrote social media edits for each blog post so that the individual paragraphs would work as standalone posts. The client was still happy, and Christina had time for other things.

If you need a new website, I recommend checking out Christina’s work here. Alternatively, if you want to outsource your content writing, either for yourself or one of your clients, let’s have a chat. You can book a call with me here.

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What could working with a VA do for your business?

Guest blog - working with a VA

As a VA I offer admin and bookkeeping support but what does that mean for you? All my clients need different support from me because no two clients are the same and every client’s business is different therefore every client needs different support. What could working with a VA like me mean for your business and how can I explain it?

What are your strengths?

Everyone has weaknesses and strengths including me, I have a client who thrives on her To-Do List and religiously ticks things off this keeps her on track, helps her strive towards her goals and improves productivity

Another client does write a To-Do List but never really gets round to ticking things off, however, she thrives on her financial goal that we set and this keeps her on track and wants it to be up to date at all times this gives her the motivation and determination to reach her goal

Some business owners know exactly what money is coming in and also what money is going out so they have a good idea of the basic income needed to keep their business afloat. unfortunately, there are others who have absolutely no idea what money is coming into the business or how much money is going out. Some think because they’re so busy being busy that that means that they must be making a lot of money sadly this is the reason a lot of small businesses fail.

So how do I work with my clients?

I get to know my client and understand their business

I get to know what they are struggling with, what their weaknesses are and the problems they are struggling with, and we talk about how I can help resolve these.

More importantly, how can they use their time more wisely and what tasks can I do that give that client back the time to actually do the business and what they have chosen to do, most business owners are quite capable of doing their paperwork, but it is time consuming and uses up time and energy when they could actually be earning an income  

I offer accountability by working as a team, setting up a plan and goals.

I help them set up a structure that works for them encouraging habits and routine

I will tell them what I need from them in order for them to stay on track and grow and what I need in order for me to support them

I sometimes pull my “really” face just roll my eyes and say excuse me but where is ABC that I need from you?  Laughter can help loads too, running a business is tough and demanding and sometimes clients just need that support to lighten the mood as well as the load.

If you're working with a VA have you ever seen this expression?
This is my ‘really’ face!

Working together like this builds trust and good working relationships make growing the business achievable and helps your work-life balance to return.

What do I get out of it?

For me what do I achieve?  I do work I enjoy, seeing my clients happier, less stressed and having family and leisure time back brings me joy. I see their business growing and a more sustainable solid cash flow allowing them to enjoy the success of their hard work.

I know that I’m doing my role the best I can.This makes all the effort and hard work worthwhile.

What could a VA do for you? Get in touch and let’s find out!

Kirsty’s note

Ann Hunt is a fabulous VA; I should know, she manages to keep me organised and that’s no mean feat! She lives and works in Leicestershire.

You can find out more about Ann and her services by visiting her website.

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Case study – creating flexible packaged services for Fishers Solicitors

Flexible packaged service case study

My work with Fishers Solicitors’ started thanks to a conversation about my packaged services at a networking event. If you’re at all familiar with my work, you’ll know that’s a common occurrence. I’m usually involved in the conversation in question, but this time I wasn’t. That’s the beauty of networking with people who remember what you do. One of the partners at Fishers was talking about marketing and the fact that their marketing manager often needed members of the team to write blogs. The trouble is that busy solicitors generally have more pressing demands on their time. It was proving to be a struggle. I was swiftly introduced for a chat with Chloe, who co-ordinates their marketing.

The challenge

When I spoke with Chloe it soon became clear that they needed more than blogs. Like a lot of professional service businesses, they had access to a bank of articles that they could share but they also needed content that was unique to them. The practice covers a range of different services so they have plenty to talk about. Chloe told me that she gets lots of content ideas from the different teams but that execution is an issue. They struggle with formatting and getting their message across in the right way. She wanted to create a discussion-based blog that is topical and pushes their strategy. They’re also regular contributors to a magazine where they answer a legal question each month and want to add new content to their website too.

The solution

My packaged services are built around creating a set number of blogs each month. However, they can also include other types of content too. While Chloe wants to build an effective blog to build Fishers’ reputation and position them as thought leaders there’s more to it than that. Since we started working together, I’ve written blogs, a new page for their website, a magazine Q&A and a news item that can also go out as a press release. Chloe and I speak once a month and she introduces me to other members of the team so we can have a chat. That means they can just tell me what I need to know in a few minutes, rather than trying to write content in a way that’s completely new to them.

Does your business need flexible content at a predictable cost? I can help with that. Just email me or book a chat here.

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Case study – rewriting website copy for Photography by Jess Iliffe

A baby who's completely oblivious to the importance of good website copy.
Photo credit: Photography by Jessica Iliffe

Jess Iliffe has the best job in the world (obviously I do too, but hers is still fantastic). She gets to hang out with cute babies and their parents all day and take the most beautiful pictures. I met Jess networking (no surprises there) and her passion for her business shines through in everything she does. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone’s eyes light up when they talk about their work. Jess’ enthusiasm could power a whole town. We’d known each other for a while and I’d already written a couple of Facebook posts for her when she was too busy to think. Then, one day, she said “I need to update the copy on my website.”

The challenge

When I looked at Jess’ website, there wasn’t much wrong with it. As a photographer who specialises in photographing babies from birth to one year she has a very visual business and there are loads of gorgeous photos on her site. In other words, exactly what her potential customers need to see. We wanted to let the images take centre stage but still give potential clients the information they need. This included explaining how Jess works and what the costs of her service might be. Jess had also found that people were getting confused about pricing and wanted to make the whole thing clearer.

The solution

I started off by reviewing Jess’ existing website and making some recommendations about ways we could improve the copy. Then we had a chat over lunch so I could get a clear picture of the kind of clients she works with and the overall feel she wanted her new site to create.

Then I went away and wrote new copy. This included creating a friendly call to action that will encourage people to get in touch. I also added new descriptions to her services page and updated the pricing descriptions to make the whole thing clearer.

After a busy Christmas and New Year Jess hasn’t got round to updating her site just yet, but I’ll keep you posted. If you’re expecting a baby and would love to capture some truly beautiful images of their first days, I highly recommend you give Jess’ site a visit.

Does your website need a bit of a refresh? I can help with that. Just send me a message or book a chat here.

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Case study – creating new content ideas for Birkett Consulting

Case study about coming up with new blog topics.

I first met Ros Birkett via a networking group (which is pretty much how I meet everyone these days). She’s utterly lovely and a brilliant person to have a coffee and a natter with. When it comes to branding and marketing, what Ros doesn’t know frankly isn’t worth knowing. She’s the owner of Birkett Consulting, working with a range of clients to deliver adverting and marketing that gets results. In a nutshell, she knows her marketing onions, which is why it came as a bit of a surprise to get an email asking if I could help her to come up with some topics for her blog.

The challenge

When Ros got in touch, Birkett Consulting was in the midst of a website makeover. All of this was happening alongside the day-to-day work involved in running a busy agency and serving clients. There was also the small matter of getting to grips with an in-depth SEO analysis report for a client that ran to over 100 pages. Ros was faced with two main challenges. Firstly, that she was struggling to find blocks of time that would allow her to focus on website tasks. Secondly, all the topics she was reading about seemed a bit predictable. She wanted some fresh ideas that would help her to get the messaging right as we emerged from lockdown.

The solution

To start the process, Ros and I arranged a Zoom call to talk through Birkett Consulting’s marketing basics. She described her customers and the services that she wanted to focus on in the blog. Ros’ awareness of her customer base meant that I could focus on the topics that would have most impact. We also talked about bringing a bit of humour back into marketing to lighten things up after lockdown.

After our chat, I went away and came up with four possible topics using a combination of tools, including my own random marketing thoughts. I’m looking forward to seeing the results when the new website launches.

Could a fresh pair of eyes on your business help you to speak more effectively to your audience? Get in touch and let’s have a chat.

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How you can find fascinating blog topics

A woman at a laptop reading about fascinating blog topics
Image by Ekaterina Bolovtsova via Pexels

When you start coming up with blog topics, there’s one very important thing to keep at the front of your mind. Your customer. Whatever you write about, ask yourself – “will my customers care about this?” If they won’t, don’t write about it.

Knowing your customer should be one of the foundation stones of your marketing. When you know who’s most likely to need your services you can start talking just to them. A good blog can create that moment of recognition that makes your reader feel seen and understood.

Before you start working on a list of blog topics, think about who they’re for. Are they cash rich but time poor or the complete opposite? Will your products only suit people who are at a particular stage in their lives, like new parents or people who’ve just retired? Think about the problems you solve or the ways you make your customers’ lives better. Then we can get started.

The story so far

Sharing your story with your audience helps you to understand each other. People get to know you, like what you say and ultimately come to trust you enough to buy from you. The key is to talk about your experience and link it to the ways that helps your customers.

As an example, if you’re a parent selling clothes for babies and children, talking about your family shows your customers that you’ve been through it all and know how to make clothes that will last. 

What has my personal life taught me?

You might have a personal story that isn’t obviously related to your business, but that’s made you who you are.

For example, when you’re building a business, you need to be a bit brave sometimes. If you’ve found a way to be brave, share it! Maybe something in your past has helped you to build skills that you use now. Tell your customers because they might just recognise themselves.

FAQs

Answering an FAQ is a quick and easy way to create a new blog post. What are you asked most often? What do your customers ask you in emails or face to face? If they’re asking, people who are looking for you online will be too. It’s an easy way to start building your search rankings.

Create a list of the questions you’re asked all the time and start answering them in your blog.

What’s in the news?

You have to move fairly fast for this one, but if you can relate a news story to your business, people are more likely to find you. Lots of businesses offered advice about GDPR when it was on everyone’s minds. You can talk about current topics, but it’s also worth thinking ahead. Look out for topics you can talk about that your customers will need to deal with in the future.

What’s next?

Hopefully that’s got you off to a good start, but what else can you do? As always, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think about what questions they’re typing into Google that will help them to find you. I’ve found that small business owners won’t necessarily search for a writer. But they will ask how they can attract more customers or improve their marketing. It’s my job to make sure that I talk about the answers to those questions.

If you’d like some more inspiration in book form, I can help.

‘50 blog topics for your business’ does exactly what it says on the tin. It gives you 50 topics that you can use straight away – if you write one a month that’s over four years’ worth of ideas for less than the cost of a family takeaway.

Does that sound good? Get your copy by clicking on the image below.

book with 50 blog topic ideas for your business

Some useful resources

Answer the Public – type in a key word and it’ll tell you what people have searched for.

Google Trends – what searches are most popular when.

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Case study: a content repurposing collaboration

Photo by Gabriela Palai from Pexels

One of the best things about working in a creative industry is the fact that it gives me opportunities to work as part of a team. The other one is working one to one with clients, but they’re vastly different experiences. A collaboration for me often comes about when one of my website designing friends creates a new website (or redesigns an old one) for one of their clients. They don’t do the wordy bits so if the client doesn’t already have someone in mind, they send them in my direction. I love it because I know there’s already a clear vision for the site so I can jump straight in. It’s brilliant when another creative brain has already got things started because it sparks so many ideas in me.

All of which brings me to another kind of project. When I first ventured out of the (frankly boring) world of corporate networking and into drinking coffee with creatives I hadn’t considered working with people who make films for businesses. I kind of assumed that they’d already have people who are good at that sort of thing. What I didn’t expect was a collaboration that took video and turned it into something else.

The project

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’re probably already familiar with local initiatives that encourage business growth. I’ve seen everything from funding schemes to education projects. Beyond the obvious benefits to local businesses and regional growth, projects like this have one other massive advantage. It gives the people offering the scheme the opportunity to shout about how great they are. A Leicestershire based agency had been offering grants and loans to local businesses. The funding enabled them to secure premises or buy new equipment that allowed them to grow. There were lots of positive stories. Clearly, everyone involved wanted to get the word out.

The marketing

The marketing plan had several different strands, taking in both online and offline marketing. A video agency had already interviewed businesses who’d benefitted from funding and creating short films to share online. They just needed to turn the stories into a form that would also work in print. That’s where I came in. I took the transcriptions of the interviews and turned them into good news stories that could be shared online, via social media and even in printed mail outs to other local businesses.

The whole initiative was so successful that it’s happening again. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get to put together another collaboration and share some of the stories again this time round!

If I can help you to share your story in a new way, book your call here and let’s have a chat.