Copywriting 911

become-a-better-copywriter

All of us heard about ‘good’ and ‘junk’ writers – about authors who deliver content of the requested quality and quantity within the deadline, and those who behave like babes in the wood, mixing up words, dates, clients… Both groups position themselves like ‘pros’, yet only one of them tells the truth.

Want to know right now which one you belong to? Look through this list and mark each statement with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

  1. You always deliver quality and unique content on time.
  2. You never take tasks that exceed your abilities. If the only thing you can remember while looking at your friend’s car is that it has “a round wheel” and “four doors”, you won’t write Subaru reviews. If your PC reminds you of your grandma and her old typewriter, you are unlikely to take orders which require special software to be installed. Finally, you won’t tackle a dozen of jobs at once and usually set relevant turnaround time for the order.
  3. While discussing the time-frame, you take into account the possible force majeure and fix the deadline accordingly.
  4. You thoroughly discuss all details before accepting the job. What if the client has in mind a sales copy but calls it “press release” (yes, it happens)? Or wants certain keywords to be inserted, but somehow forgets to provide you with the list? You won’t start writing until you know all you need about the service required, terms of payment, time frame, wordcount and other project related issues.
  5. You are easy to contact. Whether you use a phone, an instant messenger or other communication facilities, your clients can reach you as soon as they need.
  6. If something goes wrong – the system caught a virus; you accidentally deleted the file; or your town is cut off by floods, and workers of life-saving service insist you should leave the house – you inform the client right away. The deadline isn’t the Judgment Day: it can be shifted, if necessary.
  7. Whether you are a widely recognized expert and charge accordingly, or just a beginner with modest rates, each time you produce the best you are able to. All in all, that is you who sets the price, and if one seems too low, you can refuse anytime.
  8. You like your job and get buzz from it.

Is it all about you? Well, thanks for stopping by to read this post: you may have tons of clients who expect you to write for them now. To your success!

Never agreed? Hmm… Now you know at least what to learn from your colleagues – copywriting pros.

Image by vantaria