How we create your copy
When we say that our copywriting begins and ends with you, what exactly do we mean? We mean our copywriting process starts with your brief and ends with you achieving your goals. In between, we provide the thought and words that connect the two.
Your brief
This is the starting point for every project – what you want to achieve and how we can help you to do it. The more relevant detail you can give us at this stage, the better.
In particular, we need to know:
- what the project is
- who your audience is and the action you want them to take
- how we’ll get the information we’ll need to complete the project
- what work you’ve done so far, such as creating an outline or doing research
- your deadline
- who else we’ll be working with (such as your design agency), and
- anything else we’ll need to take into account, such as your tone-of-voice guidelines or corporate style guide.
If you only have a rough idea of what you’re after, don’t worry. We can help you to develop the brief and work out the best way to achieve your goals.
As well as determining what we’ll do for you, the brief has one other critical function – allowing us to calculate the fee. We like to give you a fixed price for every job, so getting the brief right means no surprises for you down the line.
Our thought
Good writing is good thinking. The thought we put in becomes the foundation for everything we write for you. In fact, this is often where we add the most value.
As you’ll see in our client testimonials, we’re particularly good at taking complex information and finding a simple and understandable way to express it for you. We’re also adept at solving a wide range of communication challenges, from finding the right structure for your document to refining your key messages. We have many years of experience to draw on, from working with companies of all sizes and in just about every sector of the market.
Problem solving is great but we also do a lot of work that’s quick and straightforward, so don’t be put off if you think your project is simple. We’ll be more than happy to help.
Our words
We’re copywriters, so of course we’ll deliver the words you need. You’ll get writing which hits your brief and reflects your brand.
For most jobs, we’ll base our words on the information you give us. To get this, we can:
- interview you and your management team
- give you questionnaires to complete
- work from bullet points or rough text you provide
- use material from any background papers, presentations or reports you have, or
- a combination of any or all of these – whatever works best for you.
Where necessary, we’ll supplement your information with our own research.
If you’re employing a designer, we’ll work with them to make sure the words and pictures go together. And we’ll ensure that everything gets done, from the headlines to the captions. If you need a designer but don’t have one, we’ll recommend someone suitable for the job.
Our fee includes a first draft and two subsequent rounds of revisions. It’s rare that we need to go beyond this. If we do, it’s probably because you’ve changed your mind about what you want.
Some clients like the first draft to be in bullet points, rather than polished text. This can be useful if you want to make sure the structure and content are right, before we invest time (and your money) in creating the finished product.
Your results
The writing, of course, is only a means to an end. It has to achieve the results you want, whether that’s an increase in leads or better-informed investors.
We choose every word we use for a reason – for its precision of meaning, its emotional impact or because it’s shorter, punchier and more effective than a fancy alternative. But whichever words we use, we never lose sight of the bigger picture – your goal – and how our words can get you there.