How to Cope with Criticism of Your Copywriting

April 30, 2008 | 1 Comment

angry

[Picture courtesy of Jonno Witts]

There can be few things as infuriating for a copywriter, or for any creative type for that matter, as having the creation of your sweat and tears criticised by a client. Whilst the temptation is to throw your laptop out of the window or question whether they’ve fully appreciated the intricacy of your words, learning to respond objectively to criticism is one of the key skills a copywriter has to learn.

Writing is a deeply personal process in which you read through the brief, conduct your research and then carefully compose a message carved by your fingers and sculpted by your brain. When you think you’ve understood the benefits, identified the target and then delivered the message with laser guided accuracy, you assume that one run should be enough.

Editing is integral to great copywriting

Moulding a message in a style and form that the client finds attractive can take several attempts. Criticism will always feel like an affront to your ability as a writer, but it can be easier to cope with once you’ve accepted that editing is a natural part of the writing process.

Whilst you might have to go for a quick run to calm down, when you receive criticism of your copy look at it as an opportunity to find out what you can do to get it closer to what the client wants in the next draft.

Once your blood has returned to its normal temperature, respond by thanking the client for their feedback and asking what you need to do to get the copy right. As a writer you can adjust your style and tone at will, and working out how to fashion your message in a style your client will admire is an opportunity to show off your talent.

Tips for nailing copy early on

  • After you’ve conducted your research, send the client a questionnaire to identify their key selling points and what differentiates them from the competition.
  • Ask the client to provide examples of the style of writing they’re looking for, which competitors’ copy do they think hammers home the message and that they would like not only replicated, but improved.
  • Provide drafts of the first sections early on so you know whether you’re on the right track and wont have to rewrite from scratch later on.
  • If you’re asked to provide a slogan or headline, jot down as many ideas as you can and then ask the client to comment on which ones they’d like developed. This narrows you down to a particular pen, rather than an entire field to run around in.
  • Don’t phone and ask for feedback but wait for an email. Criticism is like a knife to the heart, and you don’t want the client to hear your enthusiasm gush from your body when they first stick it in. An email also gives you the opportunity to be able to walk away from your laptop and breath into a paper bag before responding.

Follow these steps, ask plenty of questions and remember to thank the client for their feedback, because making them happy has to come before keeping your creative ego intact.

[This post was inspired by a discussion on responding to criticism on the FreelanceRadio Podcast]

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Blog, Copywriting 

Want to attract higher paying clients? Offer them some luxuries.

April 23, 2008 | 2 Comments

movies

(Image courtesy Betsssssy)

Last month a group of US investors announced their plans to blow $200 million on a chain of 50 luxury movie theatres. Whilst this might sound mad to anybody in the business world, people always want to be entertained, and when things are grim it’s indulging in the small pleasures in life that can chase away the blues.

What’s more likely to make bank managers spit out their coffee is that the movie theatres will be charging nearly double the entry price of their competition.

Village Roadshow believe there’s 10 million ‘upscale and affluent’ Americans who would be happy to pay $35 for a higher quality of service, which includes padded armchairs with footrests, digital cinema projection, concierge service, valet parking and food that’s a touch more upmarket than buttered popcorn and nachos.

Despite an imminent recession, they’re confident they will be able to attract higher paying clients with luxuries and additional services not provided by the cheaper, functional theatre down the road.

The same principle should apply to marketing your writing services.

To justify higher rates, offer a higher quality service

If you want to break out of the $10 keyword article writing sweatshop of monotonous, unsatisfying work for low wages, then start thinking about how you can market the luxuries your service offers.

This revolves around becoming an value-added copywriter, as frequently discussed by The Copywriter Underground. What can you offer a client beyond the words?

Here are some luxuries you can easily learn about and add to your portfolio of services:

Content marketing - providing a steady stream of useful, informative information to convert browsers into buyers, attract links from other sites and build your client’s credibility as a knowledge leader.

Case studies - is your client providing real life examples of how they’ve helped real life customers solve a problem? Are they mining their customer service history for success stories (now a key differentiater in a world where people trust each other more than a marketing)?

Story telling - developing the business’ identity beyond the ‘About Us’ page. What are their founding ideals and do they differentiate themselves everyday?

eBook/white paper - demonstrating credibility and expertise by providing downloadable useful information. In exchange for helping to solve their problem, readers are more likely to reward a business with their loyalty.

Newsletters - writing a monthly newsletter highlighting recent achievements, new product information and industry news is a great way of keeping people in the sales cycle long after their first visit to the website.

You’re not just a writer - you’re also an internet marketer

Whilst businesses struggle to come to terms with marketing on the internet, you could be their guiding light providing the words and expertise to illuminate a path through the gloom and to greater rewards on the other side.

There are businesses crying out for not only competent writers, but also guidance in how to run cost effective online marketing strategies.

Offer a client a writing service that includes luxuries and benefits beyond what they’ll find elsewhere and they’re more likely to award you their business.

There are plenty out there who want more from you than a bucket of popcorn and being squashed into their seat. They want luxury and are happy to pay for it.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Blog, Content marketing, Copywriting, Marketing 

Why writing copy is like a round of golf

April 9, 2008 | 3 Comments

golf(Photo by mslikk)

Tomorrow I’m driving down to Cornwall for a long weekend and a few rounds of golf, so I thought why not see what parallels can be drawn between crafting copy and knocking a few zingers down the fairway:

Nobody should think they can step out and start competing to an acceptable standard straight away.

You have to study, practice and develop before you can hope to receive any applause at the precision of your concisely worded efforts.

And even then you’re faced with the frustration of striving for a level of perfection that can never be achieved, yet has the illusion of being attainable.

A hole in one, or nailing copy in the first draft, is rare.

Instead you have to concentrate on taking your time, and performing every attempt to the best of your ability.

Whenever you’re stood over the ball, or your fingers hover over the keyboard, you’re waiting for that moment when the clouds clear and inspiration takes over to send the ball, and your words, streaming out in front of you.

Mistakes are made when you rush, or let the stage fright of people witnessing your efforts turn you into stone.

Instead you have to be able to relax, and let your creative alpha waves guide your movements.

The first few strikes are about making as much distance on the task as you can, before preparing for the real challenge around the green.

This is where precision, skill and focus is needed to make sure you’re on target and can complete the task in the best score possible.

Then once you’ve finished it’s off to the club house to celebrate, and to ponder how your round went.

Whilst you can pat yourself on the back for the parts where you nailed it, you always know there are areas where improvements could be made.

But the beauty is that you’re always developing your technique, and with every challenge you’re getting more experienced and skilled.

And the great thing is the camaraderie and support you’ll find from everyone in your vocation willing each other to succeed.

See you on the fairways.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Blog, Copywriting 

Are Your Customers Happy? Then Tell People Why!

April 2, 2008 | 2 Comments

Shopping!

I had scribbled down half a page of notes about the foolishness of forcing every website to be written in English until I realised what day it was yesterday and swiftly cancelled my order for a Chinese dictionary.

Instead I’m going to focus on why it has never been more important to harness customer service stories when copywriting a website, and why simply writing that ‘you aim to exceed expectations’ isn’t enough.

The adoption of customer relationships management software, which integrates customer data throughout a business, means that marketing departments now have a goldmine of data to be drilled for juicy stories.

Case studies, which tell a story about how a product solved a customers’ problem, are marketing gold. Businesses need to be telling these stories because other people already are.

People are talking about your business all the time, and praise or criticism are not limited to phone calls and emails.

Recently I received a junk message about an internet TV service offering over 1000 channels for little more than the cost of renting a DVD. The offer was tempting enough to persuade me to click through to the site, with my scam radar on full alert.

Whilst their landing page copy managed to maintain my interest it counted for nothing when a quick search unearthed an army of unsatisfied customers shaking their fists because the service didn’t live up to the hype.

A business’ internet marketing copy is no longer limited to their landing page, but also encapsulates responding to the comments people are making about a product online.

If your product doesn’t live up to the marketing hype then it’s not going to stay unexposed for long.

However, providing good customer service and showing how you respond to disgruntled customers has never been more visible to anybody doing the briefest of background checks.

People now search for customer reviews and real life examples of a product’s benefits. A business should therefore be providing a flow of examples of when they’ve come to a customer’s rescue and helped solve their problem.

So the next time you’re asked to provide copywriting for an ‘About Us’ page, suggest they include links to case studies which show when they really have ‘exceeded expectations’ because it’s copy that people will want to read.

Posted by Matt Ambrose | Filed Under Blog, Copywriting, Marketing