What Does a Copywriter Really Do?

Ever wondered how your copywriter tackles the average project? Knowing what’s involved and seeing your copywriting brief from the writer’s point of view will help you get your copy spot on in no time.
Most copywriters will work with a variety of clients on a daily basis. A good freelancer will find the most effective way of delivering to brief, and guide you through that process. In fact, project management is just one of the skills every good freelance copywriter should have. The writing part is just one step of the process. Here’s how we logically work through your brief. 
1.    Finding out how much work is involved
A quick way of working is to get some rough copy from you at the start. That’s because it’s important to know exactly what you want to communicate. If there’s nothing in writing, a meeting or a phone call to go through the key points is another option. But seeing visuals or mock ups showing how much copy is needed is essential to kick things off with an accurate quote. A combination of first seeing what you need to say in writing, then chatting through it is ideal, especially if you’ve never worked together before.   
2.    Starting the research
For most copy and content briefs, there are two main parts to the project. The first is the research, the second is putting pen to paper. Remember, often we won’t know the brand, it’s values, tone of voice and marketing activity. Despite what you may think, we don’t always need to know all these things in in-depth detail. Unless strict brand guidelines are in place, we can benefit from just having an overview. This can be covered off by asking you to fill out a short briefing form. Funnily enough, it can be harder to produce copy if you’re extremely close to a brand. The important thing is to write in a way that your audience or customers can relate to, and having a little distance can help.
3.    Writing the first draft
Once we know what you want to say, and have a background to the brand and the campaign, we can start writing. The first draft will take the longest to write, and it’s the best time to iron out your tone of voice. Even if you don’t think you have a clue about how you want to sound, chances are you’ll have a good idea after receiving this draft. Certain words may just not “feel right”. 
4.    Revising your copy
It’s your chance to help shape the copy at this stage. But to do that well, you’ll need to be specific with your feedback. “That just doesn’t sound like us” won’t cut it. Highlighting certain words or information that needs changing with exact suggestions is the fastest way to get results and make yourself understood. You don’t have to worry about being rude, we’re used to the cycle of writing and revising copy. It’s about being constructive and objective in your feedback.
5.    Polishing the copy
Once your copywriter has your comments, they can start making the revisions. Unless there’s a major miscommunication somewhere, this revision should more or less nail it. So next time you contact a copywriter, just remember, the job is about more than writing. They should project manage, effectively research, write and perfect your new copy with minimal fuss so you can get on with your day job, and leave it to the expert.
Would you like to find out how I can help you with your next copywriting project? Give me a shout today to start a conversation.