Copywriting Methodology
Effective copy is a combination of different skills and talents including creativity, knowledge of marketing strategies, understanding of the audience, salesmanship all mixed with the technical skill of writing. Every writer has their own process and procedures for creating copy. Here is how I generally prepare and complete an assignment:
1. Collect Materials – My goal is to collect as much material as possible about the product, service, audience and company. This process also includes collecting past marketing pieces that were successful to understand your sales process, audience and unique voice in the market.
2. Produce Copy Platform – This is a trick I learned early in my career and includes creating a single sheet document that outlines the goals, audience, mandates and other elements to ensure that you and I are on the same page for what the piece will ultimately be used for and materials that must be included in the final copy.
3. Produce Headline – Effective copy that is ignored because nobody stopped to read it is a lost opportunity. An attention-grabbing headline is the first step to effective copy. I will spend a lot of time working on headlines, subject lines, etc. to come up with the most hard-hitting headline possible. Too many copywriters don’t pay enough attention to this step and end up producing “C” level copy at best.
4. Produce Initial Draft – Once a headline or subject line is worked out I will produce the remaining copy, sales points, unique selling proposition and offer. This draft will go through several edits before you, the client, see it.
5. Send Initial Draft to Client – It is at this point that the client will see the first draft of the piece. If all the steps above were performed well the piece will come very close to the mark on the first draft. It shouldn’t require extensive revisions, but any revisions that you want can be communicated back to me in any format you choose.
6. Client Discussion – Once I have seen your requested revisions we will discuss them and the overall piece and determine together what changes should be made to finalize the piece. It is important to discuss the revisions so we each know what the other is thinking and don’t miss any specific goals or objectives for the piece.
7. Final Draft – After taking in all the edits and revisions a final draft will be produced and sent to you in any format you request.
This procedure may be altered at different steps depending on the actual assignment. For example, if a piece requires data collection or interviews the process may deviate from this methodology, but overall, this is what you can expect when you work with me.
Turn Key Copywriting & Design Services
I also work with several graphic designers, web designers and printers. I can write the copy and work with my team to give you a finished marketing piece if you need this service including printing and delivery or implementation into any digital platform.
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