Words to the Wise

Copywriters can be like cops - never one around when you need one, and always one around when you don’t need one.

But let’s face it, a cop isn’t likely to write web content, blog posts and other fun stuff. So how do you keep a copywriter so happy that they drop everything to do YOUR work whenever YOU want?

Lesson 1 - Be accessible. Nothing says you don’t care about your project like taking five days to respond to an email about something project-related. I know there are exceptions, but there are also trends. A response to an email question within 24 hours shows you’re serious about your project and can keep your copywriter on-track. If the question is vital and you don’t respond, it’s possible that the copywriter will do work on another project until their question is answered and ‘lose steam’ when it comes to your project.

Lesson 2 - Be human. Yes, the copywriter knows you’re the client and you have the final say about the project, but throwing your weight around for the sake of showing your importance will lead to you finding another copywriter. Most of the copywriters I know would rather take less money than deal with a client’s inflated ego.

Lesson 3 - Be upfront. I once had a project to write web copy for a real estate agent. I had completed the first draft of 10 site pages based on my client’s input and submitted them for review. It was at that point the client told me her husband hated everything I had written. If you’re not the only decision-maker on a project, let your copywriter know. It helps them plan and make decisions better and keeps the unexpected (and unwelcome) surprises to a minimum.

Lesson 4 - Be honest. There are copywriters out there, myself included, who truly want to see you succeed and want their copy to be a part of that success. If you don’t like a word, a sentence, a paragraph or a page…say something. There are few things more deflating than writing pages of copy, only to find a month later that someone has re-written the copy because the client didn’t like it but didn’t say anything.

Lesson 5. Be ready. A very wise man in the PR field once said “Prior preparedness prevents piss-poor performance.” He also said “Prior agreements prevent future disagreements.” Take those to heart. Hammer out even a small agreement so that you and your copywriter have basic parameters and guidance in the unlikely event of a disagreement. Simple things like payment schedules, deadlines, what the copywriter’s fees cover and the like can keep a small problem from ruining a project.

Lesson 6. Be rich. Ok, I’m only half kidding about this one. But the reality is that I have clients who take 90 days or more to pay for my copywriting work. I also have clients who take 90 SECONDS to pay. Guess which client is more likely to get worked into a copywriter’s schedule when they need something and the copywriter is really busy? You know it - the one who pays fastest. That doesn’t mean a copywriter won’t bend over backward for a client who takes 90 days to pay - a copywriter will do anything for the right client.

So there you have it. And trust me when I tell you that copywriters want to keep the good clients for a long, long time. A good copywriter-client relationship goes both ways.

Jason Pedley is a professional SEO content writer based near Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact Jason today for your next marketing project - mail@jasonpedley.com or (860) 886-3455.

I know I’ve talked to you about using Google Alerts to mine competitive data, keep on top of your online brand and even use it snag property deals before there’s even a sign on the front lawn. Those uses have always been no-brainers to me.

And to me, there’s still no fuzziness about using Google Alerts to gain info on people, including potential clients, bosses, employees, mothers-in-law, neighbors, local politicians and even former bosses who burn their house down or threaten you with cease and desist orders.

In fact, my thoughts on Google Alerts were recently used by Jonathan Fields in his blog post: Stalking Or Due Diligence: Google Alerts Gone Bad?

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m @JPJay411 on Twitter.

To add to my comments on Jonathan’s blog, I think it’s important to note that gathering information is one thing, but how you use it is where value rests. Getting a fresh piece of news about a friend, client, or potential client gives you an opportunity to connect, even if it’s just a brief email or note that keeps you on their radar and holds that proverbial door open for the next project or sale.

If you’re looking for a good way to see if your brand is being mentioned on Twitter, try search.twitter.com. You can even set up RSS feeds so you’ll know when people are mentioning your terms.

Please stalk responsibly.

Jason Pedley is a professional copywriter based near Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact Jason Pedley today - mail@jasonpedley.com or (860) 886-3455.

Part of the challenge in my day-to-day freelance life is writing content for my varied clients. And while it is a challenge, it’s also a lot of fun. Where else can I write about Central America second homes, mobility scooters for seniors and travel nurses all in the same day?

I suppose I could do that at an agency, but that might take some of the fun out of my job.

So how do I keep writing content for different industries day after day?

When I first get a client, I read everything I can about them. What they’ve done in the past, what kind of indexed content they have on Google, who links to the client’s pages, who client link to, how does their online marketing work with their offline marketing, what the clients keywords and phrases are etc.

Then, I find out what their competition is doing. This usually involves setting up some Google alerts and more web surfing, which I’ve blogged about before.

Once I’m familiar with a client’s business, their customers, their industry and their competition, it’s easier (not always easy, though) to write content that appeals to customers and search engines.

For example, if I’m writing a listing for a property like the Trump International Golf Club in Puerto Rico, chances are, I’ve already had oodles of links, PDFs, brochures and press releases sent to me by the client. Beyond that I’m sure to have scoured the web to see what others are writing to sell the property. Chances are, in this case, the competition all has one thing in common: They’re all doing the same thing. Whether it’s swiping info word-for-word from the press releases and brochures or stealing each other’s listing copy, there’s one way to step above all this and get attention:

Be different.

It’s that simple. I write compelling, optimized copy that is different from everybody else’s. We’re all marketing the same property with the same amenities, units and prices – but Condo Hotel Center (and all my clients for that matter) have realized that original, unique content is what sets them apart online. And the best way to be original is to see what everyone else has done and do something else.

Does anybody really remember (or want to remember) life before things like email, the Internet and cable TV?

Here’s a list of five things that I use nearly everyday that I can’t imagine (or sometimes remember) living without:

1. My Olympus digital voice recorder. I’m a multi-tasker. And let’s face it, I have to be - I work alone. So when a client or potential client calls while I’m deep in the middle of writing content for a website, it’s great to have a tool that can capture all the details of a phone call so that I don’t look silly asking for the callers notes. The recorder is under $100 but worth every penny. It plugs directly into my USB port so I can save all the conversations I want. COST - under $100

2. Jott. Much like number 1 on this list, Jott is an audio program. Kind of. When I’m in the car and need to literally make a note of something, I call Jott. It’s an automated program that lets you dictate notes to yourself and have them sent to you via email. How cool is that. And while Jott only allows you to speak for about one minute at a time, I’ve actually dictated ebooks to myself this way - and then gone back and made corrections. Jott is not perfect - but it’s one of he best voice recognition services I’ve seen. You can integrate Jott with Twitter, WordPress and more. www.jott.com COST - Free (for now).

3. My Garmin GPS. I’m a big aviation enthusiast, so every time I read about the latest Garmin ‘glass cockpit’ I smile and chuckle to myself knowing that I have similar technology here on terra firma. My Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS isn’t just a cool map system, it’s an MP3 player, a currency converter, photo album, travel clock, currency converter, calculator and more. COST - $350

4. My laser printer. Ok, laser printers have been around for a while now. But for a home office freelance copywriter like me, they were less-than-affordable for a long time. Until now. My HP LaserJet P1006 prints quickly and flawlessly. Yes it’s only black and white printing but as a writer, my need for color is small. For color jobs, I outsource to my local Staples - since I have a membership. COST - $99

5. My iPod Shuffle. No on-screen display? No problem. With the ability to quickly load and arrange songs via iTunes, the Shuffle makes perfect sense for me. I can use it to listen to audiobooks, motivational MP3s and even lectures from universities that make their audio lectures available on iTunes. COST - $50

Part of the point is that I COULD live without all of these items - if I wanted to. But with the increased productivity I see from these items, why would I want to give them up?

Over the next few posts, I’m going to focus on website copy and what it means in the 21st century. I spend a lot of my time reviewing websites - noting what works, what doesn’t work, and why today’s consumers are visiting your site with a different perspective.

First of all, visitors to your website today are not the same as they were five years ago. Heck, they probably aren’t even the same as they were five MONTHS ago. Today’s consumers are buried under the piles of information, they’ve got less time than they ever had, their nerves have been overstimulated by wars, natural disasters, politics and the like, and they’re feeling a financial strain that is apparently not getting any better.

Just the kind of customer you were looking for, right?

So what do you do with your copy to reach these people? Well, first of all you have to get to your point - fast. When we visit a website that goes on and on without giving us some kind of payback, some gem of information or an opportunity to meet one of our needs, we tend to get ’sleepy eyes’ and move on.

Long, useless copy like I’ve described comes from a number of sources:

1. Some copywriters tend to ‘fall in love’ with their work. They churn out word after word to impress themselves, their bosses and, of course, you. Too bad you aren’t a copywriter. You might be more impressed.
2. Some clients love themselves too much. “We need a company name density of 12%” is exactly what I was told by one client last year. As if their company name was a keyword and their entire SEO strategy depended on it.
3. A copywriting budget that is too small. Truth be told, it takes longer to write a to-the-point, well crafted message than it does to ramble on and on. Get to the point. Hiring a junior copywriter may save you money, but you could end up with thousands of extra words that simply drive your prospects away.

Next up…why smaller is better. At least, in copywriting.