Copywriting

What makes good copy?

If, after reading an article or blog post, you have ever found yourself compelled to read more on the subject or see what else that author has to offer, you just came across some good copy. Or when you are browsing the brochures of offered services at the car wash and you find yourself thinking, “Wow, I should really try that new clay detailing next time” then you have just been engaged by great copy.

Good copy engages the reader. It explains what seems unknowable and foreign into something familiar. It catches the fancy of what could be and translates it into something attainable.

Great copy leaves the reader wanting more – more information, more of the product, more of the service.

And that is what I do.

Whether it is a website’s static homepage that greets potential clients, a company blog featuring your best products, or the brochure that walks the customer through what you do and how you benefit them, the words make or break the sale. Not only should website copy drive search engines to your site, but they should keep the actual people who will become your customers informed and intrigued. A brochure should not just highlight but accentuate what makes you best suited for the customer’s needs.

I can do that for you.

A Word on Working with Graphic Designers

I think Dr. Seuss said it best:

“Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.”

Marketing material is most successful when it is highly stimulating visually. A great graphic designer will provide a design that will sell as well as a visual complement to the copy, emphasizing instead of undercutting it. This is a fun and creative process that I love participating in.

However, I am NOT a graphic designer. I am your word girl. I am happy to work in conjunction with your graphic designer – I even know a few I could recommend – but please do not confuse your wordsmith with your visual artist.

The Process

Here’s how working with me would play out, I call it “TRACC” (pronounced “track”) – Talk, Research, Art, Coordinate, Complete.

First, we Talk. You and I conduct a dialogue about your company, where you’ve been, where you’re going. All the whos, hows and wherefores are included in this discussion.

After we talk, I then Research. I take a look at your area of business, your competitors, and your clients (as appropriate) to figure out how to implement your vision with what I provide.

Then my favorite part: I create my Art. I craft the words needed to make your message shine.

After I do my work, we Coordinate. There is a review of the work on your part and we have another discussion, or series of discussions, about any nips and tucks you feel are necessary. Don’t be afraid of this: usually the copy is not perfect the first time around. We need to adjust phrasing and add your personality to it. It is a process. I include three rounds of edits in my quote which are good for twenty-one days from original receipt of the work.

Finally, the project is Complete. You have the end product and I have my payday. Everyone is happy.

Want to see examples of what I’ve done? See them here.