A company’s “contact us” page should never be an afterthought or a place to simply dump phone numbers and a snail mail address. In this blog post, I’m going to discuss how to write a contact us page for your clients that will wow them—and actually work.
And by “work,” I mean the page copy will inspire people to fill out the form, email, or call.
How to write a contact us page: Don’t do it last.
When I tackle website writing projects for clients, I often start with the contact us page. Why? Well, the page copy itself tends to be shorter—and it’s also hyper-focused.
When you get ready to write this page, start by asking yourself some questions: Why would someone click on “contact us” and subsequently NOT take that action? What’s causing them to hesitate? And what can your words do to help them overcome that hesitation?
It’s a fun challenge. Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes.
Are they worried about the cost? You could allay those fears by saying there’s no obligation or that the initial consult is free, for example.
Are they worried they haven’t done enough due diligence? Contact pages are a great place to include one of the client’s most powerful testimonials. On other pages, like home pages, I usually encourage the client to have scrolling testimonials. The contact page is a different beast: Put your best one on there—the one that could help persuade that hesitant person to make the call.
Are they looking for an email address, but you only give them a phone number or a form? Give people multiple ways to give in touch. Put them in charge. (I discuss this more below.)
Make sure you optimize your “contact us” page for a keyword phrase.
Like all pages on your website, you want to optimize it for a keyword phrase. Write a compelling headline around the phrase. Resist the temptation to simply have “Contact us.” That’s a wasted opportunity.
After the compelling headline, remind people, with a bit of inspiring copy, WHY someone should contact you.
This serves another purpose. You never know how people will enter your site. It’s possible they could enter your site via the contact page (especially if it’s optimized well). So by having a clear, compelling headline and good copy on “what’s in it for the prospect,” you’re helping to orient the new site visitor.
Make recommendations for the form fields . . . and give people a choice on how they want to make contact.
As the copywriter, you won’t be building the page or setting up the form. But you can share recommendations on what to include on the form. Different businesses will have different needs. And while longer forms do create friction, you’ll likely want to go longer than simply name, email, and phone number. Other landing pages on the site could have super-short forms. But contact us pages are places where you can ask for more details.
My next suggestion will require your client’s cooperation, but I always believe the prospect should be able to choose how they contact a business. If they prefer phone, great. But if they prefer sending an email or filling out a form, that should be allowed as well.
Here’s the challenge: many small businesses aren’t good about monitoring emails or contact forms. So offering choices will ONLY work if the client actually pays attention and monitors all the different modes of contact.
Make it easy for people to connect in other ways . . . and give them a reason to stick around.
For most business websites, the social media icons live in the footer or in the courtesy link area at the top of a website. But the “contact us” page is a great place to highlight them and encourage people to follow.
After someone submits a form, what happens? Ideally, they should receive confirmation that the form went through. From there, it’s a smart practice to include a link or two to helpful content—like an FAQs page—to encourage people to stick around the site.
Do I follow my own advice? YES.
I wouldn’t make recommendations that I don’t follow myself. In the video below, I walk through my contact us page. You can see how it stacks up against these suggestions. Or you can simply navigate to the contact page itself.
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-28 07:00:132023-05-26 14:55:08How to Write a Contact Us Page [Copywriter Tips]
One of the most common questions new copywriters have is how to put together a website, including the all-important copywriting portfolio. My advice? Look at other copywriter websites for inspiration, which is exactly what we’re going to do in this blog post.
Below, I’m including screenshots from five different copywriter websites. I’m not affiliated with them, and I don’t know them, either. I think these sites are well done, for various reasons, which I’ll get into. See what you think! I’m also embedding a video at the end from my YouTube channel where I walk through the sites in real time.
I love the feel of the site, which reflects the fun name “Salted Pages.” The headline clearly explains what these women do: “Infusing Storytelling with SEO to Stir Up Organic Leads &Sales.” The whole site feels like a breath of fresh sea air. The copy reflects the sea theme, too. (Packages include Low Tide, Sea Level, and High Tide, for example.) They list prices for copywriting packages, which is interesting. I’d be curious to know how well that works for them.
There are pros and cons to including pricing. The pro: It helps someone self-identify whether they have the budget. The con: You could potentially lose someone who has the budget, but doesn’t understand the value of copywriting—yet. Sometimes you need to have a few discussions with prospects to get them to understand. Then, they might be more willing to accept a quote that they might have otherwise found “pricy.”
Kat is well-known in the copywriting space. She does a lot to help new copywriters thrive. Her website captures her professional work and the work she does on behalf of new writers. The navigation clearly indicates where people need to go if they want to work with her—or learn from her. The writing itself is excellent . . . conversational, friendly, and warm. You truly get a sense of what it would be like to work with her and the writing she’d produce for you.
I love the flow of this site—it’s smooth and aesthetically pleasing. It’s not overly complicated. Her contact form is good (so if you’ve been wondering how to address this on your own site, Amanda’s is a good one to study).
I *think* Amanda is a newer copywriter, which is one of the other reasons I’m including her site as an example because it shows how you can have a great site even when you’re just starting out. (I’m gleaning this from her Insta page for her copywriting biz, which looks like she started in January of 2022; also she uses a bunch of spec ad examples in her portfolio, which is absolutely OK. When you’re starting out, you can use copy that you write “on spec” for a brand or fictional company to demonstrate your copywriting chops.)
Kevin is a direct response copywriter, and what I LOVE about his site’s home page is that it’s written in the format that copywriters use for direct response—so he demonstrates his ability for this copywriting service right on his own home page.
Direct response copywriting in a nutshell—it’s a type of longer-form copywriting that takes advantage of people’s willingness to scroll if the info is good, with the goal of getting them to ACT NOW. This type of writing is usually very persuasive, starting with the problem the prospect is having and then walking through a solution, social proof, the “deal” that people will get if they choose this solution, compelling calls-to-action peppered throughout, etc. And it’s not just for digital. You’ll find direct-response copywriting techniques used in sales letters. (Have you ever gotten a long sales letter in the mail? I’m talking multi-pages? That’s direct response copywriting at work. Oftentimes, copywriters will earn royalties.)
Anyhow, Kevin’s home page does a brilliant job of showing people he knows exactly how to write engaging long-form copy.
Charlotte is a specific type of copywriter—she writes for the skincare market—and her site makes this immediately clear while reinforcing her own brand. It’s a lovely site, and I imagine it would be extremely appealing and persuasive to a beauty brand looking for a beauty copywriter.
Here’s the video where I walk through the sites.
Definitely watch since I poke around the writers’ copywriting portfolios, too!
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-27 07:00:322023-05-25 08:21:57Copywriter Websites: 5 Great Examples to Learn From
Step right up. Below is my “tell it to me like I’m ten” explanation.
Or if you prefer a video, here you go.
What does a copywriter do exactly?
Simply put, we provide the words that sell a product, a service, or a cause.
Let’s illustrate this with an example.
Your clock radio goes off at 6:07 AM, because that’s how you roll, and you hear a commercial for Dunkin. Yes, America runs on Dunkin. You get up out of bed, stumble to the kitchen, and flip on the TV. Yet another commercial is playing, this one for a car. You get ready for work, page through the latest issue of The Week, and pause on a full-page ad for a river cruise that follows Lewis and Clarke’s expedition along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, and you think, “Damn. That would be cool.”
You get in the car, hop on the Mass Pike, and head to work. On the way in, you spot a billboard for the Museum of Science and think it would be good to bring your nieces and nephews there soon.
At work, you futz around online for a bit, checking Facebook, pausing on an ad for Olive & June nail polish. You resist the temptation, but you’re definitely intrigued, along with an ad you see for Lume Deodorant. (If you know, you know.) You check your personal email and see a Groupon with a great deal on a massage and you decide to get it as a gift for your bestie who’s turning 50 soon.
Come lunchtime, you and your coworkers decide you want Indian food, so you do some Googling and click on a new restaurant’s Google Business Profile. The pictures look delish, and the write-up sounds intriguing.
For work, one of your current tasks is researching background check companies so that you can make recommendations to your boss. You find three you really like, based on their websites, their blogs, and their reviews, so you hand that info over to your boss.
As you’re leaving work, you notice someone has tucked flyers under everyone’s windshield wipers in the parking lot. The flyer is advertising a nearby bar’s all-you-can-eat wings every Thursday night.
When you get home, you fetch the mail and notice a direct mailer for a new dentist’s office in town, which you file away as a possibility since your dentist is retiring at the end of the year. You also receive a packet from Mass Audubon and decide to make a donation because you’ve gotten REALLY into birding lately. (No judgment!)
Later that night, in bed, you’re scrolling through Insta and see another ad for Olive & June nail polish, and this time you click over, read the reviews, watch a video, and order. And then you do the same thing for Lume.
OK . . . all of that stuff . . . all of that is an example of copywriting at work.
The words in the radio and TV spots, the Groupon email, the highway billboard, the print ad in the magazine, the social media ads, even the flyer tucked under your windshield wiper . . . Someone had to write those words.
Not all of the words were necessarily written by a professional writer. But all of the words still qualify as copywriting.
Because repeat after me, kids: Copywriting is writing that’s trying to sell a product, service, or a cause.
So what does a copywriter do exactly?
They wrote the words companies and organizations use to promote or sell their product, service, or cause.
Companies or organizations might hire them as employees. Or they might outsource to them.
Some copywriters, like me, are generalists. We work with a variety of companies, both b2b and b2c, and we write different types of content, like blog posts, websites, print and digital ads, social media posts, emails, a little bit of everything.
Other copywriters might specialize. For example, some might focus only on SEO copywriting. Others might be email copywriters or direct mail copywriters.
We sit in our jammies or yoga pants (you know, the days we’re actually wearing pants), and we’ll write blog posts and white papers, landing pages and email campaigns, social media posts and more blogs.
We’ll think about strategy and develop editorial calendars.
We’ll conduct research, including keyword research for website copy and blogs.
We’ll write.
And revise.
Write some more.
Proofread.
And did I mention writing, writing, and more writing?
We’ll drink coffee.
And Slack colleagues.
We’ll Zoom and Skype clients.
Occasionally we’ll send invoices and reconcile our checking accounts and pay taxes, because we’re running a business here.
And sometimes we’ll even take showers and do laundry.
And some of us have YouTube channels and put on makeup so we can do videos about what a copywriter does exactly.
Very meta.
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-26 07:00:502023-05-20 14:53:54What Does a Copywriter Do Exactly?
I recently discussed “About” page copywriting. Website bios are a big part of robust About pages. Often, brands will include bios for key people on the management team, and someone needs to pen those narratives, right? That brings us to the subject of this blog post: How to write a great bio for a website.
You can apply the advice I share below to other “types” of bios for other applications, like LinkedIn or conference speaker bios.
And if you learn better by watching a video, here you go.
What is a bio anyway?
A bio, which is short for “biography,” is just that—it’s a short narrative about a person. “Short” is relative here. Some bios might only be a paragraph or two. Others might be as long as a full page. I rarely see bios that go longer than a page.
A good bio tells a good story. But it doesn’t include every last detail of a person’s life.
Your job is to capture relevant highlights about the person’s life while giving us a sense of who the person is. That last bit isn’t always easy to capture—a person’s essence. And the truth is, not all bios require that. Some bios are very much “just the facts, ma’am.”
It all depends on who the bio is for and how it’s being used.
Why do people need website bios?
Have you ever been on a website and it’s just . . . sparse? And you’re wondering if it’s legit? You go poking around to see if you can find any info on people in the company, and you come up empty. How’d that make you feel? Probably not all that inclined to buy from the business, right?
Website bios lend credibility. Look! There are real people behind this business! Plus, many consumers like to know who they’re doing business with. They’re interested in learning more about the people behind the brand. (This can be true for b2c or b2b companies.)
Website bios and pics can also make it easier for customers and prospects to connect with the person they’re doing business with, like a sales rep or an account manager.
And bios offer an opportunity to glean whether the person has the credentials you’re looking for.
How to write a great bio for a website: What should you include?
What you include in a website bio is up to the business, the person being written about, and even the writer (if the writer is directing the bios for the entire team).
Usually, website bios include relevant education and credentials, relevant employment, details about the current position, and—ideally—some personal info. “Robyn lives in a suburb of Boston with her faithful plush sloth, Stewart.”
I always encourage clients to have fun with their bios.
Should website bios be written in first or third person?
Like so many things in life, it depends. I’ve written them both ways. It will depend on the business, the people, and the goals.
For the urology practice I write for, I draft the doctors’ website bios in the third person. For this morning radio show consultant, I wrote the bio in the first person. For this mortgage broker, I did a combination of first for the opening of the “About Me” page before transitioning into a bio written in the third person. (And I cheekily made reference to the switch from first person to third.) For my LinkedIn bio, I wrote it in first person—and as you might expect, it’s not the “typical” bio.
I would say this: I think consistency is key. So if you’re writing website bios for 10 people on the same team, it makes sense to choose either first or third person.
Another caveat: If the person has a lot of credentials, awards, etc., it will come across much less braggy if the bio is written in third person.
Is it OK to write your own bio?
People are often very protective of their personal bios, which makes sense. If someone wants to take a stab at writing their bio—or maybe they had a bio at another company and they update it for the new one—I’m OK with this. I’ll always review and fine-tune to make sure the bio is consistent with others in the company.
Some folks, however, hate writing about themselves. Or they’re modest and don’t know how to write about themselves.
And that’s where copywriters come in.
How to write a great bio for a website: Tips for getting the info you need
This is often where the heavy lifting comes into play.
You can . . .
Put together a bio “input” form. I do this for one of my clients that’s always adding new people to the team.
Conduct interviews via phone/Zoom. Make sure you record.
Use a person’s CV/resume. For basic “just the facts, ma’am” bios, this usually provides enough info.
Make sure you have a go-to set of questions that you use as your building block for all bio-input forms. You can customize them for the business and/or person in question.
How to write a great bio for a website: Use these professional bio interview questions to get started.
Here’s the bio-input form I use with one of my clients. (I’ve removed any identifying info.) Feel free to copy and paste and customize it for your bio-writing needs.
I email these instructions and questions to the person I’m writing about.
What I Need from You: Please provide three short paragraphs about yourself and your work experience. Use the existing bios on our site as a guide. I’ll lightly edit what you send me, as needed, but you’ll get final approval.
If writing isn’t your thing, please thoroughly answer all questions below and I’ll draft a bio for you. (You will get final approval.)
BIO INPUT:
Please share your name and title as you’d like to see it appear on the site.
Where are you based?
Tell me about your role with AWESOME COMPANY—what will you be doing day-to-day, week-to-week?
What do you love most about your job with AWESOME COMPANY?
Please provide a brief paragraph on your experience: work experience and relevant education. Definitely highlight any relevant experience as it relates to AWESOME COMPANY.
You’re at a cocktail party and someone asks you what you do for a living. What do you say?
When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
What’s something you wish everyone understood about your job, and why AWESOME COMPANY is different/better than its competitors?
Please include a link to your LinkedIn profile (and make sure your profile is up to date and has a picture).
Anything else you want to make sure I include?
Lightning round Fill out whatever you’re comfortable with and feel free to add something else:
Star Wars, Star Trek, neither:
Favorite (food, author, movie, sport – pick/share something):
A little-known fact about yourself:
How you unwind:
Words to live by:
PHOTOGRAPHS:
One headshot – you can take it with your phone. Just make sure the lighting is good, the background is plain/solid, and that you shoot from the shoulders (or so) on up. See the website for examples.
Three candid shots, at least one of which should be a “you” shot. The other two can also feature you (family photo, childhood photo, you jumping out of a plane), and/or pets, a prized possession (car, boat, piece of art), you get the idea. Something that captures the essence of who you are. Again, see the existing bios on the site for inspiration.
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-25 07:00:402023-05-23 09:36:36How to Write a Great Bio for a Website
If you’re new to Copywriting Land, you might be wondering what the difference is between a copywriter vs copy editor. I got you!
But first, a disclaimer. For this post, I’m talking about copy editors who work for brands/companies rather than publishing houses or the media. While there’s overlap, a copy editor working for a brand is biased by the fact they work for a company. So that’s a biggie and something you should remember as you read through what I have to say below.
(BTW: Do you learn better by watching a video? Jump to the end for my video on this topic.)
Copywriter vs Copy Editor: One writes the words. The other makes them shine.
As a copywriter, you’re tasked with getting the words down on paper and pixels.
You’ll be writing things like . . .
Blog posts
White papers
Social media posts
Website copy
Ebooks
Video scripts
When it comes to digital marketing, the list is seemingly endless.
A copy editor, on the other hand, will revise a writer’s words for the following:
Clarity, quality, and consistency
Grammar and punctuation
Overall alignment with the brand voice
Overall alignment with the brand messaging
Alignment with an in-house style guide and other relevant style guides (AP, Chicago, etc.)
Copy editors won’t typically rewrite a piece of content. They’ll lob it back to the writer with their requests for more significant edits.
How they communicate with writers will vary. Some might track their comments in Word. Others might email. Some will get on a call. I find that most copy editors prefer sticking to the source material and making edits and comments on the doc itself.
Copywriter vs Copy Editor: How are they the same? How are they different?
Here are some ways they’re the same:
They both care about the final piece.
They both care about writing, conveying a message, and communicating clearly.
While both tend to be detail-oriented, copy editors will almost always win that battle, hands down. I’m a fast writer. I get things down. Good editing is all about slowing down and taking a breath.
Here are some ways they’re different.
Copy editors are usually less concerned with results. The copywriter’s job is to create something that resonates with the target audience and gets them to act. The copy editor’s job is to ensure the message is clear, on brand, and punctuated correctly.
Copywriters are usually more familiar with the nuts and bolts of digital marketing. Good copy editors, especially today, must have a basic understanding, but good copywriters must be immersed.
Good editors have a damn fine nose for bullshit.
Copy editors don’t typically fact-check, but this can vary. They might ping the writer if there’s a glaring error—or something that doesn’t make sense. But they’re counting on you, the copywriter, to get the facts right, to use good sources, and to provide proper attribution.
I wouldn’t be surprised if more copy editors run copy through plagiarism checkers. And I won’t be surprised if they soon run copy through AI detectors.
They can’t always prove when a writer makes something up. But they can smell it. There’s a great scene from Season 5 of my all-time favorite show—The Wire—where Gus, the managing editor of a Baltimore newspaper, knows that one of the writers on staff is making stuff up, even though he can’t prove it.
All copywriters need copy editors.
Including me! My copy for clients always has several eyes on it. It might not always be a professional editor, although sometimes it is. Even though I’ve been writing professionally for over twenty years, I still need that gut check, that person who’s a little more objective and can correct my messes and save me from myself.
A good editor-writer relationship can be magical.
An analogy I like to use? Think of a good football coach and quarterback. A coach’s job is to help the QB be the best he can be by leaning into strengths and correcting weaknesses. The editor’s job is to see a writer’s strengths and weaknesses and help the writer adjust for both so the writer can perform their best.
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-23 07:00:422023-05-19 18:48:14Copywriter vs Copy Editor: What’s the Difference?
One of my favorite types of writing is “about” page copywriting. You’ve likely come across this on a brand’s website or a person’s website. Other words and phrases to describe this page include:
Our Story
Company Story
About Me
My Story
You get the idea. The reason I love it so much? Because of the storytelling nature of this page and because it’s (mostly) not marketing copy. You can have fun on a company story page. You can be clever. You can just take a breath and be REAL.
I’d argue you should always aim to be real in your copywriting. But not all businesses see it that way.
What are the main features of “about” page copywriting?
Remember, when it comes to copywriting, you must always think about who you’re writing for. So if a visitor to your website were to click over to your client’s “About Us” page, what do you think they’d want to know? The answer will vary depending on the business and industry. But you’ll want to make sure you’re covering what your audience is looking for.
At a minimum, you’ll likely want to talk about the organization’s history (for example, why was it founded?), the key people behind the business, and the company’s mission and values.
Is the “about” page just one page?
Not necessarily. The size of the site and the business itself will dictate your approach to this page. A solopreneur who’s been in business for five years might opt for a simple “My Story” page. A business that’s been around for fifty years and has offices throughout the world might opt for a more robust “Our Company” section that includes separate pages for things like . . .
History
Mission statement/values
Management Team
Careers
What are some examples of great b2c and b2b About page copywriting?
So glad you asked! Check out the video below where I walk through and discuss the “About” pages for various brands (including two that I wrote).
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
Giving your freelance copywriter a copywriting “brief” is an excellent way to make sure your project goes smoothly from the get-go.
But what is a copywriting brief anyway?
Who develops the copywriting brief?
Why is a creative brief necessary?
How to write a creative brief?
Where can you find a good copywriting brief template?
I’ll address these questions below. You can also download the copywriting brief template I created (the link opens a PDF). Feel free to use it “as is” or refine it further for your copywriting projects.
Note: If you’re a copywriter, you can still get a lot out of this blog post. Download the copywriting brief template and ask clients to fill it out. Also, I’m using the words “copywriting brief” and “creative brief” interchangeably. And be sure to check out the post I write for YOU: 10 Questions to Ask Prospective Clients.
And if you’d prefer a video on this topic, I got you covered. Scroll to the end to watch.
What is a copywriting brief?
A copywriting brief is a one- to two-page document that summarizes details about your company, your target audience, the project, and your timeline. Occasionally, people will refer to the copywriting brief as a “creative brief,” since it will likely address things beyond writing, like design.
This summary ensures everyone is on the same proverbial page since the brief outlines goals, deliverables, and timelines, as well as info about the messaging, target audience, CTA, and brand guidelines.
Who develops the copywriting brief or creative brief?
You, the client, should develop the copywriting brief. You know your project, the goals, and other relevant details.
If you’re a freelance copywriter who’s working with a business, you can request a creative brief. If they haven’t created one, hand them a version of this copywriting brief template (the link opens a PDF) and ask them to complete it.
Why do you need a creative brief?
Developing a creative brief is an excellent exercise for you and your team since it forces everyone to carefully think through the project. You must make sure everyone on your end agrees with the project goals, messaging, etc. Ironing out all these details internally before consulting with a copywriter (or graphic designer) saves everyone time.
That said, a creative brief is meant to be a fluid guide. Once the copywriter reviews the brief, they will likely have further questions and possibly suggestions that might require refining the brief further. This is a good thing. A skilled copywriter brings more to the table than simply sparkling prose.
What should you include in your copywriting brief?
There’s no right or wrong way to create a copywriting brief. The goal is to create a comprehensive overview of the project. Again, think one to two pages, max. You’re answering three basic questions: Who are you, what’s your project, and what are you looking for from the writer?
At its most basic, you’ll want to include the following:
Company Snapshot. You’ll provide a short paragraph or two about your company, including info about your audience. Think slightly longer than an elevator pitch. The writer is looking for a snippet, not the whole story. (The writer can review the website to learn more.)
Project overview. This is where you get into the nitty-gritty of the project itself, but also your expectations regarding messaging, tone, and do’s and don’ts.
Related assets. Keep the copywriting brief short (one to two pages). For supporting docs, link to them. (For example, you can upload a mockup for a new landing page to Google docs and link directly to it within the copywriting brief.) Things you might link to . . .
Brand guidelines
Style guideline
Legal language/requirements
Mockups
Imagery
Buyer personas
Messaging docs
Wireframes
Keyword research
Timeline.Here, you’ll outline when you want the first draft, revisions, and other deadlines.
You’re free to expand as you see fit and as your project requires. But try to keep the brief concise—no more than one to two pages.
How to write a creative brief: Let’s see one in action.
Let’s pretend you’re an education company in the beauty and wellness space. You’re making one of your popular online courses free for an upcoming industry “awareness” week. You want a landing page promoting the week and the free course.
Here’s how your copywriting brief might look.
COMPANY SNAPSHOT
We’re a beauty and wellness education company that produces course materials for cosmetology programs across the U.S. Our primary client is school owners and directors of education in beauty schools. Our secondary audience is licensed professionals who seek continuing education directly through our website where we sell e-learning courses, webinars, and digital guides.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
We’re making our popular online course, Beautiful You, free during this upcoming awareness week about inclusivity in the beauty industry. We need a writer to develop copy for a landing page that’s promoting this awareness week and the free course. The goal is to get as many beauty pros as possible to register for the free course during the awareness week and complete the course before the end of the month. We have a mockup for the landing page, which we’ll link to below. While this page is for beauty pros and students who can directly register for the course, we’re also asking our partner schools to promote this offering via their social channels.
We need copy for the following sections on the landing page:
Brief intro/info
CTA: (“Enough talking–I’m ready to act”)
More details: What this is, why we’re doing it, information on the content (how long it is, etc.)
Logo and other assets
Giveaway: People need to complete the course by the end of the month. They’ll get a digital certificate that they should share on Instagram and tag us. Anyone who does that will be entered to win a $500 gift card giveaway.
About Us
CTA leading to the course page
Our tone is friendly, helpful, and encouraging.
RELATED ASSETS
Here’s a link to the course page, the mockup of the new landing page, and a similar page we did last year for a different awareness week.
You’ll also find our brand book and style guidelines in Basecamp, which we’ll give you access to.
Our team will handle the legal fine print for the giveaway.
TIMELINE
We’d like a first draft by June 15.
We’ll deliver revision requests within three business days.
From there, we’d need the final copy by June 30.
When it comes to writing a creative brief, don’t overthink it too much.
The creative brief doesn’t need to be some long drawn-out project of its own. Your goal with a creative brief is to answer the following questions:
Who are you?
Who is your target audience?
What is the project?
What related assets are available (e.g., buyer personas, messaging docs, wireframes)
What is the timeline?
Effectively answer those questions, and you’ll set up the copywriter for maximum success.
Hello, writers! If you’ve landed here, you’re likely thinking about getting into copywriting or you’ve heard about this copywriting “thing.” And you’re probably like, What is copywriting? Why is copywriting important?
So let’s discuss! (If you prefer watching/listening, check out my video at the end.)
What is copywriting?
I’m all about keeping things simple. At its simplest, copywriting is any writing that sells a product, service, or a cause.
Copywriters are the folks who write the words that help sell a product, service, or a cause.
Synonyms include content writers and content marketers.
Oh, I can hear the cranky critics already! “No, Robyn. Content writers don’t sell. They’re about building engagement and enthusiasm!”
But here’s the thing: If a brand hires a content writer to build engagement, what’s the reason behind that? To simply have engaged people floating around? Or to have engaged people who will hopefully buy from the business?
It’s the latter.
And sure: Content writers might be focused more on (jargon alert!) top-of-the-funnel content. But those words the content writer creates are critical to the overall goal, which is to sell a product, service, or a cause.
Why is copywriting important?
As I like to say, content makes the business world go round. Businesses need words that will inspire people to take action.
They need the words on their
Website
Social media platforms
YouTube videos
Print ads
Radio and TV spots
Emails
Shopping cart messages if you’re in e-commerce
Invoice messaging
Sales letters
Brochures
And that’s just the beginning of a long list of content needs.
Not just any old words will do, either.
The words need to speak to the target audience.
The words need to be clear, yet compelling. Maybe a little fun. Maybe a little saucy. Maybe a little serious, depending on the brand.
The words need to be optimized for search.
Ultimately, words matter. How you say something affects other people, for better or worse. And how you say something one way might have one effect. Say it another way, and it will have another effect.
Sometimes swapping in a different word on the call-to-action button can have an amazing effect on the click-through rate. No one knows exactly why one word might work better than another . . . we just know that, through A/B testing, it does, and it can.
Bottom line: Copywriting is a critical component in a brand’s overall marketing strategy.
Why is copywriting important if AI like ChatGPT and Bard can do the same thing?
Ah, but can ChatGPT and Bard do copywriting well? And by “well,” I mean in a way that’s moving, engaging, and compelling.
I haven’t seen evidence (yet) that generative AI has achieved this ability. It can certainly write a term paper on the themes of Romeo & Juliet (and do so in a generic-sounding voice). But even with training, I haven’t seen AI capture a brand’s voice consistently (if at all, really). This could change, of course. And possibly quickly.
But I still think there’s a place for human copywriters.
I asked Bard about this the other day. Here’s what he wrote back . . .
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-20 07:00:102023-05-13 17:35:23Why is Copywriting Important?
Figuring out what to charge for copywriting can be one of the most confounding things for new copywriters and veterans alike. You want to get paid well. You want to be fair to the client. Or at least, I’m assuming you want both of those things. 🙂 I have another blog post (video included) on how to charge for your copywriting services. But today, I’m going to discuss something super specific: how much to charge for copywriting a website.
BTW: If you learn better by watching a video, I got you. Jump to the end where I’ve embedded a video on this topic.
How Much to Charge for Copywriting a Website: Don’t Underestimate Your Value
Let’s discuss the value you’re delivering when you write website content. (For the purpose of this exercise, I’m going to assume that you know how to do SEO copywriting. If not, go learn that first. Then, come back here.)
A website is a company’s virtual storefront that’s open 24/7. Good websites will . . .
Draw in targeted traffic.
Turn that targeted traffic into leads.
Keep the leads engaged and guide them through the buying journey.
Websites are critical to the success of so many businesses.
So when you’re tapped to write a website, it’s a big deal.
Talented SEO copywriters bring a ton of value to a website project.
As an SEO website copywriter, you’re tasked with making sure the messaging and branding are consistent page-to-page while keeping the user experience and search engine optimization top of mind.
Doing a kick-ass job with SEO copywriting involves . . .
Digging deep into the client’s business and their industry
Making sure you thoroughly understand the client’s audience
Reviewing your client’s competitors
Analyzing the existing site—what pages work, what pages don’t work, what messaging resonates, etc.
You do all that before you put finger to keyboard.
Then, you need to figure out the framework for the site.
You need to do keyword research.
You’ll likely develop messaging concepts for the client to review.
Again, this ALL happens before you write any website copy.
Once all of the above is done . . . THEN you start working on the copy.
Bottom line: Websites are A LOT of work.
This brings me to the approach that I DON’T recommend when trying to figure out how much to charge for copywriting a website: hourly rates.
No one likes hourly rates. Intuitively, clients might “get” it, but their psyches won’t. They’ll fixate on how long something is taking. Or they’ll question whether something really needs to take you three hours or six hours. They’ll end up losing sight of the value you’re delivering. And invoices will always be nerve-wracking to deliver because you’ll never know what sort of response you’re going to get.
That’s a crappy way to work.
Hourly rates suck for writers, too. You’re going to put pressure on yourself. There will be days when you’re crushing it because you’re in the zone and churning out awesome copy quickly. Should you make less just because you’ve gotten faster? Of course not. The value is still there.
On the flip side, you’ll have days where it’s more of a slog. Maybe something took you six hours instead of four, but you feel “guilty” about charging for six, so you don’t.
Ugh.
There’s a better approach: Project quotes.
Project quotes are neat and tidy. Everyone knows where they stand.
Hi, Awesome Prospect.
My quote for writing a 10-page website is $x.
This quote covers the following:
Kick-off call
Buyer persona discussion
Messaging discussion
Research and review of all relevant collateral
Competitor review/analysis
Keyword research
Drafting and optimizing 10 website pages for search
One round of revisions
For any pages beyond the initial 10, I charge a flat fee of $x per page.
Best,
Brilliant Copywriter
Again, nice and tidy, right?
That said, I realize you might be reading this blog post because you’re like, “I HAVE A PROJECT I NEED TO QUOTE NOW AND OMG I DON’T WANT TO EFF THIS UP JUST TELL ME WHAT MONEY NUMBERS I SHOULD USE”
I got you.
Maybe this is your first website project (or second or third).
You’re still figuring things out.
If that’s the case, how do these numbers feel to you for a 10-page website?
Home page: $500
Discovery call: $150
Competitor research/materials review: $500
Keyword research: $500
Website page rate: $150 (9 pages x $150= $1350)
Grand Total: $3000
Now, even though I don’t recommend giving clients hourly quotes, you still need to have a sense of how much you’re making an hour so you can figure out the larger plan: as in, how much money do you want to make a year and how much work do you need to do to achieve that number. But that’s a different subject, for a different post.
For now, let’s consider the above money numbers and assign rough hours per task. Your mileage will vary . . . and it will change over time, and depending on the client.
Website page rate: $150 – 2 hours per page (9 pages x 2 hours = 18 hours)
(*Keyword research: Keep in mind that keyword research is relative. It will take much more work for larger sites and for businesses that have aggressive conversion goals. I optimize all websites I work on, but I do plenty of sites where clients aren’t expecting a ton of business from their sites. I also have clients who DO expect business from their sites.)
That comes to 31 hours if my math is correct.
That’s an hourly rate of $97/hour.
Some people reading this might be like . . .
SCORE!
That feels low. I want to make more per hour.
I love the idea, but I’m not sure I have the confidence to sell that. Am I worthy?
All of those reactions are normal.
Here’s the thing, guys. For some copywriters, the above quote is low. For others, it might be right on target. And, of course, different writers will spend different amounts of time on the tasks.
And the really smart writers are going to be like, “Well, it depends on the business. For a small business that’s just opened its doors, like a local coffee shop, $3000 might be a bit rich for the copy for their new site. For a local, but established accounting firm that brings in one million in revenue, $3000 for copy for its new site might be in the ballpark.”
Just as I advise new writers on the importance of knowing your client’s audience before you write . . . you need to know YOUR audience before you quote. Some businesses will have higher tolerances for bigger quotes.
You also need to consider where YOU are in your copywriting journey. If you’re just starting out, and you really need business, you might go with a project quote you feel more confident about and build from there.
I DON’T think you should work for free (with rare exceptions), and I do think you should be paid “well.” But “well” is subjective. And everyone has to start somewhere.
So let’s pretend you’re giving a quote to the owner of a local coffee shop that just opened. Maybe you recognize her budget is tight. And you also recognize she doesn’t need the same level of copywriting services that go into a big project for a bigger brand. For example, you can likely skip the competitor research in this case. (Or simply do a very quick drive-by in Google. What other coffee shops are in a five-mile radius?)
You can likely skip in-depth keyword analysis since the coffee shop owner’s site needs to be optimized for local search, which usually includes some form of “coffee shop near me” and “coffee shop + town/city.” You can glean this info quickly.
The coffee shop might not need a 10-page site. Maybe a five-page site will work for now. (Along with an optimized Google Business Profile.)
And because the home page doesn’t need to work as hard as a home page for a brand where conversions are more important, you might go with the same per-page rate for the home page.
If the original quote above for a 10-page site for a new local coffee shop didn’t feel right, does this one feel better?
Discovery call: $150
Per-page rate: $150 (for five pages, that comes to $750)
Total: $900
Does that feel doable to you?
There’s no right or wrong answer here. Some folks reading this might think, “Nope. I’m going to pursue work where I can bill the true value.” Other writers might say, “This is low, but it’s my first paid gig. I’ll get a good piece for my portfolio. And there might be an opportunity for future work if the coffee shop does well.”
Both reactions are fair.
I wish I could tell you there’s a formula for how much to charge for copywriting a website. But all I can give you is guidance.
Even organizations like American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI), which puts out this handy guide yearly on copywriting rates (definitely check it out, starting on page 36) . . . even AWAI gives ranges.
Here’s my guidance on how much to charge for copywriting a website:
Don’t do hourly rates.
Give project quotes.
Think of all the pieces that you’ll need to do, depending on the client.
Apply money numbers to each piece.
Figure out your ideal per-page rate (beyond the home page, which I recommend dealing with separately).
Assign an approximate number of hours it will take you to complete each task.
Add up everything and ask yourself how you feel about the quote and the hourly rate.
Note: When you give the quote to the prospect, you won’t break down the money numbers. Just give one number (the grand total for the project) and simply list all the tasks that number includes.
For your pricing “terms,” I recommend:
Getting a deposit that’s 1/3 of the project quote.
Having the balance due 30 days after you deliver the FIRST draft. Don’t make it contingent on the final draft. And definitely don’t make final payment contingent on the website going live. (I’ve written sites that have never gone live . . . or that have taken nearly two years to go live.)
You’ll learn from the first couple of copywriting projects you do. You’ll make mistakes and misses in your quotes, and that’s OK. You need to start somewhere.
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-19 07:00:282023-05-13 17:17:10How Much to Charge for Copywriting a Website [A Guide for New Copywriters]
Whew! Before I get to today’s topic about blog editorial calendar templates, let’s recap the blogging topics for new copywriters that I’ve recently covered:
OK, so here’s the blog editorial calendar template that you can download and customize for your clients. But read on if you want more context. Note: The link will download an Excel spreadsheet.
BTW: Do you learn better by listening or watching a video? I got you! Scroll to the end of this article, and you’ll find my video on this topic.
Why do you need a blog editorial calendar anyway?
If you blog regularly for clients, editorial calendars are essential. A good blog editorial calendar will help ensure that . . .
Your blogging strategy aligns with the overall content marketing strategy. Marketing should never happen in a vacuum. The person who holds the keys to the overall content strategy can make sure the blog posts you’re planning align with the overall strategy and that you don’t have any major content “gaps.”
You’re planning the right topics with the best keyword phrases. A calendar helps provide that all-important 30,000-foot view.
You stay on target with deadlines. Include deadlines for first drafts, approval, and publication dates.
What’s the most effective type of blog editorial calendar?
The most effective blog editorial calendar is the one that you and your colleagues will stick with.
It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does need to be something everybody uses.
You’ll need to discover what format works best for you if you’re tasked with creating and managing a calendar for a client. You also need to be flexible and willing to embrace the tools your clients are already using.
For example, it’s not unusual for me to be working with different editorial calendars for different clients, like Asana, Basecamp, Monday, and Microsoft Teams—along with my own “down and dirty” calendars that I create in Excel or Google spreadsheets.
Luckily, the most popular tools are incredibly intuitive. (They have to be—otherwise, no one would use them.)
Keep in mind that you might not always be in charge of creating or managing the client’s blog editorial calendar—you’ll simply be assigned certain blog posts. That’s how it works for me and one of my clients who uses Monday. I’m assigned a blog post within Monday. I see all the details in the “card.” I draft the blog post in Word and upload it to Monday for review.
For other clients, I’ll create and manage their blog editorial calendar for them. I usually create it using Google Spreadsheets. That makes collaboration much easier than passing around an Excel spreadsheet.
What should you include in a blog editorial calendar?
It depends. At a bare minimum, I include the following . . .
Proposed blog post title (optimized with a keyword phrase)
Primary keyword phrase
Secondary keyword phrase (if applicable)
Relevant notes (usually for myself, like an article I want to make sure I include)
Due date
Boom! Like I said, down and dirty, right?
From there, you can include whatever you need that will help make the client happy and keep everything and everyone on track.
For example, for the urology practice I blog for, I create and maintain the calendar. I have an additional column called “subject matter expert,” which identifies the doctor I can interview for a particular blog post. I also include a column that indicates a particular month’s “health awareness” designation. For example, June is Men’s Health Month and September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
I have a text box at the bottom of the calendar with notes about future topics, SMEs I’ve reached out to, and anything else I want to remember.
If you’re managing a team of writers, you’ll want to get a little more granular with due dates:
First draft
Client feedback
Revised copy
Approval
Publication
Here’s a blog editorial calendar template you can download and use.
Here’s the blog editorial calendar template I created in Excel. It will download an Excel spreadsheet to your machine. You can upload it to Google Docs and customize it accordingly. I filled in a couple of blog post titles (for a fictional pest control company . . . if you’ve read my other blogging-related posts, you know this subject is on my mind due to an ant problem in my house).
As I said above, your editorial calendar doesn’t need to be fancy . . . it needs to be effective.
So if a bare-bones spreadsheet is what keeps you honest, that’s great. But if you prefer something a little fancier or aesthetically pleasing, go for it.
Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?
That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.
https://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.png00Robyn Bradleyhttps://etrobbins.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/robin-bradley-logo-300x105.pngRobyn Bradley2023-05-18 07:00:192023-05-11 18:25:19Blog Editorial Calendar Template [Free for New Copywriters]
