7 steps to working with a copywriter for great results

Insight into how to avoid the perils of the copywriting process.

Good copywriters provide far more than just words for their client. Here’s a useful look into how the copywriting process works and how clients can help contribute to ensuring they get great copy every time.

1.  Supply a precise brief

Good copywriters are only as good as the brief they’re given. Try and provide your copy team with a clear, structured overview of what you want to achieve. Some things you may want to include are:

> How much content is required (number of words, number of web/print pages)?
> What’s the message? Are you trying to inform, sell or get attention?
> House style. Do you have a style guide or need to commission one?

2.  Share brand knowledge

Copywriters are shameless writing whores. They tend to write about a variety of sectors and topics, often with very little time between each. Professional copywriters are worth their weight in gold as they can turn their versatile minds to many subjects or writing styles. Make life easier for them by providing access to your company website, brochures or in-house know how. You can’t expect a copywriter to know as much about your business as you, but you can share your expertise with them. Encourage your copywriter to have access to your staff for interviews or to conduct their own research to really get to know your brand. In the end, they’ll probably be able to communicate your business better than you!

3.  Think about ‘wit and weight’

A lot of people hire a copywriter because they are unsure exactly what they want. “I’ll know it when I read it,” is often the frustrating phrase copywriters hear time and time again. Approach a copywriter with an idea of the style you want your copy in and how much copy you want. This we refer to as the wit (tone, style, pace) and the weight (length) of copy. A good tip here is to look at other content you like or think suits your brand. Copywriters with a clear idea of what you want can adapt their writing style to suit and should come up with sample copy for your approval before the main bulk of writing begins.

4.  Commission a style guide

It’s worth paying a copywriting agency a little extra for them to produce a house style manual for your brand. This is an essential document, particularly if you outsource or work with a team of content producers regularly. It tries to guarantee consistency in content. Most style guides contain any or all of the following information:

> Specialist vocabulary
> Grammar rules (punctuation, titling, numbering
> Tone of voice
> General copy advice
> Gender-neutrality
> Email content
> Best practice copy advice
> Writing for the web
> Copywriting for SEO
> Basics of media law for content

5.  Be editor-in-chief

You expect a professional copywriter to provide you with well-written, unique, edited copy that’s ready to publish. But anyone who thinks they’ll get perfect copy first time is in for a surprise. The copywriting process is a meticulous, time-consuming art and you need to help steer the process. It’s time for you to take the role of editor-in-chief. This means you do not sub copy, you do not look for every last typo, but you judge on the overall tone and fit of the copy to the brand. Newspapers are brands too and every editor knows which words fits his audience. You need to assume this authority too. Another good way to work is to have new copy delivered in small batches. This allows you to manageably check the copy for quality and sign it off. It also means your copywriter can fix any errors or change any style issues quickly and apply this to content still outstanding. Work closely with your copy team, play editor and you’ll save time, stress and money.

6.  Realise the power of proofing

Investing in a proof reader can make a big difference to the end quality of copy, particularly with larger more complex copywriting jobs. Proofing isn’t just giving the content a quick double-check. It is a thorough quality check on the content before publication. A process that takes in:

> Comparing the published version with the edited version
> Checking content display (‘widows’, ‘orphans’, balanced copy weight)
> Ensure consistency (alternative spellings, hyphenation)
> Double-checking all content for sense 
> Checking image relevance and quality
> Hyperlink testing
> Recommending changes to produce better quality content

Also don’t mix up a proof reader with a copy-editor. Here’s what a proofreader is not responsible for:

> Checking spelling and grammar
> Checking house-style
> Indexing
> Page layout
> Checking copyright permission

7.  Be your writer’s fairest critic

At the end of the day, every copywriter wants their client to be happy with the work they submit. A well-managed project client end can really make a big difference. See a copywriter as a long-term investment not just someone doing a one-off job. So make sure you feedback on their work and the process up to the point of publication. You’ll be surprised what could have been a stress-free process for you may have left your copy guy feeling over-worked and under-valued. Avoid such misunderstandings by keeping in close contact with your copywriters. At least rest assured, when it comes to communication they’re meant to be the experts.

Find out more about Curio Media’s copywriting services.