Your five-step guide to nailing a copy brief a day

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If like me, you’re a copywriter who often works to a daily deadline. You’ll recognise the feeling of dread that a morning briefing document can bring. Knowing you must deliver something to spec and on time, can strike the fear of failure into the most hardened of freelancers.

Sometimes, it’s a real breeze. If it’s a regular client or something that hits right off the bat, the words can flow out like hot lyrical lava. You feel like a powerful, keyboard wielding, pyjama wearing professional. A wordy messiah who simply cannot be tamed. Usually, this feeling is pretty fleeting.

When things are *HIGH PRIORITY!*, writer’s block can descend quicker than a tequila hangover. The overwhelming urge to repeatedly scream f**k until lunchtime takes over.

Well, luckily, there’s a (semi) fail-safe five-step process (tried and tested by me, myself, and) for those days when procrastination won’t fly. That day rate needs to earn its dues after all.

If the following doesn’t work for you? Well, at least you’ll have wasted 7 minutes reading this blog. Thus adding to the mounting pressure you’re already under to deliver, causing your fight or flight instinct to kick in, meaning you’re absolutely going to nail this either way. You are welcome.

Shall we begin?

 

Step 1: Write stuff down

It may be old school; it may be un-environmentally friendly. But when time is against you, and you need to get stuck into something complicated or (even worse) new, there’s nothing that gets information in one’s head faster than a traditional pen to paper tête-á-tête. You’re going to be glued to your screen all day anyway. Your eyes, mind and soul will thank you for the gentle reprieve.

Rarely does anything relevant get scribbled down in this initial flourish of activity, but I find it a necessary catharsis that helps to get the ball rolling on something that is quite literally putting food on your table. To coin a phrase from one rather mouthy Hollywood heavyweight, it gets the people GOING. The people in this instance being you, your brain, and the twenty-three marketing execs waiting to track violently coloured amends all over your word-perfect masterpiece.

Usually, I’ll pick out sentences that jump out at me from the briefing doc or resources on offer, re-write them on the page and add a spicier adjective or superlative where I fancy.

This forms a very odd-looking, yet essential, basis of inspiration and reference for the real work that’s about to come.

 

Step 2: Set it out

Whether it’s a sales email, social post, whitepaper, landing page or infographic, chances are you’ll have written one before and by God you’re going to write a bloody good one again. Dig out a relevant, previous document and use it as a template.

Even if this first layout isn’t how the final format will (or should) be, having something on the screen that at least looks like it fits the bill is a great anxiety reducer. It gives you physical checkpoints of where copy should go and how much you need. Populate the page with notes, bullet points, your Dunelm Mill wish list, anything that makes you feel like words are being written. Trust me, it works.

If you don’t have many previous examples in your arsenal then beg, borrow, or steal from Google, friends, and contacts. Someone somewhere will have created something similar. All you need is a jump-off point. Your copy will start to take shape. Everything will fall neatly into place.

 

Step 3: Walk it off

By this point you’re probably halfway through your day and starting to feel the heat of the ‘just checking how you’re getting on’ Teams notifications. Ignore them. You’re going to deliver. Whether it’s five hours early or five seconds late, it’ll be there, and all of this will seem like a hazy, distant memory come wine-time. But you do need some fresh air to get this over the finish line, so take it.

Clear the proverbial cobwebs clouding your head and take a spin around the block. Or if you can’t, maybe scream into a pillow for a few minutes? (JK). Either way, taking some time and space away from your workstation is key to solving the final piece of the puzzle. Don’t think too hard about what you’re working on while you’re walking. Let it float around your head. Trust that somewhere in the background the hard drive in your brain is making that aeroplane sound – everything is downloading as it should. I think.

 

Step 4: Add some drama

Remember those shoddy snippets you jotted down with the humble pen and paper combo earlier? Head back to those and re-write them. Only this time make it snazzy. Cut sentences down so they’re shorter, sharper, more dramatic.

By the time you’re finished, the inspiration will be bubbling away and you’ll be ready to hit the “I’m a genius” part of the never-ending existential crisis that is being a copywriter.

 

Step 5: The dénouement

Type, write and get it done. Just do it. Bulldoze through any block or fear, hang on in there. Begin the all-important task of making it make sense. Even if what you’re typing sends rivets of crippling embarrassment through you and it’s absolute trash. Within thirty minutes it won’t be. You’ll be pressing send on V1 before it’s even a socially acceptable time to order a G&T.

And there you have it, your candid step-by-step guide to getting through a copy brief a day.

So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and smash that deadline like you were always going to.

Social Media for Biz – what do you know?

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If like me, you grew up in the noughties, then social media will have come of age around about the same time as you did. And boy, what a wild ride it’s been right?

Upon its fledgeling debut into the big wide world, your Facebook page was more of a safe space for fangirling over Leo, uploading an entire album of photos from your digital camera after every night out, or writing cringe-worthy inside jokes on each other’s walls and timelines – now, it can be a powerful marketing tool.

Since then, the world of social media has become a little bit more sophisticated. US President numero 45 activity excluded of course. Apps have become smart-phone accessible, keeping users insatiably engaged with such a vast amount of features that it is simply impossible to keep track of them all. And, although the tweens of the current not-so-roaring twenties might prefer to spend their time online lip-syncing to the words of TOWIE stars on TikTok* some mainstream platforms are a pretty great place to advertise your business and interact with prospective – and current – customers.

*other short-form video blogging sites battling hefty lawsuits have always, and will always be, available

Even though the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have been comfortably sitting on our phones, laptops, and tablets for a while now, many still do not know how to properly utilize them to promote their business appropriately.

Now, as we’re all pretty much glued to our devices and willingly offer up our valuable user behaviour to the data-collector powers that be, it’s only fair that you’re able to use a little social media nature vs nurture to your own advantage.

Here are a few tips to help get you started…

 

1. Create a business page

Not to be confused with a personal page like the one you already have; a business page is the most compliant and effective way of easily promoting your business online. Simply log in to your FB/Twitter/Insta account, visit settings and select ‘create new page’ (or similar)

To get started you’ll need to upload a profile picture, cover photo, and basic info about your business. This is easy enough to do by yourself, but keep in mind that in order for your page to look super slick and be easily found by customers, you’ll want your bio and imagery to be optimized…

2. Optimise your content

Optimising your page means writing an about section and social media posts that will engage your audience and provide useful information that search engines can easily pick up and rank. To do this effectively you’ll need to understand your audience and create posts that they’ll find interesting and useful, consistently encouraging people to like, share and engage with your CTA’s.

3. Be active

To make sure your business page is working hard for you you’ll need to be consistent in your activity on the platform. This means participating in groups (public and private) and posting regular updates with a variety of content types including personalized imagery and links – you’ll also need to make sure you’re frequently replying to customer queries and comments, even the bad ones.

4. Promote events

If you’re a local business, using Facebook to promote an event for your business is especially important. Be sure to use all of the tools at your disposal to attract people to the event. This can include creating an event group, sharing teaser or countdown posts, and even planning an ad campaign around it. Most people check their Facebook app multiple times a day, so don’t miss out on the chance to engage with people who are quite literally waiting for something to tune in or turn up to.

5. Interact, interact, interact

This might seem pretty obvious for social media, but it really is a must if you want to see any real engagement or traction from your online community. Make sure you answer questions, respond to comments and participate in conversations that are happening online to ensure that your posts are showing up to your followers, and theirs.

6. Stream events

In the current climate, hosting real events or attracting customers to a shop or place isn’t realistic. Luckily, you can now host events virtually via the ‘live’ option across most platforms. This allows you to interact in real-time with your audience, safely. This is another great way of promoting your business because when you go live, all of your followers will receive a notification that you’re there, prompting them to engage with your page when they see the notification pop up.

7. Run ads

Social media PPC ads are now one of the most popular and cost-effective ways to reach a large, targeted audience. Even if you’re a complete novice, you can get a lesson directly from FB themselves to get you started. You can also easily control budgets to ensure that you’re spending as much, or as little, as you like.

8. Get Creative

The beauty of social media is that it’s always on, which means that your prospects and customers are too. That gives you plenty of opportunities to promote your overall brand and ethos in lots of different ways. A great way to show off your company culture is to share candid day-to-day tasks, images and video clips of your team to engage with audiences on a personal level and thus encourage interaction.

9. Get competitive

If you haven’t already guessed it, encouraging engagement is one of the main objectives of social media promotion. A good way of enticing more followers to your page and thus raising the profile of your business is to host competitions and giveaways. This is simple, easy to manage and helps to increase brand awareness, whilst also generating interaction with followers.

10. Be valuable

No matter how invested you are able to be with your social media business pages, the most important thing to remember is that your content should always provide value to your audience. Whether that’s providing useful insights, sharing relevant news items or blogs, creating powerful imagery or telling important stories, if you’re generating valuable content then your business will ultimately benefit as a result.

For most businesses, social media is an essential part of your marketing strategy and should be treated as such. To keep this as effective as possible it’s important to develop both organic and paid social media strategies to support the growth and success of your business, especially in a more digitally reliant world.

To chat in more detail about how best to boost your socials, get in touch!

Why good copywriting is key

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*orignally posted as a guest blog for Frank & Friend*

Most people know what copywriting is, many would say that they know what good copy looks like and more than a few believe that they can produce it.

Unfortunately, this means that it’s common to undervalue the skill of a good copywriter and the impact that the right copy can have on the success of a business.

When building a brand, it’s easy to whip up some general content on your website or marketing materials and hope that your customers and prospects will relate to it. The problem is, when it doesn’t resonate with your target audience the way you’d hoped, the copy itself is often overlooked as being the problem.

Any good marketer worth their salt (present company included) realises that quality copy is a powerful sales tool, capable of turning loosely interested bystanders into paying – and loyal – customers who are in it for long haul, and who doesn’t want that? Essentially, quality, consistent copy is a crucial element of your branding, and therefore should be treated with the due attention it deserves.

Time and time again marketers are faced with a delicate dilemma, wrestling the copy arc from business owners in order to put it into the hands of an expert who can bring their carefully laid plans to life – while also making sure that no one’s feelings are hurt. After all, you’ve built your business, so why let anyone else write about it? It can be tough to let go, but it’s nearly always worth it when you do.

If you made it this far in the Frank and Friend archives, then you’ll already know that branding is a defining characteristic of your business. It’s distinctiveness and recognisable persona appeal to your customers directly. Not only is this represented in the colours of your logo and the layout of your website, it also comes from the words that your audience will read, the slogans you promote and the tone of voice that you use – so it needs to be right.

Here are a few key things all good copy should have:

-A point – unless you’re a romantic novel or a Christopher Nolan movie, any communication your business puts out should have a     clear and concise point

-A consistent thread – in order to attract, retain and inspire customers, all copy across every medium and platform should be   consistent with the essence and tone of your brand

-A personality – don’t be inappropriate, don’t be contrite and don’t be reckless, but do create copy that has some life and vibrancy to   it. If you don’t want to read it then there’s little chance that your customers will want to either

Copy needs to show customers how a product or service makes a positive impact on their life, connecting with them on a personal level and offering enough value to inspire action. Anything that is too caught up in technical jargon, personal preference (or vendetta) or speaks to unchecked facts or irresponsible tone will fall flat. Therefore, if your marketing support wants to give your copy a refresh, re-jig and reboot to help make their plans, and your business, really fly – make sure you let them…

Thanks for reading!

Made a mistake? Be honest & transparent

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It is true, mistakes happen. They happen at work, while you’re out driving,  at home doing some ill-judged DIY, or attending any kind of awkward social gathering – where there are human beings, the inevitability of a mistake happening at some point, is, well, inevitable…

It might not be desirable to make a mistake. For example, no one wants to show the wrong data in an important meeting, or press send on an incorrect email going out to thousands of people, but it does happen, and it happens more than you think. Human beings make mistakes. That’s what makes us human. And what it also means, is that just because you make a mistake, this doesn’t immediately qualify you as a failure, a bad person, or an embarrassment.

Because what is the most important thing we’re told about falling down? It’s how you get back up again…

So, how you can learn to deal with your mistakes, particularly at work, and hopefully turn a disadvantage into an advantage?

Step 1:

Own it.

Yes, you’ve made a mistake. It’s ok. It might not have even been your fault directly, but when the buck stops with you and it’s your responsibility to amend the error, the best thing you can do is to own it. Passing the blame never goes down well. It’s transparent and people tend to not respond well to it, especially if they’re the ones who are on the receiving end of the mistake.

So, take a deep breath, hold your hands up, explain what’s happened and be honest. 9 times out of 10 you’ll be met with compassion and understanding – and if you’re not? Well, at least a clear and honest conscience is known to get a better night’s sleep…

Step 2.

Wait for it.

Ok, so the mistake has happened, the email has gone, the order has been shipped, the horse has well and truly bolted – so there is no point in locking the gate shut now is there? Irrational, snap decisions made in haste will only serve to escalate an already tricky situation, so just…wait.

Take stock and evaluate the damage done, then assess your options rationally. There is rarely anything that happens that cannot be remedied or rectified by a sharp and creative mind, so use yours. Weigh up the true weight of the situation and stay calm. The answer will come to you if you approach it with confidence and clarity. And if doesn’t resolve things? Well, you better dump the body in the river and get on the first flight to Mexico…

Step 3.

Sell It.

Every failure is an opportunity (if that isn’t already a famous quote, then it should be) once you have found your solution to the problem, present the resolution and sell it in.

If you live by the old adage that everything happens for a reason, then embrace it. Yes, something might have gone terribly wrong, or not to plan, but try to see this as an opportunity to demonstrate your skills to greater advantage. A mistake might open the way for an even better idea, or a solution that shows off a new skill set or innovation. Whatever it is, make it work, sell it in, and pour yourself a large glass of wine afterward – you’ve got this.

So, there you have it, a gentle reminder that everyone makes mistakes, especially under the day-to-day stresses and strains of a busy working environment – so try not to berate yourself, or your team, too harshly for it. Instead aim to seize a new opportunity from every set-back. Without mistakes, we never learn, so get back up and move on – no matter how many times you fall.

Like any successful business; you should have processes in place to deal with any problematic issues. However, if you’re in need of some support with your direct response or crisis comms, simply get in touch today!

 

SEO & Social – a match made in heaven?

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Does Social Media impact SEO? It may not be the rasion d’etre of SEO, but there is little doubt that social media impacts A LOT on search engine optimisation.

Firstly, let’s state facts – Google does not allow signals from social media sites to directly affect a ranking, BUT social media does gives marketing professionals a variety of ways in which to publicise their business – and position it high up on those ever-desirable search engine results pages.

So, if you’re still undecided about whether you need to invest in your social media strategy, or simply just start using a few platforms, take a look at these six ways in which social media really does impact your brands SEO.

  1. Share and share alike

Not always a good thing, depending on what your preferences are for sharing, but in terms of most things digital, sharing is the holy grail.

Sharing of social posts helps drive traffic to your website. So, by including links to useful content via your socials you can increase shares, likes, comments – and ultimately, visibility of your business. Being cosistent with your posting on social platforms also makes you look professional, trustworthy and like you really do give a proverbial about engaging with your customers.

By engaging with prospective clients via social media, you are not only keeping your company at the forefront of their minds, but you are also driving social traffic back to your website – thus increasing your organic search engine ranking (see what I did there). Growing website traffic organically lends greater authenticity and authority to your website in the all-seeing eye of the search engine over-lords, proving to be a cost-effective way of boosting your SEO rankings.

  1. Profiles get ranked

It’s not quite the swipe-right phenomenon of fast-date food chain, but social media profiles do get rank ed in search engine listings. This means that when someone types the name of your business into Google (*other search engines are available) any affiliated social media accounts will likely pop up alongside the official website too.

Therefore, if you’re feeling particularly savvy then not only are you able to rank your website, but also your social media profiles as well, this can help to beat out potential competitors in terms of visibility on the SEO top-spots and give you uncrushable power in the SEO stakes mwhahahaha (I jest, the interest is far too volatile for anything to be uncrushable, unfortunately).

Top tip: This will ONLY be effective if you are active and consistent across your social media platforms – make sure that you are using the right platforms to engage with your target audience, and work hard to keep them engaged. If you get all of this right, you should be sitting pretty, SEO wise, in no time.

  1. The link collector

It is a truth universally acknowledged that external links are the key booster in determining the authority, and therefore ensuring the higher rankings, of your website in the eyes of Google.

Well, then isn’t it pretty darn cool that you can use your social media platforms to share valuable links like blogs and case studies in posts? This then increases the probability of other websites seeing and recognising you as someone who knows what you’re talking about, and thus uses your link as a reference.

Top tip: Make sure the quality of the content is high. People will only share things that they want to read themselves – so please don’t share drivel, the market is far too saturated.

  1. Social Media is a stage…

…and you’re a STAR baby. Social media boosts your brand awareness. Facebook alone has over 1.71 billion monthly active users and Twitter has over 400 million monthly active users.* These figures demonstrate exactly how big a platform social media has become in providing a space for generating brand visibility.

Top tip: Social media management takes time and dedication, you need to be consistently engaging with your audiences on each platform by asking questions, joining in discussions and commenting on the latest trends and news – it also helps if you’re kinda funny (sorry).

  1. Location, location, location…

Recent reports from Google indicate that 80% of smartphone users perform mobile searches to locate businesses that are close to them. This means that if Google has noticed this trend, then search engines are definitely paying attention to how users are searching for their content.

Most social media platforms make it easy for brands to leverage locality, allowing businesses to show geographic placement alongside a space for customers to discuss and review a business. The more people who ‘check-in’ or review your business online, the more likely it is that search engines will take note and bump you up the rankings.

Top tip: You must must must make sure that all address and contact information is consistent across all of your social media platforms and website (or else you just look a mess, quite frankly).

  1. Favouritism is a thing…

Much like every parent would never dream of saying they have a favourite child – despite all evidence to the contrary – different search engines are unofficially partial to specific social media activity.

No one is trying to get sued here, but if you want to know who favours whom, you can, ironically, just Google it. However, it is important to remember that a certain search engine that starts with G and rhymes with boogle is not the only piggy who went to the market. So, take into account other search engines such as Bing and Yahoo who also take up large portion of the search engine share – and then plan your activity around it.

Top tip: Be sure to account for other search engines besides Google when creating SEO strategies, cast the net as wide as possible to make sure you’re covering all bases.

…

While social media may not be the direct route to SEO heaven, there certainly is a strong correlation between the two, and social media activity definitely influences online marketing success. Not only this, but as the number of social media users continues to rise, it’s likely that this correlation will only  get stronger, making your socials more powerful in terms of SEO rankings.

So remember, always produce content worth sharing and take advantage of the platforms available to you and your business, you might be amazed at the results it can bring. And if you need some help? We’re always here to chat to you about developing your brand online, don’t be shy…

*figures supplied by Statista