New copywriters have a tendency not to dig deep enough into their clients’ current marketing, business and ideas.
It stands to reason, when you’re new and inexperienced, you might not feel comfortable being direct with your clients and you might not realize that the more you ask and the more you learn, the better the job you’ll be able to do.
What does that look like? Say a client comes to you to write an email series for new clients/customers. They tell you that people come in and make a purchase, but then don’t necessarily buy anything again in the next 30 days or ever.
The best copywriters – and the ones that command the highest fees – will start by asking these questions
– Do you send emails now? Can I see them?
– Why would people buy from you again in 30 days? What would motivate them to do that?
– How often does a ‘good’ customer typically buy?
– What marketing do you do now? How is it working? Can I see it?
– Do you have any competitors doing anything similar? How do you know?
– What do you like about what they’re doing?
– What do you know about any results they’re getting? What incentives can you offer new customers in those first 30 days?
These are just some of the questions that would come from their original request.
First, you say YES – I can create the campaign, but then you need to know what will make the campaign most effective for them and get real results.
Often when you start asking questions, you’ll uncover other needs. You can benefit the client by helping them understand what they really want and how they can realistically attain it.
The deeper you dig, the greater the chance that you’ll actually be able to write copy that achieves their goals. Good for them and good for you!
The other challenge new copywriters face is learning how to estimate how long projects will take and learning how to book work in a calendar so you stay organized and on top of your work flow.
The hardest thing to do is keep yourself glued to your chair when you’ve scheduled work time. You get antsy, you think of other things that need doing, you stare at the blank page and get intimidated and don’t know how to get started. You start worrying about the enormity of the project and your ability to get it done.
If you know that everyone faces this issue and that it gets better with time and that you just have to focus, dig in, get started and learn the discipline of focus, you’ll practice and get not only better at your craft, but faster and more efficient as well. Use a calendar and stick to it, no matter what.
If you want more specific ideas on interviewing your clients, get our Free Report TITLE here. If you want to improve your copywriting skills, check our comprehensive online course: Mastering Direct Response Copywriting.
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