How to use a freelance copywriterFull-Stack UX Copywriting ServicesLet my capabilities strengthen yoursDesign isn't just pictures, and writing's not just words. Here are more than a dozen ways you can benefit by calling on a broadly experienced copywriter.
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Concepts and copywritingFull-time freelance for advertising and sales promotion of
All media
Advertising • consumer brochures • business brochures (product, services,
capability, etc.) • sales leave-behinds • email • direct mail • dealer support
and sales promotion • sales letters • Internet and intranet websites
• other interactive media (online and devices) • editorial content and advertorials (articles) • detailed product profiles • merchandising materials
• catalogs • newsletters • FSIs • presentation kits • white papers • spec
sheets • simple manuals • marketing and creative platforms •
proposals
• multimedia • television and videos • radio • other media mentioned below
Strategic development
I'm proud to have won an Effie, because it's given for marketing effectiveness.
Having marketed a broad array of product and services over the years,
I contribute experience, special perspective, and insights to help you
maximize your market potential and examine all your options. My experience
in this area includes building strategies from scratch as well as pulling
together strategic input from multiple departments into a single coherent
document. Editorial content (articles and advertorials)
I write newsletters, editorial articles, whitepapers and web content. Until recently, they've usually
been part of a comprehensive overall advertising/promotional project.
But for several years, I have written scores of articles on a wide range of subjects, confirming my
client's position as an comprehensive authority in their industry and providing unique content
that search engines like. Learn more and see Or, samples
of my editorial content writing here.
User Experience (UI/UX Designer)
Maybe this should be at the top of the list. Because when it comes to UX Design, my experience encompasses everything
the job description entails. Some UX designers consider that a sacrilegious statement, because they draw a sharp distinction between
a "Copywriter" and a "UX Designer." They reason that copywriting is about the client and the client's
product or service, while UX is about the User. They say a website, app, or product should not be about selling. Rather,
it should focus on satisfying the User's wants, needs and interests. For more thoughts
on this, please see Can a marketing copywriter ever be a User Experience Designer?
And – spoiler alert – the answer to that question is "yes."
Editing
Being a good copywriter doesn't necessarily make someone a good editor of other people's writing.
An editor serves many functions, and begins by establishing with the publisher exactly what those functions are.
Basically, there's the Copy Editor, and there's the Developmental Editor. To explore some of the many issues and skills involved
involved both types of editing, click to read
What kind of Editor do you need? Sales and Customer Service letters and other corporate communications
Some people avoid working on letters or emails. Especially snail-mail letters.
I mean, with just text to work with, how creative can a writer be? The answer to that is VERY! Ideas. Message. Clarity. Personability.
Tone. Efficiency. These are what copywriting is really about. I've written corporate communications at all levels of companies large and small.
From routine customer service letters to putting clear, persuasive words in the mouths of management. Campaign development or extension
You set the direction and do the glory work; I'll build from there. Maybe
you already have one ad or commercial done already, and want me to do
the others. Or, I'll take your concept into other media, being sure
to take maximum advantage of each
medium's special characteristics. Creative and Usability review
Are you using "copywriting best practices"?
I offer a reduced-rate, comprehensive review of your ad, brochure,
direct mail package, site, landing page, or other creative project (as well as
proposals,
etc.) It's an economical way to get meaningful feedback from an uninvolved
writer who sees the project with fresh eyes – as your
customer sees it. I may confirm your confidence
in a good creative execution (and say why), but I will also
identify things that might be confusing, show how strong points could
be extended, eliminate wordiness, and suggest other potential improvements.
One thing I won't do is pan everything, in a crudely disguised
pitch for new business; that's not what this is about. (For one thing,
I can only make an educated guess about what your real marketing
objectives were, unless you tell me.) I'll be constructive,
give you sound reasons why and possibly suggest ways to do it better.
Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing
See my SEO Copywriter's Checklist.
(Although it's a bit out-of-date, I am current, and the basic principles still apply.) I specialize in what's called "organic" (or
natural) Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which means relying on the content and other visible and encoded
text that should be on your website anyway. It's a natural outgrowth of copywriting. Intelligently incorporating keywords
into your pages' copy and site description is something
of an art. And it's not just a numbers game anymore. The goal is to position you as an expert on what your prospect is searching for. Basic web site construction
Website creation is not my core business, and I prefer to work with site developers, not compete with
them. But if your need is super-simple, or if you need guidance, please ask.
In addition to writing websites, I've created some from scratch, improved some, and administer several,
including a couple of Or, if you want
something really easy (and even more affordable) that you can run yourself, consider
Press releases
Some people look down on "press releases." I don't. They have their place in a marketing plan. To those who think they have no value,
ask the deli owner who was threatened with closure by their landlord (a hospital), to the dismay of neighborhood residents.
I wrote up the story (pro bono), it appeared in the New York Times, an arrangement evolved and the deli stayed in business for many years. Presentations
Live or on-screen. Any kind of screen – laptop, video, projected,
or multimedia. It needs to be fresh and interesting, but the creativity
should enhance or reinforce your message, not distract from it. The message
itself needs to be clear, succinct and persuasive. Unlike a brochure or commercial, with a presentation you don't get a
second chance. Also see my tips on proposals.
Proposals
Before you can effectively present your message, you must identify and develop it. I help you do that. I don't write full-blown business plans
aimed at obtaining loans or investors (for that you need a specialist), but I can review your plan to enhance clarity and efficiency,
or help write a more limited one for internal purposes. Tips on How To Write a Proposal.
Information Architecture
Did you know the term "information architecture" dates back to 1975?
It's not just about Web sites, but also for presentations, proposals, strategies,
business plans and other complex documents. A good writer tends to do
this by nature. Writing microcopy
From the big picture to the smallest detail — everything is important. I've written countless online
and paper forms, and understand the value and function of labels and help text.
I'll craft such microcopy to be concise and
so the meaning and function are immediately clear to the user. Copy/contact for agencies and media
I've dealt directly with clients since the beginning of my career, and
am experienced at fact-finding, determining goals, communicating strategies,
etc., with or without your presence. This isn't my standard procedure
(it's nice to have the full benefit of your account service personnel),
but when you're short on time or people, it often helps. Working the phone
No, not sales calls. But I often use the phone to gather up the product
story before writing begins. For example: canvassing retailers for testimonials.
Or phoning district offices and their customers to nail down case history
details. Temporary replacement
If you're located in the New York City area, call when you're short-staffed. I've filled in at every level from creative
director to junior copywriter. This helps you remain sane and fresh during
peak periods, keeps you fully capable during vacation season, and lets
you take all the time you need to find the right replacement for a departed
staffer. Proofreading
For maximum peace of mind you should
But I'll double-check your final version of my copy
at no extra charge. Who wants a sample with a mistake
that crept in during layout or last-minute changes? Send me the finished page
(pdf, URL, proof, script, etc.) while there's still reasonable time for us to do
something about it, have your regular proofreader(s) check it, too, and
give me some samples when done. Americanization
If your copy is intended for an American audience, but your writer or translator speaks
British, don't go straight to print. The difference between British English and US English (even North American English) is
more than a matter of words and spelling. It involves vernacular phrases, spotting regionalisms, changing hackneyed phrases,
even differences in tone, and stuff you can't quite put your finger on.
So ask me to put my fingers on it. I'm a genuine United States copywriter, it doesn't necessarily cost much to Americanize
(if it needs nothing, I'll say so), and I've done this before.
Photography and retouchingI'm not a professional photographer, but can help with it if needed. You might have more need for me as a retoucher. Got a bland photo that needs more impact? Are your photos properly cropped, corrected and optimized? Need a former employee retouched out, or someone added? Show me what you have and what you need. Let's see.
Here's a page of photography samples.
Voice acting and Narration
Many people moonlight as freelance copywriters. I'm already a freelance copywriter, so I moonlight as voice-over talent. I've also
written hundreds of articles on the subject.
Click for my voice-acting and narration demos and resume.
Extensively trained at Edge Studio and
elsewhere. Please inquire. Also, have no fear –
although I also write scripts and know my way around a DAW, I'm not out to change your copy, unless you ask. Nor am I going to
steal your client. That would be unprofessional in so many ways. It's one thing I do not do.
Radio
Yes, I know radio is covered above, but I want to give it special attention
– something radio writing gets too little of. Earlier in my career, I
wrote a few thousand commercials, but I don't get to do as many as I'd
like these days.
For more details, Do you have a project, question, or suggestion in mind? Let's put our minds together.
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