Copywriting and Communications
Freelance copywriting works perfectly on a remote basis via phone and e-mail. But sometimes if the brief is more complicated or all the facts are in your head or if you simply prefer to see the whites of my eyes, I am more than happy to discuss your copy in person. I am based near Reading, Berkshire.
True interactivity is not about clicking on icons or downloading files, it's about encouraging communication.
Edwin Schlossberg, 2002
Any writer needs a brief to work to. I know what questions to ask, but you might want to consider some of the following before we speak:
Overview – what is this project trying to do and how?
Who is the target audience? – what do they know already? What do they think and feel?
What is the call to action? – what outcome do you want? To change their minds, to change their behaviour? To change their hearts?
Style and tone – casual, business casual, formal – what tone of voice are you comfortable with and more importantly, what will your target audience respond to? Do you have examples of industry best practice?
Word count – 400 words for an ezine article, more for a feature in a newsletter, even more for a white paper.
Deadlines – when do you need it? Copy has a shelf life, so you might need it to be topical, but last minute may not be best.
Logistics – how will you brief me? Do you want me to interview people and how? What’s the approval process? How many sets of amendments do you anticipate? What format would you like the files in?
Anything else - the more complete the picture, the better the response.