Tag: freelance copywriting
The perfect freelance copywriting customer
What makes the perfect freelance copywriting customer?
When I’m writing copy for someone, in a sense we’re both customers. Collaborating and exchanging information makes it a two way street.
This is what my perfect freelance copywriting customer looks like:
- they give me a clear brief – as long as it’s clear, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a one liner or a full briefing document
- they come back with polite, constructive comments and feedback, in good time, so we meet deadlines without having to rush the job
- they pay my invoice within 30 days
When I started this post I thought I’d have loads to write about. But it’s turned out to be a real shortie. Which just goes to show how little it takes to make the whole freelance copywriting process a pleasure from this end. Life’s pretty good when you’re easily pleased!
What’s your % sales conversion rate?
It’s good to know how many prospects turn into sales.
Do you have a good handle on your % conversion rates? And do you have any idea why non-converters aren’t taking the bait?
If you don’t know, you can always ask. If you make it part of your autoresponder campaign to find out why people aren’t buying, you can take action.
It’s best to use a tick box list than ask open questions. People’s time is precious. But it’s good to give space for freeform input just in case they want to give detailed feedback.
My current freelance copywriting conversion rate is 53% and it has always hovered around 50%.
Why do 47% of people decide not to take me up on my quotes? The biggest reason is they want a super-cheap copywriting deal. I don’t mind losing this kind of business because I don’t do cheap. I do premium quality work at a fair price.
A 53% conversion rate is pretty good. It delivers more than enough work to keep me busy and happy. I don’t want to expand my business - I love working alone as a sole trader. My executive decision? Things are peachy. So let sleeping prospects lie!
A look at the future: science, ecommerce and the UK’s online market
It’s the end of another busy year. Search engines still use words – and little else – to identify, explore, rate and rank websites. And freelance copywriting is taking off like a rocket, fuelled by SEO’s rapid entry into the marketing mainstream.
So there’s a growing demand for people who can string words together logically and elegantly with a strong sales focus. But what else is going on in the wonderful world of t’internet? And what’s on the menu for 2011?
As 2010 closes, scientists are still chasing the holy grail of quantum computing. Superfast wireless is on the way one way or another, potentially via antennae that use plasma to focus beams of radio waves. And in labs all over the world materials scientists are working on novel conductors that’ll make chips run faster without burning out. So our internet experience is set to improve radically. Perhaps in 2011, perhaps later. But the race is on to find the best technologies for the job.
Market-wise The UK is the planet’s biggest e-consumer, the world’s largest per capita ecommerce market. And we enjoy the world’s second biggest online advertising market. So the future’s looking bright for British online businesses despite the economy’s woes.
If you’re a late adopter with an offline business that hasn’t gone online yet, or a brand new business, there’s still infinite potential online. The internet’s growing and changing every day and, as a marketing and advertising medium, it’s in its infancy. So go make money!
All good news. We’re lucky to live in very interesting times. Here’s to 2011.
Avoid preaching to the converted – create cleaner website copy
Say you’re selling freelance copywriting services. People looking for services like yours already know they want a freelance copywriter. So is there any need to explain why it’s a good idea to use a freelancer?
Nope. They’ve already grasped the concept.
Many people find it difficult not to over-egg their sales message. They can’t resist adding unneccessary information.
But take a step back. If someone has searched Google for services like yours, it’s highly likely they already know they need them. And they know why they need them. The only thing they don’t know is why you are the best person – or business – for the job.
Instead of preaching to the converted, be brave. Have the courage of your convictions. Focus your sales message on why prospects should choose you instead of someone else. Tell visitors why you’re the best of the bunch. Don’t waste their time explaining a concept they’ve already grasped.
Freelance copywriting – How does freelance blogging work?
If you’ve never worked with a freelance copywriter before, here’s how I tackle blogging for my clients.
I write in two ways:
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you can ask me to write posts without a brief. That means I’ll come up with suitable subject matter myself - you don’t have to dream up your own ideas. I’m used to it – it’s all part of the service
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or you can provide a brief for each post, as simple as a bullet list or one-liner
I work in two ways:
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you can give me your blog login details and I’ll write directly into your blog
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or I’ll send you a Word document so you can add each post yourself (remember that Word can drop all sorts of weird characters into your code – it’s better to copy and paste from a plain text document with no formatting, so save the doc as .txt first!)
Plus some fine detail…
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you can trust me to write on any subject. As a freelance copywriter I’m used to researching everything from nuclear physics to pet care, holiday destinations to iPhone apps… you name it
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just ask if you’d like me to source a relevant free image for each post. Although images don’t help with SEO, visual interest can have a positive impact on human readers
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if you’re a regular customer I’ll invoice you at the end of each month. If it’s a one-off post I’ll invoice you once I get your signoff
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if you’d like a free sample, feel free to ask. I’ll be delighted to create a sample post for you
