When hiring a professional copywriter, it’s important to remember that they don’t have a crystal ball. They can create compelling copy, they even have the ability to get inside their readers’ heads, but they can’t create great content without a comprehensive and comprehensive summary.
Most writers will provide you with an information document (if a face-to-face meeting is not possible). It will consist of a series of questions designed to extract as much information as possible about your business, customers and products or services.
Why?
Your writer needs to know everything about you, your business, your products and services, the market you operate in, your customers, their likes and dislikes, their purchase objections, and who your competitors are, etc.
Basically, it’s a document that will get your writer up to speed quickly.
Yes, it takes time to create a solid report and you may be wondering if it’s really worth it. If you have to go through all that, it would surely be easier to write the content yourself.
TRUE?
You found a copywriter because you wanted professional content that would make your audience stop, take note, and buy. It’s their experience that will make that happen, plus the fact that they’re not too close to your business.
So instead of viewing reporting as a chore, view it as a learning experience.
The summary will open your eyes
How often do you sit and think about your business?
Completing the information document means answering a lot of search questions that will make you see your business in a different light.
It will make you stop and think about your values, what you stand for, how your clients see you, and how you want your clients to see you.
I’ve lost count of the number of times clients have reluctantly filled out the document for me, only to come back raving about the experience and how it completely changed the way they view their business.
It helps you to have a clarity that is usually missing because you are so busy dealing with day-to-day things.
The questions will help you see where you are and if you are headed in the right direction to reach your long-term goals.
Be open minded
Once you’ve completed your summary and given it to your writer, it’s time to think about the approach you’re going to take.
As a business owner, you’ll want to fit into your industry, but being a carbon copy of everyone else isn’t always a good thing.
Clients often ask me to come up with something that sets them apart from their competitors, but when I do, they change their minds and ask me to go back to their ‘type of industry’.
This is a mistake because many times it is good to move away from your comfort zone. After all, how can you stand out if your content mixes with everyone else’s? It’s important to keep everything in mind and it’s your writer’s job to push boundaries and try new approaches to help set your business apart from the rest.
what you need to cover
Your summary should cover areas such as:
- A description of your ideal client
- The benefits and features of your product/service
- Details about your business and your people
- The values of your business
- The type of writing you need
- A detailed description of the project and its scope.
- Any house style that needs to be met
- Possible purchase objections to be overcome
- Any compliance issues
- What will be the content review process
- The objectives of your project
- Any keywords that need to be taken into account.
- Examples of the type of voice/approach you like
- What is unique about your product/service
A copywriting brief is much more than a vehicle to kick off a content project; it’s an opportunity to review your business and refine your processes to make sure you’re meeting your customers’ needs as well as your own goals.