Freelance Copywriting

How I became a copywriter. My roots and routes, likes and dislikes, my role back ‘in the day’, and how I roll now.

I have a background in marketing; in retail fashion and home décor and DIY. I worked in horse-riding therapy, manufacturing and teaching. I am an artist and a writer. Freelance copywriting came along as I explored a career change. I trained as a copyeditor and proofreader but writing is what I love best.

Armed with my marketing old-skool-knowledge, my creativity and my knack with words I created BubbleStickCreative!

This is where the name came from, where it all began.

Freelance copywriting and content writing allows me to meet and work with so many amazing people and every working day is different!

So I’ve told you a bit more about me, now let me tell you about what I know about content and copywriting and marketing and all that stuff.

What is marketing?

The principles haven’t really changed in marketing in 100 years or so (I haven’t been around that long, honestly!).

The formula is the same, you (B) are there to solve the problem of the customer(C)or (B) business with your offering.  (B2C and B2B).

Marketing is about creating a strategy from ‘conception’ to ‘sale’ of a ‘thing’. It’s a journey from knowing what the ‘thing’ is and does, what you want it to do for you, what problem it will solve for the ‘customer’ , how you tell the story of the ‘thing’s’ ability to solve the problem. That is very, very basic.

My role in marketing ‘back in the day’.

From visual to vocal, my job was to attract customers and keep them wanting to return.

point 1 Visuals (Store window, media advertising) got the customer in the door.

point 2 Word-of mouth , spreading the news!

point 3 customer service.

Me in marketing now

Visuals

Things have changed as far as the platform for your shop window, there are many, many shop windows!

Visuals carry the reputation, voice and image of the business.

It tells the customer where they sit and, aspire to be.

The visual impact of a business, before a customer has read a single word or looked at a single product tells the customer whether this is a place they want to be.

From colour palette to fonts, your digital shop window, whether you are selling legal services or baby clothes, lets the customer know who they are buying from.

People buy from people. Humans are also innately tribal. If they see something that resonates with their tribal belonging, it urges them move in that direction.

So, first step in selling your service or product is to sell you and show how you are part of the tribe.

You need brand loyalty to build your tribe, for business sustainability.

Voices in marketing

Voice is visual, sort of. It is sensual.

How you speak to your customers can make or break your business. You have to know who your customers are as people not money.

 Their pockets could be loaded but if you don’t speak their language, or know their life, they are not going to give it to you.

Be Authentic.

Authenticity is as sticky as honey. That is what you need, sticky, honey covered marketing.

Don’t fake it, your business message needs to be pure and natural.

So, know yourself, know your product and know your audience.

Have that solid knowledge and you are already on the road to building brand loyalty.

Consumerism is *fast, marketing is *fast and if you get it wrong at the start it takes a lot to get it back. Send out the wrong, inauthentic message about who you are then you are left with a sinking boat, treading water in a vast ocean; with plenty of sharks ready to pick off your escaping audience!

What do you need a loyal customer base for when you need to grow BIG?

What are customers? Human beings. Human beings are social animals, as I said before, tribal.

Social animals are just that; sociable. The talk, they communicate, and they talk the other members of their tribe. Word of mouth.

Recommendations are free advertising that is genuine.

Exploit it in the nicest possible way.

Customer Service

Customer service is not just restricted to face-to-face business to consumer, we aren’t living in the 1980s.

We have the power of Zoom, YouTube, Spotify, social media, website copy, email, literature. These are all channels through which you can communicate with your potential customers.

 We have so many channels (shop windows) to reach out to customers, it can be a treasure trove if you hit the spot, a minefield if you don’t.

Love your customers, know your customers; treat them like your family!

Why do I need a copywriter?

So, this is where you make the choice of who connects you to your audience.

It’s a make or break decision, you need to get it right.

Your first choice is probably yourself; right?

You know who you want to connect to, you know what you want to sell to them.

So let me get this right.

You are an expert at what you do, or at least pretty good at what you do.

You dedicate your time to providing the goods or services that you know that people want.

You’re a one-human-band,  maker or provider, or you’re organising an ace team of makers or providers.

Your second choice is probably a copywriter.

The trouble is they cost money.

Let me move you back up here to *FAST.

• If your competitor has a content or copywriter working for them, they will have someone dedicated to putting a voice in the market through most if not all channels I listed earlier.

• They will have fresh content put out there at the very least, monthly.

• They will have their ear to the ground for any new channels that are opening up (who saw TikTok getting into marketing?!).

• For their copywriter it is their product and service, so they only do this.

•  They don’t fix a car, design a clothing range, write and deliver a new coaching programme (other products and services are available) AND do their marketing because they concentrate on what they do best.

• Copywriters have a wealth of tools and knowledge at their fingertips that will connect you with your audience.

 That’s a lot of hours dedicated to selling your business. Do you really have the skills and time to spare?

Oh yes, SEO, I forgot (not really) to mention SEO.

Persuaded yet? No?

Keep on reading…

Now, much as I said that marketing principals haven’t changed much in a 100 years, it doesn’t mean I stagnated in the last century’s methods!

I spend my time listening to, studying and practicing in, and reading about copywriting and marketing to keep my knowledge and skills up to date because, as I have said, things move fast*.

Nobody can do it on their own!

 I would like to say I’m an expert, I am amazing at copy and content writing but, the art of copywriting is just that, an art, and as such there is no ‘expert’. I can and do strive to be the best but the fact that consumers and businesses are so diverse, it defines that I can’t be an expert.

What I am though is knowledgeable. I constantly update what I know because the shop windows are constantly changing, opening and closing. My job is to be aware of the changes so that my content and copy keeps working for you.

I’m a cog and it takes you and your customer to make me turn. Without my cog the machine is unlikely to work efficiently, if at all.

Now, although I am a brilliant wordsmith and can bewitch with my copy I am not a miracle worker. You have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. No copywriter can change your business overnight. Try too hard by cramming keywords here there and everywhere and you’ll be sent to the back of the algorithm queue.

Cost or Value?

Well that is for you to work out.

I can tell you that the value of hiring me is much higher than the cost.

The cost of lost business is much higher, now and in the long term, than the value of hiring a good copywriter.

Remember the fast*?

Scrollers on their mobile devises, that make up the majority of new customers, have the attention span of a gnat, around 0.25 seconds (that includes me and you) so first impressions are what keeps them there or scrolling on.

You have a further 5 to 10 seconds to hypnotise the viewer and keep them under your spell or they’re gone.

I’m not in an ivory tower thinking I know it all, I have a habit formed many years ago, and focused on in teaching, to constantly update my knowledge.

So like anyone I have likes and dislikes and things I can and can’t write well.

If I like it, I will research in depth and write knowledgeably.

Like any copywriter, I can write about anything.

But to write effectively your writer has to like what they are writing.

What I like to write about.  

So here’s me; not many dislikes, scroll to the bottom of the list for those.

Art and artists and the arts. Music, dance, design, architecture, painting, drawing,sculpture.

I  am a creative person, a creative thinker, outside of the box, throw me a concept, I’ll throw back a new idea!

I’m a bit geeky so anything tech or science related will get me piqued.

Medicine, particularly psychology, mental and physical well being.

I have a keen social and human rights conscience.

World cultures and spiritual beliefs.

I support conservation and sustainable methods to keep the planet earth alive.

I love space, stars, planets, weather, the oceans.

I am a nature lover and being outdoors, whether it’s camping and hiking, or gardening.

Insects, I really like insects, mini-beasts, wildlife in general.

I don’t do sports, sorry just not me.

My go-to copywriting guru is Colin Theriot of Cult of Copy.

He is the one I return to for hard truths and rock-solid advice and guidance. Look him up to see where I come from.

Let me find the links, the hooks and write the words for your brand!

Words and Pictures

Are you reading pictures or creating words?