In the simplest terms, a creative brief is a write-up of everything a forthcoming project should entail. It gives all of the background information, as well as all of the requirements and expectations for a project. When it comes to copywriting, this is the one magical document that you cannot do without. It guides you, it protects you and, yes, sometimes it even calls you … [Read more...]
What’s an Internal or In-House Ad Agency?
Sure, all copywriters daydream about being Don Draper and commanding—or even just being a part of—a creative team in a big, hip advertising agency. But there's another kind of opportunity you need to know about that offers all the smart coworkers, interesting projects, and, yes, sometimes tough deadlines outside of the traditional ad agency: in-house agencies. Ad Agency … [Read more...]
Fake Job Alert: What You Need to Know About Being an “SEO Copywriter”
For all the companies that are looking for "SEO copywriters," you'd think it's a super-specialized field. But the truth is, any copywriter worth their fees is an SEO copywriter—and most people looking for SEO copywriters have no idea what they're actually asking for. Despite all of the show about differentiating it from "regular copywriting," what separates SEO copywriting … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: Stay Out of NDA Trouble
An "NDA" is a pretty common legal document employers or clients will have you sign. But, if you're not clear about exactly what it is and what it entails, you could take actions that will leave you open to major trouble—including lawsuits. So let's be sure you're covered! Today's question comes from Alistair B. who asks, "My new client wants me to sign an NDA. What is it? What … [Read more...]
Your Unique Selling Point: Set Yourself Apart from the Competition
We're all in the business of selling. We're either actually trying to sell products or services, or we're trying to "sell" people on taking some kind of an action. Even nonprofits are trying to sell people on making donations. But with the unemployment rate constantly making the news and articles about "how to get a raise" and "how to brand yourself" across magazines and … [Read more...]
Copywriting Q&A: What’s Direct Response Copywriting?
Some copywriting work is designed to sell people on a company; that is, to get people to be aware of, trust and like the brand. Other copywriting work is designed to get an immediate response. Let's dig in a bit more to learn what makes "direct response copywriting" different. Today's Q&A was inspired by a question from Joe F., who asks, "A recruiter asked me yesterday if … [Read more...]
Content or Copy: How to Tell the Difference and What Should You Charge
When you're looking at job posts, you may see some that mention content writing. But what's the difference between copywriting and content writing? Aren't content and copywriting the same? When it comes to content writing vs. copywriting, is one better than the other? And what should you charge for each? Many people outside of the writing industry don't understand the … [Read more...]
What’s a Persona?
As a copywriter, there are plenty of things you may be asked to write. Writing a "persona is one of them. A "persona" is a description of an imaginary person that represents one of your brand's target audiences. It's basically a composite of all of the most pertinent details of the demographic: age, interests, income; and things relevant to what you're trying to sell, like … [Read more...]
Copywriter Email Snippet Strategies
When you're writing emails for copywriting clients, you want to make sure you include copy for the "snippet." Snippets are often-overlooked, but super crucial piece of copy to craft an effective email. A snippet is the tiny line of text in an email that shows up at the very top of the email when you open it and, in many email services (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) shows up right … [Read more...]
What is the Difference Between Freelance Copywriting and Contract Copywriting?
What's the difference between freelancing and contracting? Is there one? "Contracting" and "freelancing" are often used interchangeably, but there are some subtle differences, namely in where you're working and, sometimes, how a company classifies you. While the information below applies to U.S. contractors and freelancers, the information may help you ask the right … [Read more...]