Why should you work with a copywriting agency?
Copywriting is the bread, butter, meat, and potatoes of our work as a digital marketing agency. So to make sure everyone can join the feast, it’s time to demystify the process.
In this post, we’re talking you through what it’s like working with a copywriting agency, and why you need to bag yourself a copywriter in the first place.
What does a digital agency do?
Not everyone fully gets the agency model or the value it adds, which is fine. Personally, I don’t get the difference between a Rothenberger and a Bernzomatic brazing torch; I trust the plumber to know what he’s talking about and lo, my bathroom hasn’t flooded yet.
So, as a digital agency we work with anyone, on any size or shape of project. We do a lot of one-off jobs like video production or upskilling in-house marketing teams in using social media. Sometimes, clients have us on retainer to support them with strategy and ongoing content production.
Think of us as your go-to people for skills you might not need in house 24/7 but when you do need them, you need to get them right. Like the A-Team… or possibly the Dukes of Hazzard depending on budget.
What is copywriting in digital marketing?
A copywriter is one who writes the copy; the words which appear as part of your marketing. Blogs, social media posts, whitepapers, even your website itself. If it’s written down, you need a copywriter.
The name leads to all sorts of interesting conversations at networking events. I sometimes get ten minutes into talking about something before realising the other person thinks I’m a lawyer. Awks.
So no, copywriting is nothing to do with copyright, which is a legal term. It’s also nothing to do with plagiarism or ‘copying’ other people’s work.
It’s all about words. Copywriters in ad agencies, for example, might come up with slogans and taglines, or write the text for big brand campaigns across multiple platforms.
Why do you even need a copywriter?
Using a digital copywriting agency means you’re working with specialists who look at your business like your customers do. We accentuate the benefits that appeal to your target audience, writing about them in a way that captures their attention and interest.
There’s a common misconception that as a business owner, you’re the best person to write the copy because you know the product like the back of your hand. But when’s the last time you took a fresh look at the back of your hand and got excited about it?
In some, I’d even argue most cases, the client is the worst possible candidate to write effective sales-focused copy. You might make too many assumptions about the reader’s familiarity with your product, because you live and breathe it yourself. Or you might get the urge to cram in too much irrelevant background knowledge gleaned from years in the lab; you care, your customers don’t.
But how do you find a good copywriter?
Short answer: use us.
Long answer: go with whoever asks the most questions. There’s a lot of arrogance in agencies; designers sneering at the choice of colour palette or strategists thinking they know better than the client about the people they’re trying to reach.
Sure, a good copywriter can articulate your sales proposition better than a layman, but we need to pick your brains first. We always kick off any project with lots of questions:
What are your business objectives?
What are your challenges?
Who are you trying to reach, and where do they hang out online?
What’s the scope of the copywriting project, and who has final sign-off?
Good copywriters listen. We want to hear stories about the business that we can weave into copy, the things that make you distinct from the competition. Most importantly, a good copywriter will ask how you explain your product or service in your own words. It’s often very different to what’s on the website.
What’s the workflow for a copywriting project?
Every job is different, because every objective we need to meet is different. That said, we do like having clear processes in place to streamline things as much as possible. A typical job might look like this:
Ideally, we’ll come meet you at your offices, studio, branch, coffee shop, swimming pool, or secret volcano lair. That helps us get a feel for the wider context of your business’ culture
You put together a clear brief telling us everything we need to know about the project (more on that in a sec)
We’ll put together a proposal for you to review
Once we get the green light, we’ll explain the timelines and get started
Kick-off meeting to discuss the specifics and finalise the site map and clarify the content
First draft sent over for you to review
Edits made
Final draft
Copy enters circulation, business booms
Real life is rarely so neat and tidy, but what is digital agency experience good for if not the ability to think on our toes.
How do you write a copywriting brief?
A copywriting brief covers relevant info on both your organisation and the task at hand. What you do, where you’re based, and whether you have any existing tone of voice or style guidance is a great start. Then we can get into the nitty gritty of your project; its goal, audience, and key messages to send.
The importance of a clear written brief is impossible to overstate. It clears up any ambiguity, allows you to get all your thoughts out, and gives us as much context as possible in one place. One good solid brief beats a million disjointed notes and emails.
We love asking questions so much we created a simple copywriting brief template that we ask clients to fill in.
How does an agency quote for a copywriting project?
We’re nice and transparent about how we quote. The precise scope of work will be decided as part of our proposal, and the budget signed off before the project begins. This keeps everyone on the same page and manages expectations.
It’s also vital to be fully upfront about who’s involved. The value added by a copywriter, a designer, and a developer is as different as you get from a carpenter, a plumber, and a bricklayer. We’re careful to get to the bottom of what skills your project calls for to ensure no surprises mid-way.
Choosing the right digital marketing agency
In a sense, you’re spoiled for choice. There are a lot of good copywriters out there, your headache lies in choosing the right copywriter for your project. Many specialise in different sectors or in different types of job. Be sure to look at case studies to see examples of similar work. Ask if they have experience in your sector, at Sookio we love working in:
Get the marketing your brand deserves
When you commission a copywriter you’re buying ideas, clarity, and the science of persuasion. Be sure to take your time and come to a fully reasoned decision on who to trust to be the voice of your brand.
Or… ya know, you’ve made it this far. Why not talk to Sookio and we’ll take care of the rest.