“We are getting a website built and we want you to write the copy, here’s a link to our old one, off you go.” While I appreciate the confidence clients have in me when they approach projects like this, by adding in the step of a strong copywriting brief, I guarantee the finished work will be better.
That said, I also know that if you are outsourcing copywriting, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour filling in a questionnaire with questions like “If your brand was a car, what make would it be?”. That’s why I usually complete the brief for my clients, over the phone in under 30 minutes – and the questions I ask are fairly straightforward.
Here’s some of what I cover in a copywriting brief, and why I do it:
1. Where?
Understanding the context in which the copy will be used is crucial. Copy for a brochure is very different from copy for a website. This step can also help make sure that you’ve scoped the whole project. For instance, if you’ve hired me to create a lead-generating ebook, have you considered what will be on the landing page? Or in the follow-up emails?
2. Who?
Do you know who your audience is? Who are your competitors? Who do you want to speak to? If I know who I’m speaking to, it will help me write for them more effectively. By getting into the minds of your ideal customers and understanding their pain points, your copy can agitate these issues and present your solution compellingly.
3. When?
This covers three things, firstly – what position is your audience in your customer journey? How much do they know about your company? Are they new or existing customers?
Secondly, when will they be getting the copy? Time of year for a brochure, time of day for an email, can all affect what we write about. Sometimes this question is irrelevant, it does not apply to websites for instance, but the third when is the important one for any project – when do you need it by?
4. What?
What do you want your customers to do? What is the next step you want them to take after reading the copy? What is your Call to Action? While the ultimate goal is often to secure a sale, it’s essential to have realistic expectations and provide engaging steps that move your audience closer to making a purchase. Encouraging actions like calling, providing email addresses, or booking appointments can be valuable interactions on the customer journey.
5. Why?
Why will people want to hear from you? This part of the brief encompasses a few areas including:
- What sets you apart from the others in your industry?
- What is your USP?
- Do you have any evidence of how great you are?
6. And finally…
The most important part is the voice of the copy:
- Do you have brand voice guidelines?
- Do you have any current copy that you love? What do you love about it? Any that you don’t like?
- Do you have any brands that you admire?
See, not a lot of questions really – but all of this helps me to build better copy. The other good news is, that once I’ve established all of this for your brand, I only need to ask a couple of questions the next time you need copy. So, if you’re considering working with a copywriter, embrace the brief process – it doesn’t take long in the grand scheme of things, and you will get much better copy from the process.