A copywriting project can have many moving parts, especially if you’re working on a large initiative such as a website or white paper.
With so many items on your project’s “to-do” list, it’s hard to know where to start.
In fact, one of the first questions clients ask after they hire me is, “What information do you need to get started?”
Here’s a list of items your copywriter needs to ensure that your project flows smoothly and delivers results:
1. Access to your team.
Your copywriter may want to interview your subject matter experts to learn about your solutions and gather the information to give your copy authority.
2. Access to your customers.
If your copywriter is working on a case study or collecting voice-of-customer data, you’ll need to arrange interviews.
3. The contact info for your team.
If you’re redoing your website, your copywriter may need to speak with your designer or SEO person. All of your team members should have each other’s contact information and a platform where they can collaborate.
4. Your website analytics.
Your copywriter needs to know how your site is currently performing to have a benchmark to measure against. They may want to view your analytics, top-performing pages, and heat map data. If you’ve already started the redesign, your copywriter will need your sitemap and wireframes.
5. Proof points.
Your copy must include proof that your solutions deliver results. If you have the following items, your copywriter will want to look at them:
- Case Studies
- Customer Testimonials
- User reviews
- Analyst reports that mention your company or product
6. Information about your audience.
Your copywriter should start a discussion about your target audience. Who are your ideal customers? What are their top challenges? What motivates them to buy?
To help your copywriter get familiar with your customers, you can also provide:
- Voice of customer data, such as survey results
- Buyer personas
- Transcripts or recordings from customer interviews
7. The names of your top three competitors
so that your copywriter can research them.
8. Any brand or style guides
your copywriter must follow.
9. Financial info.
Where should your copywriter submit invoices? Do they need to “cc” anyone? Do they need to include a PO or project number on their invoices?
10. Clear deliverables.
Your copywriter should give you a proposal or contract that outlines the project’s scope, timelines, and fees. If their contract doesn’t include all of these items, you may want to provide a statement of work.
These are the items your copywriter will need to make your project a success. It may seem like a lot, but your copywriter should have a process for collecting this information.
To make things easy for you, I’ve put together a list of these items that you can refer to the next time you start a copywriting project. Simply click the image below to download the checklist.
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Rachel Foster.
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