Copywriting projects can be challenging, rewarding, and lucrative, but they also require careful planning, communication, and execution. If you want to impress your clients, meet your deadlines, and avoid stress, you need to adopt some effective strategies to manage your copywriting projects. Here are some tips to help you deliver copywriting projects on time.
Before you start writing, make sure you have a clear understanding of the project scope, including the goals, audience, tone, format, length, and deliverables. Ask your client for a detailed brief or create one yourself based on their input. Review the brief carefully and clarify any doubts or questions you have. Avoid making assumptions or changing the scope without consulting your client. This will help you avoid misunderstandings, revisions, and delays later on.
Start with the end in mind. What is the main outcome of your copy and what is desirable outcome. Each copy you create need to include CAT - Call To Action. What is magic formula for Call To Action? 1. Offer - state your offer in clear simple way 2. Deadline - set a deadline until when your offer is available 3. Action step - what is the next step or what should a person do, after finishing read your copy ? Keep this in mind
A detailed brief is essential for smooth delivery of a project. Most important though, is a clear brief with defined deliverables. Define in plain terms how many revisions are included within the fee for example, to avoid crossed wires later on.
Focus on the quality of work rather than quantity. Take what you can deliver on time and strategize properly. For people working on multiple client projects, it's better to keep a planner handy. I personally do this when I have many projects on my task list. And while is important, it is also important to take creative breaks in between !
Manage the client's expectations first and foremost. They often underestimate time frames. Maintain communication throughout the project cycle with the client so in case there's delays, they're aware in advance of the reason why.
"Strategy first. A goal without a plan is just a wish." Without a clear strategy, even the most talented copywriter may struggle to deliver impactful content. When faced with technical or engineering briefs, it is beneficial to seek assistance from engineers or technologists who can provide insights and help you understand the content. This understanding will enable you to translate the brief into impactful content that can be comprehended by potential buyers without a technical background. Don't hesitate to ask questions for clarification.
One of the most common causes of missed deadlines is underestimating the time and effort required to complete a copywriting project. To avoid this, you need to set realistic deadlines that account for your availability, workload, research, writing, editing, proofreading, and feedback. Use a calendar or a project management tool to keep track of your deadlines and milestones. Communicate your deadlines to your client and stick to them. If you encounter any issues or delays, let your client know as soon as possible and negotiate a new deadline if necessary.
As a copywriter, you should be the first to protect the value of words! just like the old Amazon story about delivery time, Add one day to any deadline you set for completing the work and then inform the client, so you can deliver the work even earlier than the scheduled time!
And if possible, always add some padding (2-4 days, a week even depending on how large the ask is and number of people involved) to the initial deadline. That way you get extra time to do your best work and if you end up not needing the extra time, you look like a superstar for finishing in advance.
I have a project management sheet on trello, where I manage all my client details and timelines. Using a project management tool helps keeping a track once you have multiple projects to worry about.
When I'm doing copywriting, meeting deadlines is super important. I plan things out, and make sure my timelines are doable. I focus on the most important tasks and use tools to help me work better. I know there might be changes along the way, so I'm ready for that. I learn from each project, getting better each time. It's not just about the words; it's about getting things done on time and learning new stuff as I go.
Account for other project deadlines that fall in the same month. Estimate the time for each step of the project and a bit of extra buffer for the back and forth communication - we tend to forget about that last one. Personally, I've found Motion to be fantastic in managing my deadlines. It's also natural that you might run into delays. The most important thing is to be upfront with the client and communicate any issues you run into.
A large or complex copywriting project can be overwhelming and daunting. To make it more manageable and achievable, you need to break it down into smaller and simpler tasks. For example, you can divide your project into stages such as research, outline, draft, edit, proofread, and submit. You can also split your project into sections or pages and assign them to different days or hours. This will help you focus on one task at a time, track your progress, and avoid procrastination.
In my experience, breaking down any writing project into digestible components is critical to success. The four components I focus on are research, outline, drafts, and edits. I then block time on my calendar for completing each stage. I figure out how much time to allocate by working back from the deadline. You will inevitably run into hurdles, but just shake it off, and complete the next stage in front of you. Before you know it, you have a draft ready to edit. Pro tip: Find a friend, colleague, or even use Generative AI to provide editing suggestions. No matter how good you are, it's always helpful to get a second set of eyes on your writing. Good luck!
One thing that's helped me in the last 5 years is breaking down each project into steps and figuring out exactly how much time each step will take me. That means, right from the research and outline, all the way to delivery, I know exactly how much time it takes me. Based on past projects, I'm able to estimate how much time it'll take me for each project. It's proven invaluable.
Never underestimate how long ideation and creativity take. Sure, it might take you a couple of hours to write something, but what did it take to get to that point? Always factor ideation time into your scope and deadlines.
A common mistake that many copywriters make is trying to write and edit at the same time. This can slow down your writing process, disrupt your flow, and lower your confidence. Instead of constantly checking your grammar, spelling, or word choice, you should focus on getting your ideas and messages across first. Write as fast and as freely as you can, without worrying about perfection. You can always go back and polish your copy later, after you have finished your first draft.
Embrace how awful that first draft is gonna be. The messier and uglier that first draft is, the better the makeover. And who doesn’t love a great makeover?!
Always consider three essential copywriting techniques: 1. Emotional Appeal: Use storytelling and relatable scenarios. Included emotional triggers: happiness, fear, curiosity, or empathy, can create a stronger connection with your audience. 2. Benefits Over Features: Focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than just listing its features. Explain how your offering can solve a problem, make life easier, save time, or bring joy. 3. Clear and Concise Messaging: Use short sentences, bullet points, and subheadings to break up the text. Aim to communicate your message quickly.
You should always consider getting out all your thoughts before you edit. A solid outline will also help guide your writing and cut down on the rounds of edits you need. Please allow yourself to draft your copy first before you try to fine-tune the copy.
Feedback is essential for improving your copy and ensuring that it meets your client's expectations and needs. However, feedback can also cause delays and frustration if it is not timely, clear, or constructive. To avoid this, you should get feedback early and often in your copywriting project. Don't wait until the last minute to show your copy to your client or a peer. Instead, ask for feedback at key stages of your project, such as after the outline, the first draft, or the final draft. Use feedback to revise and refine your copy, but don't let it derail your vision or voice.
Transparency is key. If I'm writing a press release for a new deal, I will share the draft as soon as possible with the client. This not only enables them to give useful feedback sooner but may also spark new ideas worth incorporating into your writing. There's nothing worse than sharing your draft right before the deadline, and the client hates it. Show them early and often what you are working on. Remember, the customer is always right.
Seek feedback from multiple sources to enhance your writing. For sales and marketing copy, reach out to business development professionals and product managers for valuable insights. If you're delving into technology, consult with engineers to refine your ideas. Gathering diverse feedback will strengthen your writing and uncover fresh perspectives you may have overlooked.
If you're tackling a big project like website copy, it's natural to run into a few objections. One way to tackle that would be to have check-ins through the process. It ensures that both parties are on the same page and also gives you the opportunity to address any objections that might arise. Check-ins could take place after the outline, rough draft and other drafting stages. So, even when clients dislike a sentence or tone direction, you get to move along the process so that it matches the client's vision when you reach the edit stage. This way, you get to maintain client satisfaction and project success.
Sometimes the approval process reveals input that the writer should have had in the first place. Copy is sometimes used as a forum for making decisions. All people involved in approvals need to be involved in the initial input. This can help avoid false starts.
Clarify unclear details within a brief straight away, get feedback on your first rough draft and check in with a client at semi regular intervals. This may sound like you are "hassling" your client but by doing these things, it will ultimately make the process a lot smoother because of always being on the same page at all times as well as resulting in fewer bigger edits being needed later on.
Finally, you can save time and energy by automating and delegating some of the tasks involved in your copywriting project. For example, you can use tools and software to help you with research, brainstorming, formatting, grammar, plagiarism, or SEO. You can also outsource or delegate some of the tasks to other professionals, such as editors, proofreaders, designers, or developers. This will allow you to focus on your core skills and strengths, and deliver a high-quality copywriting project on time.
Depending on the scope of the project, having a team of writers to delegate certain tasks to can be helpful. I always like to handle the final edit and approval myself for quality control. Optimize your project by assigning tasks in alignment with people’s strengths. Automation tools such as Jasper, Grammarly, SEMrush, and ChatGPT can be helpful to spark ideas, check content, and analyze keywords. Never rely on AI to write your copy for you without heavy editing and very strategic prompts. Great copy is written by passionate and experienced copywriters that know how to research a client/company, and tell a story. Sales experience is also essential for effective copy.
When working on any copywriting project, always refer to classics and consider this top 5 industry books about copywriting: 1. “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini 2. “The Boron Letters” by Gary Halbert 3. “Breakthrough Advertising” by Eugene M. Schwartz 4. “Cashvertising: How to Use More Than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone” by Drew Eric Whitman 5. “Ogilvy on Advertising” by David Ogilvy These books cover a range of copywriting techniques, strategies, and psychological principles that can greatly enhance your writing skills and effectiveness in creating persuasive content.
In marketing and content creation, psychology plays a vital role. Recognizing the inner workings of the mind and understanding decision-making processes is invaluable. Expand your knowledge by taking a college course, online class, or reading insightful articles. Delve into the "why" behind consumer choices, from luxury purchases to bedroom paint color preferences. This understanding will empower you to craft messages that deeply resonate, leading to improved ROI for your clients.
Antes de tudo, alinhe as expectativas com os stakeholders. Como diz o ditado "Combinado n?o sai caro", ent?o, ao entender o escopo do projeto, balize o prazo junto aos interessados, encontrando sempre um ponto de equilíbrio para n?o atrapalhar as tarefas que dependem da sua entrega.
Know/research everything about the task in hand before you do anything else. Identify why the piece you're writing is relevant to your audience (in their real lives, not as a business objective). And then, just tell them. Don't write it to them. Tell them (as if you were speaking to them). Follow those 3 steps and you'll never be late or lost again. I promise.
Honestly, I myself would like to know how some copywriters deliver their work before the deadline without pressure and stress! I also deliver work on time, but I do most of the project at the eleventh hour! Because creativity and timing are two enemies that are always at war! ;)