Copywriting. It's all about The story...
In the land of copywriting, no two jobs, however similar, are ever the same, and here I'll take you through a few select ones which stick in my memory. Some are one-off projects, while others span years. Whatever work you're interested in having done, this section should give you a good idea of what to expect and what's possible. Have a question about something else that's not included? All you need to do is ask.
Portfolio
Web content brief: new pages for Adventure travel firm G Adventures
Applying for jobs through Gumtree will seriously test anyone's patience. But sometimes, every so often, you strike it lucky. In this case, I was very lucky. After applying for a travel writer job ad, I received a response from a project manager at forward-thinking adventure travel firm G Adventures. Within days I was sitting in their central London office, meeting the team, discussing the impending project. Immediately I was happy: the brief was exciting, the writing needed to be fun and dynamic, and the project manager was open to my ideas. That doesn't always happen with copywriting, so it was nice to be involved in not only creating the copy, but giving input as to what might work best along the way.
The only problem was that it was early December and the copy (hundreds of individual pages of it, in fact...some of which would require research...while managing numerous pieces of work at one time) needed to be complete by the new year. Ouch! was my initial thought (sorry, Guy). In the end, there was so much to do on this full-site revamp that I ended up working through Christmas time. Not that I regretted it. It was a pleasure working with the project manager and I'd do it all again (there, that should make Guy happy).
Here's a small selection of the copy I wrote. Click on each image to make it go big!
The only problem was that it was early December and the copy (hundreds of individual pages of it, in fact...some of which would require research...while managing numerous pieces of work at one time) needed to be complete by the new year. Ouch! was my initial thought (sorry, Guy). In the end, there was so much to do on this full-site revamp that I ended up working through Christmas time. Not that I regretted it. It was a pleasure working with the project manager and I'd do it all again (there, that should make Guy happy).
Here's a small selection of the copy I wrote. Click on each image to make it go big!
Web content brief: write new pages for EC Computers, Bristol.
EC Computers are a Bristol-based IT company who do all kinds of things which, truth be told, I have only a basic idea about (note: the key to copywriting is always in the research!). They came recommended to me by another client, and were looking to revamp a few of their pages, so I gave them a ring and we thrashed out an idea of what they wanted. The conversations were recorded on my dictaphone and later transcribed to paper. Email is all well and good, but sometimes a good chat about what's expected can work wonders.
Getting to know your client? Priceless.
Getting to know your client? Priceless.
Agency brief: write press releases for edit optimisation, London
After I'd settled into freelance writing a few years ago, and I no longer had to work for free or for very little (yes!), I landed a freelance position with a top London online publishing company. I'd written a lot before this, but the new position required me to write literally dozens of blog posts and articles every single day. I loved it, and I was lucky enough to write about an enormous range of subjects from film to music, politics and culture. Every so often a slightly different job came along, and this one was to write several press releases, one of which you can see here. I should probably also say that, when I joined the agency as a freelancer, I had never written a press release before. It was a nerve-wracking time but I loved learning about the new format.
Press releases are not at all easy to write, but there's definitely something satisfying about doing them.
Press releases are not at all easy to write, but there's definitely something satisfying about doing them.
Print brief: edit and write brochure: European Association
for Russian Speakers
Most of my work is digital, but occasionally a print job comes along which requires a broad range of skills far greater than the average copywriting job. This 62-page A3 brochure for the European Association for Russian Speakers was exactly that. After replying to a London Craigslist advertisement seeking an experienced editor & writer, I found myself sitting in a house in London, chatting away to the leader of the project, a woman by the name of Olga Bastable (featured in the second image on the first row). Talking with Olga, it was immediately clear that the brochure (20 YEARS OF RUSSIANS IN BRITAIN) was going to be a serious undertaking. I'd first need to sift through various stories, writings and mini-essays by the contributors. I'd then need to edit these heavily so that the non-native style of writing didn't confuse English readers. Secondly, a number of individual pieces would need to be written from scratch (see second row for an example). These would link the various subjects together, creating a unified theme that would run throughout the book.
The project required a lot of research, but the end result was a great-looking brochure full of Russian pride.
The project required a lot of research, but the end result was a great-looking brochure full of Russian pride.
Web content brief: About Us page for Freshpac Coffee
I love writing About Us pages. Sadly (although it's great if you're a copywriter), the internet is riddled with terrible ones which don't do the company in question justice. About Us pages are fantastic because you can tell a story. You really can be different. More than anything, it's the perfect opportunity to entertain your reader. Commercial writing doesn't have to be dull! Far from it.
This particular project came through Norwich digital agency Grit Digital, after one of my email campaigns came good. The project manager was in charge of the construction of a brand-new website and branding for local company Freshpac coffee. The brief was to create something homely and friendly which reflected the (family-run business's) core values, so it was a lovely project to take on.
This particular project came through Norwich digital agency Grit Digital, after one of my email campaigns came good. The project manager was in charge of the construction of a brand-new website and branding for local company Freshpac coffee. The brief was to create something homely and friendly which reflected the (family-run business's) core values, so it was a lovely project to take on.
Blogging brief: write weekly blog posts for Marketing originals
Some time ago now, online marketing company Marketing Originals came to me with a proposal: would I be interested in writing a number of blogs a month for them? I said yes (see two examples below). At the time I was building my client-base, and long-term jobs were badly needed. I've been writing for the company for several years now, and together we look after a number of clients across a broad range of SEO copy. I trust the owner and they've always done good by me, so I always say yes to new jobs, even if I'm really busy. It's a pleasure.
Blogging brief: write weekly blog posts for The Fish Society (online fishmongers)
I love fish. I always have done. Actually I'm a bit of a fanatic. So when James from The Fish Society replied to my email pitch, I was completely thrilled. We talked business, then, for the next eight months, I wrote a weekly blog based on James's thoughts, stories and fishy observations. Every Friday morning, I'd call James and we'd talk about what he'd been up to, or the latest catch he had in. There were some fantastic perks, too...like free fish delivered to my door every once in a while and even a paid-for visit to The Fish Society HQ! (I didn't think much of the Cuttlefish Ink sauce I was given as a gift though, it has to be said!)
Web content brief: write product descriptions for Vegusto vegan food
Product description work is always exciting, and when the brief comes from a cutting-edge vegan food company (leading the way in palm-oil free production, no less) you know it's going to be a fun and satisfying project. For this job, special attention to tone-of-voice was absolutely vital. With Vegusto's demographic wide and varied, it was a challenge to come up with fun, lively copy that would appeal to all the age ranges and types of people who buy the products.
Web content brief: About Us page for Greenside Lawncare (USA)
I'll be honest, I can't remember where this job came from, although I do remember being slightly nervous about writing it, what with the firm being a US based company and the differences in US and British English being so pronounced (as it happened, they weren't too concerned about that). Along with this About Us page, I also wrote a Homepage and some pages about the services they offer, too (not featured).