That happened quick…
I’m now in my tenth year of operating a copywriting and content creation business.
Epic.
Things have changed a lot and not at all over the last decade. The basic principles of copywriting and content marketing have remained the same. The way content is created, presented and delivered are vastly different.
With this in mind, here’s a refreshed look at how Freelance Copywriter can help your small businesses to take control of their content marketing so you can get noticed and get more leads:
GET NOTICED
One of my key services now involves regular content packages.
This may look something like this:
- Monthly 600 – 800 word article
- Monthly newsletter for your database
- 12 x social media posts (a mix of microblogs, graphics and reels/videos)
- Monthly press release
Working this way means you can RELAX… your content creation is taken care of and you’ll be staying in regular contact with your prospects as well as your existing clients.
I’ve now got a team that includes two writers and an admin assistant, plus I’m in the process of hiring a graphics and video editor (watch this space). When you choose a package, we’ll follow a regular routine so your content happens like clockwork.
You truly need to spend less than an hour with me a month in order to set the ball rolling on quality content that your audience will start to keep an eye out for.
Content packages can vary in order to suit your needs. I have clients who are focused on newsletters and others who only want quarterly articles. Some ask me to blog daily and others request a few SEO-focused landing pages each month.
It works well if we have a quick interview and I turn it into content but you can also just send me topics and I can conduct some research.
The clients I write for include:
- Real estate agents
- Accountants
- Mortgage brokers
- Construction companies
- Beauty therapists and beauty brands
- Vets
- Psychologists and allied health providers
- Business coaches
- And so, so, so many more
GET LEADS
My other area of focus is website copy. This involves getting to know your business and your target clients, and writing words that give them no choice but to take the next step and get in touch.
Website copy is not such a dark art. It’s all about conveying four key things:
- You understand your clients’ problems
- You have the solutions to get rid of those problems
- The solutions work and they offer value for money
- You’re good people
A lot of business owners get bogged down in the details, writing ‘I’ and ‘We’ all over their website copy. The word that should appear most is ‘YOU’.
“When you work with us, you’ll notice after one month how much money you’re saving etc etc.
I have written copy for more than 300 websites, for clients from Papua New Guinea to Singapore, New York and beyond, and that’s being conservative. Here are a couple of my favourite and name-droppiest projects:
Website copy costs start from $200 per page, and this includes a consultation plus the first draft and two rounds of revisions based on your feedback.
OTHER SERVICES
I can also help with the following:
- Professional bios
- Lead magnets, reports and white papers
- Brochure copy
- One off articles
- Reels and videos
- Award entries
BOOK ME FOR A DAY
Want to figure out your content strategy for the year and go through what you already have so you can streamline your efforts? Let’s spend a magical day together and make some big decisions. You’ll feel so good when this job is off your plate.
A WORD ABOUT AI
When AI first came in, I had two thoughts:
- This is going to destroy me
- This is going to make me rich
The truth is that neither have happened. I use AI to help with ideas and basic frameworks but the one time I ran out of hours and tried to submit an AI-written article, the client immediately called me out on it.
Having identified as a writer since I was pretty much six years old, I don’t find AI particularly helpful because it is so inaccurate and I can’t count on it not to directly plagiarise existing content. The copy it comes up with looks good at first glance but it so often makes very little sense, and it loves to throw in adjectives without restraint, which is a copywriting no-no.
I’ll keep playing around with AI. I do have hope for it, but last year I only ever found it wasted my time.
AND A WORD ABOUT PRICING
I started off in 2015 charging $50 an hour. What a dummy. I totally didn’t take into account that I have to pay the costs of running my business. Once expenses and tax were extracted there was barely anything left.
Now, my base rate is $120 per hour. This is still reasonable and competitive by industry standards. I work fast and I can charge the services of my team members out below this rate, so you get good value.
Large agencies charge up to $900 and more for a single article, without the bells and whistles additions of social media content, newsletter copy and reels. You’ll get a lot more from me for less than this amount.
SO… LET’S WORK TOGETHER
Content is an essential part of any business’s marketing and communications strategy.
For a cost-effective solution and a diverse range of content that includes words, pictures and videos, get in touch today.
