Asked what they could bring to a substantial rebrand and website makeover, they focused on their unique skills. That makes sense. In a competitive pitch, you need to stand out, not state the obvious. You need to capture your specialisms and areas of unusual expertise. But this led to a client who didn’t feel confident that the basics were covered – the things we all take for granted.
When you’ve been doing this for so long, it’s easy to forget the things you do all the time. The ways you work by default don’t feel new or interesting anymore. But, when someone’s trying to find a freelance copywriter, there’s real value in stating the obvious: the value you bring to the table as standard.
#1 Writing copy that converts
Not all copywriting is explicitly for conversions, but anyone who doesn’t know how to take people from engagement to action probably isn’t much of a copywriter.
When you’re working on, say, some PPC landing page copywriting, what you write is naturally and intrinsically linked to actions and conversions. But the same fundamentals of conversion copywriting – things like audience insight, benefit-driven copy, social proof and strong calls to action – apply across all copy in different ways. It’s just that the nature of the conversion changes.
If I’m working on an email, I might have a specific landing page I want people to visit. But, if I’m writing a deeply nested page on your website, there’s still an outcome I’m chasing. Maybe it’s getting them to continue their journey onto another page. Maybe it’s something entirely immeasurable, like keeping your brand in mind the next time they’re ready to make a purchase.
In summary: For all of the freelance copywriters who self-promote as conversion experts, we’re all equally good at making people do stuff they didn’t want to before they read the copy. That’s the whole point, not an expensive add-on.
#2 Clarifying your messaging and positioning
Some of my direct and agency clients come with years of work on their positioning and messaging. They present big bibles of guidance on how they communicate. But, even if your messaging is nailed down, the process of writing any new piece of copy will naturally be an act of filtration, prioritisation, and re-articulation.
Work on messaging and positioning – things like messaging guides, competitive analysis, etc – does and should command its own fee. But every copywriter I know will always be looking for small improvements to your existing messaging. It’s never a case of taking what you have and putting it in new words. It’s always about refining the way you communicate and the points you emphasise with every new piece of collateral.
In this way, new assets become bigger and more impactful than their specific, immediate application. They become your latest example of your brand’s messaging articulated in the right way – something that’s incredibly useful if it’s been years since you last reviewed and reworked how you take yourself to market.
In summary: Few freelance copywriters would take your messaging and positioning as gospel and leave it at that. Anyone worth their salt is simultaneously interrogating the material you have, finding small-but-impactful opportunities to make it better.
#3 Thinking (and speaking) strategically
Once every so often, a client will come to me with a problem and say ‘How would you solve this?’
It’s not about specific deliverables, or a ready-made roadmap for the next bit of marketing. It’s about using the breadth of perspective that freelance copywriters have – considerably wider than most in-house marketing teams – to plan copy and content strategically, geared around specific outcomes or improvements.
Similarly, I’ll often finish an individual project with some suggestions about what we could do next. This isn’t an upsell (that’s a happy bonus), but a chance to build on what we’ve done. This is the kind of strategic thinking that should come as standard whenever you’re working with a freelancer: a wide view on getting more traffic, or driving more footfall, or whatever. Because it’s rarely about one piece of collateral. It’s about taking people on a journey, driven by consistent assets every step of the way.
In summary: Strategy isn’t special. What most self-proclaimed strategists have over others is ready-made ways to present their findings and ready-made processes for uncovering them. But everyone involved with your marketing should be thinking strategically and, wherever possible, sharing those strategic ideas with you.
Speak to a freelance copywriter (where the good stuff comes as standard)
This is the self-promotion part of the post, so let’s get it out of the way quick: if you’re trying to find a freelance copywriter, you can stop now and send me an email.
When you do, you’ll get the advantage of:
- Wide-reaching perspective across industries and types of collateral
- No-nonsense strategy that sounds more like ‘Hey, I’ve got a cool idea!’ than ‘Allow me to share my data-driven vision for transformation’
- Copy that converts in the ways you measure and the invisible ways you don’t
Ready to meet your new favourite freelance copywriter? Get in touch to discuss your project now.
