Wordwallah

 Helping you communicate more effectively

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Food for thought

Words should be used as tools of communication and not as a substitute for action.

 

Grammar time

Ensure there's no ambiguity in your communication - it could be embarrassing. Take a look at this recent headline from an Indian newspaper:

"School where India's Chief Justice went to in a dilapidated state."

 

Hiring a copywriter: your five-point checklist

Here are some tips to ensure your outsourced copywriting projects run smoothly and achieve their objectives.

1. Choosing the right writer

It's often difficult to find a copywriter who is suitable and available, particularly if your projects vary in their requirements of skill and experience. For example, a writer who only has magazine experience probably won't be suitable for writing website content.

If you want to save yourself a lot of time − choose someone who works with a pool of other writers with differing skills and experience. That way you only need one point of contact − if they're busy on another project or they don't have the specific skills/experience for a particular job, they can organise an alternative writer for you.

2. Briefing the writer

Providing your writer with a clear brief will save you unnecessary copy revisions and keep your costs down. Points to include are:

o  your target audience

o  what message you want to convey

o  what tone you want to speak to your reader in

o  what response you ideally want the reader to make

o  your schedule.

3. Setting the schedule

Copywriters need time to develop the ideas and words, so set a realistic schedule to allow for research and the creative process. Also, don't expect the first draft to be perfect − allow for one or two revisions so your writer can refine the content.

4. The agreement

The agreement should include:

o  the project size

o  number of revisions included

o  schedule

o  agreed fee (this can be a flat fee or hourly rate).

Also check what's not included. Many writers charge extra for face-to-face meetings, research time, and weekend or rush work. Most writers charge 35−50% of the total project fee upfront. And if you have sensitive or proprietary information, don't hesitate to have your writer sign a non-disclosure agreement.

5. Providing background information

Provide as much background information as possible up-front. This can save you and the writer considerable time. And if they still need more information, they can always come back to you.

Word of advice          Issue 6          [back to archives list]