Following is the Systems and Procedures of Copywriting Choice for the marketing of your business. This is an important document to make sure we are all on the ‘same page’.
1. Contact and Communications Policies. As we work together, we must have fast and easy communication. During our project, I am available Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM. By far, the best way to reach me is through email at williamsj900@yahoo.com or phone at 561-603-9371.
2. Project and Questionnaire. To get started with a potential project, I will send you a complete Discovery Questionnaire. This will help both of us clearly define the project’s scope and ensure maximum results. I will send you a link to the Questionnaire through Google Docs [OR WORD FILE VIA EMAIL]. Please return it to me as quickly as possible, within 1 to 3 business days. After I receive the Discovery Questionnaire, I review and study your answers, along with any other applicable initial research. From there, I will outline a short Project Roadmap. This will save you time and help you see that we both fully understand the project. It will also be the basis for our Launch Call.
3. Launch Call. 3-10 days after I receive the Discovery answers, we will schedule a 20-minute Launch Call. During this call, we will discuss the Project Roadmap. I will listen to any additional directions and insights you have on the project. Following that call, I will draft and send you an Agreement. If your legal team has an Agreement, we can use that.
4. Research. My research process is very comprehensive. I begin with a complete review of your website, Google Map listing, and any other materials you send me. From there, I will research the market, including your competitors. As needed, I will reach out to you for additional details, product samples, and other resources. You can be confident that I’ll quickly and effectively understand your product/service, your voice, and your customers’ core emotional purchase drivers.
5. Collaboration. As we work on this project together, communication is critical. Some of my clients are very busy and prefer to hand off the project to me and review the first draft, with very little communication in between. Others like dealing with me on an almost daily basis and are involved at just about every step of the way. Which are you? Please email me to let me know how often you’d like to communicate and the best way to reach you (e.g., email, phone, text). One other point … I require that you assign me a single point of contact on your team (if you have one). I will communicate directly with that person, and they will deal with your other team members (if you have them) as needed to obtain information and approvals. Finally, I STRONGLY encourage you to become familiar with Google Docs. I do all of my writing with this word processing tool. It allows us to track changes, comment, and collaborate in real time. It can be shared with various team members, and the working document is always the current document — no need to worry about sending the wrong files or things getting lost.
6. Review of First Drafts. Typically, you’ll receive the first draft in 10-14 business days, depending on the project size and scope. When you get the first draft, please review it carefully. Also, have any applicable team members review it. The most important thing at this stage of the game is making sure that the tone, message, and offer are right. We’ll fine-tune during the second and third drafts, as needed.
7. Revisions. After reviewing the initial draft, you may want some changes made. Please note those changes using the comment feature inside Google Docs. You can also suggest changes using the Edit Mode feature, which I’ll turn on when I share it with you. I will review all your suggested changes within 24 hours of your submission. I will make my adjustments within 2-4 business days, depending on the breadth and complexity of your suggested changes. In all cases, I recognize that these are your customers and will defer to you as much as possible. Sometimes, my clients make suggestions that I know will not work and will hurt profits. In those cases, you can expect me to be bold and direct in my feedback. When clients insist on changes I believe won’t work, I always recommend a simple A/B split test. Let the market vote.
8. Additional Reviews. After the first round of changes, additional fine-tuning may be needed. You can be confident that I’ll gladly work with you until you are happy with the copy. In most cases, my clients find that one review volley is enough. When more are needed, it is usually just one or two, and the process goes quickly. Typically, we can get to a final copy within 1-3 business days.
9. Final Approval. Once all revisions are done, I will submit a final draft to you. At this point, you approve the copy by sending me an email stating that everything is ready for distribution. Once I receive your final approval, I will invoice you for the remaining 50% of the project’s monthly investment. The invoice is due upon receipt. I will make every effort to respond promptly to your requests and assume that, as a professional, you will do the same with my invoices. In most cases, the final copy is sent to a designer for formatting. I strongly encourage you to send me a PDF of the final version. I will double-check that any graphical elements added by your design team enhance the copy and make it more effective. If I see something that is distracting and may hurt your response rates, I’ll be direct in letting you know. If requested, I’m happy to work with your design team to implement any necessary changes to ensure the final version is as effective as possible.
10. Transition to New Projects. “Once the project is done, I provide all of my clients with a complimentary follow-up consultation. We spend a few minutes on the phone, discussing what went well and where improvements can be made. We review the Discovery Questionnaire and discuss additional ways to uncover new profits. Where appropriate, we map out nexts months project to ensure that you continue to have excellent copy.
11. Competition. Finally…..if you are a local ‘brick and mortar’ business, I will not offer my services to any similar business in the same city as your location. (I don’t like competing against myself).
