Who my ideal client ISN’T
It’s all very well telling you that you’d love to work with me, and all the benefits I can bring to your business via great copywriting and content. But what if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by your options? What if you want something quick and cheap? I’ve told you before who I am, so let’s find out who you aren’t. Here are a few clues to help you figure out if you’re NOT my ideal client.
You won’t be my ideal client if you are…
Someone who wants to micromanage
I love precision, and the buzz of getting something right and creating something truly valuable for clients. What I don’t love is someone metaphorically leaning over my shoulder and pointing out exactly how something should be written. I will follow your brand guidelines and tone of voice — and help you establish one, if you need — but I won’t take kindly to word-by-word edits or feedback that goes beyond precise and into the realm of pernickety. I work for myself to avoid that kind of micromanagement. And as for timekeeping, there can be a lot of non-billable hours of brainstorming, admin, and playing with ideas that go nowhere (but are always saved in a Clever Stuff file). If you expect me to answer for every hour of my working day, you’re not the one for me. Sorry about that. What I will do is check in regularly, keep you up to date on the project, share my thinking and include you in the decision-making process. But remember you’re not my boss.
2. Someone inflexible
Being told precisely what to do and choosing to be freelance are polar opposites. I pride myself on being easy to work with, so a client that’s difficult to work with would be an uncomfortable relationship for both of us. If you’re too rigid to allow some playfulness, or so set in your ways that you can’t imagine a world where someone starts a sentence with “and”, then you’re not the one for me. And one last thing thing — the grammar you learned at school, the prescriptive kind? No one writes like that. Go with the flow and see where it takes you. It might be somewhere exciting.
3. Someone who just wants me to tidy up
Editing is a core aspect of any copywriting or content writing job. There are several gates a piece must pass through before it’s ready for the eager eyes of your audience. That’s why employing me to “do a quick proof read” is a waste of your money. Why? Because I can add so much more value. When I edit work, I edit it for consistency, flow, tone of voice, audience, call to action, concept, story and more. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are the minutiae of editing and come last of all. And honestly? Any word processing programme will tell you where those errors are.
4. Someone unprepared to collaborate
I don’t have a specific niche because I want to gain knowledge and experience in many different areas, and pigeon holes are a bit cramped. That’s why I love working with people in a multitude of different industries and from different backgrounds to mine. Collaborating on an idea makes it bigger, gives it an outside perspective, does a cold audience test and crucially — it’s fun. I can elaborate on your idea and build it out with angles you might not have thought about. If you want someone to simply execute your idea, I will, but I won’t love it. And you’ll just get exactly what you expected and probably nothing more.
5. Someone who doesn’t respect my time
My time is precious to me. As is yours to you. I will always deliver work to the deadline we agreed on, unless something happens at which point I’ll clearly communicate to you what’s happening. And as for boundaries, I have clearly defined working hours on my FAQs page. Those hours are also hardwired into my email provider so if you email me after hours, it’ll show you a snazzy little icon telling you I’m offline. If you want someone on call, day or night, that’s not me. Respect my boundaries as much as I respect yours.
6. Someone with no imagination
Big ideas don’t just pop out of the blue. They usually take some time to form, stretch, and grow. In my creative process, I usually empty out all my first ideas to get them out of the way and make room for the good ones. They’re always hiding. The chances are I’ll be an outsider to your business or industry, so I’ll have a different perspective and can therefore offer ideas you might not have considered before. That’s fun! But if you have no imagination and can’t see the bigger picture, we might not get on so well.
7. Someone who can’t see the value of copy
If you can’t see the value of a professional copywriter, or think it’s a simple case of stringing sentences together, why are we even having this conversation? Look at it this way: you probably wouldn’t try to install a bathroom by yourself — you’d hire a plumber. And I guess you might not try to fix that suspicious rattle in your car — you’d take it to a garage. But by all means, write your own content. I’ll wait.
8. Someone unprepared to invest in their business
There are many things your business is responsible for. Maybe you’re a social enterprise or charity, and among many things your business is a money-making venture, so naturally you always keep a close eye on the books. So do I. My business is providing a service based on more than 7 years of professional writing experience, and is priced accordingly. If you aren’t prepared to make the necessary investment in your business, you won’t be the one for me. Investing in professionally written copy or content is a lead-generating, customer-nurturing, information-sharing process.
9. Someone who expects overnight results
I won’t promise overnight success, or a 100% increase in your followers, leads or clients. Because it’s not magic. There is no special hack for success online. What great copywriting and content is… it’s nurturing. It creates bonds. It builds relationships. It’s not a sticking plaster for a weak brand or an experiment to try for a while. It’s a commitment to your brand messaging, and an ongoing cumulative process. It’s not something to try for a few months and ignore again, like a childhood hobby shoved to the back of a wardrobe.
10. Someone unwilling to pay fairly
The ‘free’ in ‘freelance’ doesn’t relate to giving away our time, expertise, knowledge, skills or services. It means the freedom we have to work on our terms, which includes setting our prices. I have a mortgage to pay and a dog to feed, dude. If you’re not prepared to pay (an actually very affordable) going rate for copywriting and content, there are always cheaper alternative options. But like a thin pair of shoes, you buy cheap and you buy twice. You can find out the regional average in the UK in an annual survey carried out by ProCopywriters, the largest association of copywriting professionals in the country. I’m based in Leicester, which is in the East Midlands. I’ll update this as soon as the 2023 results are released.
Still here? Nice one ✌️
Made it to the end without being called out? Excellent. You might just be my ideal client. Not putting words in your mouth, but I bet you’re fun and interesting and have something important to say. It’d be cool to hear from you. Get in touch with me and let’s make something awesome together.