How Professional Writers Deliver

Those of us who work as freelance writers know the effort it takes to produce quality copy.  It's not just splatting words on a page.  It's actually quite a bit of effort to craft effective copy and to maintain a business to boot.  So I'd like to share how I deliver top notch service to my clients.  I don't outsource, I don't have assistants...it's just me.

I wake up everyday to emails in my inbox just like every other professional.  I also have a calendar of scheduled work to do, just like every other professional.  If I wanted to break down my day it would look something like this:

• Writing emails
• Responding to clients
• Conducting research
• Writing copy
• Updating my spreadsheets
• Prospecting for new clients
• Updating my CRM database
• Making phone calls
• Editing copy
• More editing of copy
• More editing of copy
• I produce quality, so more editing of copy
• Updating my website
• Writing a blog post
• Updating social media sites
• Reading relevant industry articles
• Invoicing clients
• More editing of copy (you want quality, right?)
• Eating and sleeping somewhere in there

When you hire a professional writer, you aren't just hiring a hobbyist who throws something together quickly (because they aren't being paid much).  Professionals - whether moonlighting or writing full-time - take the time to properly target, research and edit your copy so that it is exceptionally effective.  This is what you are paying for when you hire a professional (for a professional rate) rather than "Writer Extraordinaire John Doe" at the content mill who will write it for $10.

Think about the value and ROI of using a proven professional.  Words last a long time; years, or decades even.  If your copy is good, how will that positively impact your business long-term?  How much more traffic will your website get?  How much better will it rank with search engines?  How many more conversions will you get from a marketing campaign?

And if it's bad...well, you can see where I'm going.  Websites can completely tank and even be dropped from search engines from mediocre or bad copy. Marketing campaigns can fall flat on their face because the reader immediately trashes or deletes the material after a lackluster headline and ineffective intro.

Professional writers are not only writing exceptional copy to help you grow your business, but they are running an effective business themselves.  So they understand the importance of targeted content for your potential customers.  And this is true whether it be in a blog format or a newsletter or a marketing brochure. 

So the next time you are looking to hire a freelancer, see if they conduct themselves as a professional.  Do they properly scope the work?  Do they meet deadlines?  Do they follow up on projects and check in with you from time to time?  Do they invoice your promptly?  Do they provide a contract if you don't have one in place?

This is what I do for my clients, and I have a very satisfied clientele.  If you need your words to do the same for your customers, shoot me an email at [email protected] and let's get started.