Tackling a burgeoning Twitter obsession - The 5 commandments

Part One: 12 Noon

I have a day off today.

To Do List

I was looking forward to spending it studying and writing. Perhaps even sitting in a cafe in manner of real life freelance writer.

My morning has gone something like this:

One for the portfolio – Hanson UKIT intranet pages

Client

Hanson UKIT

Brief

Wording required for a new intranet site to provide key information to other areas of the business.

The client wanted the copy to focus on the people, and give the message that IT is both approachable and easy to work with. He also felt it was important to get across the valuable work that the department was doing to help strengthen the business.

Raising a toddler is great copywriting experience

Cheesy copywriting?

I have now been studying my copywriting course for about a month. I love it, but still worry that without experience it will be hard to get paid work.

I said this to a friend the other night, and her response was,

“You can do anything, you’re a mummy to a toddler!”

This got me thinking – there are a LOT of ways that raising a toddler can get you ready for life as a copywriter.

The #nomakeupselfie - Why it worked, and what Dove already knew

It’s day 6 of the #nomakeupselfie campaign, and the newspapers claim to have uncovered the source – a teenage Mum from Stoke.

Fiona Cunningham wanted to do something to raise awareness of [breast] cancer as it had touched her family. What happened next was an unprecedented viral campaign which has raised more than £8m in less than a week – one of Cancer Research UK’s most successful fundraising campaigns to date.

Picture shared on Twitter by @CR_UK

While Cancer Research may not have come up with the idea, they certainly helped it along, putting their weight behind it and setting up a text number to make it even easier to donate and share.

The premise is a simple one, post a picture of yourself on social media wearing, shock horror, no make-up and make a donation to help beat cancer.

Starting a distance-learning course? What's the first thing you should do?

Buy new stationery of course...

But after that? 

You need to write a study plan.

A brief history of me and study plans

Whether doing GCSEs, A-levels, or uni exams, my routine was always the same:

1. Browse through the rows of stationery in Staples. Buy a pack of different coloured pens, a folder and some post-its.


2. Take them home


3. Lay them out neatly on the desk...Any-one with me here? No? Just me then


4. Make a cup of tea


5. Set about writing a study plan

Comma Confusion

It's amazing, isn't it? As soon as you know that you are being assessed on something, it throws up a massive question mark in your mind as to whether you actually know what you think you know.

Take the pre-course assessment essay I have to write to get onto the copywriting course I chose here. Never have I doubted my use of common punctuation quite so much!

And what was the source of my little punctu-breakdown?

Copywriting - To train or not to train

When considering a move into Copywriting, it is tempting to just have a go and see what happens. After all it is one of those things that, assuming some writing ability, can't be that hard can it?

I have a sneaking suspicion that is not true.

Maybe I CAN be a copywriter.....The first 'client'?

Today I thought I would share with you my first copywriting success...And I think I've got the bug!

It was only a small thing, a favour for an elderly neighbour -  a free classified ad on a well-known local site. But it worked!

But so what? I hear you cry, millions of people sell tons of stuff using online auctions every day of the week - that doesn't make you a copywriter.

I think what has surprised me is success of this sale against the odds!

CA - Copywriters Anonymous

Hi,

My name is Nicky and I want to be a copywriter - there we go I've done it, I am OUT!!

Now for the caveat! I am actually quite happily working part-time in a job in IT Project Support,  and I don't want to give that up.

So I guess what I mean to say is my name is Nicky and I want to learn to copywrite...see where it takes me...and then who knows...

The wuss' guide to career option exploration(!)

Why writing?

From as early as I can remember I wanted to be Enid Blyton - OK so I guess that's not entirely realistic, but having spent my childhood writing short stories and poems, work experience at the local newspaper confirmed to me that I wanted to write. 

So how did I go about following this dream?

Ahh.

Well after some pretty good GCSE results and let's face it some pretty shoddy career advice I studied A-levels in maths and science, had no idea what to do with them and eventually embarked on a degree in business! Various project roles later I'm still spending more time looking at spreadsheets than writing sentences...

Since then I have continued to do a little creative writing, but my dreams have been overtaken by life, love and a very lively toddler.

But why learning to copywrite?

I don't profess to know everything  much anything about copywriting, but what I do know fascinates me! It would allow me to stretch out those knotted up writing muscles, yes, but it is more than that! 

Copywriting is somehow more scientific, less subjective...and that appeals to the logical side of my brain - is that the left or the right? 

There seem to be a lot of different areas that you need to get to grips with to be really good at it...And let's face it what's the point in starting something if you're not aiming to get really good.

I covered enough marketing in my business degree to understand a little bit about branding and image, as well as the obvious importance of conveying these consistently online, but what hadn't occurred to me whilst 'liking' my friends' statuses, sending 'Pins' and devising witty hashtags, was the over-riding importance of social media for the businesses of today.

These platforms allow even the smallest start-up to get themselves out there without breaking their advertising budget.....But can it really be that easy? 

A quick 'refresh' of Google+ on the smart phone whilst sat on the loo floods today's consumer with more links than they can possibly click. To cut through all the crap your message has to be the best, the most noticeable and, I believe, the most sincere.

I have recently noticed a number of brands using social media to engage in a different way, not just responding to queries and logging complaints, but actively seeking out conversation.....And what can be better for business than improving the way you talk to your customers?

First Direct Bank is one of a number of companies using
Twitter to seek out dialogue with their customers

So as well as learning the skills of writing good copy from a sales perspective it puts an emphasis on understanding and utilising these social media platforms, keeping up with new technologies and developments, understanding SEO & google algorithms, as well the psychological aspects of modern buyer behaviour...it was at this point that I was hooked!

I bought a couple of books and started reading.....

And why blog about it?

I have numerous reasons for setting up this blog: 

1. To plan and document my journey
2. To motivate myself to continuously learn and progress
3. To meet and converse with like minded people...including perhaps experienced copywriters who might be so generous as to offer me some advice and guidance... :-)
4. To learn to blog

But mostly it's about writing.....As I keep being told, the best way to learn to write is to write, write and write some more.

So where better to start....

If you have any pearls of wisdom or encouragement then I would love to hear them below. 

Check back to follow my progress...