Should a trainee copywriter work for free?

I received an email this week.

*cue dramatic music in manner of cheesy quiz show*

It talked of an "exciting opportunity," a "fascinating project" that offered me "amazing experience"...

Here's looking at you, text

I saw this advert on Twitter earlier, with someone noting it contained an 'orphan'.

Can you spot it?

I stared at the advert for a while before I worked out (with a little help from the big G) what an orphan was and indeed where it was on the advert. Having done a little research I’m not sure that this is technically an orphan. But nevertheless once I'd spotted the lone word ‘soak’ on the third line, I couldn’t help but think the paragraph would read better without that unnatural break in the sentence.

It bothers me that it doesn't quite look right, and could so easily have been corrected!

It’s not just me, is it?

Why attitude is all important

It is often said, when you fall off a bike you should get straight back on again.

Get back on the bike*

Obviously, in reality, if you fall off your bike that’s the last thing you want to do. Your instant reaction is to retreat into a corner to lick your wounds in peace while you wait for the embarrassed red flush to fade. 

To be able to get back on the bike you need to dust yourself down, work out what went wrong, maybe practise a bit, and make sure you do it better next time.

Easy to say. But hiding is not going to help you do that!

Creative writing exercise: People stories

"I'd like a people story" 

A small selection of 'people'

I don't think it's exaggerating to say I hear the phrase, "I'd like a people story," 20 times a day.

Toddler has become hopelessly obsessed with those little plastic Happy Land characters (I'm sure any parent of children above the age of 18 months will be well aware of these).

Having bought him a few, and unfortunately inherited a whole lot more, we now have upwards of 50, all shapes, sizes and colours, carefully designed to ensure total political-correctness.

Scared your web developer might mention search engine optimisation? Don't be.

You sell homemade jewellery and gifts.

You wrote your website all by yourself and you’re really chuffed with it.

Your Granny said, “Wonderful darling,” but you’re not convinced anyone else has seen it.

Meanwhile...


...in an office just up the road, Mr Perfect-Customer is online. He’s in a hurry. He has 5 minutes, between meetings and he’s searching for a birthday present for his wife.

Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, is about getting your website in front of Mr P-C.

The impotence of proofreading

I've had a few embarrassing proofreading incidents in my time!

The worst, a good few years ago, was when I offered to make some invitations for Hubbie's parents (he was only my boyfriend then, so I was out to impress!). It was their 40th wedding anniversary and they were inviting all their friends to a party in Shepton Mallet.

Only I thought it was spelt Shepton Mallett.

And I didn't think to check.

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.

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...