Nine Things I've Learned in Nine Years as a Yorkshire Copywriter...

I can’t quite believe it either, but next year will be my tenth year in business.

TEN Whole Years as a Yorkshire Copywriter…Almost

As of mid-July though, I’ve been at it for nine years, which I think is achievement enough. When I set out as a copywriter in Yorkshire back in 2014, I didn’t expect to still be ticking along nicely. In fact, I’ve been more than ticking along*; I’ve worked for hundreds of clients - including household names like the NHS and Boots and more one-man bands and brands than I can count.

*Although I realise that sounds like bragging, I’m just glad to be doing what I love daily).

So, if you’re thinking of going freelance too, have a peek at nine things I’ve learned in nine years as a Yorkshire copywriter…

1. Ignoring the b*llocks about ‘getting up at 5am and going for a jog’ is the first step to success

Plenty of LinkedIn' ‘gurus’ will tell you this is the key to doing well as a business owner. The only thing I’ve ever gained from jogging is a stitch. Joking aside, I do like to swim - but I refuse to get up at 5am to do it; the pool’s open til 8pm-ish, so I’ll go after my tea, thank you very much.

2. Getting your tax return done early is always a good idea

Freelance copywriting life can get busy. I’ve left my tax return to the last minute a time or two and I’ve regretted it. Don’t do it too.

3. When you lovingly make a cake for your ‘workplace’, you can look forward to scoffing the lot yourself 

The only tip you need. Make that cake - and share it with yourself. You’re welcome.

4. ‘Friday Feeling’ isn’t really a thing when you’re a Yorkshire copywriter (or anyone else, for that matter), working from home and for yourself

That said, if you’re disciplined enough where your workload is concerned, you can treat yourself to a six-day weekend, if you fancy it. Swings and roundabouts and all that.

5. Freelance mates are as important to your sanity as tea and cake on tap

Cake coming out of your taps, you say? Brilliant!

The ‘Being Freelance’ community is well worth checking out if you’re thinking of working for yourself too.

6. Despite emailing your invoice to their accounts dept on time, filling out 6,456 forms and sending in your passport and a weft of your dead dog’s hair, you - and the payment you’re owed - will still slip through the net

Enough said. It’s annoying, but thankfully it doesn’t happen all that often.

7. If you’re fortunate enough to work with fellow freelancers, you can be sure they understand the importance of paying you on time

We’re the best. We really are.

8. Brew rounds don’t take nearly as long when you’re a ‘team’ of one

“Fancy a cuppa, Lauren?”

“Ah, go on then Lauren”

“Oh, and break out December’s mince pies while you’re at it, lass'“

9. Working for yourself is the best thing since sliced cake.

I learned that one in under a year, but it’s true. Come on in; the water’s lovely! 

I hope you enjoyed my tongue-in-cheek take on the world of self-employment. 

Looking for a Yorkshire-based copywriter? Get in touch!

Freelance Copywriter Yorkshire: Why You Need One

Ah, Yorkshire!

If you aren’t from round these parts, you may know it - not for its Yorkshire copywriters - but only for its puds. The savoury kind, you understand. Or perhaps when you think of the county and its folks, you think of broad, ‘can-barely-understand-em’ accents.

Or maybe just tea. Yorkshire Tea. Piping hot and with a drop of milk (I like mine strong and sweet, if you’re asking). A sweetener will do if you’ve run out of sugar.

True, you probably won’t think of copywriters when you imagine the rolling green hills of this fine county (why on earth would you?!) - but alongside running water and working leccy, we have content writers here too - but why do you need a Yorkshire copywriter specifically?

Choose a Yorkshire Copywriter and You Have an Excuse for a Yorkshire Field Trip (If You Want)

I don’t expect you to make the journey to Yorkshire for a catch-up (after all, you’re the client and I’m the copywriter - I’ll happily head over your end) but if you want to, the option’s there.

Anyway, who doesn’t love the opportunity to get away from the office for the day on a kind of grown-up field trip?! So, if you fancy a coffee and a chinwag about your copy in person - and in Yorkshire - it’ll be well worth the trip.

Alongside running water and electricity, we have quaint little coastal resorts, top views from Huddersfield’s Castle Hill, tea on tap - and even a few homegrown celebs. Parkinson, anyone? Or Dickie Bird…remember him?! We also have a statue of a young Dai Bradley (Billy Caspar from Kes) in Barnsley, don’t ya know.

…About That Tea (You Can Enjoy a Proper Cup While Visiting Your Copywriter in Yorkshire

I shouldn’t really say this on a public forum, but since there’s no such thing as Lancashire tea (or is there?!), Yorkshire Tea will (more than) have to do.

Well, it does make a mean brew. Of course, you can buy Yorkshire tea up and down the country, but it’s like a cuppa on home soil as opposed to abroad; it always tastes better drank where it should be drank…don’t you think?! Yeah, I know tea’s from China, but just allow me, a Huddersfield copywriter who knows a good cuppa when she drinks one, to make my point. Ta.

You Can Learn a New Language. Well, Kind Of.

Did you know there’s actually a Yorkshire - English dictionary? Proof that learning how the all (they all) spek (speak) ‘ere (here) in Yorkshire is like learning a new language. So, you’ll pick up a bit of useful lingo at the least, or become a fluent Yorkshire man (or woman) at best. Brill. You can then go home and chat to your spouse or kids in riddles. What a hoot.

Luckily for you, I’m not a Yorkshire copywriter* - so you might be able to understand me (I jest, of course; Yorkshire accents aren’t that hard to fathom).

*Well, not as such, While I make a living as a freelance copywriter based here, I’m actually (whisper it) from that there Lancashire.

The best thing about being a copywriter, though? You can work wherever you fancy. Yep, anywhere. Your living room, your kitchen, even your garden. Oh, and definitely in Yorkshire - if you want. Or if you don’t. It’s up to you.

If you’re not from Yorkshire, don’t make distance a barrier; we can have a chat over the phone (or Zoom) and get to work getting to the nitty gritty of your brand.

Go on; let’s chat…

How to Write With Your Audience in Mind

You may well be able to write - and write well - but can you pen prose that just ‘gets’ your audience?

What do I mean by that? Well, any good copywriter will tell you that writing has a lot to do with adapting your tone of voice (the style in which you write your piece) to the very people who will be reading it.

For example, you wouldn’t necessarily write a piece filled with ‘text speak’ to a generation of people who aren’t down with the latest tech. Neither would you fill an article with ye Olde English words and phrases when your audience is made up of teenage Tik-Tok-ers.

How to Write for Different Audiences

If you had a good English teacher at school, you’ll probably know a little about form and structure when it comes to writing content - and you’ll also be able to punctuate blocks of text correctly too, no doubt. But do you know how to write for a host of different audiences?

When writing your website, blog post or printed marketing literature, you may want to observe everything from the area’s demographics to its local dialect.

Swot Up On the Local Lingo

Writing about, say, a new bar in Greater Manchester? Speak to Mancunians by hiring a Manchester copywriter who’ll not only be able to write well but will know the local lingo.

Perhaps your business is in Merseyside? In that case, you’ll want to take on a professional copywriter in Liverpool.

Copywriting services in Liverpool aren’t hard to come by, but you may also find that a content writer right here in West Yorkshire has penned enough articles for businesses up and down the country that they can turn their hand to anything. You don’t always need a Liverpool content writer to fulfil your marketing requirements, after all.

Writing with a Northern Audience in Mind

Copywriters in Liverpool, Manchester or Yorkshire will have one thing in common, at least: they’ll be able to write with a northern audience in mind.

Writing for your audience doesn’t have to be complicated. When you have a good copywriter on side, you’re onto a winner.

No One Knows Your Business Quite Like You

If, though, you want to have a go at writing your own content, go for it. It’ll save you money and, hey, no one knows your business quite like you. You may instead want to hire a Yorkshire content writer or a Liverpool copy writer to edit what you’ve put together. Saving you some dosh, which you can then plough back into your business, editing services may be the next best thing to a full website rewrite.

Want to talk to a Yorkshire copywriter who can craft anything from web content to printed collateral? Get in touch here via my website.

Until next time…

Good News Guide: Happiness is…Your Head in a Good Book

Let’s face it…January can be a bit bleak, can’t it? Our finances may have taken a post-Christmas hit, the weather’s still a bit cold and blustery, and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to look forward to other than waiting for Mr Sunshine to rear its cheery head again.

So, while I had grand plans to introduce this new ‘Good News Guide’ series on my blog as far back as spring last year (yes, really), I’m only getting round to it now. Better late than never, eh?

What is Good News Guide?

The clue’s in the name, really. It’s a series reserved for sharing only good things: positive news, fun stories and useful titbits that you can all use to make your January - and the rest of your year, to be fair - better. We could all do with some positivity in our lives from time to time - particularly during the last couple of years.

I’m open to receiving submissions from anyone who wants to share something good, too; just pitch your idea via email here.

Without further ado, then, let’s kick off Good News Guide with some book recommendations from Tanya at Settle-based Limestone Books.

Throughout the pandemic specifically, Tanya has been keeping the good people of England in great books - and giving a certain online, next-day delivery books website a run for its money.

I always like to hear about independent businesses doing their bit to put a smile on people’s faces - and I guessed that, since many of you may have set yourself a reading challenge or two for 2022, this first Good News Guide post is perfectly timed.

Here, Tanya shares her top five novels to make you happy this month and beyond…

Leonard and Hungry Paul

This book focuses on two friends who have a beautiful, quiet, and contemplative relationship. The conversations they have with each other and the people they mix with are very thoughtful and considered, and turn out to be very philosophical. You’ll all wish you had a Leonard or Hungry Paul in your life.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Although the lead character has a hard life, in a very poor area of the USA, you’ll feel uplifted by her ability to raise herself up to create a really special life for herself. It will make you believe that anything is possible, and to question what is justice.

A Prayer for Owen Meany

A hugely enjoyable book - just because you’ll love the character of Owen Meany so much. You’ll be totally engrossed in his story and life, and despite the difficulties he faces, you’ll still want to read right through to the end. It’ll make you forget your life and the world around you.

Tales of the City

Take a trip to 1970s San Francisco and get caught up in these characters’ lives. You’ll meet spaced out neighbours, go to outrageous parties, and watch as 25-year-old Mary Ann carves out a brand new life for herself, a million miles away from home.

Adrian Mole – The Cappuccino Years

Laugh out loud funny, Adrian has become a semi-celebrity chef, famous for making low-grade food fashionable. His parents have separated and are now having affairs with Pandora’s parents! Meanwhile, Adrian discovers a child he never knew he had as a result of a fling. Silly and farcical in equal measure.

Will you be adding any of these books to your reading list? A huge thank-you, once again, to Tanya for sharing these recommendations - and don’t forget to check out the Limestore Books’ site.

Until next time…

Psst: enjoy this first instalment of Good News Guide? Let me know via email or on Facebook. Plus, stay tuned for the next post in the series - coming soon!

6 Myths About Freelancing

If you’ve ever ummed and ahhed about the prospect of becoming a freelancer (or indeed a freelance Yorkshire copywriter) you probably have a few questions, including:

• Is freelancing better than holding down a full-time, in-house role?

• Can I make a decent living from being a freelancer?

• What do I do if the work dries up?

During your obligatory Google research phase, you may have seen a few things bandied around the Internet about what the life of a freelancer is actually like - but without giving it a go yourself, you may never know the answers.

I can’t tell you what every freelancer gets up to on a daily basis - we’re all different, with our work spanning a host of industries, too - but I can help bust some myths about going it alone and leaving your 9 to 5.

It’s a Lonely Life

Don’t get me wrong, there are days when I’d love a spot of company (besides William the friendly windowsill pigeon), but for the most part, I can still be sociable when working from home. ‘How?’, you might ask.

Regular check-ins with clients over Zoom calls, or the ‘old-fashioned way’ - over the phone. While it isn’t always the same as meeting up in person, it can fill the void a little when working on your own gets too much.

Before the pandemic, I’d regularly meet for coffee with fellow freelancers, or just head out for an hour for a walk during lunch time. Just seeing a few other faces on the route - or listening to a podcast while I walked - felt a whole lot better than being cooped up indoors.

So, if you’re worried you won’t hack the freelance life for fear of loneliness, don’t be. Build yourself a little community of sorts and you’ll be fine - even during the pandemic.

You Don’t Have a Boss

Err, yeah…you do. Aside from yourself, of course, your clients - and there can be many of them - act as your ‘boss’, in a way. They set the parameters for any given project - and the deadline. As a good freelancer, you’ll probably want to work in a way that suits them, if you can.

That said, one of the reasons I went freelance is because, sometimes, in a full-time office role, you have to work for someone who undermines you.

You don’t have to stand for that* when you work for yourself - and that’s great. Client not valuing you, your services or your time? Get shut of them.

*To be fair, you shouldn’t stand for it anyway.

You Work for ‘Free’

It still amazes me how many prospective clients take the ‘free’ in freelance quite literally. Of course, they know what a freelancer is and does, but that doesn’t stop some people pushing their luck.

‘Can you write me a sample piece of content before we decide if you’re the right copywriter for us?’. No, I can’t. Neither will I write something for you for ‘exposure’, or the ‘prestige’ of working with you and your high-flying brand.

You wouldn’t ask a painter and decorator to paint one wall first, before you decide if they’re the painter or decorator for you. Neither would you ask him/her to decorate your room for exposure - or because you’re a good client and it’ll ‘look good’ on their portfolio/website/other. Bore off - and, quite frankly, stop taking the p*ss.

There’s No Job Security

Does a full-time office job equal more stability? Lots of people seem to think so.

Sure, you have the reassurance of the same amount of dosh landing in your account each month, but as I often say to people who are considering going freelance, an office job isn’t the be all and end all.

If you’re made redundant from your office job, you’ll almost certainly have to look for another role. Lose one client as a freelancer and you probably have a few more clients to fall back on.

Once you’re established in the freelance world, you may have to lose two or three clients before the panic sets in. Heck, you may have to lose even more than that.

Freelancing can often mean you’re turning work down, which is a great position to be in. Go on; look into becoming a freelancer - you won’t regret it.

It’s Stressful

Like working in a full-time office role, freelancing can be stressful - yes. It’s only as stressful as you make it, though. For me, at least, that means pretty much zero stress. I won’t stand for any nonsense. I believe everyone should value your time and your services - just as you would them and theirs.

Don’t fancy working with a particular client? Just say ‘no’. Or maybe your existing client is difficult to work with. If so, see if you can set some boundaries going forwards. The freelance/client relationship works two ways - and it can be a hugely successful one if everyone involved treats each other with the respect they deserve.

We Work in Our Pyjamas

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked: ‘You work from home; do you get dressed?!’

Ha.

I’m not going to lie; if I’ve no Zoom meetings booked in, or if I’m feeling a bit groggy, of course I blinking well do. Sometimes, anyway. And so would you if you didn’t have to show up to a face-to-face meeting.

Do we also sit around, twiddling our thumbs waiting for work to come in? Perhaps in the early days, yes.

Now? I’m fortunate - like many a freelancer - to be in a position where I can say ‘no’ if a project doesn’t sound like it’ll be up my street.

When you choose the freelance life, it won’t be long before you’re doing the same. There is often no limit to the amount you can earn, too. Providing you have the time and the people to help you out, you can take on as much work as you can physically - and mentally - cope with.

We can also make our own hours, take as many holiday days as we like, and eat the full cake without sharing it with colleagues. In short, why wouldn’t you want to be a freelancer?!

Find this blog post useful? Let me know by saying hello via my website.

Until next time…