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…

Recently emailed a copywriter? Five Easy Ways to Make it to their 'Bin'

Get in the bin! No, really. That’s where you (or rather, your email) will be heading if you commit one of the following ‘crimes’ when you email your chosen copywriter about the possibility of working together.

Start the Email with ‘Greetings!’

Show me a genuine email that starts with ‘Greetings’ and I’ll show you 1,0235 emails that aren’t. What is it about spam messages?! They literally all start with something wildly ‘olde English’ like ‘Greetings’.

Your email provider is probably so used to this keyword that the email in question will almost always end up in your ‘Spam’ folder anyway, but if not, you’ll probably veto it yourself and send it to ‘Trash’.

So, if you’re a bonafide copywriting client that starts emails with ‘Greetings’, perhaps you need to rethink your strategy.

Tell Us Your ‘Usual Copywriter is Busy’.

Now, come on folks…the first (unspoken) rule of buttering someone up to work with with you is to flatter them.

We don’t expect you to tell us you’ve been a ardent admirer of our work for decades (well, you can if you want) but we don’t want to know that you’re only getting in touch because your go-to copywriter is otherwise engaged.

Make us feel special, yo. Please.

Sob.

Ask Us to Do it Cheaper

No. Just no.

Copywriters (and indeed all other professionals) charge thus because they believe their service is more than worth the price.

Want it cheaper? Find someone else.

Tell Us You’ve Used 3 Copywriters and ‘No One Gets It’.

It’s not me (or rather, them)…it’s you.

Sure, one copywriter might not understand your brief. Two might fall short when it comes to meeting your objectives…but three, or more? It’s probably time to reassess how you brief your copywriter.

We copywriters are friendly folks; we’ll work with you and not against you, in order to ensure you get the perfect prose you’re after - but we aren’t mind readers and we do appreciate something of a steer from you too.

The client/copywriter relationship works both ways. Help us do good work and…well…we’ll do good work.

Send a ‘Round Robin’ Message

Again, we just want to feel special*, so allow us to feel that way.

If your email starts with ‘Hi there’ - and you’ve accidently forgotten to blind copy the other copywriters you’ve messaged, the chances are we’ll simply feel like nothing more than a money-saving exercise.

Sure, you have a budget and you also want to find the best copywriter for you - but pitting freelancers up against each other may rile some of the more sensitive amongst us.

Again, you don’t have to go overboard with the compliments (although, please feel free to do so - a spot of flattery will get you everywhere), but it is nice when would-be clients let us know we’ve been plucked from a sea of copywriters as a stand-out candidate for your project. In fact, it’s blimming brilliant.

*gets out tiny violin for one’s self

Want to work together? Say hello here - and, please, tell me you like my blouse or whatnot.

Until next time…

Beyond Keywords: Content That Does More Than Rank

For some time, I’ve had clients email me in desperation, worried about a new Google update that’ll somehow reduce their hard-won ranking to rubble.

Every time Google threaten to change the way they crawl websites - and now more recently every time Instagram or Facebook decide to change their algorithms - it sends content creators and marketing departments into a panicked frenzy. What about our stats?! What about our processes?!

I’m going to say something controversial now: forget your ranking for a minute. Freeing, isn’t it?

 Writing with Freedom

For me, thinking about Google rankings and keyword selection feels like handcuffs are being slammed around my wrists, and that doesn’t make it easy to type. In fact, it makes it near impossible.

Thinking about your ranking is important, of course it is, but that’s what you consider at the first stage of your content planning. By the time you get to writing your content, whether it’s social media posts, photo captions or blog posts, all the technical work should be at least 80% done.

By considering what you’re using as keywords well in advance, you have the wonderfully freeing sensation of actually being able to write your content without distractions. Slip those keywords in at will. Make the words speak for themselves.

Or, even more controversially, don’t use keywords at all.

The Lost Art of Keywordless Content

I’m going to put this out there: I’m not entirely convinced keywords are necessary 100% of the time.

For a lot of content, yes, keywords are vital. Active content, like the descriptions of items for sale, needs keywords to enable customers to easily search and find the things they are looking for.

However, on the whole, if you’re writing a blog post or a page of web content, your words need to grab your readers. A thin paragraph of key phrases isn’t going to do that. What does engage your audience is reality, frivolity, sense and diverse, interesting content. People want to read something genuinely gripping, or emotive or amusing.

Google’s updates aren’t designed to make your life harder, they’re actually created with users in mind. They want to steer content away from churned-out robotic writing and into more creative, informative forms.

Essentially, Google will reward you if your content is useful.

Using Natural Speech

How often have you searched ‘shoes 5 black’ recently? Or ‘healthy snack’?

What we search for and how we search for it is changing, and with it so are the keywords we spend so long analysing. More and more, customers are using natural speech to find what they’re looking for. Think about how often you ask Alexa for some help, or tell Siri to find something out for you. You don’t chant ‘cheap holiday Lapland Christmas’ into your phone do you?

If you’re having trouble snapping out of a keyword-focused mindset — I understand, I’ve been there! — just read what you’re written out loud. Does it sound like a person said it? How could you improve the flow so it sounds more natural?

Above all, write your content for your customers, not for search engines. Gaming the system won’t improve your sales figures. Targeting your customers will.

Until next time…

Why You Should Hire a Copywriter in 2019

If you’ve been hesitant to hire a copywriter, I can sympathise. Making the decision to outsource your web content, social media posts or ads can seem like a daunting process. After all, your company is your pride and joy - and handing over the creative reins to an outsider involves a lot of trust.

You needn’t worry. Professional copywriters are experts, and we exist to help you. If you need a simple press release writing, that’s what we can do. If you need a full website’s worth of content creating, you can count on us to deliver exactly what your brief describes.

A relationship between a copywriter and our individual clients is all about communication. We trust you to give us all the information and support we need to create exceptional content – and in return, you can trust us to work hard to deliver content you need that goes above and beyond your expectations.

Here are some more compelling reasons why you should hire a copywriter in 2019, and why I think the job I do can help out businesses of all kinds all over the world.

A copywriter knows exactly what you need - even if you don’t.

You might be unhappy with your web content and need an overhaul. You might be working on a brand new website for a startup. You might have heard about Instagram ads and want to get involved.

You might know this, but you don’t know what next steps to take.

This is what we copywriters do. We can talk through your options, and together we can work out the best possible plan of action. Then we get to work. Simple as that!

Copywriters only do what you ask us to do.

If you’re afraid that hiring a freelance copywriter will somehow start a chain of events that leads to you paying for content and fees you didn’t want to pay, don’t be.

Good copywriters can send a clear contract to you for every job you ask us to complete. If we think more work needs to be done – for example, keyword research or a spot of competitor analysis – we’ll flag this, but ultimately it’s your call.

If a copywriter is charging you more than you can afford, it only takes a conversation to rectify the situation. After all, we work for you, not the other way around.

Freelance copywriters have experience - and lots of it

Believe it or not, most freelancers don’t have one, specific niche. This is a good thing. It enables us to flex our mental muscles, turning copy into well-rounded, well-informed information.

We might know everything there is to know about your particular industry, but in the background we might also be experts in retail management, extreme sports and professional cleaning services. They don’t feel connected, but a wide spectrum of reference points helps our writing feel less robotic - and that’s what you want.

A copywriter understands how important your content is

If your team doesn’t have time to give your content the precision and care it needs, your business could suffer for it.

A copywriter understands how vital your content is, and will work hard to ensure it is perfect before sending it back to you for your comments. We are also great at making amends, sometimes several times, so that the content you want is the content you get. We understand. It’s important to you, so it’s important to us.

A copywriter gives you space to achieve

 Whenever I speak to potential clients, I want to make sure that they are making the right choice for their business. I also want to convey that by handing over this work to a professional copywriter, they will be freeing up headspace, time and resources. It makes a huge difference to be able to pass work over.

The most common comment I receive from my clients is that I’ve given them time to think, and to work on important projects that in turn have helped their business to grow.

In that sense, copywriters offer two things in one: a chance to turn your mind to more important matters, and the truly essential resource of a professional who can write content that takes your business higher.

If you’d like to chat about how we could work together this year, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.