Tag Archives: freelance copywriting

Tips on Prepping Corporate Key Messages (with your freelance copywriter)

Flickr photo by leedsal

When working with an outside consultant (such as a freelance copywriter) on devising message points for an upcoming product launch, press conference or trade show, here are a few tips to keep in mind, which will likely make the process a smoother one for all involved.

First, if possible, have an in-person internal meeting of all stakeholders:

Ask your team (product design, engineers, product marketing, corporate PR, etc.) to prep beforehand, and come up with answers to:

What is the purpose of this thing/app/technology
What are this thing’s valuable features and benefits, and in what order of importance do you want to emphasize these
Where does this thing/app/technology fit in the story of the company/brand/product line, etc.

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Now to Distill – break this down to its simplest level:

Come up with workable number of key messages (1-5, more than that gets unwieldy)
- Determine which is the most important message, and which are the supporting points
- Draft a headline for each main message point
- Draft supporting statements (up to 3 or 4, but no more) that sustain the headline message point
What essential keywords and phrases can you use throughout? Use the google keyword tool to help you find appropriate keywords. By using the words/phrases you find there, this will help customers find you on the web.
Once the messages are drafted and bought into by stakeholders, practice delivering the messages until it seems effortless

Don’t forget to ask/answer these questions during this brainstorming process:

What are the product benefits and features?
How does the product fit in the marketplace?
What glaring need does this product fill?

Before your launch, press conference, trade show – you’ll want to PRACTICE:

Use flashcards – write questions on the front, answers on the back. Yes, just like grade school!
With your PR rep or Media Trainer (or even your freelance copywriter), set up some mock interviews:
Everyone gets a chance to ask and answer questions.
Use video; invaluable for improving performance.
Play devils advocate, ask tough questions in the practice sessions. Since you’re on the inside, you already know what these are.

Other helpful hints in this process:

Use stories to illustrate where you can. Keep the message simple, tie it to trends, or, if appropriate, is this something new?
What is the overall context of the announcement/launch/product – tie it in to larger picture, to the industry of which it is a part
We all have short attention spans. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then finish by telling them what you just told them.
Be prepared for negative responses and questions for your messages. Have answers for them worked out in advance, using same process as above (key message point and supporting points), and make sure to practice these, because without a doubt, they will be asked.

Questions? Please leave a comment and I’ll answer here on the blog or, if you prefer, Email Me

More Tips for the Beginning Brand-er

Why Project Based Fees?

photo: epSos.de

People frequently ask me how I structure fees for self-publishing book marketing, as well as for freelance copywriting.

In my prior years as a public relations consultant and writer, or as a buyer of those services while working for larger companies, vendors usually used one of two models:

a monthly retainer
an hourly rate

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Retainers: for most PR/Communications companies, you would get a guaranteed number of hours worked on your account for X dollars (say for $1,000 per month you’d get 10 hours of the consultant’s time, etc.). Some companies would say there was no limit of hours per retainer, and that it always evened out in the end, one slow month would balance a busy month, etc., but this was rare.

This method can and does work well for companies handling a number of ongoing projects which need attention over a medium to long period of time. It’s an efficient way of developing a relationship with a company and its publics and the success that comes with familiarity.

For most self-publishers, this model is not an economic feasibility. It’s possible it would make sense for a shorter term, say six months, where a number of marketing tasks were scheduled with tightly defined parameters – and even then, it would be very similar to breaking up project fees over several months to a more even payment plan.

Hourly Rate: Sometimes a Communications professional or freelance copywriter will get a task, such as writing some collateral material for a brochure or press release, and the payment terms will be based on an hourly rate. These tasks can be estimated as to time involved, but many variables may change an initial estimate. Again, if a task takes twice as long to complete (thereby, costing twice as much) a company can absorb this cost better than an individual – the majority of self-publishers.

It’s my position as a self-employed individual that most communication tasks for authors and freelance copywriting assignments for businesses can be based on a Project Fee, which lets the author or client (you) know exactly how much a certain deliverable will cost, and gives the vendor (me) a way to reliably predict revenue on consulting arrangements.

For a current sample list of my project fees, please shoot me an email at jim@jimarnoldcommunications.com.

Jimbolaya merged with Jim Arnold Communications!

Jim Arnold

If you’re a repeat visitor to Jimbolaya you may have noticed a change over the past couple of weeks. I’ve been in the process of merging the blogsite for Jim Arnold Communications into Jimbolaya, and, except for relocating a few of the posts, it’s all here.

Mainly, the other blogsite was composed of pages describing the Jim Arnold Communications consulting business and what it offers to prospective clients and why, in the two areas of business copywriting and book marketing. It finally just made sense to me to put the two blogs together, and have all my writing in one virtual place.

I recently took a series of seminars offered by Mediabistro on Job Hunting skills, which I adapted to mean, in my case, self-employment skills. There was a lot of emphasis on social media, strategies for both marketing oneself and looking for opportunities via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and through blogging. I had at the time two of most everything – personal Facebook and business page; Twitter again for both; and the two blogs (Jimbolaya and Jim Arnold Communications). It was suggested to me that I combine the Twitter accounts and the two blogs, for two reasons: 1) using just one Twitter and one Blog would be more impactful, and 2) having fewer social media accounts to keep current would give me a lot more time to do my actual work!

My work as a Los Angeles-based communications specialist now focuses on freelance copywriting. That center of attention is informed by my 20-plus years in public relations and the several years prior to that where I worked in book publishing.

One of the more common complaints I’ve heard from PR pros is that there’s a lack of writing skills in the profession, so the need is there – and not just for PR agencies, but for businesses in general, all of which have many needs to communicate in writing – whether it’s to their customers, to other businesses or even internally.

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What kinds of companies am I looking to help, specifically? Having worked in the entertainment industry for quite a few years, that’s a definite area of interest and expertise. There’s a particular need in entertainment technology, where an explosion of new firms, new products and delivery platforms are being invented and launched at what often seems a dizzying pace.

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