According to Gender Analyzer, our website was written by a man. Think there might be a few bugs in their system…
You’ve probably heard about the atheist bus campaign on the news, you may even be one of the people contributing. It’s attracted a fair amount of controversy, but the copywriting world is bemused by it for a whole different set of reasons.
We do lots of copywriting work with agencies – and we really enjoy it.
As words experts, we love working with talented people in other fields – design, print, web, multimedia, PR and more – to create, develop and produce marketing products and campaigns that really work.
But why work with All Words?
Why use All Words as your copywriters?
- We’re flexible… Do you just need the boss lady (Nicola) or a whole team to complete a piece of work to a tight deadline?
- We’re creative… Do you just want people to churn out copy – or do you want a copywriter who can understand and contribute to the creative process, experienced in developing imaginative and effective concepts?
- We’re commercial… Do you want a copywriter who is focused on crafting beautiful text for a personal portfolio – or one who understand your clients’ bottom line: getting optimum results from targeted, engaging marketing?
- We’re available… Do you want a freelancer who might any day be snapped up for full-time work with another agency, or disappear off around the world for six months – or do you want an ongoing relationship with a permanent business?
- We’re adaptable… Do you want a one-trick pony – or do you want a copywriter who is a tone of voice experts; who can write for any audience, across all sectors, for any media?
- We’re reliable… There’s no need to ask - we know you want people who can meet deadlines. We can. Believe it or not, we actually like them.
Contact us for a chat about how All Words can work with your agency.
Congratulations! You’ve invented the purple sparkly widget to out-do all other purple sparkly widgets. It spins, it dances, it brings you your morning cup of tea. It is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Hurrah! Time to sell it to all those desperate customers…
So you develop a truckload of marketing materials that detail all your widget’s amazing features. You make them available here, there and everywhere. And then you sit back and wait for the orders to flood in.
You wait. You wait some more. And then you wait some more.
But nothing happens. And you’ve no idea why.
You know that your widget could revolutionise your customers’ lives. But you’ve forgotten one thing – the one question that every customer will ask when they see or hear about your product.
Many clients first come to us by recommendation, perhaps from another business, graphic designer, web developer or marketing agency. They like the idea of working with a copywriter – but they often have no idea how the process works.
Not all copywriters work in the same way, so we’ll just talk about how we work (which is obviously the best way *ahem*). However, we believe there are certain things that copywriters should do – and we’ll talk about those.
We all need something to sustain us through our working week, after all…
We’re a funny lot down at All Words - we hate jargon but we love interesting and unusual words. So I guess you could call us sesquipedalians - given to using long words (only when needed, of course). And I’ve found out we’re not alone.
And in an amazing co-incidence, defenestrate is also my all time favourite word. It means to throw something or someone (usually forcibly) out of a window. I used it frequently this week in reference to my broken-yet-again Blackberry (phone, not fruit).
So what’s your favourite word?
You’ve heard of Beer Goggles - those invisible yet powerful spectacles favoured by the inebriated that can miraculously transform the most ordinary of beings into a clone of Brad Pitt, or Kate Moss.
Well, Google have now come up with Mail Goggles - a device that, once enabled, serves as a kind of sobriety test for those late-night workers who might be suffering from the lethal combination of a belly full of booze and a head full of frustration for a work colleague whose email address is tantalisingly right there…
Now, if only they could do something similar for mobile phones…
The Client
Emperor Virtual Assistant Ltd.
The Commission
Emperor Virtual Assistant provides specialised virtual PA services to businesses and busy individuals across the UK. Designed for people who want to free themselves from mundane tasks without having to employ someone, the company also offers assistance with more comprehensive project management needs.As the company launched, they needed clear, straightforward copy for their new website that would clarify what they do and promote the benefits of their services. They also wanted a promotional flyer that would both complement and draw traffic to the website.
The Process
1. Establish tone of voice. We consulted closely with Trudy Spikesman from Emperor VA, to establish both the intended customers and the company ethos, in order to create a writing style that Trudy was happy with. 2. Direct mail campaign. Trudy wanted to target the local market and sell Emperor’s services. We developed punchy, sales-led copy for the flyers and suggested a designer who could develop eye-catching designs.3. Website development. With a design and structure for the website already in place, we developed content under each heading. Test pieces set the tone, after which we drafted each section, tweaking where necessary. 4. Final proofing. Carried out on both the DM and website.
The Result
A successful website launch, complemented by enticing print mail-out, and a satisfied customer.
The Feedback
“Nicola took the time to get to know my requirements and, even when I had a belated change of direction, she patiently supported me and accommodated the changes I requested.“I received fantastic support and sound advice the whole way through the process and I am absolutely thrilled with end results. I will definitely be using All Words again, for both my own work, and in supporting my clients. The whole experience has been a pleasure.“I highly recommend Nicola.” Trudy Spikesman, Managing Director, Emperor VA
Quite a few people have asked me recently whether I’m worried about the credit crunch. The answer is, of course I am. After all, I have a mortgage to renew, money in the bank to review, winter’s energy bills to face, food to purchase.
But, when it comes to business at All Words, I actually think that we’re in a very strong position where we can not only continue to maintain and develop our business, but help others to maintain and develop theirs, too.
All business owners and managers are currently looking for ways that they can cut costs without compromising their organisation. And, when it comes to marketing, there’s one thing that we always eliminate - unnecessary expense.
We recently dealt with a company who spent several thousand pounds on marketing last year - and received absolutely nothing in return. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
And why? Simply because they had been using the wrong media and not targeting the right customer. Rest assured, you can create a fabulous marketing campaign that will wow everyone within your company - but if it doesn’t reach the right people, you might as well file it in that box labelled ‘Bin’ right now.
Targeting the right customers is the fundamental principle of marketing - and frighteningly easy to overlook.
Which is why we’ve written you a short article on identifying your ideal customer. Enjoy.