Copywriting Planning for Pros

I’ve had a few clients come to me with very open ended projects, of the “this is our business, we need an article/ white paper/ blog post” variety.  I’m always up for a challenge, but with little to no direction from the client, this might not end well. Either I surprise them with my genius, or I  realize they had assumed that I’m not a mind reader. I’m not.

How do I cut this off from the start? By asking questions, planning, and pushing for more information up front.

1. Question

The more information a writer has, the more informed the piece of work will be in the end. So don’t be shy! I ask questions, get clarity on business goals and objectives, and make sure that I understand the intricacies of an organization and what makes them unique before I start working on a new project.

2. Plan

If I’m still not sure what a client wants after an interview, I usually send in a brief plan or outline of what I’m going to be working on. This way I can confirm that I’m on the right path before I spend my time (and my client’s budget) putting something together that isn’t at all what they had in mind. Copywriting planning also gives me something to build off of and focus my thoughts as I start writing.

3. Push

If I’ve interviewed, planned and still feel like I don’t have a clear picture of the ask, this is when I get pushy (in the most polite and professional way possible). Even if I feel like I’m being a pain in my client’s backside, I need to understand what they’re looking for. So I stifle my inner shy child and keep digging until I’ve got everything I need to wow them with the end result.