the ARROW copywriting process
You may have heard of the POWER copywriting process, but what about the ARROW copywriting process?
It's the basic rundown of my own process as a freelance copywriter when I am working on website copy.
1. Ask a million Q's
I have a list of 15 Q's I ask every single client on my kick-off call so I can grasp their tone of voice and writing style. My job isn't to change their brand voice... it's to make their brand story more compelling through new copy that sounds like them and speaks directly to their community.
I come from a journalism background, so my Q's are extensive. Sometimes, I even ask more than those 15 questions. Why? The Q's really helps me get into my clients’ brains and ensure I have a clear grasp of their mission, goals, tone, personality, and expectations for the copy!
2. Research, research, and more research
This is done based on the information I collect during the kick-off call with my client and from the research I gather from my PR/coms books, market research, and Google Scholar.
I research my client's current community and ideal client. I research the best copy for buttons for certain industries and audiences. And I research new ways to present old information.
This is where my creativity and critical thinking are able to shine!
3. Review past copy
This is crucial for me. Some copywriters prefer to work from scratch. I prefer to infuse as much of my client’s voice and own writing into the copy as possible.
If there’s a phrase or a sentence from the old website they wrote or a social media post that is particularly compelling, I will either use it or rework it into the new copy.
4. Organize my life away
I can’t work with clutter, so I take time at the beginning of each project to organize a Google Doc (so clients can leave feedback via comments) into sections based on the pages I’m creating copy for.
I also use this time to put that copy I found in my client's voice on the page in the right sections. The placement may change as I write and edit, but at least I have it easier accessible on one document.
5. Writing time
Nothing beats putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
Once I have the base copy to fill all sections on the Google Doc or wireframe if I’m working with a designer (which I've done in the past and look forward to doing again in the future), it’s time to edit and refine!
And that's a pain-free copywriting process you can follow for yourself if you're new to freelancing! Are you a small business owner who doesn't want to write the copy for your website yourself? I'd love to help your story shine.