So you want my startling, sexy, secret copywriting formula, huh? Why? There are thousands of copywriting formulas out there already – just Google “copywriter formulas” and you’ll have plenty to read for the rest of your natural life.

We copywriters love to come up with formulas for how to write amazing copy that converts every time. It’s in our blood, like … what … platelets? Sure, like platelets. A few popular examples:

• AIDA – get their Attention, create an Interest, build their Desire, ask them to take Action
• PPPP – create a Picture, make a Promise, Prove your claim, Push for action
• ACCA – make them Aware, make them Comprehend, Convince them to buy, get them to Act

You get the idea.

Or take MECLABS, an independent research lab specializing in testing and optimizing web copy. Here’s their unique formula for conversions:

Now that, friends, is a formula. Suck it AIDA. The variables include: Motivation, Value Proposition, Incentive, Friction and Anxiety. I won’t break it down here, but check out their site to see how it all fits together.

I respect the guys at MECLABS, enjoy their webinars and follow their experiments. It’s fascinating stuff. But that formula cracks me up. I feel like I need a doctorate and a $300 calculator to use it.

If it’s not formulas, it’s “secrets” or other tricks (subliminal suggestions, hypnotic words, etc.). In the end, though, they all try to accomplish the same things in similar ways. It’s like the food at Taco Bell – same cheesy meat lump, different shapes.

Still want a secret formula?

Hand 10 copywriters the same assignment, tell them to use the same formula, and they’ll come back with 10 radically different approaches. Some effective, some not so much. Because tricks, formulas and secrets don’t necessarily make for effective copy.

What does? I’d say it boils down to three things:

And now anything can be tested to see how it’s performing and how it might perform better. There are limits to testing, though, like small email lists, low traffic or limited budgets, depending on your method. Then it’s even more important to build on the three C’s above. (Does that sound like a formula? Shut up. It’s not.)

Formulas are fine – they can provide focus and help a copywriter get moving when he’s stuck. They can get results. But there’s no secret formula, no shortcut, for producing copy that works. That’s the big secret. Now go tell everyone.

You know what copywriters love? To know their copy is getting results – starting conversations, converting, nurturing better leads, generating sales. All for you, the client.

How do we know we’ve accomplished that? Insights from you, the client.

Today practically any marketing activity can be measured, from inbound marketing to direct marketing to email marketing (really, more direct marketing) to social media marketing, etc. Traffic, page views, clicks, downloads, registrations, opens, mentions, publicity, leads and sales.

Whatever the goal for the copy we’ve written, there’s probably some way to gauge its success. In fact, I’ll bet you had a yardstick in mind before you even called, right?

So … how we doin’?

Stick Figures and Unicorns

I’ll let you in on a little secret: we love to hear how our copy is performing for you. Results. It’s really the only way to be sure what works, and improve what doesn’t. If we didn’t care, we’d just hand the brief to our five-year-old nephew and give it back with stick figures drawn all over it. (After we’ve cashed the deposit check, of course.)

This.

Sure, we know our stuff. But every business is unique. Maybe the copy could do better. Maybe we should split test. Maybe the approach we took didn’t resonate with your audience or your niche.

Or maybe it made you a million dollars and fireworks exploded across the internet and an angel riding a flying unicorn landed in your office to say, “Hey, that’s the finest marketing I’ve ever seen.”

Either way, we learn something that helps your business and helps us earn our pay. It keeps us honest and on target. Everybody wins.

Pass It On

I’ve had plenty of clients who don’t pass on this information. That’s OK. You’re busy. Still, when you get that follow-up email from me – and you will – consider giving me a little peek behind the curtain.

I already know I love the sound of my voice. The question is: Do your customers?

photo credits: graph by Thomas Hawk and vader by Grant Barrett via photopin cc

According to eye-tracking studies by Yahoo!, a website visitor decides whether to stay on a page in just three seconds.

Look at your watch. Count off three seconds. I admit, I’m a little amazed by that myself.

Now think about your home page. Pretend the next visitor isn’t familiar with your company, products or services. She’s just landed on your home page looking to solve a problem. She wants to know if you can help her.

Three … two … one.

Did she find what she came for? Did she stick around?

The most important function of a business home page is to orient the reader. Yours should answer three questions for prospects:

1. Where am I?
2. What can I expect to find here?
3. What do I do next?

In other words, your home page needs a welcome mat. Copywriter Nick Usborne compares it to walking the aisles in a grocery store. Your home page is the label on your product, so the first thing yours needs to do is tell them “what’s in the can.” Quickly and clearly.

To show you what I mean, let’s look at a few sites for mobile app developers that fail the three-second test. (Note: This is a copywriting exercise – I have nothing against these companies. I’m sure they’re good people who love their kids and adopt shelter pets.)

Apptooth

Apptooth’s headline says, “Yeah, we do that!” My first question is: Do what? I can scan the bullets below, but I’ve got no context for them, so they’re meaningless.

Oddly, there’s no mention of app development at all, unless you dig into the small print. Easy to overlook. Or scroll down to find the subhead “App Development Company” below. But that still says less about what’s in the can than about the can itself.

Mappfia

Mappfia has a slick interactive home page (Flash? HTML 5?), and the images let you know it’s got something to do with mobile. But what? Where Apptooth had an ineffective headline, Mappfia has no headline or text or all.

Clicking on the various images does nothing to enlighten you. Nothing happens. The only hint is hidden in the navigation, which a frustrated visitor may not see or click.

ApplicationCraft

ApplicationCraft uses some well-designed sliders to catch the eye. Their headlines read:

• Build Once, Run Anywhere
• Visual Development in the Cloud for Everyone
• For Developers of All Skill Levels

Unfortunately, there’s no context for these features either – no clear mention of app development, no compelling benefit. It’s buried in the smaller copy, sure, but the slider speed and font make them impossible to read.

There’s even a call to action below – before I know what I’m buying. Again, you have to scroll 2/3 down the page and wade through a list of features before mobile apps get so much as a subhead.

If I were looking for a simple way to develop mobile apps, none of these sites would speak to me. Not soon enough, anyway. At first glance I might assume I’m in the wrong place, or that these sites sell tools for advanced developers. Either way, I’m busy, so I’ll probably try my luck somewhere else.

Of course any one of them could help me develop the mobile app I need. Why not say so?

Wait … here’s one more:

Fueled

Notice something different? That’s right. There it is, big as day: “Award-Winning Mobile Design and Development.” Any doubt about what they do? What they offer? Five words and an ampersand, and they even fit in a differentiator. (Their work wins awards.)

The page then gives a succinct rundown of the company’s philosophy (also good for differentiation), its services and its primary benefit (though it’s buried in the copy).

I’d say these could be distilled even further for a quicker takeaway. And I’d put the benefit out front:

Develop apps people actually download and use.
Award-Winning Mobile Design and Development:

From startups to big brands, we help demanding clients
produce amazing mobile experiences.

You get the idea. Those are just a few random examples, compliments of Google. Search the web for any product or service and you’ll find countless more. If your home page mumbles, too, there’s good news: it’s a simple fix. Just place a clear message where visitors can see it.

Lay out your welcome mat.

photo credit: Great Beyond via photopin cc

You’re looking at two companies and trying to decide who you’ll do business with.

The first says they’re cutting-edge. Leaders in their industry. They are certified, qualified, experienced experts.

A very unsubtle stock photo to illustrate “different.”

The second says they’re innovative. Real thought leaders. They’re also skilled specialists in the most sophisticated solutions.

So, quickly now, which one is it gonna be?

Okay, that’s a trick question. Because there’s really no way to tell the two apart. They’re both lacking what’s called a differentiator – something that makes them stand out to consumers.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before. Al Ries and Jack Trout – the fathers of brand positioning – famously said: “Don’t try to be better. Try to be different!” (You can tell they’re serious by the exclamation point.) It seems obvious, sure, yet a lot of companies still don’t see the value in sweating over a differentiator.

But if that positioning draws in one more lead, closes one more sale or wins one more loyal customer, isn’t it worth it?

Try to fit in, and you’ll blend in.

One company I spoke with last year with comes to mind. We’ll call them Universal Service Provider, and the market isn’t really that important. What is important is that Universal, a small company with stiff, entrenched competition, was looking to grow. First they had to revamp their website and marketing materials to project a professional image that would put them in the big leagues.

How did they plan to do that? By copying the same jargon and generic benefits their competitors used. To be fair, nothing stood out about their competitors, either. (Most of the goofy buzzwords up top were taken from their sites – word for word.) But that’s exactly what made it a great opportunity for Universal. An opportunity they sadly missed.

They might have talked about how they keep companies agile in a volatile marketplace. Maybe they know your niche inside and out. Or they approach the work in novel ways that add value. Anything true and relevant that the competition isn’t saying.

Ask these questions …

When you’re thinking about ways to differentiate your business, here are some questions to consider:

• What’s unique about the process you use to deliver your product or service?
• What results do you deliver that others can’t?
• Is there something compelling about your business philosophy or values?
• How about your history?
• Do your credentials or experience set you apart?
• What do you do better than the competition?
• What’s a capability your competitors haven’t thought to exploit? How can you own it?
• Is there a niche you fill that others can’t, or don’t?

Whatever you come up with should tie into your primary benefit. Or, in other words: What does this mean for your prospects and customers? How does it help them?

More recently, another client got it right. A marketing firm that caters to high-tech startups, they let it be known they “speak tech.” That’s because they’ve been project managers, entrepreneurs and developers themselves. So there’s no learning curve when it comes to the lingo or the marketplace. They understand their clients’ unique processes, needs and concerns.

Simple. Effective. Different.

Their competition couldn’t say as much. Most didn’t bother to say much at all.

If you were a tech startup trying to get to market, which one would you choose?

Image: podpad / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Let’s play a game I like to call: Is It Spam? I just got an email from a guy, a video producer, who asked if I might have a need for his services. I assumed he’d found my address here or in a business listing while he was looking for suitable prospects. So I was willing to hear his pitch.

The email read:

Managing Director
I’m a freelance producer specializing in motion graphics videos, infographics, 2D animated cartoons and “self-explanatory” website videos.

I’m offering you the opportunity to get an engaging, promotional video on your website and ranked on YouTube as well as the first page of Google search queries.

See for yourself at my Video Portfolio: [link]

You will also be able to create loops for trade shows send links via emails, share it on your social networks, create DVDs and even broadcast it on TV.

I also offer full services DRTV, trade show and corporate video production.

For the last 20 years I’ve worked for advertising agencies, production companies and corporate clients. Based in Miami I provide my services worldwide.

Personal profile: [link]

Production rates and client’s references are available upon request.

Look forward to hearing from you,

After reading it, I was amazed at all the ways this email didn’t speak to me, and wondered why he’d taken the time to send it at all.

Now I’m not out to disparage a fellow freelancer looking for gigs. It’s hard work. But I am a copywriter who deals with email marketing and has to prospect himself.

Here are a few issues I had with this email:

He doesn’t know his audience.

Not me personally or my line of work generally. It starts off addressed to “Managing Director,” and goes on to list some wonderful services I have absolutely no use for. 2D animated cartoons? Loops for trade shows? Videos for TV broadcast? Corporate video production? I don’t know what “‘self-explanatory’ website video” even means.

And he’s based in Miami, though he says he provides services worldwide. Well I’m not flying to Miami, and I’m guessing his flight to Portland would cost me. So how do I star in one of these videos then? 2D animated cartoons, I guess.

The benefit’s irrelevant.

He may get my video ranked high on YouTube or Google, but do I need that? What good will it do me? Will it generate more leads or help to build my brand? Does it make me look like an authority to prospects?

Or is it just, you know, Michael Foreman – internet sensation.

There are ways his service could be useful in creating engaging website content – educating prospects, for example. Livening up testimonials, maybe. But he doesn’t know enough about me to make those uses or their benefits clear, so he’s offering ways to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

It lacks focus.

It’s only 137 words, and brevity is good. But he’s spit-balling with a list of services and credentials before I’m convinced I need them at all. And there’s no logical structure to speak of – it just sort of rambles.

He should really concentrate on making that first connection (though he never asks me to follow up). This was unsolicited, remember – I didn’t sign up for his newsletter or put an ad on Craigslist. Keep the message simple and focused.

Here’s how I might have handled it:

Michael,

I’ve been following your work on michaelforeman.net, and I see you’ve just finished a big project with [client]. Now that it’s done, you’re probably busy tracking down a few new leads.

You know, high-quality video is one of the most effective ways for small businesses to get the attention they need. But most think they can’t afford it – or just don’t know how to get started.

That’s where I come in.

I’ve helped copywriters and creative professionals like yourself make engaging videos for their websites, social networks and more. They’ve found it’s the perfect way to generate leads, educate prospects and clients, and build their personal brands.

I can help you get the word out, too. Let me know if you’re interested, and we’ll set up a time to talk this week.

All the best,

Still clocks in at 137 words (a happy accident). It isn’t perfect, but it shows familiarity with my business, demonstrates a simple benefit, and communicates clearly.

Video guy, if you’re out there reading, consider this a freebie.

Sincerely,

Managing Director

Spam photo courtesy of Joelk75, photoshopping courtesy of me.

Alien King? PROVE IT.

We also decided to take in one of the presentations before the parade, which happened to be on alien abductions. (I won’t go into it here, dear reader, but I will say I shook my head a lot.) At one point, when the speaker made a particularly shaky assertion, my wife leaned over to me and said – a little too loudly, mind you – “PROVE IT.”

We laughed about it the rest of the day, but of course she had a point. It’s become a recurring joke whenever someone makes a claim we doubt. At almost the same instant, we’ll blurt out, “PROVE IT.”

That’s just how we’re wired and, I’d guess, how most people are wired, too. At least when it comes to parting with their hard-earned cash (in our case, about twenty bucks). Your marketing will naturally make claims about what you offer. But you can’t expect customer or prospect to swallow it whole.

That’s why proof plays such a valuable role in marketing. People want to know they’re not taking too big a risk when they do business with you. Including evidence for your claims can bolster your argument in ways that sweet sounding words can’t all by themselves.

So how do you include proof in your marketing? Here are a few suggestions:

Testimonials

We’ll all take the word of a trusted friend, relative or associate over a flashy advertisement. It’s why social media is so effective at spreading word of mouth. But we’ll also respond to another satisfied customer who sings your praises, as long as it seems credible. Look for opportunities to elicit positive responses from your customers and include them in your web copy and other marketing collateral. When someone says nice things on social media, respond, re-post and promote it.

Case Studies

A case study is a sort of testimonial writ large. But there’s more to it than that. Case studies tell a story about how your product or service solved a specific problem for a customer. And they typically include hard facts about the results, as well as those convincing customer quotes. It’s the perfect way to demonstrate your claim, rather than just vocalize it, and the proof comes built right in. You can also zero in on particular facets of your business that broader marketing efforts just can’t convey.

Research Data

Smaller businesses won’t have budgets for extensive quantitative or qualitative research. But that data can be effective, so what can you do? There are plenty of organizations that freely offer up their research, or review the research of others. MarketingSherpa, MarketingCharts, Nielsen Wire and SymphonyIRI come to mind. Trade associations often do the same. (Of course books are good, too.) Keep an eye on these sources for stats that support claims in your marketing copy or content and add them to the mix. Just make sure your sources are reputable.

Impressive Statistics

I have HubSpot to thank for this one. It hadn’t occurred to me initially, maybe because it’s so obvious. The idea is that you find impressive statistics from your own business that demonstrate your successes. For instance, HubSpot explains that its software “generated 12.4 million leads in 2011.” McDonald’s advertises “Billions and Billions Served” on its signs. 37Signals is another great example: On its home page it explains how “millions of entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses and departments inside big organizations rely on our web apps.” If you’ve got it, flaunt it.

It’s been said that we make decisions based on emotion and then rationalize them later. That may be true, but providing solid evidence can make that rationalization easier.

“I never said most of the things I said.” – Yogi Berra

Recently, while doing background research for a client’s project, I scoured several of their competitors’ websites. I wanted to see how they were communicating their value, and what about it, if anything, was unique.

One in particular stood out for what didn’t stand out. The company had little to say on the home page, so I dug deeper, eventually settling on to their About page. It was framed in a typical ‘Why do you need us?’ format. Problem is, it never answered the question. Instead, it went on to say:

• Business is complicated and stakes are high (so?)
• Big brands work with us (why?)
• We’ve been in business a long time (and?)
• We’ve proven ourselves to big brands (how?)
• We know what your clients want (such as?)
• We offer higher ROI, increased credibility and innovation (OK, that’s something at least)

You can see there’s no why you need us, really. The last few bullet points finally offer some clue, but in generic terms that are less than convincing. If I were looking to purchase this service, I’d leave wondering what exactly you have to offer me. And this is after digging through several pages.

It’s unfocused and unclear with no real point to make. It’s a jumble of talking points in search of a message. And this is what I wanted to avoid for my client.

Whether you’re putting together a web page, an email, a brochure or an ad, you have to communicate your point clearly. The brand promise or specific benefit or offer—whatever it is.

There are lots of reasons a message gets cluttered to the point it begs for invasive surgery. Here are a few:

Speaking a different language. Too much jargon. Vague industry buzzwords. Long, complicated sentences. Big, bloated words where simpler ones would do. As copywriter Bob Bly has pointed out, complicated language “annoys and distracts the reader from what you’re trying to say.”

Too many moving parts. Trying to say too many things in too small a space. Avoid trying to mention every product, service, feature or benefit in a single marketing piece. Your reader won’t know what he’s supposed to care about. Or if he’s even the target you’re trying to reach. Pare it down to essentials. And save those extra bits for more targeted marketing later.

Nothing much to say. If you can’t identify your main point, you might not have one. Which brings us back to the beginning. Your reader needs a simple takeaway, and a pile of random facts or vague declarations leaves them zero to grab onto. (Here’s another great example of this.) When you add them up, they should equal your main idea. The one that motivates the reader. If it doesn’t, go back to the beginning. Then get focused and specific.

Excuse this post’s stupid title please, but it’s accurate. At least according to a new survey by ExactTarget.

The company’s 2012 Channel Preference Survey examined consumers’ preferred channels for receiving direct marketing communications. It asked 1,481 respondents to rate direct mail, email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mobile apps, SMS, telephone and Twitter.

Email stomped all over everything else.

It's true, email is the Jason Statham
of marketing.

As far as direct channels that influenced the most sales, email wins again at 66%, with direct mail close behind at 65%. In fact, let’s make this easy: email actually won in every category of marketing message, including polls and surveys.

Of course, ExactTarget is in the email marketing business, so you can be skeptical of their conclusions if you like. Still, it looks like email isn’t just surviving the social media “revolution”—it’s crushing it.

Other interesting stuff:

• Recipients prefer email because they can easily access messages when and where they want to—on PCs, tablets or smartphones.
• Almost twice as many people use email to share content with friends and family (66%) than Facebook (33%).
• Email was also used most frequently for personal communications, with texting second.

Here are some quick reminders on how to optimize your email marketing:

Keep it short. Send promotions to landing pages to do the hard work. For newsletters, tease articles and link to the full content on your website.

Keep it on point. Unless you’re sending a newsletter, keep email content restricted to the single most important goal. Banish peripheral content to your P.S. (letter format), sidebar or footer, after your call to action.

Make it human. Speak the way your customers and prospects speak. Focus on clarity and concision, but don’t lose the personality that fits your brand.

Set up the offer. Before they ‘Buy Now’ they’ll want to know why they should care. Make a brief but compelling case explaining the benefits before talking up the terrific offer.

Test when you can. Use A/B testing to see what headlines, copy, images and calls to action work best.

Read the full report from ExactTarget.

Then find out how I helped a struggling account manager at a high-tech firm improve his email response.

Once upon a time, I produced some sparkling copy for a big brochure. The client was also in the process of revamping their website, and they’d mentioned they might need me for that project, too. After all, I already knew the ins and outs of their business, the story they wanted to tell and how they wanted it told.

They did need me for that website, in fact. Well, they did—and they didn’t.

When I visited the site later, I found that they’d already got the shiny new version up and running. Looked pretty good. And the copy? Not terrible. Easy to say, because I wrote it … though I didn’t know it at the time.

Turns out the client simply pulled existing copy from the brochure, but also other emails and materials I’d created for them. Some of it was even blended with copy I recognized from an older brochure—by another writer. I winced. I face-palmed. I died a little inside.

Of course the client was well within their rights. But from a marketing perspective, it was all wrong.

Why You Shouldn’t Copy and Paste

This probably happens because clients want to save time, money or effort. They already have approved copy on hand, so you know, just stuff it wherever there’s a hole. Add water, makes its own gravy.

Only no … don’t do that. At least not before giving it some thought first.

Different media are suited to different goals, and every message should be optimized to suit the medium. Each has its limitations, as well as its own unique creative possibilities. Your various communications may have the same basic message at their core and be drawn from the same strategy. But the way you relay that message changes. As does the way your reader experiences or interacts with it.

Switch tactics, and your copy’s purpose and audience shifts. Its place in the sales cycle has probably changed, too. The persuasive story or structure you need to achieve that particular objective can’t be chopped out of one marketing piece and pasted into another. It’s like trying to separate conjoined twins who share a heart. With a cleaver. Messy stuff.

In the end, you have two pieces of copy essentially saying and doing the same thing. Advertising copywriter John Kuraoka makes a good point: “If two marketing pieces have identical purposes, one of them is probably unnecessary.”

One more thing: if SEO is a big priority for your website (as it is for most), borrowing from your collateral won’t help much. The headlines, subheads and body copy won’t be optimized for search engines.

The Horror of Frankenstein Copy

At best, you’ll get some clunky copy with a limp. At worst, you’ll create a monster that scares off potential business. Remember Frankenstein? In this analogy, your cut-and-stitched copy terrorizes villagers until they burn it alive inside an old mill.

Some of the copy my client repurposed worked surprisingly well. A lot of it didn’t. Sentences were taken out of their original contexts and mashed up with others. Words were omitted to accommodate space, making certain phrases sound like a distracted spam bot wrote them.

And while, yes, I technically wrote most of the copy, I wouldn’t want to put my name on it. Even the bits that sort of worked needed editing. If you reuse copy, it still has to be adapted.

(One UK freelancer I follow has it written into his contract that clients can only use the copy as intended. I’m not sure how you’d even enforce that, or if it’s worth alienating the client.)

Repurposing content does have its place. But the key word here is content—press releases, blog posts, newsletter items, reports—not marketing copy. Not without some planning, anyway.

There’s a difference between effective, cohesive messaging and monotonous repetition. Every message is a unique opportunity to expand on your business’s story, build your credibility and explain your value to customers. Take advantage of them.

This comes up a lot, either as a question or an assumption. What does a copywriter need to quote on a project? Every copywriter has his or her own standards, but here are a few constants to consider.

A Description of Your Product or Service

While this seems obvious, it often gets overlooked in the beginning. Why would a writer need to know this in advance? First, the industry you work in will give him a better idea what to expect concerning the time involved. Highly technical material or areas he’s unfamiliar with come with a steeper learning curve.

It might be that he doesn’t handle your industry at all. Maybe he specializes in a particular niche, or he’s avoiding industries that don’t match up with his interests and goals. Either way, if he can’t help you, he might know someone who can.

Your description doesn’t have to be detailed, just clear. In fact, a concise explanation is most useful.

The Project Scope

Usually the type of content to be produced gets broadcast up front. After all, clients expect different rates for different work. Less often are the little details filled in. What’s the page count? Approximate number of words per page? Will the copywriter be working with a designer? Has any work been done to date?

Without those details, the writer has to guess. And you’re likely to end up with a quote that doesn’t fit the brief (whether that’s too much or too little).

Background Material Available

Even if the copywriter has worked in your industry before, he probably won’t be familiar with your particular product or service. A cursory review of your website helps, but he’ll need more intimate knowledge to produce the best possible copy. That’s where background or source materials come in.

That might include: newsletters, reports, case studies, market research, past advertising, sales and data sheets or other collateral. The less he has to work from, the more back and forth will be necessary to polish the final product—which may include time for research. Again, giving him a quick rundown of what’s available will help him gauge the time investment and build a more accurate quote.

Timelines and Deadlines

Copywriters typically have several projects in the mix at different stages of development. And they’ve learned to schedule those tasks far in advance. (That doesn’t include the admin, bookkeeping and marketing that needs to be done.)

Knowing when you plan to get started and when the final product is due helps him decide whether he can accommodate your project. Addressing timelines also tells him whether the project is indeed ready to move forward, and how long he should keep his schedule open before moving on to other work.

(There are, of course, rush fees to consider as well, should you need the work quickly.)

Obviously, this works to your advantage, too. You’ll know immediately whether the copywriter can meet your (probably) strict deadline, so expectations are set up front.

The Budget

Everyone likes to play it coy when asked about the budget. That’s understandable. But the simple existence of a budget can be just as important as the final figure.

Has money already been earmarked for your project? Sometimes this is an oversight the client’s been too busy to address. Sometimes a higher-up hasn’t given the green light just yet. As mentioned above, if the project isn’t ready to move ahead, the copywriter can’t realistically set aside time for it.

And, future haggling aside, if you can say how much your budget allows, all the better. That way the copywriter knows whether he can deliver what you need within that amount. If not, he might be able to suggest other cost-effective options.

Include these few details and your copywriter can jump right to crunching numbers. Then the project moves a little faster, and you’ve freed up valuable time for the next big important thing.