Pro Copy Tips » Productivity

What is the matrix? The secret tool for focused copywriting

Dean Rieck — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:00:46 +0000

It’s happened to you. It’s happened to me. It’s happened to all of us.

We take on a copywriting assignment, ask for some background information, then squeal in horror when a truck pulls up to the door with 7 tons of brochures, reports, ads, surveys, and other stuff.

Well, here comes Sally Bagshaw to the rescue. This is Sally’s second guest post and it’s simply brilliant. Ignore it at your own peril.

***

Warning, this post may contain graphic descriptions of spreadsheets!

There’s a lot of talk about blank pages being a copywriter’s nemesis. Staring at that blinking cursor on your screen, willing yourself to begin writing, wishing that the client had sent more than “make it sizzle.”

It’s the stuff of nightmares, right?

Wrong.

I think having too much information is far harder to manage.

Drowning in background material is overwhelming, time consuming, and if you’re not careful can result in lukewarm copy – no sizzle at all.

It happens innocently enough. You ask your new client to send through some background material about them, about the company, about their services.

Maybe you haven’t worked together before; maybe they have never worked with a copywriter.

Then your email starts going crazy as the client happily sends you every single scrap of content or communication he can find. You’ve got old annual reports, brochures, presentations, workshop notes and speeches – so much background material that you’ve hit a problem.

It’s going to take longer to go through all of this information than the amount of hours you’ve set aside to write the copy.

There’s so much information that you don’t know where to start.

Help!

And now that you’ve seen it, there’s an expectation from the client that you’ll use it in some way. You may find that when you send your first draft through, the client will say, “But didn’t you see page 68 of the annual report? I would have thought that was important enough to include in the about us section.”

So what do you do? How can you take control and regain focus?

It’s simple: Develop a “content matrix.”

It’s still going to require you to read the content – but you won’t be obliged to use it all in your copy. It will allow you to choose what’s going to help you, and what you can leave sitting on the sidelines.

Step 1: Document all the background material

Create a spreadsheet (I did warn you) with the following columns:

Title of material (The 2010 Widget Product Catalog)
Content type (brochure, annual report etc.)
Year it was published (so you can guess how up-to-date it is)
Target audience (shareholders, customers, employees, etc.)
Main call to action (or goal if it isn’t sales information)
Key messages

Step 2: Document your project

On a fresh sheet in the spreadsheet create the following columns for your project:

Title of project
Content type
Target audience
Key messages
Call to action
Potential background information

See that I’ve used Potential background information? Here’s your chance to ditch the irrelevant material and list only what’s going to be useful.

Step 3: Show the matrix to your client

Email your client a copy of the spreadsheet. They may be surprised at the amount of material they’ve sent through. Make sure they agree with the information describing the project you are working on.

The benefits of the content matrix

It’s a simple idea, but it does have some real benefits:

It shows that you have taken the time to at least open the attachments that the client sent through, so they feel acknowledged.
It shows you are organized (well it is in spreadsheet).
It keeps your client (and you) focused on the project at hand. “Yes Bob, I know your speech to the investors went down really well at the conference, but we agreed the key message for this web content was going to be different.”
You can easily add new projects or background material to the spreadsheet as your relationship grows with your client.
You can quickly see where the gaps are in the client’s content mix, so you can potentially get more projects from it. “Look Bob, after reviewing the matrix it seems like you have a real gap in the communication with your investors – how about we work on some new investor relation material next.”

And best of all you feel in control. Consider it a life preserver to help you stop drowning in a sea of background material.

Have you ever been overwhelmed with background material before?

Sally Bagshaw is a web copywriter and content strategist who secretly loves spreadsheets. Visit her website at www.snappysentences.com.

Tons of productivity tips for professional writers

Dean Rieck — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:00:48 +0000

Did you ever take notes on an important topic, file them away, then forget about them?

Well, that’s what I did a couple years ago with some productivity tips for writers. I googled some nice links, thinking I’d do a quick blog post, then immediately forgot about them. Until now.

Actually, they aren’t all tips for writers. Some are for designers, bloggers, or small business owners. But they’re all good ideas from a variety of perspectives.

So here are a few of those long-lost productivity and time management tips.

By the way, here’s a little piece of advice about productivity tips: You don’t have follow every bit of advice you read. Pick two or three that work for you and go for it.

If you spend too much time worrying about time, you end up wasting time!

Merlin’s 5-step method for managing your email inbox

Dean Rieck — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:00:32 +0000

Isn’t email wonderful?

I’m serious. Everyone complains about email now, but many copywriters just starting out now don’t remember the good old days when there was no email. I remember having to actually pick up the phone to talk to clients. *gasp!* To send copy, design, proposals, invoices, and other documents, I’d use a fax or FedEx.

Sometimes, I would use an ancient data storage device called a “floppy disk” to send files. I still have a small pile of them in my office somewhere, sitting idle and useless since most computers now don’t have a floppy drive.

But today, it’s all done by email. Send a message. Send an invoice. Send copy. The copywriting business today is all about managing a blur of emails all day long.

Which brings me to my point. Isn’t email a pain in the butt?

All those emails can really eat up a big chunk of your day if you let them. Communicating with clients or bosses or colleagues is important, but if you don’t manage email efficiently, the time loss is huge. And if you’re one of those types who uses your inbox as an archive of your life, you’re in deep trouble.

For me, email management is a massive issue, since I run a copywriting business and help run an influential and rapidly growing nonprofit. I use templates to answer common questions. I use filters to auto sort messages into different in-boxes. I try to keep replies short. But I still get overwhelmed on some days.

Merlin Mann to the rescue. Merlin is the founder of 43folders, a blog about finding the time to do your best creative work. He gave a presentation to Google youngsters employees about how to handle email. His method is called Inbox Zero.

It’s all common sense, really. But if you’re flummoxed about the avalanche of email you get and send, this may help you sort things out and conquer your inbox.

I’m curious, what email management issues do you have? Are you able to get your inbox to zero every time you check your email?

Track your copywriting projects the easy, low-tech way

Dean Rieck — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:52 +0000

Organization doesn’t come naturally to most writers, but when you become a professional copywriter, you enter the business world. And that means you MUST organize and track your copywriting projects.

This is especially important when you work for a busy marketing department or launch a freelance practice. You could have a dozen copy projects running at one time. Without a practical way to track all those projects, you’ll be a nervous wreck. And you’ll start screwing up and missing deadlines.

Does this mean you have to buy an expensive, complex project tracking computer program with a 300-page user manual? Nope. I use a simple low-tech system that you can set up in a few minutes.

If you can find a computer program or online tool that works for you, fine. I use a wide variety of programs and tools for my business.

But for tracking projects, most of the tools I’ve seen are vastly over-complicated. And if a program doesn’t make the job simpler, why bother? With my system, I spend less time wrestling with software and have more time available for writing.

So how does my copy project tracking system work? You’ll need …

1. A “job” spreadsheet. Use whatever software you have, Excel, Works, or whatever. I use OpenOffice.org.

2. A calendar. Since I already use ACT! for contact management, I decided to use the built-in calendar. It has the added advantage of tying projects to my client records. However, Windows includes a calendar. And there are dozens of other calendar programs available. Take your pick.

3. Computer folders. I have a big folder for active clients where I keep a separate folder for each client. In each client’s folder, I create an individual folder for each project.

4. File folders. These are just ordinary, manila folders with a tab at the top. If you plan to recycle folders like I do, you’ll also want some labels.

Now I’ll tell you how I set up my system, but feel free to modify it to suit your own needs.

First, set up your job spreadsheet. Click here to look at my spreadsheet template. This will make it easier to follow along. I’ve included a few sample projects just to show how it works.

Create the following columns:

Job/Invoice – This is for a unique 6-digit number for each job. It represents the year, month, and day the project starts. If the project starts on February 8, 2010, the job number is 100208 (10=2010, 02=February, 08=the 8th).

Client - The name of the business you’re writing for, such as World Wild Widgets, Inc.

Project Name – The name assigned to the project, such as New Widget Brochure Copy.

Contact – The name of the person you report to.

Start – The first day you work on the project.

End – The last day you work on the project.

Billed – The day you invoiced for the project.

Received – The day you received payment.

Invoice – The amount of the invoice.

Services – The amount you paid to hire designers or other vendors, if that is required. This may also include the cost of buying photos or other items that represent significant out-of-pocket cost.

Net - Invoice – Services = Net.

Hours – Your total hours worked on the project. I don’t bill per hour, but I track hours to see how profitable each project is. This is useful for making adjustments to a fee schedule.

Per Hour – Net / Hours = Per Hour.

Now that you have your columns set up, insert a formula to do totals for the Invoice, Services, Net, and Hours columns. Usually the formula looks something like SUM(L5:L151), where “SUM” means “add” and “L5″ (or whatever) represents a starting or ending cell in the column.

Insert a formula for the Per Hour column to track your average profit per hour. It should look something like K3/L3, where you’re dividing the Net column sum by the Hours column sum.

Don’t worry, these formulas are generally built in and you can apply them with a couple clicks. Or you can save my spreadsheet template and use it for yourself.

You’ll notice that I use colors for the data. Green means an active project. Red means a project that is finished and has been invoiced. Black means a completed, paid project.

That’s it for the spreadsheet.

Next, you’ll need your calendar, but all you have to do with this is mark the due date for each project. I use red to indicate due dates so they stand out. If your calendar offers an “alarm” to warn you when something is due, you can use that too.

Finally, when you start a project, create a computer folder and a physical folder.

Each computer folder is labeled with the job name and number. So, for example, if I’m writing a sales letter for XYZ Company starting on December 10, 2010, the computer folder is labeled “XYZ Sales Letter 101210. This is where I keep project briefs, samples, research, copy files, etc.

Each physical folder is labeled with the client name plus job name and number. I don’t use paper any more than I have to, but I like to brainstorm on paper and organize notes this way. Plus, I keep a job sheet inside this folder to track activities and time.

And there you have it. This simple system is easy to manage, tracks the status and profit of each project, provides basic information for later reference, and helps you meet deadlines. It’s mercifully low-tech, so you have no software to buy or learn. It’s worked for me for years.

When I find something better, I’ll use it. But so far, I haven’t. If you have what you think is a better system or a simple project tracking tool, let me know.

Double your reading speed with this odd little trick

Dean Rieck — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Copywriting isn’t just about writing, it’s also about reading. A lot of reading.

If you’re like me, you’ll spend anywhere from 25% to 50% of every project reading background materials, ads, reports, surveys, and notes. And then there are the books, blog posts, articles, and other things you’ll read to stay current.

Obviously, the faster you can read, the more productive you can be. If you can double your reading speed, you can double your productivity.

There are many things you can do to read faster, but I’ve learned one of the most important is to stop subvocalizing. Say what?

Subvocalizing is pronouncing every word you read, either under your breath or in your head. By learning how to read visually, seeing words and grasping their meaning without the sound of the word, you can double your reading speed.

This is easier said than done. So here is a video that demonstrates a weird trick to help you get out of the subvocalizing habit and boost your reading speed. (You may not want to do this when people are around. They might start to worry about your sanity.)

Do you have any other tricks for reading faster?

7 writing workflow tips to double your writing speed

Secret Google search hacks and tools for copywriters

Dean Rieck — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:37 +0000

I was chatting recently with Don Hauptman, one of the legends of copywriting, and he asked me if I had any “secrets” for finding information quickly online.

Well, of course I do. My schedule simply doesn’t permit me to flail around while doing research, so I use some little known Google hacks and tools to speed things along.

The Hacks

There are tons of search hacks, but here are the ones I’ve found most useful.

Generic Search
Type: investment newsletter
Google searches for: the words investment and newsletter

Either / Or Search
Type: investment OR newsletter
Google searches for: either the word investment or the word newsletter

Exact Search
Type: “investment newsletter”
Google searches for: the exact phrase investment newsletter

Exclusion Search
Type: investment -newsletter
Google searches for: the word investment but not the word newsletter

Synonymous Search
Type: ~investment
Google searches for: the word investment and synonyms

Definition Search
Type: define: investment
Google searches for: definitions of the word investment

Page Title Search
Type: allintitle: investment newsletter
Google searches for: keywords in page titles

URL Keyword Search
Type: inurl: investment newsletter
Google searches for: keywords in page URLs

The Tools

In addition to the search hacks, here are some bonus Google search tools that can be helpful when you need to find information fast.

Go to Google and click on “more,” then click on “even more” to reveal a full page of search tools:

Blog Search — search for blogs on specific topics
Books — search the full text of books
Directory — search by topic or category
Earth – explore the world
Finance — business info, news, and charts
Images – search for images
Maps – view maps and directions, including terrain and satellite images
News – search thousands of news stories
Patent Search — search the full text of US Patents
Scholar — search for scholarly papers
Videos — search for videos

Also, check out some other research and writing resources that can help save time.

Can you believe we used to have to run to the library for things like this? Thank goodness for the Internet!

Cut research time in half with this copywriting checklist

Dean Rieck — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:40 +0000

Good copywriting starts with thorough research. So ideally, you should be able to take as much time as you need to gather background information.

But in reality, copywriting is always done on a deadline. Too often, you barely have enough time to write about a product or service, let alone do extensive research.

The answer? A copywriting research checklist. Below is a generic checklist I’ve used for years. I’ve also developed others for specific industries or project types. You can use a checklist to collect information quickly or as a structured interview guide.

ALWAYS do as much research as you can BEFORE you brainstorm idea or write a single word. Not only will a checklist save you time on research, it can significantly reduce your writing time because you’ll have something relevant to write about.

1. DESCRIPTION. What is the product or service you want to sell?

2. PURPOSE. What does the product do? What’s the “big idea” behind it?

3. FEATURES. What do you know about it? Facts, statistics, specifications?

4. BENEFITS. What will it do for people? Does it solve a problem, save money, save time, make a task easier?

5. UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION. What is it about this product that is really different, new, better, unique?

6. COMPETITION. Can you describe similar products?

7. POSITIONING. How does this product fit into the market relative to competitors?

8. YOUR COMPANY. Does the company have a special history, unique owner, awards?

9. PRICE. How much does it cost?

10. SAMPLE. Can you look at it or try it for yourself?

11. PROSPECT. Male or female? Income level? Family situation? Lifestyle and general description? In business, what is his/her title/responsibility? Biggest concerns, fears, attitudes? How will he/she use your product to get ahead or to keep from falling behind? For consumers, what main interest/desire/action does it appeal to?

12. SECONDARY PROSPECTS. Who else might want this product?

13. OBJECTIONS. Why would someone NOT want this product?

14. TESTIMONIALS & ENDORSEMENTS. Letters from happy users? Media coverage? Celebrity endorsements?

15. COMPLAINTS. Letters from unhappy customers? Phone calls?

16. ASSIGNMENT. Print ad? Direct mail? E-mail? Brochure? Insert? Broadcast spot? Complete campaign?

17. OBJECTIVE. Inquiries or leads? Direct sales? Traffic building? List building?

18. OFFER. Free trial? Introductory price? Premium? Time limit? Free information?

19. CALL TO ACTION. How will you ask for the order?

20. BUDGET. How much can be spent on this promotion?

21. SCHEDULE. When does this need to be done?

22. LISTS/MEDIA. What have you used in the past? What worked and what didn’t? What statistics do you have?

23. SAMPLES OF PAST PROMOTIONS. Winners and losers?

24. TESTS. Will you test lists, offers, price, creative, etc.?

25. REQUIRED COPY POINTS. What information or legal copy must be included?

26. TABOOS. What can never be said or promised?

27. RESTRICTIONS. Are there parameters you must work within?

28. METHOD OF PAYMENT. Check? Credit card? Purchase order? Bill me later? Installments?

29. METHOD OF ORDERING. Mail? Phone? Fax? Online?

30. GUARANTEE. What are the exact terms of the guarantee?

31. OTHER. What else is important? Research and background material? Demographic studies? Focus group reports? Creative briefs?

32. BACKGROUND READING / PEOPLE TO TALK TO.

What is the matrix? The secret tool for focused copywriting

7 writing workflow tips to double your writing speed

Dean Rieck — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:11:40 +0000

While copywriting always requires a certain amount of creativity and can’t be too regimented, every writing project should have a similar workflow.

The more structured your workflow, the more efficient you can be, the less time you’ll spend on busy work, and the faster you’ll be able to finish writing.

Here are some tips:

Set up your files. You can devise any system you like, but here’s what I do. First, I grab a manila folder, label it, and dump everything I have into it. Second, I insert a job sheet where I track time, work completed, contact information, and other relevant data. Third, I set up a project file on my computer with subfolders for copy documents and background information. The computer folder matches the label on the physical folder with a job number and job title.

If you’re a freelancer, there may be other items to file, such as an estimate, contract, non-disclosure form, etc.

Create a schedule. When someone says they need copy on, say, March 12, do they mean that’s the deadline for final copy? Is that when they want to see your first draft? Is that when it goes to the printer or designer? Often, people don’t think carefully about all the steps in a writing project, so you have to.

You should create a schedule that accounts for each step. Research, writing, delivery of first draft, time for review, delivery of second draft, more review, proofreading, final copy delivery, delivery to designer, etc. Consider every person who must see the copy and allot time for each step. Assign a date and time to each.

Gather information. Good copy starts with good information. So gather everything you need before you start writing. If you’ve set up your files, get the information into its proper place, whether that’s a physical folder, a computer folder, or an electronic document. This helps you avoid the disruption of looking for things when you’re in the middle of writing.

Brainstorm ideas. Everyone has a different way of working, but it’s usually helpful if you spend a little time thinking about headlines, main benefits, slogans, the call to action, and other important ideas before you start writing. Most important, figure out what your “big idea” is. This gives you a verbal road map to follow and keeps you from getting off track.

Write until you’re done. What I mean is, if you have a good idea about what you want to write, just write it. Don’t try to make every word perfect the first time through. Get it all down. Write long. When you hit a difficult spot, move on to another part of the project and keep writing. It may not seem so at first, but your writing will usually be faster and better if you separate writing from editing.

Edit and polish. After you have a bunch of copy written, take a break and let your mind clear. It’s nice if you have a day or so, but take what you can get. Then stop being a writer and start being an editor. Delete, edit, polish, and get your copy cleaned up.

Don’t be afraid to move things around. For example, if you find a chunk of copy that would work better as the headline, make it the headline. Don’t let yourself get too attached to your own prose. Often your best ideas emerge in the middle of your writing.

Follow a checklist. Every copy project has certain requirements: points to cover in the copy, visuals to include, testimonials, guarantee, production techniques, client requests, etc. Try to decide what you need and make a list. Use the list to make sure you do everything you set out to do. If you’ve done a similar project in the past, list the various elements, ideas, tactics, problems, and anything that went into the project and use that as your checklist. It saves time and helps you avoid errors and omissions.