This blog should be several blogs, but, happily, I have been busy writing for others and navigating the world of business. So, in the style of the ubiquitous photo dump, here is a blog dump. Sorry, that sounds disgusting.

People need copywriters

The evidence for this is that I have had many, varied clients already. They have included a church looking for funding, a new gelateria, a horse tack company, a mental well-being enterprise, a local artist, and an international leadership development company. I have written, edited, re-structured, fine-tuned language, and found the story in copy for websites, sales pages, applications, reports, and social media posts. I have added value and impact to writing in many formats for many kinds of enterprises.

Words are nothing without structure

Being a copywriter isn’t necessarily about knowing all the words. Usually, the client knows the right words. Being a copywriter is all about putting them in the right order. It’s making sure lists are coherent, information flow is logical, and the core message is perfectly clear – not hidden at the end of three paragraphs. It’s the kind of thing that requires a bit of distance and some expertise.

Delete, delete, delete* until every word matters

As with all writing, much of it needs to be deleted. Every word of copy needs to be doing a job and that job is crafting a message. Using three adjectives is worse than using one. Quality over quantity is the golden rule.

We think that every aspect of our business and message needs to be meticulously explained. It doesn’t. The core message needs to be clear. The voice is the personality of your business. And the details can be presented elsewhere. Unless people are actively looking for details, they will get bored by them and maybe even put off.

* When I say delete, I mean remove from the current draft but save them because you never know when the exact words you deleted might come in handy elsewhere.

Copywriters can peacefully co-exist with AI

I’m not going to add my thoughts to the blizzard of opinions on AI here. I will do that in a later blog. However, I have thought long and hard about AI every day. What kind of hopeful fool launches a copywriting business in the very year that AI takes over the world? This one. Fortunately, I have seen that copywriting still fulfils a need that many individuals and businesses have. AI is a tool – a very useful tool. But it is not a human relationship and therefore it is inadequate at building human relationships, which is my job.

Learning about a client’s business is like learning a new language and a new culture

I was writing about barrel-racing in Texas for a horse tack company when I realised that part of this job is quickly assimilating into a new culture, plus, in this case, a touch of journalism.

As a word nerd, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning the vocabulary of the worlds I have been writing about. Last week I become conversant in corporate-leadership-development-speak. It’s like immersing yourself in a world that you have never visited before. You need to work out what familiar words mean in these unfamiliar contexts, the values of the culture, and what the customers of this world are looking for.

People’s skills are treasures that should be valued

Time is a limiting factor when it comes to writing for your business. Ability, knowledge, and experience are also limiting factors. It is OK to admit that you are less skilled in some areas than others. People work their whole lives developing their skill set and carving their niche. Use those people if you can! Becoming a copywriter has made me very aware that I am not a top marketing strategist or an SEO data analysis expert. I have a working knowledge and some experience in both. I can do those things, but there are people who have done those things their whole lives.

I have worked with words my whole life; the nuance of meaning, the structuring of a message, the shaping of a story, the building of an argument. Describing, defining, explaining, convincing – that’s the niche I have been carving for decades. That’s the skill set I have.

I enjoy collaborating with people in my network who have different skillsets in a similar field; a translator, meaning I can offer bilingual English and Welsh copy, and a marketing manager, who knows how to get people to see the words I write.

Some people can do it all. I know a few of them. They are amazing. But most people’s business models don’t give them the latitude to master and give equal focus to all aspects of their business. That’s OK! There are people out there who have the skills to do what you need. Yes, you need to pay them and, of course, money is also a limiting factor. But it is far more efficient in terms of time, money, and energy than trying to do it all yourself. Skills, formed and perfected like precious materials over many years, should be used and valued. They are worth it.

This blog is too long. I should write them more often.