What is your approach to copywriting?
“Kelly is a brilliant copywriter who knows how to tell compelling stories. She has this unique way of opening with words that get the reader’s full, undivided attention AND connect emotionally with them.”
After 14 years of writing copy for hundreds of clients, there are a few things I’ve learned:
1. The spotlight should always be on the customer and how they benefit.
2. Clarity is one of the most important things to strive for.
3. Be honest, kind and helpful to your audience.
4. If you are generous and give value, other people will build your brand for you.
5. You have to believe in the value of what you offer FIRST, before you can sell it.
I was a specialist travel industry copywriter for many years, working with tour providers, hotels, hostels, online travel agencies, vacation rental companies, work abroad programs and travel SaaS companies.
My clients included FlightNetwork, StayAlfred, Hertz.ca, MoaTrek, Travelers Q and Discover Banff Tours. I was published on Grabr.io, Where.ca & ExpatDen and I contributed to many travel websites, including Travel-Wise.com, Rad Season and Slick & Twisted Trails.
When March 2020 hit, I pivoted away from travel because, well… 😷
Since then, I’ve worked with clients in everything from SaaS to real estate. I learned that these principles apply no matter WHAT you are selling.
Copy that respects and centres your customers builds stronger relationships, and drives better results.
Before tackling each copy project, I consider:
🤔 What stage of awareness is the customer in before and after they read this?
🤔 What objections are you countering? How will you address those fears?
🤔 Does this content offer the customer something delightfully helpful?
🤔 What do you want the reader to DO after they read this?
🤔 How do you want them to FEEL when they take that action?
And most important – is it about YOU, or is it about THEM? (Hint: it should be about them.)
Sounds great, but how do you actually DO that?
When it comes to crafting your copy, I don’t just sit down at my keyboard and start making up wild guesses.
Effective copy (aka.the stuff that gets you results) is based on in-depth research, tried-and-tested strategies and an understanding of what makes people tick.
What are the messages that will really drive your customers to convert? How do you grab their attention, and make them care? What will make you stand out from your competitors?
My approach to copywriting is backed by a solid, tested process and there’s a clear purpose behind every word. Mix research, strategy and storytelling and you get a recipe for engaging copy that converts.
- Research & Discovery: First, I’ll start by asking you a TON of questions so I can understand your business, your offer and your target audience. Then, I’ll put my detective hat on and dig deep into what your customers struggle with and how your product or service makes their lives better.
- Outlining & Strategy: Once we know who we are talking to and what we are going to say to them, it’s time to figure out how we are going to say it. In other words, it’s time to decide which copywriting frameworks to use and how to build the argument in the most persuasive way.
- Writing & Revisions: Now it’s time to take my jumble of research and notes and spin it into concise, powerful human-sounding copy that will make people stop scrolling – and hit the “Buy” button. I’ll make a plan for which persuasion techniques I’m going to employ to make this happen. I’ll send you a video explaining my strategy and the reasons behind it before I jump into writing – just to make sure we’re on the same page.
- Testing & Iterating: Other copywriters might stop after they’ve handed over the final draft – but not me. This stage is where we set the copy in action and see how it performs. I’ll observe the stats and analytics so I can see what’s working and what isn’t. At this stage, I may suggest tweaks and A/B testing so we can get the best possible ROI from your copy.
Learn more about the process here.
Why do you have to do customer research? Can’t you just write about my product?
The honest truth? Because it’s not about you at all.
If I can tell you one thing I’ve learned in the 14+ years I’ve been doing this, is that anything you put out into the world (emails, blog posts, web copy) should NOT be about you.
Instead, the main character should always be your customer.
That’s why I take the time to understand who you’re selling to, so I can craft concise, powerful copy that speaks directly to them.
When you put the spotlight on your customers, that’s when the magic happens.
What types of writing services do you offer?
There are many different services I can offer, as there are so many ways that you can use well-written copy to promote your business.
Here are some examples of what you could hire me for:
- Crafting richly-detailed descriptions of your beachside vacation rental property in Bali that will make visitors head straight for the “Book Now” button.
- Writing a personality-packed landing page that encourages visitors to sign up for your webinar.
- Weaving a story-filled email series that gets your subscribers to pre-order your new book.
- Putting together a powerful Case Study showing how your software saved a client 10 hours per month on admin.
- Planning a series of blog posts about productivity and work habits, to build an audience and create a following for your mobile to-do list app.
- Creating a Black Friday Sale email campaign for your clothing brand that will stand out from other other promotions and drive sales.
- Putting together a long, detailed, SEO-friendly blog post packed with workout tips, with a link at the end to your personal training services.
- Ghostwriting a “How-To Plan a Wedding” ebook you can give away to your readers as a way to build your email list.
- Creating an in-depth itinerary for your 14 day African safari adventure in Tanzania, so that guests can start getting excited about what they have to look forward to.
These are just a few examples of the type of work I have done in the past… but they are by no means the only services I offer.
The best way to find out if I can help you with your writing needs? Contact me and tell me what you need and I’ll send you a custom quote.
What is your rate?
It really depends!
My rate varies depending on the size of the project, the amount of research involved, etc.
Get in touch with me with the details of what you need and I will provide you with a custom quote.
Please Note: If you are looking for the cheapest freelance writer – that’s not me.
I don’t generally work with companies that are only concerned with how little they can pay for writing. My rates are based on the quality of my work and my years of experience.
Do you charge by the word, by the project or by the hour?
It depends on the project!
I am able to charge on a fixed price OR hourly basis, so let’s have a chat and find out what works best for you.
Here’s a general guideline for determining which type of payment is best:
| Fixed Price Projects | Hourly Projects |
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*When it comes to fixed price projects, I don’t charge by the word – I charge a fixed price for the full project. This includes research time, planning and strategy, revisions. etc.
Why don’t you charge by the word?
Pricing by the word doesn’t really work for copywriting, as it’s a professional service rather than a commodity. I’m offering you much more than words on a page, I’m creating custom content that is unique to your business.
As a copywriter, words are simply the tools I use to accomplish your business goals. The real work? Squeezing more money out of your data by understanding which proven persuasion techniques will convert your readers into buyers.
A per-word price for writing doesn’t take into account the other factors in a copywriting project – such as research, strategy, getting to know your brand, structuring the content, etc.
Also, per-word pricing encourages quantity over quality. Sometimes 300 words can be more effective than 1000 words (and can take just as long to write, as I have to choose those words very carefully.) Instead of looking at projects on a per-word basis, it’s better to approach a project with a simple, flat fee to cover all of the elements that go into successful copywriting.
How do you take payment?
There are a few options:
- Hire me via a fixed price project on Upwork. You fund the milestone and when I submit the work, it’s released to you.
- Hire me via an hourly project on Upwork. (This is a great idea if you want me to be able to jump in and help you on an ongoing basis with writing projects here and there, without having to go back and forth sending quotes and setting up milestones.)
- Purchase one of my “Gigs” on Fiverr Pro.
- Hire me outside of these platforms. (Note, when working outside of a freelancing platform I require 100% payment upfront before I get started on your project.)
Why don’t I just use ChatGPT to do this?
If you want to give it a try – by all means go ahead! It’s free, so why not play around with it and see what happens?
But I think you’ll find that ChatGPT and other AI tools give you generic, lacklustre, robotic sounding copy that lacks strategy and an emotional connection with your customers. If copywriting was just putting words down on a page, then I’d be worried about AI taking over the industry.
But it’s about so much more.
So far ChatGPT can’t do the in-depth research and strategy necessary to create copy that is unique to your brand, resonates with your customers and clearly relates how your product is the one to solve their specific, real problems.
AI is also lacking in one of the most important things a copywriter needs to write emotionally powerful copy: empathy. To be able to tell a story about your customers that shows you understand and relate to their struggles and you care about their successes? That requires a human touch.
Any other questions? Email me at krdunning (at) gmail.com.