What's Your Copywriting Process?

Step 1. Primary Research

It's also called field research. This is the process to unearth unknown data and information. This information is related to causes that have created the effects which you want to eliminate using my help and support.

In this process take a deep look into your...

• Target market and ideal client profile, including demographics, psychographics and technographics


• Your products and services and why savvy buyers buy them. This includes your stuff's features and benefits.


• The overall strategy and tactics of your company


• The very offer you're about to make to your market

The initial questionnaire will make you dig deep and search for pieces of information you may have never bumped into. So, it's fair to say that it will take you several hours to complete the initial questionnaire, but this is where everything stands or falls. We have to build a solid case like a lawyer does before the court hearing. The better information I receive from you, the better copy we can create. I can't write copy FOR you. We have to work together. I know writing and you know your business more than anyone else. If you put your stuff on the table and I put mine, then we can mix the two piles of stuff into something really neat.

Step 2. Secondary Research

It's also called desk research. It is the process of summarising and synthesising existing research results which usually comes from clients on an "as is" basis.

Then I immerse myself in the market you want to sell to. I check many websites, professional associations, educational and credentialing bodies, forums, publications and everything that's related to this market. I also check buying patterns and organisational structure in terms of who and how makes buying decisions.

Then I start a MS Word file and in that file I start collecting all my information and URL references, so I can easily add to it and modify bits and bobs.

Step 3. Dig Deeper And Analyse The New Information

This is vital because otherwise we end up working on a symptom while leaving the real cause unaddressed. It may also become necessary to cover the previous steps again just in case we missed something.

At this point it's also important to let all the materials rest a little bit because we get so close that we tend to overlook some vital stuff. After a day or two we return with a fresh pair of eyes and make some important corrections.

One big problem is that most clients are wildly in love with their stuff and have their arses to their markets. So I have to pull them off their stuff and help them to better connect with the market.

This is also the point when I start interviewing people from different departments, since they see the sales process from different perspectives. And we need all those perspectives. I try to record as much as possible and then listen to the recordings and digest all that stuff.

Step 4. Synthesise Information Into One Comprehensive Concept And Structure

At this point I pull together all the pieces for the big idea behind the offer and the story upon which the promotion is built.

Different people write in different styles. Coming from engineering and engineering management, I have a good understanding of what kind of people are involved in buying high-ticket, complex technology solutions and how they think. Their thinking is drastically different from that of the average consumer buyer. And not knowing this can cost a small fortune for technology service providers.

There is still no copywriting involved. It's still just preparation. And by this point many clients lose patience and want to see results... yesterday. But as Emerson wrote in his essays...

"The height of the pinnacle is determined by the breadth of the base."

Or as architects say, the wider the foundation the stronger and safer the structure built on it.

But there is a problem out there. We're living in a world where quick, easy and cheap sell. It's like losing 20 lbs in one week. No exercise and eat whatever you want as much as you want. And the world is full of idiots who are willing to pay for this promise because it sounds quick, easy, and cheap. Well, a $9.95 e-book from a self-appointed fitness guru and no effort is required.

The last part of this step is sequencing the ingredients and creating the outline for the copy. Then I follow this outline and expand on it as I'm writing the copy. Also, in this section I outline the double readership path, so both readers and scanners can follow the message. I mark up which section is for the left brain (logic), right brain (creativity) and the heart (emotions) and then connect them for snmooth transitions.

Personally I hate using scare-mongering in my copy, but it's important to use the right amount of reality and positive motivation to take action.

Step 5. Writing The Copy

And, at long last, here I start writing the actual copy. Now after having the "grunt work" of collecting all the ingredients, it's time to blend them into something new.

I usually start with the headline, the subheads and the bullet points, but knowing that they can change down the road.

After the main structure, I can write the copy body, including the following ingredients...

• The opening paragraph


• A storyline that introduces the problem we're addressing


• The long-term consequences of neglecting the problem


• Frequently asked questions


• A detailed list of features, advantages and benefits of the solution


• An attractive, compelling and valuable offer


• A section to build the value of the solution


• Excerpts from case studies


• A section to outline the seller's credentials and achievements


• An attractive guarantee


• A powerful call to action section


• A postscript section

Step 6. Polish The Flow Of The Copy

In this section I start with a read test and monitor how it feels reading the copy. I'm assessing the overall experience of absorbing the content of the copy. IS the message understandable? Is it compelling? Is the overall tone grounded in reality yet passionate about helping beyond the basic transition?

At this point I also double check that the message follows the tried and tested AIDA formula, that is, it ...

1. ...draws the reader's Attention


2. ...engages the reader's Interest


3. ...raises the reader's Desire


4. ...asks the reader to take Action

Step 7. Edit Copy For Easier Read And Better Comprehension

Before any further editing, I let the copy rest for a few days, so I can tune myself out of it, and then I can read it again with fresh eyes; the eyes of the layperson.

I read it out loud and record it, so I can listen to it again and again and check it for flow. If I can, I also ask the client or some people from the client's company to make me some read versions on MP3. If we can, we ask some of the client's clients to read the stuff and give us feedback. If something doesn't add up when I listen to it, I re-write that part.

Also, in this section I tighten the copy and chop off some excessive bits and bobs. No, not that! You have a dirty mind. I'm not going to chop that off. Copywriting at this stage is more like sculpture and less like building. It's more like chipping off the excess stuff than adding on more stuff.

Then I polish the aesthetics and formatting making sure that type faces, tabs and margins are congruent with the message.

And as the last step, I hand the copy to clients for revision. My clients can have two revisions at no extra charge.

Step 8. Revise And Test

This is the revision stage and it's totally optional. Some clients accept copy on an as is basis, but some want me to be available for market testing and improving. And some revision happens before the final version and some after the first test on the market.

Some clients hire me to write the copy and that's it, but most of them want to keep me on board, so we can test the first copy, the control, and then we can improve the copy in an attempt to beat the control.

There is one consideration here. And this is why most clients buy copywriting that includes market testing and revising. No one can predict the performance of any copy. Whatever result the copy produces, improvement is always possible. Some clients accept the first result, and some keep me to help to improve the copy.

When a copy fails, it usually happens because the market is not properly targeted or my client fails to put the right offer to the market. The former problem can be avoided by growing an in-house mailing list, and the latter can be cured by tuning in to what problems your target market struggles with.

So, these are my steps. Simple but not simplistic. Nevertheless, the process works.

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