More than just a copywriter

Did you just agree to take a full page advertisement plus editorial in a Spring supplement?

Something that feels like a big leap and something you’ve not done before?

My client did.

But not before she’d texted me to ask what I thought. On a Sunday.

I might be a copywriter but first and foremost, I’m a marketer. I’ve written, supplied, reviewed and tested a glutfull of ads, so I’m a solid sounding board when it comes to taking the promotion plunge.

I’m so tuned into ads in fact, that I have been known to spend more time breaking them down and analysing the overall impact, than the programming that comes in between them!

Anyway, opinion was garnered, should she do it? And while we’re at it, could I write the copy for the ad and editorial? PDQ!

The answer was YES and YES - there’s nothing like a tight turnaround to get the heart racing -but I had a few questions:

💥 What's the objective? (what are we promoting/what do you expect to achieve?)

💥 When's the deadline? (is it doable)

💥 What's the circulation/readership? (who buys vs who reads)

💥 What’s the shelf life?

💥 Who else is advertising? (know your environment)

💥 What's your ad positioning?

💥 Who will appear alongside you?

💥 What's the print quality? (dictates what imagery you use)

💥 Can we see a previous issue?

💥 Would you like my graphic designer to design it? (I’ve already got his cost)

Armed with the answers; me and my graphic designer set to work, creating an ad with welly.

The moral of the story, before you PRESS GO:

• onboard your A-team

• know your audience

• know your competitors

• know your surroundings.

And if you don’t already have an A-Team, get in touch.

#notjustacopywriter