How to be a good client to your copywriter or creative

It starts with a little empathy

So you’ve taken the step and decided (with a little help) that you need a creative person/company to craft you some creative.

This could be web-design (note, actual design not just the coding), copywriting, design, logo design etc. But the problem is that you’re a ‘black and white’ ‘everything has a process and place’ sort of person.

That’s the reason you’re not the creative – because you might think in a linear fashion compared to my scattered, unreasonable, brainstorming style of living, working and communicating.

Yes, the best copywriters will make it look easy, but if you took one look into my head you’d see an explosion of thoughts so vast that it would give you sleepless nights for a week. Trust me, it’s my head and I have the sleepless nights.

So what are some top tips for how to be a good client for a Copywriter?

Trust Us

I’ve said this before. If they have a portfolio that speaks volumes then trust that they can deliver the end product. I know you’re parting with hard earned money. The provider needs that money to put food on the table (usually) and a bad project can scupper his/her reputation accordingly.

That said, a lot of clients put far too much emphasis on whether or not a copywriter has completed projects in that specific niche. I’ve mentioned this before - every good copywriter can write good copy, regardless what the niche or specific audience is.

When you hire a builder for a project you see the work being done. You can fathom how high a wall is being built over the week and assess the quality of work being provided. I’ve had a client ask to see my first draft before completion.

Sometimes I’ll need a client to see my first draft, but not in this instance, so I turned him down. That broke his trust but thankfully my final draft was exactly what this company needed so I recovered well.

You don’t need to see the cement mix of your builder at every stage of your new wall – so long as it’s a bloody good wall by the end of the project. Some designers tend to give you more of an insight into their drafts. Most copywriters don’t, because the first draft can be considerably different from the final product. Each project expands and then contracts through heavy editing.

We don’t even care about grammar until we’re much further down the project timeline, and I know numerous copywriters with terrible grammar.

You might also have some strongly pre-conceived ideas on what logo/copy/design your company needs. Great….but let’s remember who the expert is in this relationship. I can personally explain each and every word, word type, phrase and punctuation placement that I deliver.

I write with purpose that you might not have considered – I’m happy to explain everything, but when you come at a creative with strong opinions you might be derailing the project before it’s come to fruition.

Payment & Contracts

The best of us ask for a deposit, part-payment or the whole invoice upfront.

Don’t be perturbed by this. If it’s your first foray into the creative world of brand building then I understand that this could be scary. Fear not. The best of us also provide a SoW (Statement of Works), contract, or statement of intent.

Personally I don’t mind the odd email that you reply to which outlines what I’m going to deliver, and when you’ll get it by. Other times I’ll opt for the full statement of works when there’s a lot of money on the line.

The middle road is the small contract that we both sign, it’s handy and does the job. Now I’ve known someone promise to deliver a project and then not speak to the client.

The client wasn’t as pushy as I would be, and the provider was suffering an episode of poor mental health, but a deposit was paid and nothing was delivered. Not good. It happens, so get a written contract signed and you’re both golden.

Don’t Pester

Creatives, especially freelancers, are busy. We have busy minds and busy schedules. That doesn’t mean that your project has been pushed to the bottom of our ‘to do’ list. It’s a work in progress, it always is.

Sometimes deadlines slip. My deadlines have slipped in the past. I was working for a top London tech company who were so busy growing that my project sat with them for weeks before feedback.

A recent project came to a grinding halt when the MD had his adword server hacked and it diverted his attention away from his creative – fair enough.

Most of the time deadlines are precious and well thought out, but that doesn’t mean that you need updates all the time. Let the copywriter do their thing and they’ll get back to you when they’re ready to deliver something.

Conclusion

I get it, I really do.

You might have a tight budget and you’ve put everything available into a creative project to build your brand. I’ve run various businesses and often budget is everything. I’ve worked with a partner who put budget first whereas it was much lower down my list of priorities. You might want to break the bank and make it rain 50s but your partner or board members might be more hesitant – so you have to make every pound or dollar count.

To spend it on a creative process with sometimes very few guarantees can be scary.

3 simple tips:  

Trust us to deliver;

Get a contract in place;

Don’t pester us.

Folllow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to being the kind of client that creatives want to work with again and again. We’re not perfect. Keep a level head through the project and we’ll dedicate ourselves to doing what we do best – delivering what you need.  

Want to save yourself a headache and hire a Belfast Copywriter with proven results? Just claim your free discovery session here!

Keep hustling,

Keep copywriting!

Thanks for reading,

Adam