For all my fellow web content writers, whether you write through a content broker in the wonderful world of ghostwriting or primarily have your own clients like I do, the rules are pretty much the same:
Pay attention to the instructions
Research properly
Proofread
I won’t go over basic aspects, such as making sure your articles appeal to the demographic to which the client will be marketing his or her goods or services. I’m also pretty sure most web content writers understand SEO, algorithms, meta descriptions, the dangers of missing deadlines etc., etc., Let’s move on to a topic that’s a bit more unwieldy.
Why the Client Needs You
Keep in mind that clients are coming to you for a reason, and that’s typically because you can do something they can’t. There is hardly a business in existence that does not have a presence on the web. To stay competitive, merchants need to regularly update their website's content. But a mistake I see a lot of writers make is assuming that the client knows everything we do. Don’t misunderstand me! Sometimes they know all that and then some. We do have to remember, though, that many online entrepreneurs are business professionals, but not necessarily writers.
That’s why they come looking for us.
One time I asked a client if he preferred passive or active voice (yes, some clients actually prefer passive these days) and if he wanted AP or AP Down style. He had no idea what I was talking about. Well, why would he? Depending on the person’s background, he or she may have extensive knowledge about web content, but may have none at all. To be safe, never assume. It’s always better to over clarify than to take for granted that the merchant understands everything about the web content world.
Making Appropriate Suggestions
Feel free to make suggestions and offer insights–especially to online merchants who are just getting started. However, when making recommendations, be sure you know what you’re talking about! If it’s a subject you don’t typically write about, but must research, don’t rush to the client with a long list of suggestions that might ultimately make the client lose faith in you.
If you’re like most web content writers, though, you probably have specialty niches. If the client wants suggestions about a topic you’re immersed in, feel free to make them. Look through your portfolio and see which of your sales copy projects yielded the best results, and then make suggestions accordingly.
If your last client sold a lot of widgets or booked a lot of hotel rooms based on ad copy you wrote, use the same approach with your new client. Remember, IDEAS don’t have to pass copyscape, only the written word does. In other words, an approach is merely an approach. It’s not plagiarizing to use the same approach with a different client’s campaign. Stick with what works! Just make sure it’s original.
Never Proceed if Instructions are Vague
In my almost-18 years of writing web content, I’ve discovered that reading between the lines is a big part of completing a project successfully. Sometimes people know exactly what they want, but they’re not that great at spelling it out in the instructions. Sometimes they have only a vague idea of what they need. I typically go to the merchant’s site to get a handle on what they’re trying to accomplish, and it usually comes pretty clear in a short length of time. Once I do that, I give him or her a quick call or shoot out an email to clarify it.
I always cringe when I hear writers say “I didn’t want to bother the client so…” That’s a great way to end up having to do revisions. Bother the client. I found that most clients would prefer to be “bothered,” rather than have all involved tied up with revisions and rewrites.
Don’t Promise what you Can’t Deliver
I’ve had plenty of clients over the years who asked for things that I could not promise without being dishonest. I’m sure we’ve all been there:
“We want an article that will make us rank number one during a Google search.”
Well, if I could do that, I would rank myself number one in a Google search and make $1 million selling my own widgets. I would not be giving away the secret for $65 a pop so someone else can sell the million widgets. LOL.
In a situation like that, although you may be tempted to make promises, you have to tell the truth! NEVER tell a client that you can write an article that is such a pearl of perfection that it will immediately catapult him to number one in a Google search. We know we can’t guarantee that so we shouldn’t tell clients we can.
And that goes for anything that you know just isn’t going to happen. For example, in certain cases, I guarantee a specific sale or click through return on my content. But it’s realistic, it’s based on years of watching the results of my ad copy, and various other factors specific to each client. If I miss the mark, they got the content for free. DON’T make such guarantees unless you are 99.9% sure you can deliver. (There’s no such thing as being 100% sure about anything.) But if you know what the client is asking for is literally a pie-in-the-sky request, NEVER let that client think you can do it. It’s not fair to the client and it’s not fair to you.
Simple tips but they’ll be very helpful if you implement them. (And don’t end sentences with “them.”)
Write on!