FAQ

I’ve found that most small to medium-sized businesses are confused by what a copywriter does. This page was mainly created to educate these business owners. 

If you have a question, send it to me at burke.ivey (at) rocketmail dot com!

“What’s a copywriter?”

Simply put, a copywriter writes all the text that supports, assists, enhances, and promotes your business. That’s it. That’s everything.

Without good copy – in print and on your website – your business’ appearance is damaged. It may be incomprehensible to customers, or lack information. It might impede communication, put off potential buyers, or make your sales more difficult. Worst of all, bad business copy makes you and your business look less than professional – and professionalism is what gives your business credibility, which, in turn, gives customers the confidence to trust you with their patronage.. and their money.

“Can’t I write my own website copy (or brochure, sales letter, customer correspondence, etc.)?”

You’re perfectly capable of creating your own business copy! Many business owners do, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But have you ever tallied up the amount of time and effort it takes you to create these communications? How about the results – are you pleased with them?

In most cases, business owners are already under pressure to keep their business running from day to day.. so you might only have an hour or two to spend crafting your next direct mail piece.

And those few hours are stolen from time at home, time you could be spending with your family, your friends, or simply relaxing after a long day at work.

You might have second thoughts about the piece you create under such circumstances. Maybe you feel it’s not good enough, or maybe you’re concerned that it doesn’t pack an “oomph”. But, pressed for time and short on ideas, you resign yourself to a substandard result..

.. and then you feel puzzled, frustrated, or even angry when your direct mail piece has a less-than-1% response rate.

I know you want to offer solutions to your customers and clients. Spending your hard-earned time and energy on a plan that ultimately fails is a blow to the ego.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to go through all of that?

Wouldn’t it be nice to know you’re sending out correspondence and business communications that will engage your readers, draw them in, and coax them to give you money?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have customers and clients actually looking forward to your next direct mail piece, commenting on your new brochures, or complimenting your website – rather than ignoring or complaining about these communications?

Most of all, wouldn’t it be great to have all this.. without having to do it yourself?

Your intimate knowledge of your audience and your business, combined with my excellent copywriting skills, will build the professional, informative, and personable image your business needs.

Simply tell me what you need and when, supply me with “source documentation”, and take some time off for yourself while I create dynamic, high-quality copy for your business.

No more late nights. No more time wasted trying to create the “best” brochure in the business. Just results.. pure and simple.

When you hire me to write your copy, you’re not just giving me a job – you’re giving me the chance to help your business become better. I’m honored to help, and I’m so dedicated to getting you good results that I offer FREE revisions and changes to ANY project for thirty days after assignment.

Take a look at my “Services” page, and see what I can do for you.

“I already created my own copy, but I think it might need polishing. Can you do that?”

Certainly. I’m happy to look over what you’ve written and make critical suggestions. This is a great way to evaluate my services and abilities, if the idea of hiring a freelancer spooks you!

“My copy is perfect. I haven’t needed to update it in six years, and it still brings in customers.”

If you’ve been using the same business copy for several years, I have two things to say:

One – That must be some impressive copy.

And Two – It’s very unlikely that copy from six years ago is still accurate enough to bring in new customers.

Think about it – how much in your industry has changed over the past two years? What about the past twelve months? How about six months ago?

Your customers and clients need to know you’re aware of the changing industry. If you’re working in a highly technical field, for example, you need to be informed of changes in the way your product works, looks, or is manufactured. These things can change in the space of just a few months, and you need to be able to relay these changes to your customers.

Not because your customers already know about them, of course, but because your customers need to have confidence in YOUR knowledge. You are, after all, the expert. It’s your job to give your customers confidence in their decisions – and they won’t feel confident if you seem uninformed.

As a general rule, I suggest most businesses have their promotional materials and brochures re-written every year. Some industries change more slowly, some much quicker, but an annual “re-fit” is an excellent idea.

“I don’t have time to keep up with all of that stuff!”

Well, luckily, I’m good at research and I love to learn new things. If you hire me to create business copy for you and I’m able to teach you something new about your industry, I’ll gladly share the fount of knowledge with you.

“I don’t see the project I need listed among your services, and I’m afraid your fees might be outside my budget.”

The best way to assuage those fears is to contact me, let me know your budget constraints, and discuss the project you have in mind. I’m always happy to help out a struggling business, within reason.

If you have further questions, feel free to contact me at burke.ivey (at) rocketmail dot com.