WHY YOUR WORDS COUNTS
Andrew Field
Creative communications consultant Compelling copywriter
This illustration was part of my first logo. Way back in the day. Apart from a picture of me to your right, it’s the only image in this brochure. I’ll let my words do the talking.
M: 07850 933350 T: 0161 798 8810 E: afcuk@btinternet.com skype: afcuk61 www.afc-uk.org
WHY
YOUR WORDS count I am an experienced, versatile copywriter and communications professional. I have run my own PR consultancy (1987-97) and worked as an independent writer and consultant with clients and agencies (1997 onwards).
Andrew Field
Communications are evolving at an unprecedented pace. Today’s explosion of social media, mobile platforms and blogs are as influential as TV, newspapers and magazines. A clever viral campaign can literally sweep across the globe in a matter of hours, packing a punch as powerful as traditional advertising - at a fraction of the cost. While these new media platforms present us with a whole host of dramatic new challenges, the core disciplines, skills and experience necessary to communicate effectively are just as important as they ever were. Clear thinking. Good English. Without abusing the apostrophe. Or getting tangled up in tenses. Or confusing complement with compliment. Plain speaking. Simple, honest messages delivered concisely to the right people. Using a voice they understand, like and can trust. To achieve this requires investment in communications consultancy and professional copywriting. In my opinion, Twitter and Facebook contributions need the same careful thought and consideration as press releases, corporate brochures or important media interviews. WWW updates have to be relevant and interesting if they are to capture the imaginations of the people you want to reach. And they all need to seamlessly integrate as part of one cohesive communications package. Likewise, the impact of communications activity should be tracked and reviewed, refined and redefined as appropriate on an on-going basis. A genuine commitment to communications will give businesses real competitive advantages to build brands, boost profits and cement reputations.
Choices
Everything you say and do has an impact on how people perceive you and your business. Whether by design or default, you are constantly creating an impression. Good and your business will thrive. Bad and you probably won’t. A half way house and you’ll struggle to realise your full potential. That’s why it is important to do all you can to positively influence how you are seen through all your communications, no matter what the platform. After all, they contribute so much to your public persona. Your reputation. They are the essential stepping stones to creating strong, successful businesses.
Here are some of the key questions requiring your constant attention:• What are the benefits you want to communicate to people? • What is the best way to grab their attention and win hearts and minds? • How do you excite, entertain and WOW them, motivate and inspire? • What will make people feel good about you? • How do you ensure people BELIEVE what you’re saying?
Compelling communications and copywriting must be results led. Everything you do and say must look to achieve at least one of the objectives below:1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
increase awareness disseminate information build brands encourage loyalty boost sales
The entire writing and creative process needs to be carefully managed to ensure every word earns its keep and justifies its existence. Feedback (positive and negative) should be respected and incorporated into review and refinement stages. And copy needs to be delivered on time and to the brief, whether it is a first, second or final draft. The whole process is about making choices, driven by understanding, previous experience and sector-specific knowledge.
C-Words
Some c-words that will help you out rather than get you into trouble Creative: your words and communications should always excite and motivate the people you want to reach, no matter who they are. They should entertain and inform in a voice your audience can identify with and understand - whether it is chatty or corporate or a happy medium inbetween. Communication: there is an enormous spectrum of media platforms for you to use including:• hard and soft marketing collateral such as brochures,advertising & direct mail • WWW and social media population • press releases, features, ghosted articles, speeches • magazines, newsletters and white papers • video, scripts and speeches and business plans, reports, presentations. Context: the strategy/thinking (aka consultancy) behind your communications decides how, when and where you communicate with your various audiences. An integrated, seamless approach is essential to ensure everyone shares the same voice and sings from the same hymn sheet. The real secret to all strategy is to be proactive. Decide what you want to do and then do it. Content: the captivating ideas, words and images that you need to populate brochures, websites, press releases, social media and business presentations. All the time focusing on what makes you special, why you stand out from the crowd and how people get engage with you. Your content should be fresh, informative, relevant - even fun. If you simply replicate what you’ve done before, your content quickly resembles last week’s bread...stale. Consistency: your tone of voice drives the personality of your brand. It needs to be consistent so people recognise and trust it as yours. It embraces frequency as well so you don’t end up saying too much and are seen as mundane. Or too little and become invisible. Creative collaboration: partnership or teamwork is crucial to ensuring communications gets the results you want. From identifying, defining and articulating key messages and benefits to creating and developing the content, a collaborative approach gets us there faster than everyone operating in isolation.
Content
Brochures Well-written brochures give you total control of the message - and look and feel of your brand. An effective brochure, or portfolio of brochures, helps persuade people to engage with you. Translates your facts and features into benefits. Sells your services. Wins you business. They are still integral to the marketing mix.
Press releases
A proper press release makes a journalist’s job a lot easier. It doesn’t need spin, just the facts, a hook and an understanding of what target media wants. They need to be properly planned, researched and written.
Magazines & newsletters
WWW copy and content management Your www is your very own ‘broadcast’ media, so your web content should be fresh, current and newsy, otherwise you are missing out on an opportunity and giving your business rivals a competitive advantage. A regular SEO-friendly diet of original content is essential - including words, audio and video. News stories and blogs to online special offers and e-card or electronic newsletter campaigns will give you unprecedented interactive access to your stakeholders.
Tweeting
Incidentally, social media, such as tweeting, should receive the same disciplined approach as any Magazines and newspapers and other copywriting task. Objectives give you total control of how and and success criteria should be what you want to say to people. Printed or electronic, the key skills clearly identified. A professional copywriter can help you plan what are the same including editorial production, photo research, design, you say and how you say it and define your goals. layouts and artwork.
White papers White papers are an increasingly powerful marketing tool, focusing on the needs of your audience, highlighting how you can solve their problems with your solutions, products and services. Search engines love them. They provide greater substance and logical reasoned arguments. I produce white papers in their entirety, including developing the idea and the synopsis, desk research, interviews, writing and approving the copy, proofing, design and artwork and distribution.
Advertising & direct mail Advertising and direct mail generate sales and awareness about you and your business. Whether it’s part of a planned campaign to build your brand or tactical activity to boost sales leads, advertising and direct mail must show end user benefits, engage with your audience and carry an easy to follow call to action.
Producing and broadcasting a video is easier and cheaper than ever before - but that does not mean sacrificing quality. Videos and indeed speeches and audio presentations - should always be professionally scripted to ensure you get your messages across in the quickest and most effective way possible.
Business plans, presentations & sales letters Good copywriting applies across the board - and not just to the glossy colourful collateral. Business plans, reports, presentations and sales plans are just as important. Professional writing and editing skills can transform documents. Make them accessible, relevant and consistent by focusing on key messages. Without question, adding a professional touch will make all the difference to how you are perceived.
Experience
Video, scripts and speeches
My sector experience includes property, hotel and leisure, construction, sportswear, financial services, IT, fashion, education, social services, media, local authorities and FMCG. I have worked with the following names: Bailey Building Services, Barneys, Boddingtons Bitter, Boddingtons Pub Co, Burns Jewellers Group, Castle Eden Ales, Century Inns, Crosby Homes, Cornerstone Service Support, Dawsons Music Stores, De Vere Hotels, DCMS, EcoWater, Edenhouse, Experience Resorts, Granada, GS Systems, Influence Apparel, Intelligent Business Systems, Kersewell, Loud Fashion Accessories, McDonald Hotels, Mazagan Resorts, MediaCityUK, MEN, NG Bailey, Nord Anglia Education, 02, Own Media Ltd, PAS, Pilot Retail, Pinstripe, Princess Christian Nurseries, RedNet, RedOrange, Sharp Electronics, The Belfry and Umbro. As an independent communications consultant and copywriter I offer end user clients and agencies:• great value for their time and cash investment • a willingness to pro-acvtively tackle your communications issues with experience, understanding and creativity • and a total commitment to achieving clearly identified objectives My skills also include project managing the following:• • • • •
creative and art direction design & artwork photography print physical and electronic distribution
Terms
1) My terms & conditions are simple. Please make sure you read them. They apply to all work that is commissioned and confirmed by Andrew Field via a Letter of Agreement (LoA). 2) The LoA outlines who you are as the client, confirms your business details, identifies the project and details objectives, deliverables, timelines, fees and payment schedule. Acceptance of the LoA, and our terms of engagement, has to be confirmed in writing by post or email by you (as the client) and me as the supplier. 3) Fees for writing/content creation/communications projects are charged on either a) a pre-agreed fixed fee to cover my services from the start to finish of a project b) retainer for a pre-agreed programme of work c) an hourly rate for an agreed individual project. 4) A standard fee normally includes a briefing session in person or via SKYPE or other media platform, outline treatment (if appropriate), researching, writing and the submission of the first draft, feedback and discussion of the first draft and a maximum of two revisions prior to the final draft. Other activities will be outlined in the LoA. 5) Revisions, amends or rewrites based on changes from or deviations to the original project brief may incur additional costs. These will always be communicated concurrently and signed off by you the client prior to rewording/reworking. 6) Comments and feedback about work in progress or final submission must be made at the time of submission (or within 48 hours). If they are not made at the time, then it is assumed the work in progress or final submission has been approved. 7) Payment terms are outlined in the LoA. Unreasonable delays may result in interest being charged on late payments. 8) Invoices are sent electronically and are payable as per the LoA. Any invoice queries must take place within 48 hours of submission. 9) If a project is cancelled after acceptance of the LoA, but before the first draft has been submitted, a cancellation fee of 50% of the total agreed fee will be due. If it is cancelled after the submission of the first draft, the agreed fee will be payable in full. 10) Copyright remains with the creator, Andrew Field, unless otherwise agreed in the LoA. If it is assigned following full settlement, Andrew Field will share copyright with you.
Andrew Field Communications 11 Deyne Avenue, Prestwich Manchester M25 1EJ M: 07850 933350 T: 0161 798 8810 E: afcuk@btinternet.com skype: afcuk61 www.afc-uk.org