Tartan Pen

Copywriting for digital marketing agencies who do things differently

Award-winning copywriter? Who, me?

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It was quite curious really. I woke up one morning, for no apparent reason, thinking: “I’ve never won a copywriting award. I probably never will now. And that’s okay. I’m really happy with the work I do and even though it’s unlikely to get recognised or snag any Cannes lions, I’m honestly alright with that.”

And then, that very afternoon, my Creative Director messaged me on Teams to send me a link to the Data and Marketing Association’s 2023 award winners. And my work was included in one of the winning submissions.

After I picked myself up from the floor, I read the post. Wunderman Thompson, one of the loveliest agencies I’ve ever worked with, had won bronze in the Utilities and Telecommunications category of the DMA awards – and some of my work for Samsung was included in the submission!

My contribution was to the Try It, Do It campaign – which was honestly one of my favourite projects to work on. The copy was fun, the tone was lovely and, of course, the team was awesome to work with.

Creating good work is always a team effort – at least in my experience. And you couldn’t ask for a nicer team than the ones at Wunderman Thompson. Working with them for the best part of three years was such a pleasure. I can’t wait to see what award-winning work they create in the future and I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of this piece of work.

Photo credit to the DMA website.

Want to scare a copywriter?

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Forget spooky pumpkins and animatronic witches. Here’s how to truly scare your copywriter.

Watch them work live in Google Docs

Bonus points if your display name shows up as UnselfishWalrus or EffervescentAlbatross.

Make them put their copy into a spreadsheet

Ah, the terrifying copy matrix in the equally terrifying Excel.

“I’ve just made a few small tweaks.”

For best results, follow up by completely changing their copy so that it’s totally unrecognisable.

“I don’t like it. But I don’t know why.”

Ensure you provide no further details or steer for your copywriter and watch the blood drain from their face.

Don’t give them a brief

The vaguer you are, the scarier you’ll be.

Are you a copywriter? What would you add to this list?

Out of office – back on!

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I know, I know. You’ll be thinking I haven’t done any work this autumn!

Here I go again, out of office. This time, I’m heading off to see Maisie Peters in concert. So I’ll be unavailable from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 and back at my desk on Friday 20.

I first came across Maisie Peters during lockdown, when she came up on my Spotify suggested. Since then, she’s released two albums and I’ve solidified myself as a true fan. I love her lyricism and her ability to create rhymes with words that reallllly shouldn’t rhyme. And yet they do.

I’ll be taking lots of pictures and, very probably, doing a blog post on the concert afterwards so stay tuned for my review.

Why reading helps with copywriting

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Like an artist studying a master in order to find their own style, I spent most of my childhood devouring books.

My bookshelves were filled with books about animals (Lucy Daniels and Jenny Oldfield were firm favourites), books about adventure (pretty sure I still have virtually every book Enid Blyton ever wrote. And I still read them), historical fiction (Caroline Lawrence writes this in a way that appeals to young readers) and more.

When I was younger, I only ever thought of myself as becoming a fiction writer for children. That was what I was going to do and that was the end of that. As I got older and realised there miiiiiiiight be one or two obstacles to this plan (such as having no agent and no clue what I was doing), I decided I’d like to become a journalist. Which I did.

And, when I switched career paths again and became a copywriter, it was surprising how reading all those books helped me to be a better writer.

Copy is the art of persuasion

Enid Blyton in particular taught me a lot about how people work. Her characters always have a motivation for their actions and this was very helpful in creating copy that compels and, ultimately, sells. In order to appeal to your audience, you have to understand them – and sometimes reading fiction can help me to be more empathetic and thoughtful.

Poetry is a masterclass in brevity

As a teenager, I read Alfred Lord Tennyson, Emily Dickinson, Rudyard Kipling and many more. Often, copy needs to be short, sharp and impactful – and I don’t think there’s a better crash course in compelling brevity than reading poetry. Poets need to pick the perfect words to say a lot in a short space of time, especially if you’re reading a haiku. All essential skills for a copywriter.

You learn without knowing you’re learning

As a reader, I picked up a lot of general knowledge without really knowing I was picking it up. Even in fiction (which is virtually all I read), there are often facts interweaved throughout the story. For example, one of Enid Blyton’s stories taught me that earwigs can actually fly. Which was an image I didn’t really want in my head, as I’m not a keen fan of earwigs.

These days, my taste ventures into mystery stories and thrillers. I love the twists and turns and how the author pulls something entirely unexpected out of the bag at the end of the story.

Oh, and I didn’t give up entirely on my dream of being a fiction writer because my debut novel for Young Adults will be out in 2024. But that’s another story entirely…

Out of office – officially on!

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Hello from the gorgeous Isle of Jersey!

After eight years of exile, I finally made it back to an island that holds an incredibly special place in my heart.

I first visited Jersey back in 2013 and then again in 2015. It’s always felt like a second home for me. Perhaps it’s the family connection to Jersey, or perhaps it’s the fact it’s a simply magical place.

On my first full day, I ticked off something that’s been on my To-Do List for ages: actually going inside Mont Orgueil Castle. I’ve seen the castle loads of times, but this is the first time I’ve ever made it through the doors.

The first thing I saw was a delightful little lizard scuttling across the sun-warmed stones. It was the first of many and I spent quite some time lying on the grass watching them, hoping they’d come a little closer!

There was so much to see and do inside the castle, from a falcon in the courtyard to a trebuchet to fascinating and heart-breaking stories of executed prisoners.

For my second day (today), I wanted to visit the Devil’s Hole. This was another first for me: my first venture up to the north of the island.

After a short, slightly steep walk, I found myself at the Devil’s Hole – and it did not disappoint! The north of the island reminds me very much of the north of Scotland, where I hail from, and the sense of familiarity was very endearing. Jersey’s richly-coloured soil and stone was the only hint I wasn’t on a craggy rock in the Hebrides!

At one stage, it was possible to climb down into the hole itself and explore – but sadly I couldn’t see a way to do that safely. However, just the sound of the surf and the noise of the waves on the rocks was very soothing – and it was well worth the visit.

Tomorrow, I’m hoping to return to some old haunts, like Portelet Bay and La Corbiere.

I will be back at my desk on Monday 18 September, so do reach out before then if you have any copywriting needs and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

Anniversary giveaway!

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Fancy winning a £20 Amazon gift card? Head over to the Tartan Pen Copywriting Facebook page and like and share the pinned giveaway post to win.

Saturday 5 August marks three years of running my own copywriting business – and the anniversary honestly just crept up on me!

Three years ago, I created the Facebook page, paid for an advert and got my first clients through likes/shares and advertising. I did everything wrong, made just about every mistake I could make and bumbled my way through until I finally figured out what I wanted to write and who I wanted to write for.

Every year, I host a wee giveaway to celebrate. I never forget the fact that I get to wake up every morning and do my dream job.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to my page, like, share, tag your friends and be in with a chance to win!

Terms and conditions

  • When sharing, remember to set your privacy settings to PUBLIC. If I can’t see you’ve shared the post, it may invalidate your entry.
  • Your name will be entered into a random name generator and a live draw will be held on Monday 7th August.
  • For every entry you have, your name will appear.
  • Liking and sharing form one entry. You need to do both in order to be entered.
  • This competition is in no way endorsed or affiliated with Facebook or with any other organisation.

How to give your freelance copywriter a testimonial

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What should you do if a freelance copywriter who regularly works with your agency has asked for a testimonial? The chances are you’ll immediately say yes – but then what?

Testimonials are essential for freelance copywriters. They may be restricted by an NDA and be unable to share work in their portfolio – but a testimonial can lend weight to the fact that they have done quality work for your agency even if they can’t share it.

From a freelancer’s perspective, here’s what I’d personally love to see in a testimonial.

The specifics

Your copywriter will probably very much appreciate you saying they were great to work with and their work was amazing. But your testimonial will take on extra value if you’re able to be specific about why they’re great to work with and why their work was amazing.

What sets them apart

What does your copywriter do better than anyone else? Focusing on that can be an excellent starting point in creating a powerful testimonial.

Any data

If your copywriter’s work resulted in a significant, measurable result, this is pure gold. If you’re able to share stats, metrics and measurements, this gives great weight to your testimonial and provides your copywriter with something concrete to show future clients when it comes to demonstrating their skills.

Be authentic

Genuine, honest testimonials that are carefully thought out mean a great deal. Honest feedback carries more weight and will be more meaningful for your copywriter’s future clients.

Give your copywriter an accompanying photograph

This may seem like a strange one, but if your copywriter is planning to use your testimonial on their website, an accompanying headshot of you will lend even more weight to your words and give their future clients a focal point.

Remember it’s important to them

Writing a testimonial may be at the bottom of your To-Do List, but for your freelance copywriter, it’s a big deal. So if you do agree to write them a testimonial, try to do so promptly.

For added bonus points…

  • Volunteer to write your freelance copywriter a testimonial. The lovely Phil Sanderson at The&Partnership offered to write one for me without being prompted – and it meant a lot. You can read it over here.
  • Give them more than you think they might need. This will allow your copywriter to cut anything they don’t need and potentially repurpose it as a blog post, on a testimonial page or on their social media posts.

Got anything to add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.

Why freelance copywriting isn’t my side hustle

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Opinion

Warning: ranting ahead.

I’ve seen numerous posts on LinkedIn describing copywriting as a profitable “side hustle” – and this rubs me up the wrong way.

What’s a side hustle?

The Cambridge Dictionary definition above is pretty straightforward.  

Is there anything wrong with starting a copywriting business while you do other work?  Absolutely not.  I started my business while I was working full-time in a pizzeria, often scribbling business ideas on the backs of old orders. (And, occasionally, live orders that I forgot to pass to the kitchen. Oops.)

But the idea of copywriting being reduced to something that never develops into anything further than a side gig doesn’t sit well with me.  Here’s why copywriting isn’t my side hustle.

Excellence takes time
While I fully appreciate most people don’t have the luxury of leaving their current employment and immediately launching a copywriting business, in order to be an excellent copywriter, you need to devote time to your craft.  That’s extremely hard when you’re juggling a job and likely have other commitments.  

Running a copywriting business is time-consuming
The day-to-day running of a copywriting business includes all sorts of activities, including:

  • Emailing
  • Networking
  • Answering the phone
  • Cold pitching to your dream clients
  • Attending meetings
  • Keeping your social media updated
  • Keeping your blog updated
  • Keeping your portfolio updated
  • Keeping your CV updated
  • Keeping your accounts updated
  • Actually writing
  • Sharpening your skills (learning, classes, practicing, etc.)

I know that, in order to give each of those tasks the attention it deserves, I need to allocate the correct amount of time for each one – and often I fail miserably.  Add to this all the tasks you need to do in your personal life (housework, family time, walking the dog, exercising, etc.) and the idea of having another job in addition to all this would make me want to crawl in a dark hole.

Clients deserve the best
I’m fairly expensive and I want to make sure I’m worth what I charge.  For me, that involves giving each client my full attention.  If copywriting was my side hustle, shoehorned into my evenings or lunch breaks, I know my writing would suffer and the clients’ experience would be poor.  Clients often comment on my fast response times and how quickly I’m able to action amends.  This is because I have the luxury of allocating time in order to do this, in order to make them my priority. 

In conclusion
For those interested in copywriting, I say go for it!  I’d never heard of copywriting until 2020 and I honestly wish I’d started years ago – instead of unknowingly doing it in my career as a journalist.  

None of this is intended to be discouraging to anyone thinking about making copywriting their career or even dabbling in it to see if it’s a good fit.  I simply feel describing copywriting as a “side hustle” doesn’t give this incredibly rewarding career the respect it deserves.