Copywriter: 40 smart questions for clients

While I had a boatload of "C" words in mind, the word for today is copywriter, courtesy of Copyblogger.

Originally, I had intended either "copyright infringement" or "color" -- and there was one other, but I forget. Unfortunately, the biggest C-phrase on the mind  today is,"crappy day," so I'm both cranky and cutting corners.

The good news is the following content saved the day as far as the A to Z  blog contest and otherwise worth considering.

The article, "40 Questions You Need to Ask Every Copywriting Client," offers valuable advice for many a freelancer who deals with clients.

Granted, a lot of it is written with a marketing or website copywriter in mind but several examples can be employed as is and/or can be tweaked to fit a freelance writer's needs.

What is most appealing about the advice is that there is a good balance between gaining and losing a potential client, one that minimizes the extremes of offering services for pennies on the dollar to losing a client from a refusal to negotiate ... or at least communicate.

Here is an example:

"40. If you’re considering turning me down based on price, could you let me know so I can consider rebidding? If you’re worried about whether you’ve bid too high and you really want this client, this question could keep you in the running."

I employed many of the strategies with clients who I created websites and marketing copy for. The questions regarding competition worked very well in defining the goals of the copy. Also I printed the questions out as well as kept an email version when face-to-face meetings were impractical. And obviously now these meetings are far less in demand than 5 plus years ago.

How many C-words did I use? I, uh, lost...count.

Beginning blogger blues, burnout and Betty Boop

My B-word choices included blogger, burnout, blues, beginning blogger and – did I say burnout?

Actually, the mood is not as bad as that but there are some lessons here.

In fact, I may treat myself as a new blogger and start from ground zero, almost: a step above, "How to Blog: Blogging Tips for Beginners," which is useful if you need it.

Back to the blues: One advantage a beginning blogger holds over me is that they don't realize what they don't know – to include some very demotivational statistics.

Also, new blogger Betty Boop is likely to be less distracted than I am -- and maybe you are/have been. I just spent 78 minutes looking at infographics on the color impact of websites on buyers. At least I wasn't playing Farmville...I think. 

This is Betty Boop out pimping her wireless potato peeler social application to some angel investor laden network who is more interested in her peeled Facebook photos while her biz site is causing self-induced blindness because it is so damn ugly!

The point is she's making money by working smart -- even if her I.Q. is 98 -- and I'm stressing over the hexadecimal value of my links across 3 operating systems and smartphones – not that this is done in vain mind you.

WELL, I do have some advantage with my years of experience in running a successful web design and marketing business along with a an internationally renown website of 800-some hand-coded pages of content. The advantage is just not showing itself at the moment. (I need structure). 

It also means that I know enough to recognize that I am antiquated about a few things (knowledge can be dangerous). Things I may have to pay someone else (or a service or application) to handle. This is tough for me to admit, for I am both independent and frugal.

But, say my Wordpress theme is corrupted (not to mention I need a Blogger design and SEO optimization atm) or I want a serious Facebook page, or I need modernized CTR analytics – there will be no time left for content.

Especially, now that blog success is less dependent on content than it is networking – oy! Seriously, that's the advice of the times. Admittedly, it needs some context.

As for burnout: It's more to do with B-list clients and overcommitment to things I'm less passionate about. I know what I want to do (mostly) and where I want to (and do) excel, but there is this other B-word, bills.

So, bloggers, this is not meant to discourage. Maybe you can relate – save for the Betty Boop anecdote – and want to share your blogger blue days and how you got past them. And, feel free to name your favorite websites for beginning bloggers.

Also, know this, as demotivated as I felt when typing the first keystrokes, I feel MUCH better now. I didn't throw in the towel on the A-Z challenge on day two as I expected, and for that I'm proud. Now off to invent a 4G tater peeler app of my own.