This much I know…
A series of interviews with copywriters
You can recognise great copy because it …
…is written in invisible ink. Great copy remains in the shadows. Only the message shines through convincing the reader that the product/service is the best thing since sliced bread. They’re not impressed by its rhetoric, turn of phrase or style – they read it, they buy it – that’s the power of great copy.
I know I’ve done a good job when…
…my client is happy, their customers are happy and above all the sales flood in. It doesn’t matter how great I think my work is, ultimately that is decided by how it performs.
The ideal client is …
…someone who can get their ideas across well, is open to suggestions and isn’t afraid to do something different: one with an open mind, who values good copy and pays on time – that’s always nice.
My favourite type of work is …
…the type of job where I can add value by helping develop a brand’s personality and voice. Being involved from the outset means I can really get creative, working with my client to produce a voice that’s unique to them. I like to push the boundaries and not be confined to a corporate tone. I like to be a bit quirky.
People like my copy because …
…it’s honest, simple and powerful. My natural writing style is conversational and informal and I find that usually works best for most copywriting projects.
Too many people think copywriting is …
…re-writing what they have already produced. They think it’s about editing, tweaking and shuffling, rather than…ah, I’ll stop there otherwise I’ll be answering the next question.
To me, copywriting is all about …
…the customer. It’s not about the company, or how great it is, or how long it’s been in business. It’s about making the customer feel as though they are the most important person at that moment and that the copy they are reading has been written just for them.
The thing that drives me mad is …
…clients who don’t pay on time. Those who say ‘perfect, thank you’ and then a week later come back because they’ve spoken to an ‘expert’ (usually a colleague or their mate down the pub) and ask you to re-write the copy. Or being given a brief by one person, but (unbeknown to you) the copy is to be signed off by someone else. OK, that was more than one thing – sorry.
If I wasn’t a copywriter, I’d be a …
…highly successful novelist (I can dream).
When I was growing up my parents always told me …
…to be quiet, do as I was told and not answer back. I failed miserably.
I relax by …
…going to the gym, playing with our dogs, chatting with the family, cycling (but not in a hail storm – that’s not an experience I want to repeat) and reading a good book whilst enjoying a cold glass of Pinot Grigio (not whilst I’m on the bike, obviously).
My guilty pleasure is …
…the aforementioned Pinot Grigio, sweet popcorn, toffee and watching The Big Bang Theory.
About Sally
Sally Ormond is a copywriter based in Suffolk. She works with clients around the world and in all industries because she loves a challenge. She founded Briar Copywriting Ltd in 2007 and when she’s not working she blogs, cycles, goes to the gym and is mum to 2 teenage boys.