Some days, it seems like all I get in my inbox are questions. I find myself answering questions about copywriting, questions about marketing, questions about search engines.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the questions. In fact, I welcome them…although sometimes I get people who just pick my brain with no intention of hiring me. I weed these people out with some carefully worded follow-up questions.
Regardless, I figured my blog would be a great place to talk about some of these questions and share my knowledge and experience with you. Some of the questions are technical, some are personal, and some you’ll just have to figure out for yourself.
1. What did you study in college to become a freelance copywriter? Good question. In my final year of high school, I had to decide what I would study in college. Since I truly had no idea what I wanted to be, I decided that PR would give me a foundation and skillset that I could leverage the most. But even though I studied PR, my most important lessons have been learned in life. There’s no class that teaches you how to navigate your way through the freelance world. I truly do learn something new every day.
2. Have you ever thought about leaving the world of freelance copywriting and getting a full-time job working for someone else?
Yes! If any freelancer tells you otherwise, I’ll bet money their lying to impress you. While there are certainly times I think about leaving my freelance copywriting gig, these times are usually short-lived thanks to some good friends and colleagues. I’m very independent and can only work for certain types of bosses…the ones who are the most like me. Go figure.
3. What’s your methodology for reviewing websites? Good question. One of the first things I do when I review a website is to look at the message it sends. Your website either says you’re professional or you’re not. After looking at the overall message, I look at the content you have – its navigation, usefulness, purpose and length. Then I get into technical aspects, like keyword choice, title tags, descriptions, etc. If you’ve had your website reviewed and want a second opinion, let me know.
4. Do you use any special software to write copy? Not really. I use Word for 90% of the work I do. I also use a program called CopyWrite for some projects that have multiple elements, chapters etc. Some days, I just close my computer, pick up and number 2 pencil and write.
5. Why are you such a critic of podcasting? Let’s clarify here. I never said I dislike or don’t see any value in podcasting. I DO however say that there are some really BAD podcasts out there. Most podcasts are recorded by PR agencies who don’t have the time, manpower or experience to truly grasp podcasting for the opportunity that it is. Podcasts aren’t ‘off the cuff’ conversations. If they are, then chances are they’re worthless. You can view some of my other blog posts to get more of my opinion on this topic.
