In the beginning was the Word…But who wrote it?
In the beginning was the word. Before the word, the writer. And before that apparently only God. The artists of the word work in secret. You don’t see the harshness of their work. But neither do you see their mischievously superior grins when they know they are influencing the course of the world with works of genius like “Wir sind Pabst” (We Are Pope). Between Writer’s Block and Writer’s High fits often just a piece of paper.
Like celebrity chefs, they work with the same ingredients as any other mortal. And yet the rest of us usually succeed only in a home cooked meal, where they compose symphonies with the same words.
Who are they exactly, these text creators, these “copywriters”. We have found one….
Petra Emmerich, a passionate copywriter with a strong affinity for IT and technology, and excellent interpreting skills from nerd to German, took a few interview questions and gave us a little insight into the “copywriter world”.
As you can read for yourself, she manages to get to the point with short and concise sentences. It goes without saying that a lot of creativity, self-organization and of course talent are required here. 😉
Hi&Lo: How would you describe the job as a copywriter in one sentence?
Petra: I love putting the uniqueness of my customers into words
Hi&Lo: What hurdles do you encounter time and time again?
Petra: People who want to charge per word. How much can the slogan “just do it” cost?
Hi&Lo: How do you adjust to the client’s wording for each new assignment? -> How much preparation time do you plan?
Petra: It starts with a free initial orientation. Then I use an individual questionnaire and conduct interviews. The preparation depends on the size of the project and the client’s budget.
Hi&Lo: How important is it to standardize the language in a presentation, for example?
Petra: I come from a sales background. Uniform language in presentations supports the brand image of a company. The personality of the presenter is the spice.
Hi&Lo: What are the pitfalls to be aware of when it comes to corporate wording?
Petra: When the sender perspective dominates. Personal pronoun 1st person (I/We) belongs in the “about us”. The customer is interested in the solution to his problem and not in the development process of a product or the feature. I always try to convince my customers of this if they want more leads and a higher conversion rate.
Hi&Lo: What superpower would support you the most in your job as a copywriter?
Petra: That I would be cloned with an octopus, have 8 arms and be able to operate 4 laptops at the same time. That would be cool.
Hi&Lo: How do you make sure you are using the right wording – what word choice is appropriate?
Petra: It helps to have a good writer’s brief. If I don’t get that from the agency or client, I ask a lot of questions to avoid a lot of proofreading for all partners.
Hi&Lo: Ever had a faux pas? 😊
Petra: Yes, addressing customers by the wrong name or wishing them a happy birthday on the wrong day.
Hi&Lo: What do you enjoy most about copywriting?
Petra:Feedback like, “Petra, when I read what you write about us, it just sounds great.” In general, I’m happy about any feedback and recommendations from my customers. Because that is a clear expression of satisfaction.
Hi&Lo: Do you have any tips on how to get more out of your texts with small adjustments?
Petra: Think about who your target audience is and what current challenges they face. Show how you can make your customer’s world a better place. If he doesn’t know the solution yet, he will search for the problem on Google. Address that and you’ll save yourself a lot of money on ads.
You can find more about Petra on her LinkedIn profile: Petra Emmerich | LinkedIn
If you need help with copywriting or need consistent wording for your presentations, don’t hesitate to contact us. As you can see, we have great copywriters in our network 😉 .
Daniela Lopez
HiLo_Agency
HiLo_agency