Another area of tension in the collaboration between copywriter and client can be the briefing and generally insufficient or misleading communication.
A text can only be as good as the briefing and the communication between each other.
If communication is sparse and only a little information is given, such as a topic and a desired number of words, the client cannot expect a satisfactory result from a copywriter.
Christiane Sohn : " Unfortunately, there are always communication problems when writing texts. Of course, misunderstandings arise all the time and everywhere. Mistakes are made. But then there should also be a chance to correct them. But this often doesn't exist."
Copywriters generally consider text briefings to be good and necessary. However, there are also different opinions and preferences here. While some prefer very detailed briefings, others would prefer a briefing that only contains the most important requirements so as not to be forced into too much of a corset.
Peter Montag : " A detailed briefing is important - with regard to the formal requirements as well as the purpose of the text and the target group. Texts often have to fit into a specific environment later on and the copywriter should be familiar with this. On the one hand, a client should formulate his expectations as precisely as possible, because this is the prerequisite for the copywriter to be able to meet the expectations."
On the other hand, balance is also an aspect that bahamas phone number data should be considered: specifications that are too narrow and restrictive are counterproductive. Every copywriter will appreciate a certain degree of freedom in implementation. In a proven collaboration with a copywriter, the client will trust more and more in the skills of his service provider anyway . "
A briefing is always a balancing act between the client's specifications and the writer's creative freedom. The parties should clarify this at the beginning of a collaboration.
In the article Designing texts for websites – How SEOs can help by my colleague Carolin you will find some points that belong in a text briefing so that a text can be created from an SEO and user perspective.
deadlines
Deadlines offer further potential for conflict between the parties. The client is under time pressure and needs to receive the texts quickly because campaign xy is about to start. On the other side are the copywriters who need the necessary time for their creative work.
Christiane Sohn: " Of course, a deadline has to be set. But creativity cannot be put in chains. Just as we copywriters can "conjure up" a text very flexibly and quickly, it would be nice if creativity could also be given space and time. "
From my experience in agencies, I unfortunately have to say that the reason for the tight schedules is often poor planning on the part of the client. Any correction loops or other tasks related to text creation are simply not taken into account in the time calculation.