How do you charge for each project?

I charge on a project basis. This means that if the job takes longer than what I have estimated, you will still only pay the original quoted price. This reduces the risk of budget "creep". If the scope of the job changes, then the project price will change accordingly.

Do I need to pay a deposit before we start the project?

No, I will invoice you at the conclusion of the project once you are 100% happy with the work I have done.

How does the project process work?

1. Meet each other:

• You can schedule a free 20-minute discovery call in my calendar to find out if we would be a good fit. We will discuss your goals and whether I am the right person to help you.

Do I have to sign a contract?

Yes. My quotation includes the terms and conditions associated with your project. It addresses issues such as confidentiality, expenses, insurance, copyright and ending our agreement. It is designed to eliminate any confusion about what is and what isn't included in your project.

What information should I to send to you?

It is super useful if you are able to include the following in your project brief:

• a very clear description of your target audience (What keeps them awake at night? How do they feel about their problem?)
• a clear goal for the content (What do you want your reader to think, feel or do after reading your content? What does success look like for you?)
• an inhouse Style Guide (if available) which will ensure that my work is consistent with your existing content
• samples of other pieces of content that you love or hate
• an editorial calendar (if available) so I can ensure your content is not repetitive and stays relevant
• images or video to accompany your article or access to an image library
• SEO long-tail keywords you want to use.

What's the difference between content marketing and copywriting?

Content marketing is about engagement. It is a long-term strategy to:

• improve your ranking on Google so clients can find you
• attract and engage your clients by educating, informing or entertaining them
• increase brand awareness so you are top of mind.

Why should I work with you instead of an agency or someone from Upwork?

I bring the professionalism and service quality of a full service agency but without the price tag. I do not have the overheads and employee salaries associated with a big agency. This means that your budget can be stretched further. I provide dedicated one-on-one service and try to position myself as a "trusted partner". This means that you save time and money trying to find and brief new freelancers. The more I understand your business, the faster I can create effective content that meets your business goals. In terms of Upwork, there are plenty of quality freelancers available. The issue is that you must have the time and capacity to find them. Plus, they need to have the relevant financial services experience so they know how to walk in your customers' shoes.

Where are you located and do we need to meet?

I am currently based in snowy Switzerland but I regularly do Zoom calls in other parts of the world like the USA. Switzerland is in the Central European Time Zone which means it is 1 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1 ). When you visit my calendar page, these times are listed in your time zone so you can book a time that suits you. If you are based in Switzerland, then of course I am happy to meet you in person if you are located in the German-speaking part.

Who owns the copyright?

You will own the copyright to any content that I produce for you. It is classified as “ made for hire,” which means that the copyright on the work belongs to the employer or the party who commissioned the work. With your permission, I would appreciate the option to include non-confidential work in my portfolio and marketing materials.

What about confidentiality?

I am often asked about confidentiality because of my journalism background. I am no longer working as a journalist as my portfolio is big enough to prove to clients that I can write. All information that we share together is treated in strict confidentiality and I have a non-disclosure agreement to send to you if you wish.

What is your writing style?

I follow the Associated Press (AP) Style of writing which is used in journalism, public relations and marketing. In terms of voice and tone, my job is to sound like you. This means that if your brand matches the brand values of Vodafone, my writing needs to be straight talking, bright and accessible. It also means that I need to tailor my language for your target audience - where are they based? Will they relate to American or British English? My writing is always clear, succinct and written in plain English.

What happens if I am not satisfied with your work?

My goal is to deliver high quality work that delivers results, every time. If for some reason you are not happy after 30 days, I will immediately refund you the full project fee.

What are the different options to pay you?

I accept payments through Paypal or Stripe. If you are based in Switzerland, then I will send you an invoice via email. All payments are due within 30 days.

Please review each invoice promptly and bring any questions to my attention within 30 days, after which time all invoices will be deemed accurate, fair and reasonable. Should you cancel or place ‘live’ projects on hold for any reason, you will be invoiced for all work completed to date.

You are based in Switzerland, what currency will I pay you in?

You will pay your invoice in your local currency.

I have Wordpeople GmbH on my invoice. Who is that?

This is the name of my company which is registered in Switzerland.

What content creation and content marketing services do you provide?

I can provide the following services:

A. Creation of individual content assets like blog articles, newsletters, ebooks, lead magnets. I can provide suggestions for royalty-free images to accompany the content.

B. Development of a full content marketing strategy

I can help you to:

• create a one-page content marketing plan

• clarify your customer personas

• develop a content marketing mission statement

• audit your content and your competitors' content to see how you can offer the best answers to questions on Google

• map content to your buyer's journey

• develop a three-month editorial calender.

I do not do paid search or digital advertising.

Can you edit/and or re-write content that I have done myself?

Yes, no problem. I will still need to check with you about the goals for the content and who it is intended to reach.

What types of SEO services do you offer?

My expertise is "on-page" search engine optimisation. This involves:

1. Research: Using a range of tools to find the best short and long-tail keywords to target in your content.
2. Content creation: Creating high-quality content focused on target keywords.
3. Keyword optimization: Using the target keywords in all the right places and using appropriate page title and H1 tags.

Do you do social media strategy?

I do not have capacity at the moment to do a full social media strategy for you but I can refer you to another specialist. If you are interested in a monthly blog package, I can draft the introductory text and hashtags you would need to post the content to LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

Can you do the design work to accompany my content?

As I am not a full service agency, I do not offer professional design services with tools such as Adobe. However, for simple projects like lead magnets or infographics, I can layout your content using a template we choose together on Canva. When you need images, I can suggest relevant royalty-free images from sites such as Pexels or Unsplash. I can also suggest the "alt-text" or alt tags for your images in order to help Google understand what you have published.

Can you help me with corporate communications documents like annual reports?

Yes, no problem.

I am very experienced as an editor and can help you pull together large reports which have many authors. I can ensure that your report has the same voice and tone throughout, and importantly, is interesting to your audience. I have written, edited and proofread reports for large global firms such as Vodafone, Cofra Holding AG, IT firm CSC Australia (now DXC Technology).

How do I know that you can write content that gets results?

There are two reasons:

• I have been a full-time professional financial services freelancer since 2006. No-one lasts very long in this industry unless they are super professional and generate great results for their clients. I have benefited from in-house agency experience from working in the financial communications business of Ogilvy Public Relations in Sydney. I have partnered with clients such as global fund manager Russell Investments, Vodafone, AMP Financial Planning, International Coaching Federation, Korn Ferry. I was also the official business writing training partner for the Australian Writers' Centre and trained more than 500 people through one-day corporate writing programs.

What qualifications do you have?

Please visit my LinkedIn page for a list of my formal qualifications which include an Executive MBA and a Graduate Diploma in Finance & Investing. I am a Certified Digital Marketing Professional through the Digital Marketing Institute in Ireland. This involves 40 hours of training and a two hour exam. In 2021, I will complete more advanced training through a Certified Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing which is equivalent to half a Master's Degree. I have also been certified as a StoryBrand Guide which is a seven step marketing/messaging framework to ensure that your brand message is clear and compelling. To stay relevant, I also undertake regular webinar trainings as a member of the American Marketing Association and the Digital Marketing Institute.

What makes you different from other writers?

Clients like working with me because I am:

• professional, friendly and always deliver on my promises.
• creative and strategic in my thinking
• am focused on adding value in everything I do
• reliable and on time, every time.