FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Pricing
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.
Process
How does the project process work?
1. Meet each other:
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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.
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Discuss your communication objectives via Zoom. -
Learn more about your target audience. -
Identify key messages for each stakeholder group. -
Understand your company’s voice and market positioning. -
We can complete my briefing template together or you can fill this out yourself and send it to me. I can record the call and have it transcribed so I don't miss anything.
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I will email you a quotation based on the type of work required and a timeline to meet your deadline. -
If you are happy to proceed, you will sign this electronically and send it back. I cannot start work until I receive your approval. -
Unlimited revisions are included in each quotation. You need to be 100% satisfied.
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I will email you the first draft of the copy via Google docs or Word for review and discussion. -
You mark up changes in the comments/track changes and send it back by the agreed time. -
If no more changes are required, I will proofread again and send you the final copy for publication.
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We discuss the project process and areas for improvement. -
Once the project is complete, I will send you an invoice based on the agreed project fee.
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.
What information should I to send to you?
It is super useful if you are able to include the following in your project brief:
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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:
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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.
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Blogs -
E-newsletters -
Lead magnets -
Case studies -
White papers -
Ebooks -
Webinars -
Podcasts -
Videos -
Quizzes -
Digital Magazines
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Website copy -
SEO landing pages -
Direct mail letters - Paid online or social ads
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Advertising material like brochures -
Taglines.
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.
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 ).
Who owns the copyright?
You will own the copyright to any content that I produce for you.
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.
What is your writing style?
I follow the Associated Press (AP) Style of writing which is used in journalism, public relations and marketing.
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.
Payment
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.
Services
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:
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create a one-page content marketing plan
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clarify your customer personas
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develop a content marketing mission statement
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audit your content and your competitors' content to see how you can offer the best answers to questions on Google
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map content to your buyer's journey
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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.
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Research: Using a range of tools to find the best short and long-tail keywords to target in your content. -
Content creation: Creating high-quality content focused on target keywords. -
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.
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.
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).
Who are you?
How do I know that you can write content that gets results?
There are two reasons:
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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.
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I have proven journalism skills as I was a regular freelance contributor to national publications such as Fairfax Media's Australian Financial Review and The Australian. To see some examples and my writing style, here is my portfolio. One of the advantages about working with a former journalist is that you can be confident I know how to plan, research and interview people to uncover interesting content.
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.
What makes you different from other writers?
Clients like working with me because I am:
- professional, friendly and always deliver on my promises.
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creative and strategic in my thinking -
am focused on adding value in everything I do -
reliable and on time, every time.