Preparing Content

Content Inventory

If your time is better spent doing other things than writing, there is still plenty you can do to make the copywriter’s job easier.

First assemble existing potential content:

  • brochures, press releases, website
  • logo, type specs, fonts
  • photos and images
  • video

Assess your content

Ask the following questions about each piece of content:

  • Does it fit into your content structure?
  • Does it add something important?

Initially, print the content which is usable and label the printout to show where the item fits on the content structure. Cross out any parts which are irrelevant or meaningless, and highlight areas which need rewriting. These could be areas which are too full of marketing jargon, or which need rewriting to suit your audience.

Identify content holes

Match the existing content with the content structure. On the content structure mark sections which need to be written.

Indicate areas which need photos or diagrams. If necessary, add extra pages and sketches to describe photos or diagrams needed.

Make your intentions clear

Even if you are not writing yourself, the writer will need to understand your business and target viewers to write effectively. You can save time by making everything as clear as possible.

Extend your outline

Extend your content outline with detailed notes. If you are adapting written content which already exists, print the parts you want to use and indicate where they belong on your outline.

Branding

You will need:

  • a high quality digital version of your logo and any other graphic elements in your ID
  • colour and font specs
  • brand book or guidelines if existing
  • Digital versions of photos
  • Digital versions of diagrams

    Note: if you have previously used photography in marketing materials, you may need to extend your rights for either the models or the photos in order to use it on a website.

Writing for the web

If you have time, writing your own content can be a good way to save money.

The web is full of information about writing for the web. Some sources are free; many others are available as e-books (see below).

Most ‘rules for writing on the web’ are based on Jacob Neilson’s 1997 study of how people read on the web, which showed that people don’t read on the web, they scan.

To scan the text, the reader needs to quickly see what’s on a page without reading it all. Some guidelines for writing scannable text:

  • introduce the most important ideas at the top of the page in a headline
  • break up the text with meaningful subheadings
  • one idea per paragraph
  • used bulleted lists instead of long sentences
  • highlight key points with bold text, or make them links
  • use active rather than passive verbs
  • talk to the reader directly: use ‘we’ and ‘you’
  • write simply and honestly: avoid ‘marketese’ and long complicated sentences
  • keep pages short

Helpful web writing resources:

A List Apart has some helpful articles on writing for the web.

The Step-By-Step Copywriting Course
From communication styles to writing styles to SEO copywriting techniques... you'll find it all here.  Learn to write long copy, short copy, Web sites, brochures and anything else that requires persuasive writing.