I came across an article recently, designed for recruiters, suggesting the ‘Top hard skills interview questions for copywriters’ – and it occurred to me that it could be fun to turn that concept around. If you’re looking to hire me as your copywriter or content creator, here are the answers to the questions that LinkedIn experts say you should be asking…
What types of copywriting have you done in the past?
I started off as a journalist, writing for trade media. I wrote for a lovely company called Beauty and Health Publishing, who took me on as a features editor of three magazines about nails, salons and spas. I wrote mostly for the spa magazine on anything from product news, training and spa openings to complementary health, nutrition and business profiles. It was the best job, but all good things have to come to an end, and the magazine did just that.
I carried on freelancing here and there, mainly beauty, until I found a full time job in comms for a government department in Cambridge. I wrote brochure copy, website news stories and revamped the staff online magazine using my journalism background to change it from a dull ‘this is the management speaking’ publication that was never read to something that people did read – and wanted to write for and be featured in. I also edited official publications, and kept the website content fresh. It was a nice job, but when the communications function was relocated to Liverpool, and I wanted to stay where I was, I parted company with the job amicably and set up my own freelance business.
The Word Boutique
I set up The Word Boutique (originally called Sarah Clark Copywriting because I didn’t have a name in mind when I set up my business bank account) after the Government Office and one of my first clients was a company that produced DVDs with magazines. I was asked to write a short bio of Marilyn Monroe to go with a DVD of her life story, and I’ve still got it.
I then worked with Workplace Law on news stories and magazine features, and my first big corporate client was Simple, who asked me to write web copy for their new site, along with copy to go in a skincare ‘quiz’ that took people through every part of their skincare and health routine to find them the ideal products to suit them. I LOVED that project.
I wrote a few more features for magazines; a couple for a health and fitness magazine and a few for Soul and Spirit magazine. I also wrote for Salon Today – another trade magazine – and a pharmacy trade magazine called P3 Pharmacy, who I still write for now.
Copywriting for Agencies
I temped briefly at an agency in Cambridge, working on various bits and pieces, but as a freelancer, some of my best work has been picked up via agencies. I picked up a lot of work through a digital healthcare agency called Oi quite early on in my career, and although I can’t, even now, say which brands I worked on (because I had to sign an NDA) let’s just say that you would find them in Boots and have probably used them! I also wrote generic copy about contraception and women’s health.
I worked with a London-based branding and advertising agency called Ocean Branding on mostly food-related projects, and one of my favourites was writing back of cereal box copy for Cheerios. There’s nothing better to make you feel like you’ve finally made it then seeing your carefully crafted prose on the back of a cereal box.
I worked on projects for an agency called White.net who had me writing about everything from pet care to my favourites, travel articles about things like ‘top ten book-related places in Paris’ – they were great fun. I also worked with smaller agencies like 1st Class Media, writing blog posts and web copy for their clients. They are now 100% techie, but it was fun while it lasted. They got me writing my most bizarre article to date; Red Tarmac Bus Lanes in Tokyo. For many clients I provided just the word document but for some, like 1st Class, I also managed the blogs, either in WordPress or in the case of the tarmac blog post, in Blogspot. I also used a CMS for the Government Office website, along with WordPress for my own blogs through the years.
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Magazine Editing
I edited a local magazine for two years – Inspired Essex was Chelmsford-based and created by a publisher and graphic designer who really, really wanted to produce his own magazine. Sadly, he didn’t want to pay for anyone to help promote or advertise it, except for me. I somehow managed to keep the editorial going, often with the help of local writers, PR and marketing companies who wanted coverage, but it was exhausting. The deadlines for going to press kept slipping, as did entire issues that I’d put together and never quite made it to press. Eventually, we parted company, but I enjoyed the experience and managed to interview one of my Britpop heroes so I can’t complain.
Small Business Copywriting
Increasingly, I’ve found myself working with small businesses on their copywriting. My experience in the health and beauty industry has led me to work with spa booking websites like SpaSeekers, who I provided blog posts, website copy, reviews and product descriptions for over a period of three or four years. I can’y deny the free spa trips were a massive perk of that job! I started managing social media for them at the same time, and became part of the team. I also worked with The One – a Thai massage centre that was having problems with pests calling for ‘happy endings’ and upsetting the staff. I transformed his website copy so that it read like an upmarket spa and converted their social media into a friendly, informative place. I also wrote regular blog posts, speeches and any other written copy the owner needed. He’s given me a lovely write up in the case study on my front page.
I also worked with fashion clients like Wingz, who were with me for around six years in total. I have a lovely testimonial/case study from them. I started out writing fashion blog posts, and product descriptions, but ended up managing their social media, and working with fashion bloggers to try and get coverage for their products.
Local Business Copywriting
In the last few years, I’ve worked mostly with small businesses, and through networking, some great local firms. I’m a legal copywriter for a local law firm, Gillbanks Family Law, and in addition to website copy, I write blog posts about topical issues in family law. Carrying on the beauty work, I write regularly for Crystal Rose Skin Clinic, blog posts, web copy and more. I also write case studies, blog posts, listicles and press releases for Elma Glasgow Consulting, and for a year I worked in a small team promoting and supporting Learn Play Grow – officially I was social media manager but in fact I seemed to make myself indispensable for a while and I also found myself writing web copy and blog posts, promoting the company to local TV and radio, writing press releases and arguing with their web designers about why we shouldn’t have a page of SEO about Disney princess parties on a sports party website. Reader: I won.
On top of the copywriting business, I’m a published author with two novels under my belt, one trad-published in 2014 and republished in 2020, and another self-published in 2020. I’m currently writing a novel about what might have happened to Anne Boleyn if she wasn’t viciously and unjustly murdered by Henry VIII (Team Anne) and coming to the end of a Master’s in Critical and Creative Writing.
Why it matters
So, in a nutshell, there’s my history. I couldn’t possibly remember every client; I mean, there were school classroom resources, travel guides for a cruise company, legal articles for a no-win, no-fee legal firm…so many things. But according to LinkedIn’s article:
There are dozens of different kinds of copy and content writing, each with its own set of criteria for success. For example, a landing page or piece of sales collateral requires a different set of skills than copy for a creative ad, caption, or commercial—or an article for thought leadership. This question allows the candidate to showcase experience and versatility—especially as it’s relevant to your role.
Does that answer your question? OK, now on to Question 2…
‘Tell us about your writing process. How do you go about crafting a potent piece of copy or content?’