reynoldswriting.com Blog

I’d love it if every business owner on the planet requested my writing services. The only snag is, I’d have to turn down most of those requests — and not just because of my own creative bandwidth, either. Believe me, I stuff my calendar like Uncle Bob at an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving buffet whenever I can, even though my brain sometimes cries out for a seven-day fast. But in many cases these prospects haven’t yet arrived at the point where hiring a copywriter makes good sense for their current siutation. So how can you tell if you’re jumping the gun? Here are a couple of major indicators:

You don’t have a marketing budget. It alarms writers when their clients pay cash out their wallet or purse. Why? Because marketing payments should come out of a business’s marketing budget, not somebody’s grocery money. If you don’t have an official marketing budget, you need to make one that fits into your overall business plan, just like any other corporate expense. Save your grocery money for groceries, and pay your business expenses with corporate funds. If you don’t have any corporate funds, then maybe you have more urgent problems to solve before you go on a marketing binge.

You don’t have a strategy. Just as you need a marketing budget to fund any copywriting or other marketing expenses, you need a marketing strategy that dictates the most sensible way to spend that money. What are your long-term marketing goals for your brand? Which media channels can help you achieve those goals, and how should you use each of them in a way that strengthens your overall message? What is your Plan B in case Plan A gets a hole in it? These are questions for a marketing strategist, not a copywriter. If I get called in to write a press release and the client asks me, “What do you think we should say? Who should we write this for?” and so on, I gently steer them toward a marketing consultant who can help them figure those things out. Once you know how you’ll market yourself, then you can figure out whether you need a copywriter’s services.

If you’re not sure whether you’re ready to hire a copywriter — just ask. Most experienced writers are astute and honest enough to point out any preliminary measures you may need to take first. I’m always happy to refer my prospective clients to other marketing experts who can lend a helping hand. And if you know you are ready to pull the trigger, I’m right over here holding up the big red target.

For more about my writing services and current package deals, check out my website at www.reynoldswriting.com.

That great wise man and British TV personality Benny Hill — the portly comedian fond of bopping little old bald guys on the head — once recited an oddly touching little poem on one of his shows:

No birds
No bees
No flowers
No trees
No wonder
November

While different parts of the world experience various kinds of weather once autumn rolls around, I’ve seen my share of November days that seemed to fit that description pretty well. Now that Daylight Savings Time has ended and the days are growing shorter, dinnertime means nighttime. Unfortunately, a great many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) as autumn yields to winter. This “winter depression” can manifest itself in the form of oversleeping, grogginess, inability to focus, social withdrawal and overeating. There’s even a summertime version of SAD that tends to cause opposite symptoms, including anxiety, irritability and loss of appetite.

Your environment can have a profound impact on your productivity, regardless of whether you suffer from SAD. I’ve been searching for the perfect writing environment for years. I’ve never found it and I suspect I never will, though I keep on fighting the good fight. But the surroundings that support productivity for one writer — or sales manager, or business owner, or marketing director — may drive another to distraction. In my case, I’ve found that peace and quiet in a controlled environment works better for me than the bustling atmosphere of a coffee shop or restaurant. Other writers, however, spend their entire careers in cafes, with no concern for the noise and motion swirling around them. A few even require this environmental stimulation to get themselves going; I once heard of a writer did his most productive work while sitting in airport lobbies. Different strokes, as they say.

So if you’re getting less work done than usual, examine your surroundings. Is the room bright enough? Too bright? Is that leaf blower outside your window grinding your brain to a halt? Do you suffer from SAD? You might benefit from some new full-spectrum lighting, a pair of earplugs or other corrective gear. If you thrive on human interaction and solitude depresses you, maybe you need to abandon the home office in favor of the nearest Starbucks. Even if you’re not actually chatting with the folks around you, just being in the middle of human activity could cure your working blues — regardless of what kind of work you do.

For more about my writing services and current package deals, check out my website at www.reynoldswriting.com.