Have you been working with your copywriter for a while but they’re just not getting your tone of voice? Do they sometimes make spelling mistakes or grammatical errors? Do you wish their content was more lively, fun and relatable? If this all sounds familiar, it may be worth working on your feedback.
I know what you’re thinking: why can’t they just get it right the first time?
It’s only natural to feel this way, especially if you’re investing a lot of money in copywriting or content creation.
Believe it or not, it can take time for even the best writers to get in the swing of things.
And if you’ve been reluctant to give them feedback, they might have no idea that you’re unhappy.
Keeping your grievances to yourself will only make the problem continue. If you want to get good value for money and build a lasting relationship with your copywriter or content writer, here’s my guide to giving better feedback.
Respond as quickly as possible
If you’re unhappy with your copywriter’s work, you might lack the motivation to even read their copy, let alone provide feedback on it. Weeks can roll by and your writer is left hanging, wondering whether you’re pleased with their work or not.
Here are a few reasons to respond as quickly as possible:
- The content can be corrected within a matter of days, rather than weeks or months
- You’ll avoid having to pay for more bad content
- You’ll preserve your relationship with the writer
I’ve had clients request changes more than two months after I sent them copy. This is frustrating for me because I might be in the middle of helping another client, only for someone I assumed had ghosted me to suddenly walk back into my life.
Be specific
“This isn’t quite what I was after” might sound like a polite way to express yourself, but it’s not specific enough to make a meaningful difference to your copywriter’s content.
Do you want your writer to place more emphasis on a particular service or feature? Tell them.
Are you concerned they don’t get your tone of voice? Highlight specific problem areas and include a link to your brand guidelines or style guide.
Fed up of typos and grammatical mistakes? Make sure your corrections are visible in the document and ask them to take a look at your amendments before making a start on the next piece.
I know that giving feedback can feel awkward. You might be worried about hurting your content writer’s feelings, being shamed in an online copywriting community or getting into an argument with your writer. Thankfully, if your copywriter is worth clinging onto, they’ll act upon constructive feedback rather than getting defensive.
Refer to the brief
Did you provide your writer with a detailed brief? Before giving them feedback, ask yourself these questions:
- Does the writer’s copy or content meet the requirements laid out in your brief?
- Did you provide supporting documents?
- Did you accurately communicate what you were looking for?
I always like to re-read my brief before giving copywriters feedback. Sometimes, the content won’t be what I was looking for but when I read my brief again, I can see why they didn’t meet my expectations. I can then use this new knowledge to write more detailed briefs in future.
Emphasise the positives
Is there anything in the copy or content that you do like? If so, praising your writer for the good aspects of their work can help to keep ’em sweet.
Your reply could look like this: “Thanks for sending this over. I can tell you did a lot of research for this and I love the way you’ve weaved such fresh data in. You’ve done a great job of linking the survey results to our service. So well done! There are a few things that I think could be improved for next time. Please take a look at the suggested changes in the original document. Thanks again. Looking forward to seeing what you write next!”
If your copywriter has made a mistake, missed an important part of the brief or portrayed your brand in a light you’re not happy with, this doesn’t mean they’re bad at their job. We’re human, at the end of the day. And sometimes despite our best efforts, our clients aren’t as happy as they’d like to be.