It’s a sticking point among copywriters as well as other custom writing professionals and agencies. Copywriters don’t like doing revisions because it decreases the profitability of the piece, clients don’t like them because they slow the process of bringing good content to market, and agents like Beez get caught in the middle – we want to deliver good content while also standing behind our writers. It can be a mess, especially when there are gray areas. Today, I want to spotlight a few of those gray areas and, hopefully, give you a few things to consider before asking for revisions.
What the Market Wants
When developing content, it is important to realize that it isn’t always about personal preference. First and foremost, we need to think about (and be sensitive to) the needs and wants of the people who consume our content. This is our market, and what they want takes precedence over, and can even nullify, what we want.
Of course, we all want to be able to maintain a high degree of control over the content, but there are instances where it is beneficial to step back and ask if, perhaps, your readers might be better able than you to relate to the copy. In many cases, the mind of the writer can give you a more keen insight into the mind of your customer. Consider this before asking for revisions, and also consider these questions:
1. Do I have a clear understanding of my audience?
2. Have I sought other professional opinions about how to effectively market to my ideal customer?
3. Have I determined who my ideal customer is and developed my entire marketing strategy around that avatar?
Ideally, you should have all three of those things resolved before hiring a writer. If you don’t, I suggest starting there. It will give you a much better chance of receiving copy you can approve on an initial draft.
Knowing the Skills and Limitations of Your Writer
As a marketer or business owner, you know your customer better than anyone. That being the case, it is important to work with writers who share that same understanding. Those who do will be able to deliver great copy that everyone can be proud of. Less-experienced writers who don’t at least have a writing background in the subject might never be capable of doing that no matter how many revisions you call for. As I’ve mentioned before, you can’t beat better copy out of a writer by asking for dozens of revisions. The quality will always be limited by the skill of the writer.
With this in mind, before you ask for revisions in this instance, ask yourself:
1. Have I properly vetted any writer or agency with whom I contract to create copy for me?
2. Have I reviewed samples of at least a few writers’ work to determine which of them has the best understanding of my brand or marketing objectives?
3. Did I supply a writing abstract or briefing?
4. Did I communicate my objectives for this project clearly to my writer?
“Oh, I forgot…”
This is precisely why I feel a comprehensive briefing is always a good idea. Even the best copywriters are often lousy psychics. They cannot get inside the client’s head and conjure details that aren’t part of a brief. If you want your copy to cover all the bases on an initial draft, you need to define those bases adequately. If you don’t, please don’t come back asking for revisions or rewrites without being willing to pay for them.
Writer error, miscommunication by the agency with the writer, sloppy overall writing: all of these deserve revisions. “I forgot to mention…” simply does not. In order to avoid this situation, ask yourself:
1. Do I have a set-in-stone objective for this piece?
2. Have I provided a comprehensive brief to the writer?
3. Are the changes I’m requesting listed in the brief?
4. Did I answer any questions from the agent or writer adequately prior to the start of writing?
5. Did the writer make mistakes in the copy, or did I just change my mind about the direction I want to take this piece?
Ultimately, in this situation, you need to decide whether you’re going to assume responsibility for your errors or ask your writer to pay for your mistakes. Which of those do you think will motivate a good writer to stick with you?
To me, the solution here is simple. If you don’t want to repeatedly start over from square one, be a good communicator or commit to learning how to communicate with writers as you go. You might spend a little more money in the process, but you will learn how to streamline your content creation long term. Chalk it up to a learning experience if the writing is good based on the brief but isn’t what you thought it would be. Make a conscious effort to include the missing details in later briefs and graciously approach the writer for a paid rewrite that aligns better with your original objective or desired shift in focus.
A Final Word on Revisions
Good writers understand that revisions go with the territory, but the better writers out there are more than capable of getting things right on an initial draft. Be sure you’re reading the copy from the standpoint of your audience, hire the best writer for your project, and never ask a writer to donate his or her time to fix your mistakes. Learn from them, be willing to pay to fix them, and you will find it much easier to communicate your wants to all of your content creators over time.