If you missed my recent post about the ‘Invisible Work’ and how it helps you charge more for your services, you can check it out here so you know what this whole concept is about.

So in a nutshell, we’re talking about the value of showcasing the things you do that people don’t know about – the so-called invisible work or ‘perceived hard work’.

For instance, you’ve seen these aggregator sites where their server ‘works hard’ for a few moments, getting offers from various travel sites for instance, then presents the results in dramatic fashion.

A.k.a. it does the heavy lifting for you. Or that’s the perception you’re supposed to have, anyway.

In reality, some of these sites actually prolong the search times so it seems it’s working extra hard to get the hard-to-get info for something that’s essentially just retrieved from a database!

At any rate, doing something to highlight your invisible work is definitely something you should do, so you can easily quote and charge higher rates.

Let’s take another quick example, from the perspective of a copywriting service provider. A freelancer, agency owner, what have you.

What Your Copywriting Client Typically Sees

  • The main goal of copy discussed and decided (direct sales, lead generation, audience building, etc.)
  • A simple order placed for the copywriting project or service
  • A bunch of questions answered and relevant material provided, as requested
  • “Something happens” for a long time while they’re waiting, and waiting some more…
  • The copy finally arrives, perhaps with instructions to lay it out and run it
That’s about it. It’s what they see and know to work with.
Now, on the other hand…

What Your Copywriting Client
Typically Does NOT See

  • Typically, a good 50% of the copywriter’s work involves deep research. You cannot build a house without the proper materials and tools procured and at hand.
  • All of the personal interviews, customer interviews, peer interviews, competitor interviews required to get the inside scoop and point of view
  • Reading through all of the relevant information sources online and offline, and finding them in the first place
  • Getting to know the product itself, the business supporting it, and doing the same with the competition’s products
  • Doing many, many revisions before the first draft even sees the light of day… much less the customer’s desk
  • Often creating not just one version per each copy element, but maybe 15… or 35… or even 50! before settling on the final copy to be run
  • Constant reshuffling of the copy components to get the effect ‘just right’…
  • Creating an actual flow from all of the individually written parts
  • Resting the copy using myself, using test subjects, using the client, using their customers… or just random test audiences who are verified to be ‘in the market’
  • Doing tons of groundwork and preparatory legwork with mere paper and pen in hand… making lists of stuff, ‘gathering the ammo’
  • Talking the copy out loud to make sure it sounds natural and relevant to the people in the market
…and much, MUCH more! 😉
The careful thought that goes into the process of copywriting…
So again, here’s your profit-increasing action for the day, should you accept it:
“List and describe the things clients don’t know you do, the invisible “hard work” involved. Implement this in your marketing.”
GO! 
PS. If you’re a budding freelance copywriter, or would like to get into the business of copywriting, there’s no better place to accelerate your success than in my Copywriting Mentorship. As you read this, there may or may not be active enrolment, but leave a message if you’re interested.
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Comments to: The Invisible Work in Copywriting
  • October 30, 2021

    Thank you so much for sharing this article with us. It was so helpful and full of details. I have never thought of copywriting in this way. Thanks again

    Reply
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