Copywriters and Clients - Direct Marketing

When working with clients, I like to get up close and personal.
Not in that way!
By that I mean I like to be part of the whole process. I want to understand what they are doing, why they are doing it that way, who they are targeting and why. Only by having access to that type of information can our relationship be truly effective.
Think for a moment - picture a scenario in which you run a busy kitchen. Business is booming and you need to bring in a new chef. On Thursday evening he arrives all ready to work. But rather than discuss with you how the kitchen works, what is on the menu etc., he goes off and does his own thing - the result? CHAOS.
In the freelance copywriting world your ingredients for a successful direct marketing campaign are:
A great list
A fantastic offer
Superbly crafted copy
Now if you come to the party without having any input into the first two requirements, the likelihood of the campaign being successful is low.
If the list is wrong, old or a bit dusty you probably won't be targeting the right people so the campaign will fail.
If the marketing department of your client put the offer together in a rush or without really thinking through what is important, the campaign will fail.
If you write the greatest copy ever seen but the list is wrong or the offer is poor, the campaign will fail.
So what it comes down to is this, no matter how great your copywriting, if you don't have input into all aspects of the campaign, you are running the risk of it going Pete Tong.
To maximise your chances of success - get access to the list, work with the marketing team to ensure the offer is top notch, write fabulous copy and finally stick around and find out what happens.
If the return is not as expect, find out why. Work with your client, review the whole process and find the weak link. Direct mail campaigns are not guaranteed and there can be a lot of factors that will affect the outcome (your target audience, your tone, the time the campaign was sent out, how it was sent out, what your client was looking to achieve...)
Clients remember - a freelance copywriter should always be seen as an extension to your team not an optional extra. Use their knowledge and experience to give your campaign the best possible chance for success.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter.

She works with companies from all industries to help them save time and money while gaining more targeted traffic, higher sales and a higher market profile.