Copywriting revisions are bound to happen at some point. Either your seasoned regular copywriter or a new blood will take on a project that doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Maybe they had a bad week.
Perhaps they didn’t take the time to sit down and hash out the details because they were eager to start.
It could be they were dealing with a different member of your team, and the communication chemistry wasn’t quite in synch.
Whatever the reason, you aren’t thrilled with the words slapped on the page.
What do you do when you aren’t satisfied with your copywriting project?
The simple solution is to ask for a revision.
In fact, you should always ensure a revision clause in your project scope before engaging a copywriter in any creative project. It protects your interests.
However, there are a couple of guidelines that make asking for a revision roll smoothly versus getting sticky.
1. Ask politely.
If you want the best service possible at the end of your project, now is not the time to tell your copywriter that they’re an utter failure at their craft.
2. Have specific copywriting revisions in mind.
“Change the tone” is pretty vague, but if you tell me, “I want the tone to reach a more specific demographic of our persona profile, ideally female graduate college students,” it is much more tailored. We can’t read your mind, so please spell out exactly what you want to see changed.
3. Ask what happened.
Asking why the writer approached the assignment the way they did might yield an unexpected answer. Was the copy written with white hat SEO practices in mind? If so, your expectation for keyword stuffing is likely to be dashed. Or perhaps they are encompassing more than one market segment with a single piece of copy.
4. Understand that you need to make the revision request quickly after reviewing the draft.
Generally, most copywriters would like notice of changes to be made within three business days. Likewise, you should expect the revisions to be turned around quickly in the same time frame.
5. Be prepared to pay for extra copywriting revisions.
If only one round of revisions is included with your project scope and you aren’t specific enough in your request the first time, be prepared to pay an additional fee for a second round. That one is on you.
The first time you request a revision from a copywriter, you can discover how they take criticism. There is always room for improvement, and a competent and quality copywriter will be polite and eager to take another crack at the project.
Believe it or not, revisions aren’t viewed as something to be avoided by copywriters who genuinely care about partnering in your marketing success.
They take the pressure off. Knowing that there’s a possibility for a revision might encourage your copywriter to take some risks creatively. Sometimes those risks pay off big time.
Sometimes they crash and burn (but give your copywriter some credit for taking the initiative).
Suppose a project comes back with full approval after the first delivery, and there aren’t any revision requests. In that case, your copywriter is going to be thrilled…but they know they aren’t able to deliver 100 percent perfection all of the time.
Revisions are an expected part of the writing process, and they allow you and your copywriter to forge an even stronger working relationship.
So, revise on and get that marketing train leaving the station!
