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Ad Hoc PR Support

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Although I work with the majority of my clients on a retained basis, I also offer an ad hoc PR support service.

This type of service is perfect for a one-off project, which could be:

  • Website copy
  • Brochure copy
  • Setting up social media
  • Temporary social media management for (eg) maternity cover
  • Awards entries
  • Blog writing

Retained or ad hoc?

The benefit of working with retained clients means I have the opportunity to get to understand their business thoroughly. As the relationship builds, so does the trust – and the client can clearly see that the service is meeting – and hopefully exceeding – their expectations.

With an ad hoc service, it’s more a case of having to very quickly understand the culture of a company, get their tone of voice straight away, and to present them as they wish to be seen. Having worked in so many sectors over the years means I am often able to jump feet first into a project. On the odd occasion it takes a few stops and starts to get it right.

Examples of recent ad hoc PR support

  • In the latter part of 2017 I took on a three-month contract with Dartmoor-based company Directions to manage social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for three accounts based in Suffolk – two hotels and a pier! Now that was a challenge, as I never had the opportunity to see the businesses I was representing. After a week or two of tentatively feeling my way, I got into my stride. By the end of the contract I believe I had enlivened all the accounts and left them in a positive shape to be managed in-house.
  • I worked with Ross Pollard at bathroom and kitchen designer Vision Installs to sort out his website, which had been half-way finished for longer than he wanted. I tidied the existing content, wrote new content and created case studies. The website became one that Ross felt able to point potential clients to.
  • I’ve helped Griffin Chartered Accountants with blogs, press releases and most recently, an awards submission. We’ve yet to find out if they have made the shortlist, but Griffin gave me so much quality information to work with, that I’d be surprised if they don’t. Griffin are featured in my portfolio as I work from them on an occasional rather than one-off basis.
  • Website company Cloudberry Digital needed blogs for some of their client websites. These are mainly food and drink based, so I had fun researching a variety of foodie companies and products. I always feel writing a blog should be much more than an SEO exercise, a blog should be written to be read.
  • I’ve also written press releases for a variety of small businesses including Exminster Garage, Baking Matters, Barrel Tops and Gleave Media.

What’s next?

If you are interested in dipping your toe in the water, using an ad hoc PR support service is a good way of finding out a) if we click and b) if you get value for money. You can then decide on whether you want or need to move into a retained client service. For more information please contact me.

 

Fabuloso new website for Italian restaurant – just out!

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I love working with Terra Ferma Media who are right on the ball when it comes to websites, social media, digital marketing and loads more.  (They’re also a good laugh).

When they asked me to write the web copy for an Italian restaurant I was delighted to oblige. It was lovely to have the chance to write about something close to my heart (well, who doesn’t love Italian food?).

To help me get the content just right, I needed to understand what it is that makes one Italian restaurant different to another.  I spoke to the lovely Roberto and as we talked, I realised that it’s the heart, the soul, the ‘Italian-ness’ and of course the sense of family that gives personality and warmth to one restaurant more than another.

The copy was fun to write; I researched Italian foods we think we know, but do we? Do you know what flour is best for pizza, or how to make a Spaghetti alle Vongole without ruining the dish by drowning the clams in tomato sauce?

I hope I injected a real sense of the London Italian into the website. And I hope that the footfall increases as a result. I plan to visit when I’m next in Belgravia and try one of Roberto’s recommendations!

It’s Only Words….

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I read a fantastic piece about great copywriting today – unfortunately I forgot to bookmark it! But I’ve decided to write down the essence of what it said and mix it up with some of my own thoughts as well.

Copywriting has been around since way before websites and the digital era – it’s a craft in itself. There are many, many good writers out there, but not so many great.

Listen!

Listen!

A great copywriter is a listener – that made me feel happy, as I’m usually pretty quiet in meetings, taking notes (old-fashioned, I know) and trying to absorb as much information as possible, not only about the subject, but about the culture surrounding it.

Research, research, research! Look at the market you’re writing for, any competitors and what they’re saying. Then approach the copy in a different way, so your client will stand out from the crowd.

Good copy needs to be conversational – write as if you’re chatting to someone Bar chat!sitting next to you on a barstool, not a stuffed shirt in an office. It mustn’t try to be too clever – those long words that sometimes pop into the heads of us writers may seem cool, but actually they can alienate the reader.

Think really hard about the audience. Does that press release need to make industry bosses sit up and take notice, or should it inspire the reader to get involved in, say, a fundraising event.  Emotional engagement is key, either way, to make them read on.

A picture may paint a thousand words, but web copy is as important as the images that go with it. We may be drawn in by the pictures but if the words don’t match them in impact then the edge is lost!

Keep it short.

Cheeky!

Cheeky!