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Product description copywriting: Best practices?

by Skyword
9 replies
Hey guys,

I was referred to WarriorForum yesterday, and I'm already really impressed by the sheer amount of information and sense of community you have going here. I clearly have some exploring to do.

My full-time job is connecting with writers and inviting them to freelance for my company; in the past we've focused on evergreen articles, news stories, blog entries and how-tos as our content types. Now we're considering adding product/retail descriptions to the mix, and I'm kind of at a loss as to where to begin.

There are a number of best practices articles on writing product copy online, but after hours of research I haven't been able to find any information on how much writers are paid for assignments, how fast turnaround expectations are, or -- most importantly -- where to locate that kind of writer for recruitment.

We're still in the planning stages of this transition, so any advice or info you could provide would go a long way in making sure we're paying fair rates to our writers and making reasonable turnaround requests. And if you know anyone who is a product copywriter, I would be eternally grateful if you referred them to me .

Best,

Juliana
#copywriting #description #practices #product
  • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
    It totally depends on the market.

    I just wrote 24 product descriptions and only charged $1500 - thinking it would be a fairly quick project.

    Boy was I wrong.

    I spent more time on those descriptions than the 20 page sales letter I just wrote in a two day period.

    Again though...

    It totally depends on the products themselves and the marketplace as a whole.

    If you want to get a little more transparent here and tell us exactly what you've got brewing, you'll get a ton more specificity.

    Mark Pescetti
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    • Profile picture of the author Skyword
      Hi Mark,

      So you were paid approximately $62 per product description? Do you mind telling me what information you were required to include in each one?

      Here's the problem I'm facing: I have no idea if there are industry standards when it comes to product writer payments, and I'm concerned that we're going to agree to a package deal and come to regret it later. Ex: We agree to pay our writers per word, but then the client expects fact-checking, or we agree to a flat rate per description, but the writer has to spend time researching the product.

      If we tell Sales they can't agree to a per-word agreement based on the concerns above, we need to be able to tell them what they *should* be suggesting to the client, and that's where I'm in the dark. Any examples you could provide (what you were expected to write, for what rate) would be invaluable.
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      • Profile picture of the author FalconInvestor
        My problem is how and where exactly to market myself as a writer. I'd like to build a decent reputation and portfolio before I start worrying about the price. I hope it's not out of place in asking, but to you guys who seem to be successful in attaining clients, where do you start?

        Also, assuming most clients won't want you to use the things written for them in your portfolio, how do you typically go about presenting your work and maintaining a quality, upper-tier reputation?

        Thanks.

        -Falcon
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        • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
          Banned
          Originally Posted by FalconInvestor View Post

          My problem is how and where exactly to market myself as a writer. I'd like to build a decent reputation and portfolio before I start worrying about the price. I hope it's not out of place in asking, but to you guys who seem to be successful in attaining clients, where do you start?

          Also, assuming most clients won't want you to use the things written for them in your portfolio, how do you typically go about presenting your work and maintaining a quality, upper-tier reputation?

          Thanks.

          -Falcon
          All the answers and solutions you seek are right here...

          http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-special-offers-forum/297332-earn-upto-125-hour-home-rave-reviews.html

          Warmest regards,


          Mark Andrews
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      • Profile picture of the author Mark Pescetti
        Originally Posted by Skyword View Post

        Hi Mark,

        So you were paid approximately $62 per product description? Do you mind telling me what information you were required to include in each one?

        Here's the problem I'm facing: I have no idea if there are industry standards when it comes to product writer payments, and I'm concerned that we're going to agree to a package deal and come to regret it later. Ex: We agree to pay our writers per word, but then the client expects fact-checking, or we agree to a flat rate per description, but the writer has to spend time researching the product.

        If we tell Sales they can't agree to a per-word agreement based on the concerns above, we need to be able to tell them what they *should* be suggesting to the client, and that's where I'm in the dark. Any examples you could provide (what you were expected to write, for what rate) would be invaluable.
        Hey Juliana!

        Firstly...

        No writer with any self-worth is going to charge you by the word.

        Product descriptions, just like any form of copywriting, are a way to sell prospects on your value and trigger a higher rate of conversions.

        For this last project I did, I quoted them based on how much time I perceived I needed to commit for researching and the actual writing.

        It ended up taking me a good three times what I quoted to complete the project.

        I must have read over 500 product descriptions, from like-minded companies (but not competitors) in the span of two days.

        I also had to weave 5 different branding aspects into the descriptions.

        These weren't just straight up BLAH BLAH BLAH kind of write ups; they were little works of storytelling art... just like the products.

        And while some of them took me as little as 15 minutes, there were also ones that ate up an entire hour of my time (and we're just talking 4 or 5 line paragraphs.)

        Brutal.

        So my advice:
        • Ask for quotes that include EVERYTHING involved to write the descriptions (e.g. interviewing, researching, writing, etc.)
        • Make sure YOU understand these are invaluable marketing pieces that BOTH reflect AND demonstrate the authority of your brand.
        • Have the copywriter communicate their end-to-end vision for drafting the descriptions (i.e. how he or she recommends them being used and what visuals will be needed to best convey your brand.)
        • Agree on a time frame for completion. (Which is up to his or her schedule and your bottom line needs.)
        Budget wise.

        I personally always ask people (who approach me) to communicate what their budget is and what they expect in-return.

        That way...

        I know how much you value the work... and I'm able to decipher if we're on the same level of money-speak.

        Likewise...

        You have clear boundaries on what you're able to commit, based on the value and impact you believe the descriptions will have on your financial bottom line.

        I hope that helps.

        Mark
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        • Profile picture of the author Skyword
          Mark,

          That's a great set of points, thank you -- I think treating product copy like it's easy work is going to be a key struggle we'll have to overcome. I've only ever written promotional and review-type pieces, so I don't know the first thing about what goes into creating a retail description; but based on what I've been hearing it sounds complex and frustratingly variable based on what the client wants.

          You said:
          I also had to weave 5 different branding aspects into the descriptions.
          Could you elaborate on that?
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  • Profile picture of the author michaelellison
    Go through eben pagans internet marketing videos great stuff
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  • Profile picture of the author Cabbey
    This forum is very helpful.

    You can find your answers here. Keep looking.
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