Copywriters: For Your Eyes ONLY!
Evergreen Copywriting Defined and Explained
© 2014 Kristine M. Smith
Evergreen copy defined: any written communication that can stand the test of time — static web pages, brochures, articles, e-books, white papers, radio and TV ads, explainer videos and other written materials that don’t need to be regularly updated, altered or deleted.
Evergreen Copy Should Cost More
Evergreen copy should be billed at a higher price than temporary copy because it pays for itself hour after hour, day after day, week after week for years at a time. So if clients find themselves reeling when you quote a rate of $250 or more an hour or one dollar to three dollars a word, allow them time to catch their breath as you explain the long-term value and return on investment they’ll be reaping.
Evergreen Copy Takes Longer
Evergreen copy isn’t just slapped together. As a professional copywriter, you aren’t a hired hack. You’ve invested years and thousands of dollars learning the trade; you’ve surpassed (or at least closely approached) Malcolm Gladwell’s established “10,000 hours of study, practice and refinement” to get to the place where you can produce engaging, converting evergreen copy. You don’t dither or worry your words to death; you know what you need to do to help business owners and entrepreneurs succeed. The guesswork is gone. You don’t have to wait for your Muse to show up or for inspiration to strike. To a professional copywriter like you, it’s always show time … every time. You’re on the clock!
So … Are You a Clueless Copywriter?
If you charge the same prices for temporary flyers that you charge for evergreen copy, you’re leaving huge sums of money on the table.
And know this: clients who expect to receive evergreen copy for the price of temporary flyers are either misinformed or miserly—and electing to do business with them will be an exercise in frustration and/or futility, so wish them well and get outta Dodge on the next horse.
If you have to cajole and coddle clients to get enough financial sustenance to stay in business while ensuring great results, simply move on.
Clueless clients who elect to go elsewhere will get the copy they pay for —anemic, substandard copy that may be fit only for lining the bottom of a bird cage. It’s their choice and no skin off your teeth. When they get burned, they’ll figure it out and come to someone better equipped to serve them — someone like you. (They always do.)
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Kristine M. Smith is a professional freelance copywriter and the author of seven books. To discover the kinds of projects she tackles and the ones she leaves to other professional writers, please email her at kristinemsmith@msn.com.
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