Even though you just completed a piece of copywriting for one of your clients, it does not mean the work is done. You still need to follow up with them to make sure everything is okay and that they were able to use the material as intended.
After you’ve completed a piece of copywriting for a customer, the first thing you should do is follow up with them. This could be something as simple as an e-mail or a phone call, but no matter how professional or personal the contact is, you need to follow up with them after the initial project is completed.
The reason for this is simple: as a copywriter, you’re not done with your customer until they’ve actually used the content you’ve created and benefited from it. If they’ve used it in a sales letter or on a website, then you’ve accomplished your goal. However, if they didn’t take the time to read the content you’ve written and are still sending out the same old e-mails that they’ve always been using, then you need to know this so you can make sure they get the results you’ve promised them.
The Key to Effective Following Up
The key to successful follow-up is in the details. When you follow up with a customer after completing a project for them, you need to do so in a way that is personal and professional at the same time. You can start by simply recalling the details of the project you worked on together – perhaps something as simple as remembering their order number or the name of the product – and referring to it by name. You can also ask how they found your work and if they have any feedback on the copy you wrote.
As a copywriter, you need to do your best to ensure that no matter what the circumstance is, your customers feel like they’re getting the utmost attention and care from you. One way to show them you truly care is by following up with them and making sure they feel like the project you worked on together is just as important to you as it is them. In some instances, this could mean revisiting the project and polishing it to ensure everything is expressed clearly and concisely. In other cases, it may mean checking for typos and misspellings, as well as looking for ways to improve the quality of the writing. Whatever the case may be, make sure to follow up with them to ensure they’re satisfied with the results you delivered and that the project you worked on together is still important to them. This way, you can continue to build a long-lasting and trusting relationship with them and be certain they’ll return whenever they need copywriting services.
Just because they’ve received the results you worked on doesn’t mean the copywriting is done. Even when you’re certain the project was a success and their needs are being met, there’s still more you can do to ensure they’re satisfied, continue to use the content you created and refer others to your site for similar services. Sometimes, this means revisiting the project and expanding on it with additional material, while at other times, it could mean contacting other businesses to see if they’re interested in working with your customer to grow their business.
When Should You Follow Up?
In many instances, you’ll be able to determine the specific times when you should follow up with a customer based on a) how long it took you to complete the project – whether you had to go back and rewrite parts or polish the entire thing – and b) how much effort you put in to ensure the project was done to their satisfaction.
For example, if you had to go back and re-write parts of the script you initially wrote for the video project you worked on together, you may want to follow up with them once you’re finished. Alternatively, if you spent a long time polishing the copy for the website you created together, you may want to e-mail them once you’ve launched the site and started generating leads.
In both cases, it’s important to follow up as soon as possible so they know you’re still thinking about their needs and are committed to providing the best possible service. As a copywriter, you want to make sure they’re satisfied with the results you produced and that the project is still important to them. This will build a better connection and make them more likely to come back when they need additional help.
To help you determine the right time to follow up with a customer, we have compiled a list of some of the most common situations and examples of when you should and shouldn’t follow up.
Situations Where You Should Follow Up
1. If they haven’t used the content you created and benefited from it yet, they may still be digesting it and could benefit from some extra attention and care. For example, if you wrote a blog post for a pharmaceutical company and they haven’t shared it with their customers yet, they may still be struggling with whether or not to implement the ideas you suggested. By following up with them and checking in to see how they’re doing, you could help them find the right solution and ensure their customers continue to benefit from your combined efforts.
Situations Where You Shouldn’t Follow Up
If they’ve already used the content you created and benefited from it, there’s no need to follow up. Unless you’ve been asked to come back and polish the content or re-write parts of it, there’s no need to contact them again.
Let’s say you’re a copywriter for an email marketing company and you’ve created a landing page with an onboarding form for a lead generation website. If a customer contacts you directly by e-mail and asks you to come back and make some changes to the form, you should probably stop by their office to make sure they aren’t a scammer. (By the way, if they are a scammer, don’t be afraid to let them know you’re not interested in doing business with them. They’ll probably just go bother someone else.)
However, if they’ve used the content you created but haven’t shared it with their customers yet, that’s a different story. In that case, it may be a good idea to follow up with them and see if they’re still interested in what you have to say. Even when they’ve received the results of your efforts, it doesn’t mean they’ve digested it completely and will benefit from some extra attention and care. Sometimes, people need a nudge to get things done. For example, if you created a sales letter for a technology company and they’ve never even considered using it, it may be a good idea to follow up with them and see if they’re still interested in buying the product or applying the technology. In many cases, this could mean simply re-visiting the project you worked on together and polishing it to ensure everything is expressed clearly and concisely.
In short, if they’ve taken your advice and applied it to their business, they may still be experiencing some growing pains. However, this is no reason to stop following up. Even when they’ve received the results you worked hard to produce, there’s still more they could benefit from. Sometimes, this means re-visiting the project you worked on together and polishing it to ensure everything is expressed clearly and concisely. In other cases, it may mean checking for typos and misspellings, as well as looking for ways to improve the quality of the writing. This is one of the reasons it’s important to follow up with customers: so you can continue to provide additional value and make sure they’re getting the most out of your combined efforts.
Just because they’ve received the results you worked hard to produce doesn’t mean the work is done. Even when you’re certain the project was a success and their needs are being met, there’s still more you can do to ensure they’re satisfied, continue to use the content you created and refer others to your site for similar services. Sometimes, this means revisiting the project and expanding on it with additional material, while at other times, it could mean contacting other businesses to see if they’re interested in working with your customer to grow their business.