The Client
Anna Hart Exceptional Homes is an independent estate agency based in Nottinghamshire.
Anna has worked in the industry for 10 years but only recently founded her own estate agency. She prides herself on doing things differently – providing an exceptional service for her clients.
The Brief
Anna’s old website copy wasn’t working for her as her business had evolved since it was first written. She needed a site that spoke to who she is now and, crucially, to the clients she wanted to attract.
Lily was recommended to me by a friend who had worked with Lily for her website copy. I’d already had a look at my friend’s new website and was impressed by how put-together and cohesive it all was, and how it sounded very professional yet still personable. My friend’s character still shone through.
I knew I needed an outside influence on my copy, having worked alone in my business for a decade, and knew that I was too close to it all to see it objectively! I wanted a refresh, to step away from the previous ten years and set out my vision for the next ten, and I knew I couldn’t do it alone.
Because Anna’s USP is that she’s the exact opposite of stuffy estate agents in grey suits, Tone of Voice was vital. She needed to get across a sense of who she really is and what it’s like to work with her, along with her expertise and breadth and depth of knowledge.
The Process
Anna’s project started with a discovery call. We discussed what Anna needed from a copywriter and where she wanted her business to go. She also asked me questions, such as “How will you sound like me?” We both need to be 100% happy to begin working together so the discovery call is a vital part of my process for onboarding new clients.
My initial concerns were how Lily would be able to write in a way that still sounded like me – I knew I would be writing weekly blogs to add to the site, and lots of other things would be written by me, so I needed my website copy to blend with everything else and not seem totally different. I didn’t need to worry – Lily’s brief creation process is extensive and she asks things like “what words must I not use”, so she’s able to get the tone right. My website copy sounds like me, on a great words day!
Next came the briefing call. This took over an hour and involved me asking 1001 questions from every angle possible so I could fully understand Anna’s business and Anna herself.
I absolutely loved the brief creation process, it was a great way of distilling my thoughts into one place and being definite about what I wanted, and what I didn’t want. If I had tried to write the copy myself there’s no way I would have given it that much thought before simply diving in and writing, and I know the end result is all the better for the time and effort I spent organising my thoughts for Lily. She’s absolutely right, the more time and effort you put into the brief creation, the better your copy will be. There were really very few feedback items for me, I think because we focussed so much on the pre-work, and that was perfect for me. We pretty much got it right first time!
Finally the writing begins!
I used everything I’ve got from our discovery and briefing calls to craft copy that sounds like Anna (on a really good day!) while speaking to her target clients in the language they need to hear to overcome objections and make conversions.
Having experienced Lily’s considered, thoughtful and organised approach to copywriting, I would not hesitate to use her again. In my business and most others there are so many things we could do ourselves, but we end up spreading ourselves too thin and trying to be an expert at everything, which is impossible. Employing a copywriter might cost money but it certainly saves time and creates a better product at the end of it, which helps to make the money back. I loved that you spent so much time trying to understand me and my business, before starting on anything. I loved your questions, the extensive brief that really helped me get my thoughts in order, and the deadline that made me get it done in the first place!
Lily is a considered, thoughtful and results-driven copywriter. I happily recommend Lily for website copy and would certainly look to use her again on future projects.