Research: When copywriting isn't about writing.

I’m a researcher.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that I was a writer, but really that’s just a front.

A considerable chunk of my time is spent researching (and proofing and doing admin and…).

The writing’s the fun part, but it doesn’t happen without all the other stuff.

The truth is, in order to write on any topic, subject, company that isn’t your own, you need to do some serious research.

I’ve tried writing without researching and not only would the copy be completely unusable but it’s also a whole lot harder.

It’s an integral part of the process and I quote for it in what I charge for copywriting (just).

Back to school

Now, obviously I’m joking when I say that writing isn’t the main thing I offer and some of the research does come from the client. By having a healthy briefing, I get the client to do some of the legwork.

If it’s really technical I will ask for some solid reliable info and sources so I can do a bit of further digging.

The bulk of the work though is still to be done. I’ve got to at least pretend to be an expert in the subject. What I write needs to be not only semi-convincing but also something that people want to read.

Dazzling people with words is very hard when you don’t even understand what it is you’re writing about.

A copywriter hard at work looking for the benefits.

When I finished education, I thought I was done with the research bit. Alas, no.

However, despite not enjoying it so much back then, I’ve since found that it’s actually quite satisfying and probably something I took for granted in the school and Uni days.

The process of slowly understanding a topic and finally grasping it enough to be able to write about it is kind of like working your way towards a new PB at the gym. Not that I’d know anything about that.

It’s certainly a hidden benefit of the job. In an industry that revolves around creating, I’m actually doing an awful lot of learning.

Read on for some random things that I’ve learnt on the job…

From Bricks to Blockchain

Coding

Ok I still don’t really know what blockchain is or what to do with it, but I know the names of a lot more more coding languages than I did 2 years ago. I.e. all of them.

That’s as a result of running the social media for a local developer meetup for over a year. It’s not really an area of personal interest but my awareness of tech, IT and more has increased enormously as a result of doing my job.

IT Jargon

I ended up getting LastPass password protection as a result of being asked to write about it for an IT solutions company. My data is a bit safer and I don’t have to remember all the passwords!

And I know a lot more about Phishing, VOIP and Sage (not the herb, unfortunately. I’m yet to be approached to write a for a culinary based start-up or food blog.

Bricks

Writing blogs for a brick matching company has been a revelation. My DIY mad Dad was pretty pleased with my knowledge on the startlingly large array of bricks available and the ways in which they can deteriorate.

If I ever need to build an extension, I’ll be a bit surer of myself.

The local area

I also got to learn a lot about one of my favourite areas of Hull, the Fruit Market, when I wrote copy for their website. The history of the area is fascinating and it feels good to have a more enriched knowledge of the area I work in.

Those are just some of the cool things I’ve learnt about whilst writing blogs, website copy and more.

Any tips?

As such a seasoned researcher I should be able to give you my top tips for researching but I’m afraid there’s no special secret.

My approach generally consists of Google, lots of open tabs and a word document.

Most of the skill comes in the organising. I use colour coding on the actual document to link things together and ensure relevant links are attributed to the right bit of text.

OneNote is also a handy tool to keep research at hand. I like the scrapbook nature of it, meaning stuff can be dropped in there and retrieved when needed.

OneNote’s interface. I’m glad my research doesn’t concern this anymore…

Having zillions of open tabs is never good for productivity or sanity. If it all gets a bit much (the point where you can’t see the X sign is probably a good indication that it’s time to take action) I use a Chrome extension called OneTab (no relation to OneNote or Microsoft as far as I’m aware).

Click this and everything is funnelled into one neat list allowing you to open tabs individually, as and when you need them. For sources of info that you only need to pop into every now and then, this is ideal.

Sometimes research is a chore. Yes, my pub quiz knowledge has increased, but not all of said knowledge is particularly interesting.

Still, it’s a big and slightly unexpected bonus to the job. And is one less thing clients have to worry about!