The brief: “I have recently built a (bit rough round the edges) website on Squarespace. It is a good start but, type ‘StudioDH’ into Google and you get a music company in US and an erotic lingerie company based in Sweden. Nothing about an ambitious young (ish) architect in UK! Also, copywriting! This is your expertise isn’t it, so also perhaps breathing some magic into the words?!”

The outcome: Go and see for yourself! As for StudioDH’s Google ranking, well, that will always depend on where you are and what you’ve previously searched for (algorithms and all that jazz). But if you do an ‘Incognito’ search, you’ll see him up there in second position – okay, so we haven’t knocked the music company off the charts, but the Swedish lingerie has been stored away somewhere below the first page of results, and StudioDH now sits very proudly above an architectural firm of the same name in the US. 

“Katy’s creative wit and professional insight has breathed magic into my architectural business.”

Daniel Harvey, founder, StudioDH

The set-up: I’ve been working with Maximise for a few years now, providing copy in various forms: press releases; video scripts; marketing emails; and web copy. Long-term working relationships like this work really well, as I’m always one step ahead when I get a new brief – I already know the company and its clients, so it’s just a matter of understanding the new product or service we’re promoting and where it fits into the bigger picture.

Most recently, I’ve helped to promote Maximise’s new ‘scent marketing‘ services by providing SEO-based copy, marketing emails and a video script. The company’s MD, Andy Hudson, had identified a need for businesses in the fragrance and aromatherapy oils industries to promote their products without expecting people to visit shops (hello, Covid-19!) and, recognising that he already had the expertise, experience and resources needed for this kind of marketing, decided to integrate these new services into his existing business.

“Katy’s copywriting skills are second to none. In addition to being very approachable, she makes sure she really understands both the client & their business – this has certainly been the case with Maximise. She always delivers projects on time (or earlier!) and we will most definitely continue to use her services.”

Andy Hudson, MD, Maximise

The set-up: MotionPro works with a team of freelance writers and animators, as well as in-house staff, to create ‘explainer videos for companies of all sorts, in various languages. When the primary language is English, they often ask me to write the script (they sometimes ask me to check the English on other bits of copy they’ve written, too). I won’t deny it, I love writing video scripts – I always have, ever since starting my career in radio at the BBC. There’s a very specific way of writing copy that will be spoken by someone (which goes against pretty much all the rules of grammar!), plus, I get to write about a huge variety of topics, as the following examples show…

ChatPod – easy-to-construct ‘isolation booths’, for private calls and meetings in otherwise open spaces.

Greenline Hybrid – a yacht with a 4th generation hybrid engine.

DWM International – a company which specialises in worldwide debt collection.    

Sparkasse Dortmund – awareness / info video about the simplicity of online banking.

“Katy delivers great work. She always immerses herself in the topics we ask her to write about and provides us with exciting and compelling scripts. We also appreciate her proactive way of incorporating her own creative ideas regarding possible visuals.”

Fabian Lechti, MotionPro AG

The set-up: I work with Lauren, MD of UK Locations and its sister company, Art of Truth, on an ad hoc basis – you could call me her ‘go-to’ word woman. I’ve known Lauren for a long time and hugely admire her business acumen and creative mind, so it’s always a privilege when she asks me to help with something. Projects we’ve collaborated on include programme pitches, award entries, opinion pieces and press releases.

“I’m not someone who does things by halves and I will always hire the best person for the job. Katy is the person I go to when I need someone to cast a fresh and critical eye over my words, or when I need someone to disentangle my thoughts and present them in an engaging and logical way. She listens to me, does her research, and ensures that I get exactly what I need – on time.”

Lauren York, MD, UK Locations & Art of Truth

The brief: Lucy contacted me because she needed some help writing the copy for her new website. She’d actually made a great start, but with so many other tasks to attend to (she was setting up a whole new business), she’d lost her focus for each page and run out of steam. So I read everything I could about her business and then followed up with a call, to ask questions about the parts I was unsure about, and to get a sense of what makes AuB Talent unique and who their target clients are. With this information, I was able to write (or in some cases, re-write) the pages Lucy required. I also suggested ways of formatting the copy, and where she could incorporate testimonials, CTA’s, and internal links.

The verdict:

“Working with Katy was a delight, she is professional, personable and highly skilled. Katy swiftly understood my business, being recruitment and HR services, and was on point with the message and tone I was aiming for through working her magic with the copy on my website. Katy suggested excellent ways to maximise the user experience across the website and quickly turned around edits. Katy turned a daunting process for me, into a really enjoyable process, due to her expertise and professionalism. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with or recommend Katy.”

Lucy beaumont, Recruitment Director, Aub Talent

The set-up: I work with Artisan Central on a regular basis, writing their press releases, as well as some of their blogs and the occasional magazine article. Rosie and Micala work tirelessly to promote the work of British artisans in France, and being part of their team (albeit on a freelance basis) is a wonderful opportunity to support the growth of their business. It also means that I get to delve into a deliciously wide range of property-related topics, including:

What is an artisan?

Why ‘la rentrée’ is ideal for home improvements

10 of the best ideas for using off-cuts of oak

How to create an eco-friendly garden