Helping your financial services marketing
stand out in a world of sameness
“James’ chief characteristics have always been integrity, intelligence, humour and an ability to get on with individuals from all walks of life.
He is also hard working and a good team player who helps generate a strong bond of trust between people – I think due to his integrity and humour.
James is a natural communicator both orally and verbally and has been writing all of his adult life. Key to this is an innate understanding of people, which allows him to get his message across to any audience effectively.
I can sincerely recommend James to anyone who wishes to hire him – they will find him a great asset who will always generate value.”
- Jon Grayson
“James has consistently proven himself to be a person of many and varied skills. Always enthusiastic, dedicated, hard working and creative, he excels at marketing, research and writing.
He has a natural aptitude for editorial content creation/management and was instrumental in the development of our new digital platforms.
He is excellent at coming up with new ideas and his proposals are always well thought out and prepared.”
- Gerard Baines
647 218 8606
My Writing Process, Procedures and Investment Fees
Communication
When you have a project that you would like me to work on, please contact me by phone at 647 218 8606 or email James@OutstandingCopywriting.com so we can have a preliminary discussion about the details involved.
As we work together, I will typically be available between 9am and 5pm EST and email is the best way to reach me. If you have an urgent question or issue, you can call me on my cell phone.
Project Questionnaire
Once we have had the initial discussion, I will send you a questionnaire that will provide me with all the information I will need to start on your project - this questionnaire includes details of specs for the project and sources of information for your product/service
It also includes contact details for company personnel who will be made available for me to talk with regarding details of the project.
This Questionnaire helps me to clarify the expectations and scope of the project. I will send you the Questionnaire as an email attachment - please return it to me as quickly as possible—preferably between 1 and 3 business days.
The Agreement
Once I receive the completed questionnaire, I will send you a detailed agreement outlining the services I will be providing and the fees involved.
It will include a project description, scope, deliverables, exclusions, time frames, writing fees and other information.
As well as the items mentioned above, the agreement will describe delivery, payment terms, copy ownership and other conditions for both parties. I will answer any questions you might have about the agreement and we can work on any changes that may need to be made.
Once you are satisfied with the terms either sign it and email it back to me or simply reply to the emailed agreement, stating your acceptance with a reference to the proposal’s file number and date.
The signed agreement or email will serve as a contract between us, unless otherwise indicated. The agreement will also set the due date for final deliverables.
Please note: I require 50% of the project total in order to begin work. Some clients prefer to pay by bank wire or electronic payment but cheque made payable to James Burns is also acceptable.
I will begin working on your project as soon as we have both signed the agreement and I have received 50% of the project total.
Research
Research is a key ingredient in all of my copywriting projects. It allows me to get a full understanding of your product/service and to really get inside the minds of your prospective customers.
My research begins with a review of everything available to me about your company and your ideal customers. This includes your website, any materials you send me, market research, your competitors, etc.
Depending on the scope of the project, I may also interview members of your company, get testimonials from your past clients or customers, and/or chat with different department heads. I may also request further information, such as product samples and other resources/information.
Thorough research like this allows me to get an in-depth understanding of your product/service, your voice as a company and your customers’ emotional hot buttons.
Collaboration
I am a firm believer that clear communication between the two of us is essential for the success of any projects we work on together.
We can decide on a communication schedule that works for both of us - whether that consists of daily, weekly or other regular updates. All I ask is for the preferred means of communication and one person to be my main point of contact, whether that is yourself or a member of your team. This helps reduce confusion.
Drafts and Revisions
Depending on the size and scale of the project, you can expect to receive the first draft in 5-10 business days.
I then ask you and/or any relevant team members to also review the copy for tone, message and offer. If there are any changes to be made, please send them back to me and I will review them within 24 hours of receiving them. Depending on the complexity of the changes requested, I will get back to you with a revised version in one to three business days.
Sometimes clients request fundamental changes that I know will have an adverse effect on the desired result. In this case I advise against making changes that will kill response levels and ultimately reduce your sales and revenue. When clients insist on changes that I think will not work, I will happily provide two versions and suggest an A/B split test. We can then let the market decide.
Typically, after the first review and a second draft has been provided to you, some minor changes are sometimes still required and these I usually get back to you within a day or two.
Final approval and payment
Once all revisions are complete, I will send you the final draft and ask that you send me final approval, stating that copy is ready for distribution. At this point I will send you an invoice for the remaining 50% of the project investment. The invoice is due upon receipt and I appreciate my clients’ prompt invoice processing and payment.
As part of my service, I ask that you send me the final formatted version of the copy once the designer has completed it. Most design enhances the copy and renders it more effective but on occasion it can hinder the copy’s effectiveness and performance.
If this is the case, I will let you know immediately of any concerns, reasons for those concerns and a solution to overcome them. If necessary, I will happily work with your design team to ensure the very best results for your project.
We all want the final formatted version to be as successful as possible and I will certainly play my part to ensure that it is.
Follow-up
Once the project is completed, I schedule a complimentary follow-up phone call with all of my clients to evaluate the process, including what went well and what improvements could be made.
I will also make suggestions as to future projects that would help you to increase revenue and grow your company’s business.
Services and Schedule of Estimated Investment
Service Description Estimated Investment
Long Copy Sales Letter……………………………….$3,000 - $5,000
Short Copy Sales Letter………………………………$1,500 - $3,000
Website — home page……………………………….$1,500-$3,500
Website — other pages ……………………………..$750-$1,250/page
Landing page……………………………………………….$950-$3,000
PPC Ads with Keyword Research………………..$75-$350/ad
Email, short copy………………………………………...$250-$2,000
Email, long copy…………………………………………. $750-$3,500
Newsletter…………………………………………………. $600-$1,500/page
Direct-mail package, lead generation………..$2,000-$3,500+
Postcard or double postcard……………………..$750-$1,500
Brochure……………………………………………………..$750-$1,500/page
Article or Advertorial…………………………………..$1-$1.50/word
Microsite……………………………………………………. $3,000-$7,000
Site Audits………………………………………………….. $1,000-$2,500
Blog Post (depending on length) ……………….$100-$800/post
Copy critique……………………………………………….$400-$1,200
Marketing Strategy and Planning……………….$100-$150/hour
Case Study…………………………………………………..$1,200-$2,000
White Paper………………………………………………...$2,000-$7,500
You can contact me now to discuss your project by calling 647 218 8606 or email James@OutstandingCopywriting.com.
James Burns
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