Nigel Woollsey - Freelance Writer & Copywriter

FREE website content - Is it worth the money you pay for it?

2011-05-23T17:45:00.000+01:00

One of the major stumbling blocks I regularly experience when talking to potential clients is that of money... filthy lucre, dough, dosh... even folding greens – Call it what you will, the love of it may be the root of all evil but it often blinds people to a very important point:

Often you get what you pay for

Of course, this is a flexible statement (otherwise no-one would bother spending 3 nights in a sleeping bag outside Debenhams waiting for the January sales to start!!) but by-and-large it holds true for so many things.

To use a recent example I was contacted by an online business who wanted to know what, as a professional writer & copywriter, I would charge to write 3 x 500 word articles for their website? I gave it some thought and duly replied with a reasonable cost for their consideration.

Shortly afterward I received an email telling me that they were currently obtaining 500 word articles for half of my charge and therefore felt that they could not use my services...

Curious as to how they were getting professionally written material for their website at such a cheap rate I had a quick look at just the first two articles... Yes, you’ve guessed it: both of them contained quite a few examples of simple mistakes in spelling, grammar and language which even a simple word-processing package would have spotted.

Needless to say I wrote back to the company and gently highlighted how, despite the cut-price cost of their web copy, it might well be costing them in terms of lost business...

The truth is that Joe Public is NOT stupid – not by a long chalk – and despite the increasing encroachment of ‘txt speak’ into the written language, business is one area where the vast majority of people still expect good writing. This becomes increasingly true the higher your customer demographic but that’s not to say ‘budget’ services can get away with sloppy English...

So there are two fundamental truths that I have discovered which I try to put across to people. Let’s call them Woolley’s Cardinal Rules:

Cardinal Rule No.1 – Nothing sends customer confidence in your business plummeting faster than poor spelling or bad grammar. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a printed brochure, a flyer or a webpage: If your writing is bad then it will undermine customer confidence in your services/products &/or professionalism

Cardinal Rule No. 2 - FREE website content is only worth the money you pay for it. In the same way as you wouldn’t try to repair your own gas boiler (unless of course you were a CORGI certified boiler repair person!) if you want good, professional looking website content – then get a professional copywriter in to do it for you. Admittedly, failing to do this won’t result in a gigantic explosion but it might just save you from learning an expensive lesson...

For more information on a range of affordable copywriting services visit my website at: http://www.nigelwoollsey.co.uk/

Website content writing, SEO tips & Larkrise to Candleford

2011-02-14T09:03:00.001Z

Whoever said running your own small business was easy?! My whole Sunday evening was taken up by rewriting a 'few' pages on my website to improve its search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
One of the most important things I've learnt is that SEO isn't just about optimising your pages and then sitting back to reap the rewards - Nope, to truly work well you've got to keep refining and rehashing those all important keywords and links.
However, one of the truly brilliant rules of SEO is given by equally brilliant Peter Kent: Make your site useful...
Sounds deceptively simple doesn't it - the trick is to ensure that you have fresh content that 1) keeps people coming back again and again and 2) encourages them to share your site elsewhere.
The downside is that you might just miss the opening 10 mins of Larkrise to Candleford as you're so absorbed in updating your website... Just goes to show what a Rock 'n' roll lifestyle us copywriters lead... *ahem*

http://www.nigelwoollsey.co.uk/

Nigel Woollsey - Freelance Writer & Copywriter: Top tips for writing web site content and web copy

2011-02-01T09:52:00.000Z

Nigel Woollsey - Freelance Writer & Copywriter: Top tips for writing web site content and web copy

LOCAL WRITER IN SOBER DANCING SHOCKER!

2010-12-11T12:30:00.003Z

Broadland District Council last night pledged to launch a full criminal enquiry after Norwich Copywriter, Nigel Woollsey (89), was seen dancing at the Rivergardens last night.
Startled staff and guests were forced to endure his manic gyrations for several minutes before he was restrained. To add insult to injury it later emerged that Mr. Woollsey had only had a single pint of shandy before he embarked on his shameful display.
PC Norbert Lymph-Gland of Norfolk constabulary told reporters "Overweight yet incredibly talented men dancing will not be tolerated in any civilised society".
Riot police later broke up the event after an ugly brawl started over who ate the last piece of Quiche at the buffet. www.nigelwoollsey.co.uk

In Support of Broadland District Council's Business Training & Support

2010-08-05T15:06:00.000+01:00

Hiya Folks.

Just a quick update today - below is a copy of an email I was inspired to send to HM Treasury in support of the wonderful services provided by Broadland District Council for start-up and established small businesses.
Following the advice of Kate Elliott of Active Marketing & Design I've also sent a copy to the local newspaper (The Eastern Daily Press).
Considering I knocked this up in about 20 minutes it doesn't look too shabby!

Dear Sirs,

I understand that you were recently contacted by a small business colleague of mine, Sally Porter, who wrote in support of the Broadland District Council business support team.

I whole heartedly endorse the very positive comments made by Sally regarding the excellent service and superb training courses supplied by BCTS. During the recent economic recession I was made redundant after 20 years employment with a large multinational company based in Norwich - with my prospects of finding alternative employment being poor I decided to set up my own small business but like so many people had no real idea of who to go to for help & advice.

Consequently, I enrolled on the Free 3 day 'Basics for business' course led by the superb Kate Wilde. This was a fantastic and informative workshop which more than provided me with the necessary basic information and encouragement to make a success of my new business.
Such was the positive impression that this course left on me that I have subsequently attended 3 more business courses at Broadland District Council: 'Marketing for small businesses' (with the brilliant Kate Elliott), 'Finance for small businesses' and 'Writing a dynamic press release' (with the equally brilliant Maria Veronese).
All have proven a remarkable benefit in helping to get my new business off the ground in what can only be described as the current challenging economic conditions.

If the continued recovery of the UK economy is so dependent on private enterprise, and small businesses in particular, then it is my honest belief that teams and services like this one at Broadland District Council must not be subject to cuts.
In fact I would strongly urge you to vigorously support and expand this vital service to small businesses and enterprise within Norfolk.

My heartfelt thanks to all at Broadland District Council Business Support team who are doing an excellent job.

Yours sincerely
Nigel Woollsey - Freelance Copywriter

Time - there's just never enough of it

2010-06-09T10:58:00.000+01:00

The road to Hell, they say, is paved with good intentions.

I start every working day by mentally organising what I need to be doing with my time - including ascribing a 'priority level' to each task. Impressively this is usually all done in the shower (steady ladies!) while I absently listen to the radio. Over the sound of the water I can often also hear the shouting, screaming, laughter, chuckling and singing that normally accompanies my two children being herded into their clothes by my wife.

Very often I'll transfer this mental 'To Do' list onto paper before I start work - it makes me feel good. It makes me feel 'organised' and 'efficient' - which is good.

By 10.00am my orderly, planned and regimented day has gone straight to Hell in a handcart.

My day, it seems, is very much an example of the second law of thermodynamics: Entropy increases. Entropy in this case being the tendency of all ordered things to revert to a state of chaos.

In a similar vein it's just astounding how long it takes to get a small business off the ground. You start off thinking that you'll be up and running within a couple of days. You just need to get a few things, make a phone call or two and boom, you'll be in business.

Not so - no siree.

There's branding, there's business stationary, there's finance, buying equipment, regulations to meet, legal requirements, advertising, marketing strategies, profit & loss forecasts, networking, meetings, blogs, business planning, premises, insurance... The list goes on and on and on.

It can be a little disheartening. At worst it can make you wonder why on Earth you started this whole thing in the first place when you could have easily got another job doing precisely the thing that you hated before you decided to start your own business.

But in the end you know it's going to worth it - so you keep going. Past the limits you thought you could never exceed; doing things that once would have seemed impossible.

So this whole thing boils down to two pieces of advice to bear in mind when you start your own business. Just two. Keep them in mind and it might save you a lot of headaches &/or heartaches:

1) It ALWAYS takes much longer than you think
2) It ALWAYS takes a lot more money than you thought.

But, I also learnt 2 things from the lovely bunch of guys I met last night, each one struggling to set up a successful enterprise just after the deepest recession in over 70 years:

1) You are not alone.
2) Sometimes other people have a lot more faith in you than you do in yourself.

But I do wish I had more time :-)

Cardinal's Corner goes all corporate

2010-05-23T11:05:00.002+01:00

Well, it's been a really exciting couple of months - despite succeeding beyond my wildest dreams & being published in several UK magazines it's been very apparent that I need to approach this whole Freelance writing business in a bit more of a 'business-like manner' - after much thought and some advice from some very wise friends I'm currently expanding into *drum roll & fanfare*: Copywriting!

I can hear the deafening silence from here...OK, for a start Copywriting has nothing to do with Copyright - it's basically all about writing for businesses: from the sole trader through to the small company all the way up to huge multinationals. So what do copywriters...well...write? Good question:

Copywriters supply a range of services to companies - either direct or through marketing agencies. Amongst other things copywriters supply the words and persuasive writing for advertisements, informercials, commercials, brochures and sales letters - It's quite startling to think that every single piece of advertising mail that drops through your letterbox has been penned by a copywriter somewhere.
In addition to this Copywriters also write Press releases, content for websites, job advertisements, TV & radio advertisement scripts, newsletters, corporate magazines, etc. etc. etc - In fact virtually anything written that a company will put it's name to!

You would not believe how much time and effort setting up a new business takes - OK, maybe you would if you've done it yourself! And that's not to mention the actual work itself - I think I've worked harder and longer than I EVER did in the 20 years I worked for a company myself - but it's been really fantastic! Fun, enjoyable, facinating, exciting and totally satisfying :-) And the networking! Oh, the networking with other people in business has been great - so interesting to hear about what other people are passionate about - because to succeed in business you absolutely need to be passionate about that idea if you want to turn your dream into reality! I've met some brilliant and very inspirational people.

So, it's out with the old and in with the new! Hence the change of style for the old Cardinal's Corner! The colour scheme is temporary for the moment whilst my excellent friend (and exceedingly talented friend Sam) sorts out my new branding and website. Ms. Douglass is an inspiration and an exceedingly good Graphic Designer - if you're in need of one you can't go wrong to visit her business website: http://www.peachplumcreative.co.uk/

Anyhoo (a lovely expression I've picked up from a few stateside pals) sorry if this has been less of the inspired wackiness and insane ramblings you're used to - no doubt the "tenuous grip on reality stuff" will return in time but for the moment I wanted to kick off with a proper update.

Keep tuned for more regular (and shorter!) blogs in the future - and links to my *NEW* website! Please also visit my business page on Facebook for my sample portfolio (and occasional insanity): http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Norwich-United-Kingdom-NR13/Nigel-Woollsey-Freelance-Writer-Copywriter/111120825598170?v=wall

Now, I must be off as I have a few jobs to do before I can relax and enjoy the beautiful day outside - Even that's amazing: Me, working on a Sunday! I never knew a career could be so much fun :-)

Hello - I must be going

2010-02-22T11:18:00.002Z

Howdy folks - yes, I know what you're thinking: 2 posts in the same month ?? Business must be slack, but no - I've just been inspired to update my blog after posting my new 'official' profile picture (I wouldn't go so far as to say publicity picture as that implies that people actually know who the Hell I am - which, to be frank, is unlikely at this stage of my new career!).
I am indebted to my fab brother-in-law, Martin, for his professional camera skills. Although I must confess to being slightly disappointed that he couldn't photoshop my image to look rather more like Daniel Craig and rather less like Christopher Biggins... (for my stateside friends put Christopher Biggins into Google and laugh uncontrollably at the images)- still, you can't make a silk purse out a pig's ear, as they say :-)

On the writing front it's been a mixed month so far - I've had another article accepted by Paranormal magazine, so that's er...3 now in total they've accepted with a further (counts on fingers) 3 that I'm waiting to hear back from them about - let me tell you that NOTHING moves quickly in the publishing industry!!
I also received a nice cheque for £25 at the weekend from Bauer publishing - it took me about 2 hours to actually remember what it was for - a letter that I didn't even know they'd printed in Spirit & Destiny magazine so nothing huge but it was a nice surprise on a Saturday morning! :-)

I'm currently working on another couple of related SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) features but had terrible writer's block all last week - hoping this week will prove better (and if the truth be told I'm using this as a little 'warming' up exercise !)

By the way - a couple of people have told me that they couldn't get hold of Paranormal magazine at their newsagents? Sorry to hear that but this month's article was only small (but perfectly formed - ha ha)- the one in the upcoming issue is much larger and much more worth the price of the magazine! It's certainly stocked in larger newsagents and places like W H Smith or Jarrolds in Norwich - should anyone actually wish to see my insane ramblings... ;-)

Right - must get back to the grindstone - Supermarkets and utility companies do unfortunately seem to insist on something called money in exchange for their goods and services... A strange system if you ask me. They showed no interest at all when I offerred them a dead badger to trade last month - it's a hard world! Best wishes to all

New year, new day, new blog

2010-02-01T09:19:00.002Z

Morning folks - Yes, it's another update from the world's most tardy blogger. It's a strange thing, y'know, blogging - put a blank word doc in front of me and a vague idea for an article and I'll be flying in seconds; words pouring out of me and onto the screen in seconds but blogging? I seem to get this mental block - or maybe it's just that I don;t get out into the 'real' world much these days! Unlike you folks with proper jobs I only have a wife, an insane toddler and a theosaurus to talk to during the working day.. it's hard to get inspired under such circumstances.

Anyhoo - my writing continues apace: had a small piece printed in this month's issue of Paranormal Magazine (Issue 45 with a big dead alien on the cover) but the larger articles (which confusingly they accepted first) will be start appearing next month. That's the impressive one - all about the Fermi paradox (No - I'm not going to tell you what it is just so you'll have to buy the magazine and read it for yourselves :-)) Currently, waiting to hear back from them about 2 other articles and further one just went off to Psychologies magazine - it would be a real victory to get published in Psychologies so fingers are firmly crossed for that one! My tutor loved the piece when he saw it so hopefully the features editor will be impressed.

Oh, and I hada birthday in January too - I'm now a venerable 38 years old - actually feels quite weird to think that I'll be 40 in another couple of years - but I still feel very young at heart (if still pretending to be a Jedi knight whilst swinging your replica lightsaber around in the artic can be considered being young at heart).

Well, I must start going through the weekend papers looking for interesting ideas for articles, etc. Frankly that's not a bad way to start a Monday morning - leafing through the broadsheets and sipping coffee! That is a distinct advantage over my old office job!

Time flies when you're having fun

2009-12-02T16:24:00.002Z

Good Lord - has it really been THAT long since I did a blog ?! Christ-on-a-bike, if I hadn't have seen the mortgage money coming out of the account every month I would swear that I'd been the victim of alien abduction.

Actually I've been locked up here in the cold, damp, dark attic that is my study (in the very highest tower of Castle Woollseystein) frantically hammering at this keyboard like a teenage boy with a porn obsession and a credit card. Many is the long night I've passed with nothing but an Oxford Theasaurus and a ballpoint for company as I strive to get an editor to notice my fevered ramblings...

However, the good news (for anyone who didn't get the 10,000+ emails that I sent out to everyone and anyone) is that...(Pause for dramatic effect and drum roll)..

I'M GOING TO BE PUBLISHED !!!! :-D Woo-hoo !!

Actually, so far I've had two features definitely accepted: One for Prima Baby which will be appearing in Spring 2010 and another for Paranormal Magazine in January 2010. Paranormal magazine have also expressed an interest in a further article of mine so if all goes well that will be three pieces of work accepted before the Yuletide festivities!!

They're even paying me for it ! Honestly, paying me...!

So now you see why I've been so tardy in updating my blog - I've been too busy inundating publishers with features (often accompanied by begging letters and enclosing a £20 note).

I've also had to officialy register as a Self-Employed Freelance Writer with the Inland Revenue now that I'm actually making a (small) amount of money. However, although I am by no means anywhere near the kind of earning levels of old J K Rowling yet it does feel quite good to be 'official' !

I'll have to start considering my offshore tax haven options for the whole £4.25 I have in my pocket... Hmmmmmm...should I invest this lofty sum in gold bullion or oil stocks ? Decisions, decisions...

Oh, sod it - I'll just get another packet of fags...

Patience... I must learn patience... and brevity

2009-09-21T14:31:00.002+01:00

It's been over 72 hours since I sent the email outline of my latest article to 'Mother & Baby' magazine - my first, proper magazine article (with proper spelling and everything) to a proper magazine.

72 hours and already I'm on the verge of calling the editor to see if it's reached her safely. I've read my course materials that say 'leave at least two weeks before sending a reminder email' at least 16 times in the last 3 hours to stave off the temptation to pick up the phone and call the magazine Head Office and shout "Is it there ?? Do you have it ?? What do you think ?? Oh please God like it !! I've sweated blood over this, you know - Look, look at these fingers !! These are the fingers of a GENIUS, damn you !!"

I find myself sitting rigid at my laptop trying to coax any kind of alternative thought from my coffee-wired brain whilst all the time my eyes are being drawn to the little 'Email Received' box in the top left hand corner.

Christ knows what I'll do if the count actually goes up by one. Probably have a stroke, I shouldn't wonder...

I've already opened and closed it multiple times just in case a new email has arrived and the number hasn't changed..then of course there's the rabid checking of the 'Spam Folder' in case it's been shunted in there by mistake..

Wait two weeks to send a reminder ?!? I'll be lucky if I make it to the end of today before I call 999 and ask the police to investigate.

Truly they also serve who stand and wait

I wonder if Michaelangelo had this level of anticipation whilst he was waiting for the Pope to get back to him about his quote for redecorating the Cistine Chapel...?

Holidays are NOT good for writers

2009-08-17T16:17:00.003+01:00

I have discovered that taking two weeks holiday is as conducive to good writing as say drinking a 1.5 litre bottle of whiskey is to careful, considerate driving. Or better yet trying to drive after drinking a 1.5 litre bottle of whiskey AND wearing a blindfold.

In other words - one makes the other ever so slighty harder to do.

I've been sat up here in my attic office since 9 o'clock this morning willing my reluctant brain to get back into literary mode - but it just ain't having it. I find myself being distracted by the tiniest things: sorting out my paperwork before I start, oh I'll just wrap that parcel, actually I could write those two letters I've been meaning to do before I start...ad infinitum.
This afternoon I actually spent an hour on the internet casually trawling for spoilers about the upcoming series 5 of Doctor Who - time well spent you would think ? No - because although I feel suitably rewarded for finding a couple of long-range snaps of Matt Smith in his new outfit in (of all places) a rock quarry and the speculation about if the interior of the TARDIS may have a make-over this does NOT fulfil the primary duties of a writer- to wit: to write something (or much more preferably to write something, finish it and get paid).

In addion to this valid point I also have the added incentive that Mrs. W will remove my testicles with a rusty coathanger if she even suspects that I've been indulging my passion for all things Sci-Fi instead of fulfilling my role as joint bread-winner.
Ah, truly marriage is a wonderful institution for instilling clarity and direction in the male partner... without the ever present threat of spousal disapproval men invariably lose all sense of direction and end up going off and doing things which we doubtless enjoy but have little, if any, productive value. Like going down the pub, watching 'Diagnosis Murder' or surfing the internet for Doctor Who info...

Or is that just me..?

So, after my third cup of coffee I have had a stern word with myself, put on a CD of Gregorian Chant (to inspire a Monk-like state of inner peace) and decided to salve my guilty conscience by updating my blog - I mean it is writing, right ?

Good Lord - I can actually feel the old writing muscles actually starting to creak back into life... I wonder what Shakespeare did to loosen up the rusted literary genius after a couple of weeks on holiday with Mrs. Shakespeare and all the little Shakies ? Probably went down the pub and knocked out a preliminary script for Eastenders before getting back to the really serious work about Scottish nobles and Danish Prince's rambling on about regicide...

Welcome back to the future

2009-07-30T09:56:00.001+01:00

Firstly, this really isn't my fault.

I was quite happy working for the insurance company - it was safe. More importantly we had a mutually beneficial arrangement: they paid me a regular wage and I turned up for work...or at least turned up.
Alright, it wasn't exciting, glamorous, challenging or rewarding but it did enable me to:

a) Pay the mortgage (thus keeping Mrs. Cardinal and the smaller Cardinals in the manner to which they are accustomed)
b) Buy books (or rather add to my ever increasing list of books I have bought and not yet gotten round to reading)
c) Smoke

and in return they always knew that in the event of a problem with the coffee machine I would shoulder the heavy burden of calling Facilities. An equitable arrangement, I always thought.

Then after 20 years, and in the middle of apparently the biggest economic depression since the 1930's (I hadn't noticed due to being absorbed in a root and branch analysis of the migratory habits of the common-or -garden homing slug), my employers say "Oh, by the way, we're having a reorganisation.. Nothing to worry about... Getting rid of the dead wood and clearing the decks, so to speak.... Incidentally, what is it exactly that you do around here again..?"

I remember flapping my arm vaguely in the direction of the smoking area outside and frantically trying to think of something 'corporate' to say. After an expectant pause I manage "Me...type... Me type...good" before demonstrating this singular skill by hesitantly pressing the Enter button and thus deleting all our customer records for 2002.

And so I am beginning my new career as a Freelance Writer. To date my successes include:

Watching all three 'On the Buses' films whilst lounging on the sofa consuming a packet of Jaffa Cakes
Looking up the definition of as many rude words as I can think of on Wikipedia
Surfing the internet for 'Breast Augmentation' adverts (Research for an article I'm thinking of writing provisionally entitled "Look at the tumblers on THAT !!!")
Buying a new panama hat (in order to look suitably artistic and ethereal)

By the way - as I understand it as an aspiring writer I am required to be off my tits on a cocktail of Absinthe and Laudinum 23 hours a day... But is it totally necessary to be riddled with syphilis too ? Oh well, when in Rome...