FAQs About Working with a Partner in Marketing

Most companies who are thinking about working with a new vendor have questions about the way their projects will be handled. Here are answers to a few questions you might have. If you don’t see a particular question you have, contact me to discuss it. I want you to be confident you’ll get the results you want and need from working with me.

What’s a partner in marketing? And why do I need one?

I chose that tagline because it represents my goal of being a freelance writer for marketing departments.

You can choose from a large pool of freelance writers, but they may not understand marketing or the role their writing plays in nudging prospects to complete the customer journey. And that unspoken message can’t be added at the last minute by making a few tweaks before you submit final copy to Production. Even simple content, such as a blog or social media post, works best when it is grounded in an understanding of marketing practices.

I aim to be your partner so you don’t have to explain marketing basics. I understand and speak Marketing. Give me a creative brief that includes your market analysis, an avatar, or ICP (ideal customer profile), the reader’s place in the funnel (top of funnel, middle of funnel, or bottom of funnel), and I’ll give you a writing product that is designed to hit your marketing targets.

If you’re totally swamped, I can help you draft content strategy or develop content calendars for your review. This kind of assignment will also help you meet your strategic marketing goals.

In any case, you own the client and its marketing plan. My goal is to be your partner in implementing that plan.

Why do you charge by the project?

I realize some freelancers bill by the hour or word. Maybe they’re beginners or amateurs who believe that copywriting is an easy side hustle. Often, they haven’t invested in professional training, and they don’t fully understand marketing.

Budgets are important, of course, but you need to get value for your investment – especially when you are investing in a message that helps your company survive and grow.

Setting a per-project price is the only fair and realistic way to reflect the value I bring to your project. Charging by the word encourages “writing long,” which creates garbled messages, and cutting words takes extra time. The hourly rate assumes I sit and type. And I don’t. I stare out the window. I get up and wander around. I’m not on staff, so you don’t need to worry about this trivia. You can focus on the value my writing contributes to achieving your marketing goals.

What’s your take on AI?

Personally, I think AI is an exciting tool. But I’m cautious too, given the headlines about AI hallucinations and other rogue actions.

The problems seem to stem from the following issues:

1.  Infringement of copyright and other intellectual property laws. The developers assumed that AI’s use of intellectual property would be allowed under the doctrine of fair use, the principle that limited amounts of legally protected materials may be used in news reporting or teaching. Some owners of intellectual property did not agree. According to the website ChatGPTIsEatingTheWorld.com, AI developers are currently involved in more than 100 lawsuits over copyright and intellectual property violations. (The link is live, in case you want to keep track.)
2. Missing or invalid citations. Early AI models used mathematical principles to search for and synthesize answers without regard to source materials. Some later models now include citations.
3. “Alarming” answers to risky questions about suicide and other illegal behaviors. Some early AI models answered these questions without hesitation and without disclaimers.
4. No “human in the loop.” One of the basic assumptions of AI development is that the system will learn on its own without human intervention. In fact, human intervention tends to create bottlenecks. Given the goal of using the internet’s vast resources to answer questions quickly and without human help, AI fabricated facts, generated false citations, and answered risky questions.

Some writers have developed tactics to minimize these issues. The most obvious is to create prompts that rely on a small pool of fact-checked sources. For example, one writer created a prompt instructing AI to summarize a single article (with proper citation) along with his reaction as the basis for a social media post. Another tactic is to create one prompt to perform research and another prompt to perform fact-checking.

In the future, my goal is to use my experience as a senior editor and content marketer to explore how AI can be a partner in marketing. In theory, a person could use AI to confirm a client’s pain points or identify unmet needs. This research could then be used as input for a marketing plan that aligns topics and formats with marketing goals. A secondary goal is to be transparent in my use of AI and include citations and a list of source materials.

To be clear, I’m aware of AI’s limitations and will use it only when it helps us generate writing we can both feel proud of.

We don’t have a large project right now. Will you take a smaller project instead?

No project is too small if it helps you meet your marketing goals. In fact, starting with a small project is smart, because it meets a pressing need and helps us learn how we work together.

What is a “small” project? A blog or case study is a good example. There is an ongoing demand (some say a yawning maw) for fresh content that supports your company’s image as a trustworthy thought leader in your field. Your team can identify the demand and develop creative briefs, but they don’t have the heads-down time to write.

How can we be sure you won’t leak our trade secrets to competitors?

I’m a professional and honor confidentiality as a pillar of any business agreement. As a W-2 and 1099 contractor, I routinely signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) at the beginning of every project. If you don’t have your own NDA form, I include comparable wording in my letters of agreement or contracts.

How long will it take to complete our project?

It depends. First, quality work takes time, including the days you let a draft rest until you can revisit it with fresh eyes. Second, other obligations and real-life events sometimes cause delays. That’s why we must work as partners. For example, I may be able to meet an aggressive schedule in return for premium pricing.

If you have specific questions, please arrange a discovery meeting so that we can discuss your project in more detail.

Do you provide a guarantee?

I guarantee I will use your background materials and my professional skills to produce a deliverable that helps you achieve your marketing goals. My fee assumes two rounds of minor revisions. If the scope of the project changes, we will work together to revise the proposal and fees to meet your new marketing goals.

I cannot guarantee a specific number of leads or sales, however. Marketing materials are just one of the many factors that play generate revenue. Other factors, such as new competitors or changes in the political, natural, or economic environments, are beyond my control.