Advertising Copywriting Project Intake Form

Please remove this client intake form insights section before publishing.

Let's break down the detailed insights into this Client Intake Form, section by section:

1. Client Information:

• Purpose: This section establishes the basic contact information, ensuring clear communication and accurate record-keeping.
• Insights:
  It's crucial to capture all details for effective communication and invoicing.
  Website and address provide context for the client's business.
  Knowing the contact person's title helps understand their role in the project.

2. Business Overview:

• Purpose: This section gathers essential information about the client's business, target audience, and goals.
• Insights:
  Understanding the client's core products/services and target audience is fundamental for crafting relevant and effective copy.
  Identifying business goals helps align the copywriting with the client's overall strategy.
  Knowing the competition allows for differentiating the client's brand and messaging.
  Knowing the current marketing efforts helps to see what has been done, and what is working or not working.
  USPs are vital to highlighting what makes the company unique.

3. Project Details:

• Purpose: This section defines the specific requirements of the copywriting project.
• Insights:
  Clearly defining the type of content needed ensures the copywriter focuses on the right deliverables.
  Specific content requirements (length, tone, style, keywords, CTA) provide clear guidelines for the copywriter.
  Existing brand guidelines and examples of liked/disliked content help maintain brand consistency and align with the client's vision.
  SEO requirements are very important for any web based content.
  Revisions number is important to set boundaries.
• Type of Content Needed:
  This comprehensive list covers a wide range of advertising copywriting services.
  It allows the client to select multiple options, indicating the scope of the project.
• Desired Tone of Voice & Call to Action:
  This ensures the copywriter aligns with the client's brand personality and desired outcomes.

4. Service Options:

• Purpose: This section outlines the various service packages offered by the copywriter.
• Insights:
  Offering tiered service options allows clients to choose the level of service that best suits their needs and budget.
  Clearly defining deliverables for each service package sets clear expectations.
  The options provided cover a range of copywriting needs, from basic copywriting to strategic content planning and SEO optimization.
  A/B testing, and competitive analysis are valuable add ons.
• Detailed Breakdown of Service Options:
  Each option is described with its deliverables, which is helpful to the client.
  This section allows you to upsell, and increase the size of the project.

5. Detailed Expectations Question:

• Purpose: This open-ended question encourages the client to provide detailed insights into their expectations and goals.
• Insights:
  This question is crucial for understanding the client's vision and ensuring satisfaction.
  It prompts the client to think critically about their project and communicate their needs effectively.
  This section is very important to get a grasp of the clients personality, and how they communicate.
  Asking about metrics, and brand voice, makes sure that the copywriter is on the same page as the client.

6. Additional Information:

• Purpose: This section provides an open space for the client to add any relevant information.
• Insights:
  It allows the client to share any details that may not have been covered in the previous sections.

7. Agreement, Signature, and Date:

• Purpose: This section formalizes the agreement and ensures both parties understand the terms of service.
• Insights:
  It protects both the copywriter and the client by establishing a clear understanding of the project scope and deliverables.

Overall Insights:

• The form is comprehensive and covers a wide range of copywriting needs.
• It emphasizes clear communication and detailed information gathering.
• It allows for customization and flexibility to accommodate various client requirements.
• It is designed to create a strong client/copywriter relationship, by establishing clear expectations.
• It is designed to increase the copywriters income, by offering a wide variety of services.

Please remove this mandatory questions recommendation section before publishing.

While all the questions are designed to be helpful, the truly mandatory ones are those without which you cannot effectively begin the project or maintain clear communication. Here's a breakdown of the most crucial fields:

Absolutely Mandatory:

• Client Information:
  Company Name: You need to know who you're working with for invoicing and referencing.
  Contact Person: You need a primary point of contact for communication.
  Email Address: This is vital for sending drafts, questions, and final deliverables.
• Project Details:
  Project Name/Title: Helps in organization and referencing the specific piece of work.
  Type of Content Needed: You cannot begin writing without knowing what the client requires.
• Detailed Expectations Question:
  "Please provide a detailed description of your expectations for this project..." This is arguably the most crucial question. Without understanding the client's goals, desired outcomes, and preferences, you risk delivering something that misses the mark entirely.

Highly Recommended (but potentially negotiable depending on the specific project):

• Business Overview:
  Briefly describe your company and its core products/services: Understanding the business is essential for writing relevant copy. However, for very straightforward projects, you might gather this information through conversation.
  Who is your target audience?: Knowing who you're writing for is critical for effective messaging. Again, this could be discussed if the client is unsure or if the project is very niche.
  What are your primary business goals?: Understanding the "why" behind the content helps align your writing with their objectives.
• Specific Content Requirements:
  While the "Type of Content Needed" is mandatory, some of the specifics (length, tone, style) might evolve through discussion. However, having an initial idea is very helpful.
• Service Options:
  Selecting a service option clarifies the scope of work and deliverables. If a client is unsure, you might guide them.

Less Critical (but still valuable):

• Phone Number: Useful for urgent communication but not always the primary method.
• Website: Provides context but might not be strictly necessary for all projects (e.g., a single social media ad).
• Company Address: Primarily for invoicing and formal records.
• Project Deadline & Budget: Important for project management but might be discussed separately in the initial stages.
• Competition, USPs, Existing Marketing Efforts, Brand Guidelines, Examples of Liked/Disliked Content, Desired Tone/CTA, Keywords, SEO Requirements, Revision Preferences: These provide valuable context and guidance but might be gathered through further conversation or if the client doesn't have this information readily available at the intake stage.
• Additional Information: This is open-ended and relies on the client's discretion.
• Agreement, Signature, and Date: Important for formalizing the arrangement but might come later in the process after the initial intake.

In summary, the absolute must-haves are the basic contact information, the type of content needed, and a detailed understanding of the client's expectations. The other questions provide crucial context and streamline the process but might be addressed through follow-up discussions if the client can't provide them immediately.

It's always a good idea to explain to the client why each question is important. This helps them understand the value of providing detailed information and fosters a more collaborative relationship.