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For this project, I set out to get some real-world copywriting experience to add to my portfolio. I also dissected a successful email campaign and used what I learned to make my own email mockups, and created a brand guide to further grow my marketing/operations skills. Below you’ll find the links to all of my documentation and completed projects. Enjoy!

Why I Chose This Project

As an avid lover of writing, the idea of copywriting has piqued my interest. Copywriting comes in a variety of forms- short-form, long-form, sales copy, content creation. Sky’s the limit with the words that go into selling a product.

To get real-world experience in copywriting

For this reason, I chose diving into copywriting. Email copy, to be specific. It is a crucial part of business, no matter what role you operate in. I chose two projects geared specifically toward this skill set.

I sought after an outsourced project because I believe the best way to learn is by doing. Fulfilling a project for a client required me to take on their company’s lingo, tone, and attitude in my writing. Not only that, but what he wanted mattered more than what I wanted, and what he thought was good is what mattered.

To learn the operations side of marketing

For my final deliverable, I decided on a project that would test both my marketing and operation skills: a brand guide.

A brand guide is what unites a business. It is the color theme, the logos, the lingo, and sets the tone of all communications.

I built this month’s project with the goal of building my copywriting, marketing, and operations skillset.

Weekly Updates:

Week 1 — The Planning Phase

• This was all about planning and prep. During the week I chose a project theme, networked and got myself a real-world copywriting project, brainstormed my desired project deliverables, formulated a plan, and built my task management system.

Week 2 — The Test Phase

• In week two, I dove into my first email sequence creation. I documented my research and thought process behind each piece.
• I read Ogilvy on Advertising every day and posted a quote on Twitter.
• With big projects comes the need for management. I posted a blog on how I utilized Trello to manage this project.

Week 3 — The Hustle Phase

• Week three, I created my second email sequence for Evernest and documented my thought process.
• I finished reading Ogilvy on Advertising and crafted an outline for my blog
• By using Notion, I build a mock-up brand guide for Zocdoc and documented my learning process.

Week 4 — The Final Stretch

• Week four was all about reengineering a newsletter that I personally enjoy, and creating mockups of my own. I also created videos displaying my knowledge of Mailchimp and Canva as a supplement.
• I finished my Ogilvy on Advertising blog post.
• Finished my landing page and put the finishing touches on my project.

Blog Posts:

Writing an Email Sequence Template to Boost Webinar Attendance

How (and Why) I’m Using Trello to Manage My Month-Long Project

Writing a Second Email Sequence for Evernest

Creating a Brand Guide by Using Notion

Breaking Down a Newsletter to Determine Why it Works and Then Creating My Own

Why Ogilvy on Advertising is Regarded So Highly by Wanna-Be Copywriters and Successful Copywriters Alike

 

What I Learned:

This project taught me how to plan and manage my own project within a set time frame. This came with many hurdles. I had to brainstorm each project and determine whether or not it could be accomplished within the timeframe that I needed it to be. I also had to coordinate with a third party to complete projects for them. It really tested my time management skills and taught me how to keep myself accountable. I had to be flexible, yet stay firm with my planning in order to get it done. 

This project was all about marketing, with an emphasis on improving my copywriting skills. I learned how to use Mailchimp, which I’d never used before and is a popular means for email marketing. 

By creating a brand guide, I had to figure out the innerworkings and voice of a company the best way I could. 

When I took on outsourced email writing projects, not only did I learn the best methods for webinar email sequences, but how to write in a voice that matched the company I was writing for. 

What I’d Do Differently:

With every project, there’s always something we wished we knew before we started. That being said, if I were to change anything about this project, it would be:

• Creating a client profile for my brand bible. I think that could have been a really useful addition. Customer profiles give employees a fundamental and clear picture of who they are writing to.
• Spending more time cultivating my newsletter and experimenting with Mailchimp. For the sake of time, I stuck with the very basic version of what I wanted the newsletter to look like, but I could have tried out different formats and potentially found one that was superior. 
• Moved all of my drafts into Medium sooner. I wrote everything out in Google Doc, so the formatting appears very differently for some pieces. I should have moved them after each week and made formatting them to Medium apart of the weekly goals instead of trying to do it all at the end.

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This project was a very satisfying one. The ability to fully plan out and execute a project of my own design was fulfilling. I learned things about marketing and about myself.