Copywriting has been a central part of my job since 2018. I've lost track of how many topics I've written about at this point - everything from financial regulation to fish and chips. But the nature of PR means that only a tiny fraction of what I've written is attributed to me.

That's no great surprise. It's obvious to anyone who understands this world that, as a PR and comms agency, the articles we write, the insights we share, and the opinions we offer up, will naturally be attributed to our clients - or, more specifically, their CEOs, founders and directors.

But this does pose really interesting challenges. After all, copywriting in PR is essentially authorial subterfuge, and your skills as a copywriter are measured by how little your fingerprints can be detected in the published content of your clients.

This isn't as easy as it sounds. Particularly when working with brands that have not invested in PR before - there is no style guide, tone of voice document, or matrix of which spokespeople are available to speak on which subject. It is our job to build this from the ground up.

Vox Alias

The process of developing a consistent writing style for a client involves both planning and practice. An element of trial and error is required, but you can't start by shooting in the dark. First, you must get the measure of a brand and the human beings behind it.

This means long calls to dig into what the client cares about, how they talk about it, and what topics and pain points they'd rather avoid. We listen and we observe: are they direct? Are they serious? Do they shy away from controversy? Do they litter their phrases with jargon? Do they have a sense of humour? Are there certain turns of phrases they love to use? What impression do they want to make on the reader?

Investing time upfront to get answers to these questions is crucial. From here, we can begin drafting content on the client's behalf, allowing a process to edit and refine our content until we hit upon the perfect tone and messaging. Over time, this feedback loop makes the copywriting process relatively painless, with their voice feeling as natural coming from us as it does from them.

As I say, we often have to tackle this challenge from a standing start. But it can also prove complicated when working with a client that has already dabbled in PR, meaning they already have a back catalogue of content and a set idea of how they sound. We have to master their style and tone, but we might also need to advise on where improvements can be made. It requires patience, open conversations, and an investment of time and effort from the agency and client alike.

Our goal is for our content to come back free from red pen, knowing we've earned their trust and nailed the brief.

Tonight, Matthew…

In PR, good copywriting isn't always about an eye-catching turn of phrase or hugely impactful points. Consistency and authenticity are absolutely vital.

If an author's writing style fluctuates from piece to piece, their presence in the media becomes disjointed. Their message will not hit the mark, and the audience will not always leave the article with the right impression of the brand. Our responsibility is to ensure they are a consistent, recognisable voice in their field, one that stands out in a landscape full of cookie-cutter, auto-generated filler.

If you want to see it for yourself, why not take us on and see how quickly we can capture your voice?

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