This week we’re kicking off a series of blogs in which we help you understand the people behind The Arts VA and their specialities. As it was I Love to Write Day on Tuesday, we’re starting with a behind-the-scenes look at the kind of work our copywriter Gemma does each day.
What is my job?
People often ask me what a copywriter actually does. Well, in one day I can write an article for a parenting website, a business blog and social media.
My background is in women’s magazines and I worked on the features desks for publications like Woman’s Own and Bella for ten years, interviewing people for real life stories, writing features about topical news subjects, health articles and sometimes interviewing the odd celebrity.
After I had my first child in 2014, I went freelance and since then I have used my skills and knowledge to write copy for a variety of publications, charities and businesses. My clients have included the likes of Cancer Research UK, parenting website Mumsnet, as well as writing newsletters, blogs and social media content for small businesses.
What kind of work do I do?
I write for Mumsnet regularly and a typical day could involve compiling an article reviewing the best Christmas breaks in the UK or writing about the best way to invest in your child’s future.
I spend a long time researching the subject and coming up with my ideas, and then will start putting the copy together. Writing is a funny thing, sometimes a subject will click and the words will flow easily, other times I can sit for an hour trying to write the first line! Once the copy has been approved, I then upload it onto the website using Wordpress and tools like Photoshop to edit images
Another weekly task is writing this blog for The Arts VA, working with Charlie to come up with the ideas and content that we hope will inform and inspire the readers. This involves researching and writing the copy, sourcing photos and building the page on Wix. I also write and schedule posts for The Arts VA social media pages, using Later, to let readers know about the latest blog.
My day may also involve writing a business newsletter, using tools like Mailchimp to design it and send it out.
What do I love about it?
Whether it’s a long article for a website, a shorter blog post or a newsletter that will be read by subscribers, I love being able to research a topic and turn it into useful information for the reader.
Being a freelance copywriter also allows me to be there to pick my children up at the end of their school day and even pop to the gym at lunchtime. I love the flexibility, variety and creativity that comes with writing for a living.
Is writing something you like to do too? If you want to write a blog or be more active on social media but want to save yourself time, it could be something a VA can help you with. Contact Charlie below for a chat.
Coming up in the next few weeks, we’ll be hearing from the other The Arts VA team members, including Charlie and Jenny.
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Get in touch!
Do you have any questions about Gemma and how you can work with The Arts VA? You can contact us here. If you've enjoyed reading about Gemma, you can learn more about her and the team in these blogs: