Frequently Asked Questions

‍A copywriter writes any or all of the written (or verbal) materials you use in your business. When you stop to list them all, there is a ton of places where your organisation relies on effective communication.

We can help write your marketing materials, website content, articles, blogs, tenders, bids, RFPs, proposals, presentations, video scripts, email marketing, CVs, company profiles, personnel bios, award entries, case studies, training materials … and anywhere else you need to connect with your customers, clients, prospects, employees, stakeholders, investors, donors, journalists, award or grant providers.

A great copywriter helps you get the right message to the right audience through the right channel.

Because we’re fascinated by words, we’ve written an article called “What exactly is copywriting?” that you can read here if you’re as intrigued by language as we are.

‍This is where you’d expect to see the standard cliché, “we save you time and money”. But that’s one of our pet peeves, and you’ll never see us write that. We also don’t like the word “should” … we’ve written on article on that one that you can read here, called “The Power of Language”.

So we’ll just tell it to you straight. You’re probably too close to your business to write about it objectively (and most business owners find it hard to write about themselves). It’s sometimes hard to see your business from the client’s side of the table – customers love a good brand story and we can help get that out of you. You may not be trained or qualified in writing or communications, and you might not enjoy it. We are professionally trained and qualified, and we love to write.

We love the Kiwi “do it yourself” attitude and approach to problem solving … but DIYing your business copy isn’t the best use of your time. Focus on what you’re great at, whether that’s making a product or offering a service, and let us write your messaging for you. We’ll bring an objective perspective to your business, write copy that will improve your sales process, help you connect with your ideal target audience … and probably do it all in less time than if you try to do it yourself.

If you’re using an advertising or design agency to do your creative work, but are trying to write your own copy, we understand the pressures of trying to deliver content to their schedule. We work with agencies all the time and can seamlessly slot in to their project timelines, using their briefs, and liaising with them directly if you want. We love taking this problem away from you and just getting it done.

If you’re still unsure, get in touch with us with a sample piece and we’ll let you know how we can make your life easier.

Feel free to read our article ”Is there ever a good time to DIY in your business?”

AI can help with copywriting when used properly. AI is great for idea generation and for getting unstuck. But the current AI tools aren’t developed to really understand your brand and your brand voice.

AI also isn’t very good at writing proposals or responses prepared for a specific client or problem. AI will provide generic answers to questions, but without your in-depth knowledge of your company/sector/region/prospects, the copy will sound generic and salesy.

Copywriting tasks that AI can help with include:

• generating topic ideas

• organising thoughts and ideas

• checking the meaning, spelling, origin of words

Copywriting tasks that AI cannot help with include:

• understanding your authentic brand voice

• knowing what matters to your specific clients/customers

• injecting human-centred curiosity and empathy in your messaging

Remember, people do business with people. If your copy doesn’t sound like you, prospects and clients won’t engage.

There are no formal qualifications needed to be a copywriter, but they help. At Maple Marketing we believe a strong background in marketing and communications is essential for any great copywriter.

Renata’s qualifications include:

• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)

• Chartered Marketer status with the CIM

• Member of the Marketing Association of New Zealand (MA)

• Member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP)

• BA Hons degree (English, International Relations, Spanish)

• MBA with specialisations in Strategic Management and Marketing

• Certificate in Magazine Journalism

Great copywriting starts well before the actual writing. There are three traits that great writers have, and when they are practiced, they become useful skills:

• Being curious – knowing how to ask the right questions, dig deeper, and uncover what really matters.

• Being a good listener – creating space for people to share their perspectives, opinions, ideas and stories (and knowing when to stay quiet instead of rushing to fill the silence).

• Being observant – the best ideas often come when you’re away from your desk. One of the best ways to get through “writer’s block” is to go for a walk, get some fresh air, and brainstorm without the pressure of having a keyboard or notebook in front of you.

One of the most common copywriting mistakes we see involves an organisation writing too much about themselves when the focus should be on the reader – the prospective client/customer. This happens a lot in proposals and website copy. But it’s an easy thing to fix. If you need help writing from the perspective of your clients, give us a call and we can help.

Another common copywriting mistake occurs when a business owner or manager finds it hard to write about themselves. Sometimes people are too humble or they just don’t know what they should include in a company profile or bio. We can help with that too – feel free to get in touch.

Yes, generally speaking, we write differently based on the media or channel we’re writing for. That’s because a reader holding a printed brochure, for example, will read it differently than they would read a web page or an online resource. How we read is affected as well by whether we’re looking at a computer screen or a phone. So it’s important to understand how people browse copy in front of them, how long their attention span is, and where their eyes go first.

While the core message may stay the same, the way it’s delivered changes. Digital copy is typically shorter, more scannable, and designed for quick engagement. Print allows for a more considered, linear reading experience. A good copywriter adapts the tone, structure, and format to suit the channel.

Ultimately, a good copywriter writes for the audience – understanding what matters to them and what questions they need answered is key when writing marketing materials. But it’s important to understand where readers will consume your information and how to make it easy for them to navigate and digest your content.

RFP stands for “Request for Proposal”.

The “request” itself is a formal procurement document issued by an organisation seeking proposals from the market. The entity issuing the RFP is the buyer, and the respondents are the sellers, bidders or prospective suppliers.

An RFP process is a formal process that is most commonly used by government agencies/departments or by large corporations. This is usually because the expenditure is large enough to warrant a publicly transparent process and the project demands set deadlines.

Read more about what is involved in replying to an RFP here.

‍These terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re slightly different.

An RFP is a formal procurement process (see above). It’s different from a generic proposal as it usually has a prescribed template that the bidder must use when responding.

A proposal, in short, is a document a supplier prepares when trying to secure new business. You’re proposing to solve a problem, so it’s focussed on the client and their needs (unlike a capability document that is more focussed on you, the supplier).

While RFPs and proposals tend to focus on capability and methodology, bids and tenders are usually focussed on price.

Read more about bids, tenders, proposals and RFPs here.

Renata Mathewson, founder of Maple Marketing, brings 25+ years of international experience and expertise in publishing, media and marketing to her copywriting work. Since starting Maple Marketing in 2006, she has written for small businesses, large corporates, government agencies, and design and marketing agencies.

Before Maple Marketing, Renata was a marketing manager and marketing consultant in Canada, England and New Zealand. With a strong strategic marketing background, she helps clients understand their target audience, marketplace, value proposition and competitive point of difference (POD) before creating their messaging. The focus is always on understanding what your copy needs to do for your marketing campaigns, your projects, your business.

We write copy that moves people … to think, feel, act … to choose you.

This is a very valid concern, so we don’t mind you asking. It’s your business, your baby, and we want you to trust us with it. But we don’t just take it off your hands and run with it.

For all of our projects we use a thorough briefing process to get to know you and your business, and what you’re trying to achieve. Where there is external research required, we dig in to that as well so we understand the market you’re operating in.

If we’re writing for an audience knowledgeable about your sector and fluent in the industry-specific terminology used, we’ll make sure the language is appropriately pitched. If we’re writing for an audience that isn’t as familiar with what you do, we’ll make sure your messaging gets through in a way that connects with them … we’ll take all that jargon and those acronyms and turn them into plain English.

It’s not our job to do what you do. It’s our role to help you communicate clearly with language that is pitched at the right level for your audience.

We’ve worked on projects in the fields of construction, engineering, mining, pulp and paper, medicine, insurance, travel, cosmetic surgery, race car driving, fertility treatment, cooking, celebrity gossip, emergency services, prisons, passive homes, armed forces, weight loss products, aviation, lawn bowling, hydro excavation, nutraceuticals … you name it, we can write about it.

‍When people ask this question, they’re usually trying to uncover two things – are you capable and can we trust you?

Over the past two decades, our clients have included owners/operators of small- and medium-sized businesses, larger corporate marketing departments, media companies, magazines, government departments, designers, advertising agencies, and other business consultants.

We’ve been honoured to write materials delivered into Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the New Zealand Defence Force, the Ministry of Health, the University of Auckland, Continental Car Services, the Institution of Civil Engineers, Pipe Vision (NZ) Ltd, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Citycare Group, Compass Group, Auckland DHB, Te Puni Kōkiri, Constructing Excellence, The Athlete’s Foot, Auckland District Law Society, Farmers, New Zealand Institute of Education, and a great range of New Zealand small businesses and publishers.

Projects include the many places an organisation uses written or spoken language – marketing materials, websites, articles, blogs, tenders, bids, RFPs, proposals, presentations, video scripts, email marketing, CVs, company profiles, personnel bios, social media posts, award entries, case studies, training materials.

So yes, we are capable and you can trust us … please get in touch and let’s chat.

For a closer look at all the areas of your business that we can help with copywriting, have a read of our article about content marketing called “An effective marketing technique for your business”.

It depends on your project. We use a project fee for most of our work, and treat each project as unique, depending on what you need help with. Read more about our approach to Pricing on our How We Work page, or feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation quote.