There are three of us in the Quirk copy department, Sarah, Kelly (me) and Damian. We can also be roughly divided into three groups – the super early (5:30am), the early (6:30am) and the super not early (10am) – in that same order. But whatever time our day starts, all our days follow pretty much the same pattern – except Sarah’s on newsletter Wednesdays – steer clear.

In actual fact, for most QuirkStars, the day starts out pretty much the same, regardless of the time you get in, the department you work in or even your personality. Coffee. Booting up. Fighting with the Internet proxy. More coffee. Facebook. Email. And in that strict order (and of course by Facebook I mean our RSS readers teeming with useful, work-related Online Marketing news).

But that’s where the similarities end and where the unique day of a CopyStar starts. Depending on our current projects, we could start off with anything from writing the home page for a new and exciting website, to editing copy before it goes live (its vs. it’s people!) or even coming up with informative WebPR article topics.

Let the Writing Begin

Writing a website from scratch can involve optimising copy supplied by the client to fall in line with the SEO strategy or writing the entire site from scratch (read some of the tips I wrote on writing for the Web). Both have their ups and downs, but nothing is more exciting than seeing your words pop up on a SERP (or I could just be a nerd…). A website creation project also lets the Copy Team bond with Quirk’s Account Management department. Nothing cements a working relationship more than convincing an AM to fight with an SEO strategist over the legitimacy of using a key phrase about brand A on brand B’s website. I won by the way.

WebPR

A WebPR article could be next on the day’s agenda and can revolve around any subject from the history of orthodontics to tips on how to keep glass clean, as long as it is informative and related to the client’s brand and not just a thinly disguised advert. And yes, there are people out there who find the history of orthodontics quite informative actually.

Once approved by the client, the article is optimised, placed on their site and, once indexed, distributed to article directories. Here the words of wisdom on how to really get your glass squeaky clean are read and appreciated by many, many people. And, the next time they look at their garden through spotless glass, they remember our client and the helpful advice they received and how they clearly know what they are talking about and they should use them for their next glass installation/repair/cleaning project (for some tips on WebPR, check out this post).

SEO

After a much needed coffee break (Sarah takes one sugar), it’s on to monthly SEO content. In order to keep the SEO up to date on a website, many clients have new pages written each month, targeting current key phrases and adding fresh content to keep the search engine spiders smiling (sorry, that’s about as technical as we get in the copy department).

These one pagers are fairly simple to write, with the biggest challenge often being keeping them fresh and different. While an SEO strategist might see the tactical benefits (see, the technical stuff pops up again) of three key phrases like “overland travel”; “overland travels” and “overland tours” – it does contribute to the Copy Team possibly abusing their keyboards in mild frustration. Word of advice? By page three, never underestimate the power of the bulleted list. People always need a few reminders about what to take on a trip…

And let’s not forget the key phrases that need their own accompanying pop up definition. Let’s just say the SEO team like to challenge us and we love them for it and rise to it each and every time. You’ll be surprised with what you can do with “travel america south”.

These wildly creative pages are then uploaded to the sitemap and simply supplement the current content on the site while leading users there when they search for something using that new, specific key phrase.

And Everything Else

Many other things happen in between work during a day in the Copy QuirkStation (also known as the back corner with the best view and the afternoon sun). When Sarah and I laugh simultaneously, yes, we are probably skinnering. Damian often gets hit with a flying-attention-grabbing pen when his headphones get loud enough to offer us all surround sound. Funny emails go round, Sarah sends out threats about the state of the fridge and much needed trips to the local shop keep the team in CokeZero and sour jellybeans. All in all, a productive day.