There is nothing worse than facing a blank sheet of paper and not knowing where to start. Some people can just sit down and write with noise and activity going on around them. Others need total silence to release their creativity.

Here’s a checklist to help you fill that blank piece of paper!

1. Who is your target market (professionals, consumers, leisure users?)

2. Read the brief and highlight the important points. Do you have any questions?

3. What tone or style do you need to write in (casual, formal, humorous)?

4. What does the reader need to know?

5. What form of media are you writing for as each needs a different approach (website, newsletter, press ad, sales letter etc)?

6. What are the benefits of the product or subject you are writing about?

7. Why is the reader reading your document?

8. What is the reader’s frame of mind when they read your message (calm, stressed, relaxed)?

9. Where will they read your message (in the office, at home, on the train)?

If you consider all these questions before you start to write, you should soon find the words flow. Good copywriting is as much about research and preparation as the actual copy you write.