Creativity + organization = impact

Here at LimeTech, we’ve developed a clear and easy process for ensuring our clients get consistent, high-quality work. We’re firm believers that creativity plus organization equals content with impact. In today’s article, we describe the process for LimeTech content creation, and what you can expect at each step along the way.

Your options

We work in two common formats – on a per-project basis or under an ongoing retainer agreement. Having two options gives you the flexibility to choose the format that works best for your needs. Let’s start with project-related work.

Per-project work

When we work on a per-project basis, we focus on one aspect of your copy needs, such as “X” pages of website content or UX writing for “X” number of screens for your new mobile app. These projects have a clear deadline and typically involve a three-step process of research, writing/revision, and delivery.

Project kickoff

At the outset of any project we meet with you for up to 30 minutes to discuss your requirements. After carefully scoping the work, we provide a detailed proposal and contract outlining our mutual terms. This puts everyone on the same page and gives us a clear understanding of the success factors.

Your project lifecycle

Upon your sign-off on our proposal and contract, we get straight to work! We begin with a short research and review process. It’s important for us to really get to know your brand so we can convey the style and personality of your business.

Finding the voice of your brand

Is your brand serious and formal? Or are you casual and witty? The tone of your brand will determine much about the content we write. We’ll request access to any established guidelines such as your brand book, style guide, or voice and tone guide. If you don’t have those on hand, we’ll ask you guiding questions to help reveal the direction we should take.

User personas are useful, if you have them. We’ll also take a look at any content that you feel represents your brand (or where your brand is headed). At this stage, anything is helpful – from a current website to a scribbled brainstorm. You might even refer us to brands or websites you admire.

The writing process gets underway

After we do a bit of research, the magic begins! We roll up our sleeves and commence writing. In the case of digital copywriting, our work is done in collaboration. After a brainstorm session or two, one LimeTech writer takes the lead and creates a working draft. That draft will be run through an internal critique process where one or more members of the team weigh in and provide feedback.

We believe strongly that every copywriting document benefits from review by at least two pairs of eyes. This helps us approach each challenge from multiple perspectives, making our output (and your content) more effective along the way.

For user experience writing (ie. UX writing), it’s more common for us to function as a surrogate member of your product team. In that case, our UX writer may collaborate remotely by contributing to your documents or files, or generate copies and make the relevant inputs, comments, or edits as needed.

Check-ins and revisions

Once we commence writing, we check in regularly to provide status updates and ask relevant questions. Regular communication and access to key stakeholders are key to success. 

With a working draft in place, we invite you to check out the document and give us feedback. For per-project assignments, we also offer up to two revision cycles, should you need adjustments. Once everything is perfect, we’re ready to hand you the goods!

Handover and sign-off

Our project completes with a handover of your deliverables and a quick wrap-up meeting. This meeting is very important, as it brings our work to a conclusion and provides you a chance to give us a mini performance review. We always look forward to this final step, as it helps us assess the project and identify ways to continuously improve.

Retainer agreement

As an alternative to doing per-project work, we can also work for you under an ongoing retainer agreement. A retainer guarantees you a set number of hours (or quantity of work) for a flat monthly fee. 

Clients who opt with a retainer agreement get priority access to our services. Retainer agreements are also a great way to bypass the time-consuming process of estimates, invoicing, and payment reminders.

Our tools

So, what are our tools of the trade? We work with the tools common to the worlds of digital copywriting, UX writing, and UX design. These include Google Suite, Figma, Adobe XD, Strings, Miro, and Basalmiq. If you have an in-house system for managing copy decks, we can likely work with that. We’ve even been known to use a good-old pen and paper for sketching page layouts and simple user flows.

Special agreements

Sometimes our work requires us to get access to our clients’ important intellectual property. In those cases, we’re happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This is common practice in the startup world.

Hopefully this article gives you a good sense of what it’s like to work with our team. We run a tight ship, we love working with words, and we’re looking forward to helping you take your brand to the next level.If you’re curious to learn more, let’s schedule a meeting and have a quick chat about your project!

LimeTech is a creative tech company with a focus on app development. We help brands grow their impact by building digital products that please customers and solve business challenges. Our work includes strategy, design, content, and tech planning. Check out our portfolio or reach out to start a conversation about your project.