ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO • 3 MIN READ

Why these "good projects" went bad

profile

Sloppy Copy

Copywriting, content, and marketing can be messy. Sloppy Copy embraces it with shameless stories, tips, and ideas to help you sound real and spark action... while keeping your sanity intact.

Shared every Thursday to marketers, solopreneurs, and business owners. (I'm Cass, btw — your cool new copywriter friend with ideas for your website, sales copy, emails, and other fun content things.)

Why these “good projects” went bad

I had three projects in my early freelancing days that made me think I SUCKED at copywriting.

First: The client who hired me because he “wasn’t a detail guy.”

I quickly learned this meant he couldn’t remember what we were doing, ignored every deadline, and would never implement the copy.

The work was good. The results could’ve been great. But the project flatlined because he wasn’t present enough to apply any of it.

Second: The solopreneur who was SO ready for a website refresh...

…But he didn’t have a developer. Or the time. Or the budget to get help.

So every small revision turned into a three-week detour, and the “quick project” stretched into oblivion.

Third: The consultant who was still figuring out her brand.

She hadn't defined her brand voice, her offer, her target audience, and more.

So we’d write emails, refine them, rewrite them, and somehow still end up off-brand — because the brand itself wasn’t nailed down yet. There was nothing to anchor the copy to.

​

None of these people were "bad clients."

And none of these experiences meant I was a "bad copywriter."

They were just… wrong matches. Misaligned expectations. Missing foundations. A lack of readiness, clarity, or partnership.

And I learned (the hard way) that no amount of word-smithing can fix a project that wasn’t set up for success to begin with.

So what can you learn from my flopped projects?

Copywriting is a partnership.

It only works when both sides bring the right pieces to the table: clarity, trust, communication, and readiness.

When those pieces aren’t there, projects take longer. Results suffer. Tension rises. And the copy — no matter how good — falls flat.

But when they are there: Projects move fast. Revisions shrink. The final product feels aligned, powerful, and actually gets implemented.

And everyone walks away saying, “Wow, that was smooth.”

Whether you’re the one writing the copy or the one paying for it, understanding what makes a great partnership is the difference between:

Copy that sits in a Google Drive folder collecting dust
​vs.​
Copy that becomes revenue, clarity, momentum, and growth

5 ways to make sure a copywriting project succeeds (on either side of the equation)

Here are a few universal green flags that tell you a partnership is set up for success:

1. The offer is solid.
​No copywriter can save a broken offer. But a great one can elevate a strong offer into something magnetic. (And if they double as a strategist, they can help you tweak it to perfection, too.)

2. The business direction is clear.
​You don’t need every detail figured out. But you do need a general direction and specific goals — otherwise the copy becomes a guessing game.

3. There’s trust in the process.
​Copywriting requires feedback, transparency, and communication — AND it requires letting the expert do their job. Both are crucial.

4. There’s a plan for implementation.
​Great copy doesn’t work if it never leaves the Google Doc. Whether it's a VA, a developer, automation tools, or your own time, someone has to execute.

5. Expectations are aligned from the start.
​Get clear on scope, timeline, deliverables, revisions, and access to information. The more aligned you are upfront, the smoother everything goes.

​

If you can check off these boxes — as a writer or a client — the project is already 80% of the way to great results.

Want the full breakdown (including data, real-world stories, and how AI stacks up)?

Cool stuff to check out

Things I found on the internet that made me think of you.​
​

🛍️ Black Friday November: One weekend has turned into a full month of sales, discounts, and impulse-buys. Here’s what that means for marketers.

🏈 Super Bowl ad plans: We’re already hearing about which ads are on the roster for Super Bowl 60. Use this tracker to keep up with the news.

🛒 AI shopping trends: Here’s how buyers are using AI for their holiday shopping this year — from research to price comparisons to purchase decisions.

👋 I’m Cassidy — copywriter, content strategist, and founder of Content by Cass.

​

And also your super-chill friend who says hi, shares her most embarrassing moments, and cheers you on every Thursday.

​

​Follow me on LinkedIn for unfiltered, slightly jaded nonsense and insights

​Check out my services if you need a content or copywriting partner

​Book a free chat to say hi, learn more, and bounce ideas around

​

PO Box 1749-208 Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Sloppy Copy

Copywriting, content, and marketing can be messy. Sloppy Copy embraces it with shameless stories, tips, and ideas to help you sound real and spark action... while keeping your sanity intact.

Shared every Thursday to marketers, solopreneurs, and business owners. (I'm Cass, btw — your cool new copywriter friend with ideas for your website, sales copy, emails, and other fun content things.)

Read more from Sloppy Copy

The “I’ll do it next year” trap (+ how to dodge it)

27 DAYS AGO • 3 MIN READ

Discover All Posts