What does a good German copywriter do? Create audience oriented, SEO-optimised, localised, engaging, fun, colourful content. Or copy. Or both. Shall we find out what you need?
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Hi. I'm Ela. I might be your German speaking hero
So. You’re looking for a German copywriter. And you found me. Amazing! Let me introduce myself (as most of my site consists of aggressive gibberish aka German): I’m Ela, a journalist and copywriter with a deep passion for the German language. Some people might call it an obsession. I sometimes do … And my mission? To make normal content & copy cool. For small and medium to large-sized companies with a focus on sustainability.
My mission: To make normal content & copy cool. For small and medium to large-sized companies with a focus on sustainability.
Who exactly, you ask? Businesses in every industry: Yoga studios. Event planners. Solar energy providers. Real estate agents. Eco hotels. Software companies. Interior designers. The list goes on, but I’ll stop here!
Copy vs. content
Copy is the stuff on websites that is meant to sell products or services to visitors. Content lives on blogs and social media networks. It informs, entertains and creates brand loyalty.
German Copywriter with journalism background and intercultural experience
A little bit about my background: I have a master’s degree in Journalism and New Media. Since 2008, I’ve worked on and off as a journalist, mainly for Austrian print and online media outlets. The switch to primarily do copywriting happened in 2018. Since then, I’ve founded my own copywriting business – this fine thing here. I constantly improve my knowledge on SEO, marketing, and of course writing. I consume media and books very consciously. My own writing is constantly under evaluation: I look at every sentence I write from multiple angles – to make extra-sure it works for the reader. I also use spell checking programs and have an external proofreader for important projects. Because even the best wriers sometimes miss a t. Ooops. See what I did there?
I’m also a bit of a crazy cat lady. A strict vegetarian and sometimes-vegan. And I get happy chills all over if I’m in a place with lots of ripe, local fruits and veggies. Like the sugary yellow mangos in Vietnam. The butter-creamy avocados in Australia. The caramelly purple figs in Montenegro. The delicate flavour explosion of … Ok, enough. You get the point. I like fruit more than candy. And now …
Who I work with
My clients are based in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, but also the Netherlands and the USA. Some speak German, but I translate their content into English. With others, I communicate in English but write in German. I work with one-person-businesses, where I have a lot of creative freedom to achieve the best positive result. But also with big international players where every word has to comply with the company policy.
clients between jul 2019 and oct 2020
I’m used to working remotely and to communicating over multiple time zones. When I, for example, lived in Sydney, most of my clients were in Germany. Power outings, wildfire smoke, tsunami in the Philippines, 35 + degrees or mega-jetlag: When there is a deadline coming up, I meet it. And you won’t have any idea that I wasn’t typing this in a well-climatized Coworking Space in Vienna, Austria
What can I do for you (as a German copywriter)
- Work with you on identifying the right language for your brand
- Discuss the layout and positioning of text on your website or marketing materials (I frequently do this for some of my clients)
- Transfer your website copy from English into German (again, it's not just basic translation if you would like your copy to actually perform!)
- Localise and polish existing German content (necessary if you had a basic translator work on your text. Ooops)
- Create new copy in German
- Write marketing emails or newsletters in German
What I need to start working
I create copy and content for websites, blog posts and marketing materials (like email or newsletters). Here I’ll do as much or as little work as you like: I can research content ideas, use statistics and scientific articles for numbers, come up with a logical structure or simply take an English essay or a web page you like and use it as a blueprint for the German version.
Translation & Transcreation
Another thing I do is the transcreation of English copy for the German market. Are you confused about translation and transcreation? No wonder! Here I’ve talked in-depth about the differences.
Having lived in Austria, Australia and various countries in Asia, I consider myself as a bit of an expert on the subtle nuances of localization of copy and content. With an international mindset, I recognize and make use of a lot of the cultural peculiarities of different nations. I think I now see the “German-ness” of Germans much clearer than someone who has never left their German-speaking home country.
How I work
A step-by-step-overview
First contact
1Message me via contact form or directly to my email if you have a project you’d like me to work on. I’ll get back to you ASAP with essential questions (like the proposed timeline). If I have done something similar before, I’ll send you a work sample. If I’m the right girl for your task, we have a call.
Detailed discussion
2A little warning: I will stalk your company before our call to get an idea of what you do, where you operate and who your clients are. In our chat, we’ll talk in detail about your project, its purpose and timeframe. We’ll also cover cost and included services (in most cases, I’ll do two revisions for free, and if it’s about website copy, I also write metadata). Did we reach an agreement? Great!
Confirmation & prepayment
3You’ll get a confirmation which includes all the details we agreed on. And the terms of payment as well. I usually charge a percentage of the total before I start and the rest after the project is finalized.
Work & updates
4Depending on our agreement, I’ll either finalize the whole project before I send it to you. Or we work with ongoing milestones. If for some reason I am unable to hold a deadline (i. e. if I get sick), I will let you know immediately. And I will propose an alternative date. My clients love my short reaction times, thorough work and holistic approach.
Review and finalizing
5Are we done yet? Once I am done with the first version of the copy, I’ll send it to you. This is where clients sometimes have small remarks. I’ll work them in fast. And we can move on to finalizing the work. We are done when you are happy!
Further projects
5I’m not always immediately available for new projects. But existing clients get preferred treatment! So, if we have worked together already, and you suddenly have a language emergency … I can probably help you out very quick!
my German content/copy is
- Audience-oriented
- Easy and fun to read
- Fitted to layout and design
- Well researched
- SEO-optimized
- Mobile friendly
Why pick a German copywriter with experience in the sustainability industry?
Because I know … I know what sustainability in its original sense means. I’ve worked with many companies that leave their sustainable mark in various ways. I know which challenges they face if they want to become more environmentally friendly. And I know how big a success even small steps into the right direction are.
Most importantly though: I know how to tell those things to people without sounding like a bragger, judgmental or holier-than-though. As a sustainability expert, I can appreciate the things you do. And at the same time, I can explain the core of your business in a clear, non-technical way.
BE SMART ...
... and choose a German copywriter who has experience writing about businesses similar to yours!
But don’t get me wrong here: I strongly encourage you NOT to get a sustainability copywriter if your business is not really about sustainability, but about, say, programming. Or finance. Or medicine. It is crucial that your German copywriter understands exactly what you are doing. How your industry works. What problems your clients or audience are struggling with. So: No matter how much you personally love sustainability – if your business doesn’t have an angle in this field, I won’t be able to help you as good as someone who has experience writing about businesses similar to yours!
Do you like this piece? I can help you with copywriting and transcreation in German. Message me!
Or follow me on one of these networks. We are in the 21st century, people!
