If you’re a copywriter, you know that not all clients are created equal. Some clients offer exciting projects with plenty of room for creativity; other clients might give you more of a challenge. But what about high-SME clients? What makes them unique from low-SME clients and other types of businesses? Here’s everything you need to know:
High-SME clients and low-SME clients: what’s the difference?
You may have heard that SMEs are a good place to start your freelance writing career. It’s true, but there are differences between high-SME clients and low-SME clients. High-SME clients have more money flowing through them than low-SME ones. That means they’re more likely to be able to pay you for your services, and also less likely to ask for revisions once they’ve paid their bill. They might even ask for more than one round of revisions! The upside is that these high-SME clients are also more likely to refer other people in the industry who need content written—the kind of people who will probably be willing and able to pay you again when it comes time for another project.
What’s it like to work with a high-SME client?
You might feel like you’re in the middle of a hot-and-cold romance: one day, your client is super responsive and involved in your project. The next day, they disappear for weeks without any communication. Or even worse, they don’t pay their bills on time.
This behavior is typical of high-SME clients—the term used to describe small or medium-sized enterprises with employees numbering between 20 and 100 people. Because they are smaller than large companies but larger than small businesses (which have fewer than 20 employees), high-SMEs can fall somewhere between being big enough to get a lot done and small enough that sending out an email will actually reach someone who can help you solve your problem.
Is writing for high-SME clients harder than working with other clients?
No, it’s not about the size of the company. It’s about the complexity of the project they’re working on and their own business needs.
A client who has a simple product or service that doesn’t need much explanation might be easier to work with than one who sells a complex product or service and needs a lot of help explaining it.
But don’t worry—you’ll know what to expect from your clients based on how you’ve worked with them in the past and what kind of projects they’ve given you before. If there are any red flags in previous projects, address those before signing on for another one!
Writing for high-SME clients doesn’t have to be more challenging than writing for any other client!
While you may be tempted to think that your high-SME clients are more difficult customers, keep in mind that they are just as interested in good writing as any other client. They just want good content, and they may have specific requirements of what they want from you. But don’t let that intimidate you! You can still provide great work if you follow these tips:
- Do research on the company and its industry before meeting with them
- Ask questions about the audience so you can tailor your topic or tone accordingly
- Write a sample piece during the initial meeting; this will give both parties a better idea of what’s possible for future projects
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a way to stand out from all the other copywriters and content creators out there, this is it. Writing for high-SME clients can be an opportunity to take your career in an exciting new direction—and if you do it right, your client will thank you by taking you along with them on their journey. The key is understanding what makes these clients different from others, and then adjusting your approach accordingly. With some solid research and preparation, you should be able to work with any kind of client successfully—even those who are used to being treated like royalty!