Book a German Freelance Copywriter

You need a German Freelance Copywriter for advertising, content and SEO? Look no further, in case you need compelling copy and marketing concepts to be written—to make your business move up in the competitive German market.

Content

• Freelance copywriter, free choice of services
• Ask for work examples as a freelance copywriter
• My main areas of copywriting & marketing expertise:
• Copywriters in Germany: what's the deal?
  • What is a Freelance Copywriter?
  • Copywriter, freelance: How to book
  • German Freelance Copywriter: How to select your (trans)creation specialist
  • Four reasons to go for a good German Freelance Copywriter

• German freelance copywriter / freelance creative director / German SEO freelancer / sustainability writer
• native speaker (German), Cologne-based
• strategy, market analysis, creative concepts, adaptation / transcreation
• digital, content marketing, social media, whatever
• some experience with international accounts (Netherlands, France, UK, …)

No matter what your challenge is, there is an enormous chance that I have done something similar before. I am a copywriter for 20+ years now, and a creative director, and did any kind of advertising campaigns (digital, classic) for roughly 100+ brands. For instance, I worked for agency networks like WPP, or Havas.

From market analysis over to strategy and creative concept up to, of course, copywriting and content development: Mainly large companies and international advertising agencies hire me. What I also do is marketing / management / strategy and AI consulting.

• specialized in integrated campaigns
• cross-cultural checks for your advertising concepts
• concept & content, e.g., landing pages, microsites, websites, blog articles
• television commercials, how-to / tutorial videos, corporate image films
• adaption & transcreation of your source material into real German
• voice direction & video direction
• agile project management in international teams

My main areas of copywriting & marketing expertise:

• Food & beverages, incl. ingredients
• Finance & tax
• High-tech & aerospace
• Automotive
• Energy & renewables
• … and many more. Just ask.

Get a quote:

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Copywriters in Germany: what’s the deal?

Are there copywriters in Germany? Yes, of course. Germany is one of the largest economies in the world. All major advertising agency networks operate in Germany, and that’s the main talent pool for people that later turn to freelancing. In case you are looking for copywriters in Germany, the good news is that there are many freelance copywriters available. The quality varies, there are Creative Directors (like me), i.e. Top Experts, senior, mid, junior level copywriters, specialists and hobbyists. English is frequently spoken; some larger international campaigns for German brands are actually crafted in English by Germans in Germany.

Booking is quite easy if you hire them directly. You might not even need an NDA, as the corporate law on this is super strict in Germany. Typical US NDAs are lax compared to the law…

What is a Freelance Copywriter?

A Freelance Copywriter is a small business owner, or solopreneur, who offers marketing services that mostly come in written form. Common offerings are marketing concepts and strategies, think of market entry ideas and branding projects, content like websites, landing pages, LinkedIn posts and SEO-optimized blog posts, and basically anything a marketing department in a small or giant company needs to be done. As the freelance copywriter is available for direct bookings from both agencies, and companies, he or she can be tasked without project management overhead.

What a freelance copywriter is usually not, is an art director, designer, coding guy, videographer, podcaster. But in most cases freelance copywriters have a network of other freelancers, or agencies, at hand.

Copywriter, freelance: How to book

Most freelance copywriters work on hourly or daily rates, and they are lower than those of NYC lawyers! OK, that’s no surprise. If you are in Germany, the invoices will likely include 19% VAT, and you might have to pay the „Künstlersozialkasse“ fee, a social security thingy for artists in Germany (and yes, copywriting is a form of art) on your behalf. If you are from the EU, you know the Reverse Charge system. In case you’re from the US oder South Korea or elsewhere: the invoices are excempt from VAT – what your local IRS or taxman wants later on from you is your business.

German Freelance Copywriter: How to select your (trans)creation specialist

As a freelance copywriter born and based in Germany, I have had the opportunity to work with 100+ national and international clients over more than 20 years.

When targeting a German-speaking audience, hiring a German freelance copywriter with expertise in (trans)creation is paramount to achieving success.

The main reason: Your campaign has to cater to the decision matrix of your customers, and this may widely differ from your home market.

One example: In France, you can sell food based on its quality, in Germany you preferably need a quality label (and a good price). On the other hand, you can sell cars in Germany based in perceived image, and not on quality.

German is a difficult language, thus finding the fine-tuned, perfect tone of voice is work for a native speaker, or someone who is super-creative, or better both. Bad language style gives you some percent of extra doubt when trying entering a market.

Fun fact: I might advise you to partially keep English slogans, or headlines, because it’s Germany. It’s a special place. English is allowed for marketing copy, without translation, unlike France.

Four reasons to go for a good German Freelance Copywriter

• When targeting a German-speaking audience, hiring a German Freelance Copywriter can help achieve success. It’s a no-brainer.
• Experience and expertise are key factors to consider when selecting a (trans)creation specialist. Especially translating profits from loads of experience so that the German version of your premium copy really sounds German.
• You need someone who knows how international marketing works. I worked as a Creative Director in a Network Agency (WPP-owned), and freelanced for others, like Havas. And I have international clients on my own.
• A professional German writer can bring cultural and market competition understanding and language proficiency to your copywriting needs. In your home market, your brand may be positioned as premium, but as a Newcomer in Germany, you will start as a, well, newcomer, thus your target demographic is different.

Copywr-AI-ting? Sheeesh…

A professional German writer provides valuable insights into the nuances of German language and culture, which AI doesn’t, including the use of idioms, colloquialisms, and regional dialects. This depth of knowledge can help your content avoid potential misunderstandings and miscommunication.

Thanks to generative AI, typos aren’t a big issue anymore, but automatic translations lack soul. And if you’re not a native speaker, you simple can’t judge the language quality. For instance, I have a French section on this website (the „FR“ button on the top end). The copy is AI translated, but a) from a Frenchie LLM, and b) I speak it a little French and finetuned the outcome. I am superhappy with the result. But I know that, in reality, the result is, well, barely okayish.

When it comes to Switzerland and Austria, the German used there differs slightly.

One example: In Germany, it’s “on the countryside” (auf dem Land), in Austria “at the countryside” (am Land). Getting these things right gains you some extra points.

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