Higher Education copywriting portfolio
Newcastle University prospectus copywriting
I was the lead writer/editor of Newcastle University's flagship undergraduate prospectus for a number of years. My copy established university-wide UG marketing and recruitment messaging. 234pp printed publication plus 500 accompanying pages/tabs of website copywriting.
‘I worked with Libby at Newcastle University. She was empathetic to the needs of my unit, always willing and able to listen and process ideas and comments. Libby probably found herself caught between what I needed for my unit and the broader needs of the University. She was remarkably patient and able to work between these sometimes conflicting stakeholder groups. Projects we worked on together were undoubtedly better as a result of Libby's insight.’
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Tom Bramald, Head of Enterprise (B2B) Marketing, Newcastle University
Newcastle University city guide copywriting
​Working closely with colleagues in the Publications Team on format, I devised and wrote Newcastle University's inaugural city guide for students. This was a strategic project to counter the city's reputation in the media for hard drinking and 'gannin on the lash'.
I planned content to highlight the rich diversity of my home city and developed a brand new journalistic tone of voice (very different to the University's usual style). The city guide was very well-received and anecdotally highly influential in student applications.
Northumbria University copywriting
It has been a pleasure working with Northumbria University to support their Higher Education Without Barriers campaign, which raises funds to support students experiencing hardship as well as widening participation initiatives. Deliverables include donor case studies for the press, fundraising direct mail and emails, and even a 'thank you' poem that was filmed and sent to donors. Click to read.
'Libby was recommended for our Higher Education Without Barriers campaign. She worked to our campaign brief - and added her suggestions to facilitate excellent, timely and impactful copy.
Examples include copy for a series of business audience magazine articles, direct mail solicitations and a donor poem. She also created a provocative drip email campaign that influenced the biggest Giving Tuesday funds raised and new donors, to date.
Libby is a pleasure to work with - organised, reliable and demonstrates expertise in her field. The process from idea, brief and drafts to the final versions is - at last - easy!
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James Wilkinson, Advancement, Northumbria University
Durham University copywriting
Durham University's Computing and Information Services department hired me for a large-scale project to rewrite their intranet content - hundreds of pages covering highly technical content relating to software and IT services.
I worked with existing copy and subject matter experts to create more user-friendly content for both staff and students. We collaborated for over 6 months on the project, which resulted in increased readability and comprehension, improved software uptake, and reduced calls to the CIS helpdesk through improved self-service access to help information. Click to read.
'The work Libby did for us was fantastic. Not only did Libby provide much needed copywriting skills, but also sense-checked the information we were writing made sense to the everyday user. People now find the content on our intranet and webpages more engaging and easier to digest.'
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Steven Blundell, Head of Partnering and Adoption, Durham University
City University prospectus copywriting
Working as part of a team of freelance Higher Education copywriters, I was responsible for copywriting 80+ UG and PG course listings, as well as communal content. The role involved interviewing subject matter experts to distil academic information into student-friendly web-optimised copy. Click to read.
‘Libby joined our small team of freelance copywriters to work on a major web content project for a university client and has been a huge asset. She took on a large part of the work, understood the brief perfectly, delivered copy promptly to demanding specifications, and dealt directly with the client when needed. I would have no hesitation in recommending Libby, and I hope we will work together again if the opportunity arises.’
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Andrew Weltch, Senior Consultant, Weltch Media
Open University copywriting and content
I worked closely with the B2B team at The Open University to create a wide range of content around apprenticeships, executive learning and more. This included webinar and event write-ups, student interviews, thought leadership and more. The relationship culminated in me rewriting the OU B2B website.
Terminal Four B2B content
CMS provider, Terminal Four, used my strong knowledge of UK university marketing to create articles for their ever-helpful HE marketing blog. Click to read.
Walsall College copywriting
Walsall College is the largest FE college in the Midlands. I've enjoyed regular work with their marketing team, writing B2C and B2B campaign materials, thought leadership pieces and email sequences.
