• Copywriter | Blogger | Proofreader | Editor

    Crystal J. Milburn

  • I WRITE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO!

    Some of the best things in life are freeing.

    Some of you refuse to write in the same way that I refuse to use plastic bags or participate in accounting-related activities.

     

    If you can't fathom having the time or the desire to write about your business, then we both know why you are here.

     

    I am for hire on a freelance, a.k.a. fractional, basis for when you're not in a position to hire FTE writers, editors, social media marketers, bloggers and the like. This can be long- or short-term.

     

    In addition to meticulous writing and nitpicky editing, my writing style is classified as:
     

    Conversational, creative and compelling

    Audience-obsessed

    Industry-curious

    Collab-capable

    Demystifying

    SEO-friendly

     

    I look forward to talking to - and writing for - you soon!

     

    #content #word #freebird

     

     

  • SERVICES

    Because you have a business to run.

    It's time to get excited about your content. Why? Because it matters to your clients, prospective clients, social media followers, stakeholders, employees, board of directors and Google. What you have to say and how you say it can be the difference between you defining your own brand and someone else doing it for you.

     

    And, since you have a business to run, the freeing part is not having to manage and perfect your content; you have me for that!

     

     

    COPYWRITING & COPYEDITING SERVICES:

    ■ Annual Reports

    ■ Blog Writing (Ghostwriting)

    ■ Editing/Proofreading

    ■ Email Marketing

    ■ Interviewing People for Articles

    ■ Newsletter Collaboration & Writing

    ■ SEO-Friendly Copywriting

    ■ Social Media Marketing

    ■ Website Copywriting

    ■ WordPress and Other CMS Work

     

    FEES:

    HOURLY RATES & MONTHLY PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE.

  • “Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.”

    Jeffrey Zeldman (Zappos)

  • CLIENTS & WORK

    Don't bite off more than you can write. Have the best of both words. You keep your day job, and let me handle the rest! Jump down to my portfolio for a full list of clients and writing categories.

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    DC Mining
    Cryptocurrency Mining Web & Blog Copy

    2022-2023

    SEO-friendly web and blog copy for Chicago-based mining operations.

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    Russell Construction
    Construction Web Copy

    2022

    SEO-friendly web copy for national construction company.

    Chiropractic Copywriting

    Palmer College of Chiropractic
    Chiropractic Blog Copy

    2020 to Present

    Interview students and alumni to tell the Palmer story for all three campuses (blog copywriting).

    Rhythm City Casino Web Copy

    Elite Casino Resorts
    Casino Web Copywriting

    2018

    Write SEO friendly web copy for all three of the Elite Casino Resorts in Iowa

    Non-profit, environmental social and web marketing.

    Living Lands & Waters

    Nonprofit, Environmental | Web, Social, Email Marketing & PR

    February 2017 – February 2018
    The organization hired me internally after one year of freelancing to fulfill another need.

    Work with office staff and barge crew to promote various events and river cleanups online.

    Political web and social marketing.

    Friends of Stephanie Acri

    Political Web & Social Strategy

    February 2017 – May 2017

    Run 3-month social campaign during mayoral candidacy.
    Result: Elected mayor with 72% of the votes!

    • Social engaging
    • Boost page likes
    • Craft relevant content
    • Keep web (Weebly) and social up-to-date
    • Create events
    • Developed "I Cleaned Moline" campaign to boost campaign support
    B2B and B2C Security Copywriting

    Per Mar Security Services

    Security Blog and Web Copy (B2B & B2C)

    2016 to Present

    • Research, write and edit Per Mar and Midwest Alarm blogs (SEO-friendly)
    • Cover various topics including home and business security, campus safety, COVID-19 business tips, travel and personal safety
    • SEO-friendly web copy for double site redesign
    • RESULTS: Web leads doubled and engagement noticeably increased
    Restaurant web and social media marketing.

    Milltown Coffee Co.

    Retail Social Media & Web Marketing | Media Director

    2016 – 2017

    Retail social media marketing and strategy, blogging and web management, marketing collaboration. Business hired new management.

    • Facebook
      • Grew Page likes by >10% in 13 month period (5.8K)
      • Increased engagement
    • Instagram
    • Website (WordPress)
      • Full web copywriting
      • Web maintenance
      • Blog writing (supplemental)
    • Marketing
      • Event collaboration and advertising
      • Ad copy and design collaboration
    About Festival of Trees

    Festival of Trees, Quad City Arts
    Collaborative Social Media with Creative Students

    2017

    Worked with students from the Creative Arts Academy on the human interest side of FoT for a three week period.

    • Directed students on project ideas 
    • Planned and managed social media strategy
    • Collected and edited content (pictures, videos, interviews)
    • Crafted inspiring, engaging content and post to the FoT Facebook Page
    Auto Insurance Copywriting

    SmartFinancial.com

    National Auto Insurance Web Copywriting

    2016

    • Car insurance copywriting.

    • SEO keyword research
    • Work with design and programming team to coordinate pages and page design in WordPress
    • Research state-specific laws and write in a reader-friendly, engaging fashion
    • Write and enter SEO-friendly content in CMS
    • Sample page
    Health and fitness web and social marketing and blogging.

    CrossFit OC3

    Physical Fitness Copywriting & Social Media Marketing & Strategy | Media Director

    2015 – Present

    Social media marketing and strategy, PR, blogging, web copy and website management.

  • Portfolio

    Because sometimes, you have to read it to believe it.

    Web, Blog & Social Media Copywriting Work

    Those listed under "Clients & Work" above are just a sampling. Click here to see a more comprehensive list of my web, blog and social media work, organized by category.

  • ABOUT ME: THE BACKSTORY

    Everyone has a story and, if you are curious enough, mine is yours for the reading!

    LONG STORY SHORT (TL; DR)

    More than 20 years of sales and marketing have led me to LOVE the unexpected: WRITING. Why hadn't writing landed on my radar back when I was choosing a major? It never occurred to me, plusI genuinely thought I wanted to climb all of the corporate ladders when I was young and green. This sentiment gives me a good laugh now, not because there is anything wrong with climbing corporate ladders but because those ladders are so far from my core now. Needless to say, it was more of a happy accident that landed me in copywriting 12 years ago. Then, eight years ago (2015), I stepped into freelance copywriting and haven't looked back!

    SHORT STORY LONG

    By now, you've caught on that I have more than a crush on writing but you may not know that I did a lot of exploring prior to landing here. I worked my way through high school and college, landing only jobs I really wanted (to my very grateful fortune).

     

    My first tax-paying job was as a bagger at a unionized grocery store, which meant I quickly made more than minimum wage, had paid vacation and company health insurance at 16 years young. In college, I landed a retail job and a sales assistant job, both of which would be useful later when I needed a business-professional wardrobe and some experience to reference during job interviews in the 'real world.'

    Those interviews led me to take some really awesome, lucrative post-college opportunities. After my first sales job, I realized that my goal of getting into marketing would be on the back burner for a bit. Professional sales had a way of luring me in, with its flashy hotels and luxury trips. So, I went on to sell patient cleansing products, search engine optimization (SEO) services and IBM/Lenovo computers for a longer time than I'd planned.

    This corporate B2B sales endeavor continued for 11 years. Cold calls aside, it was a lot of fun. The lushest were the limos and Ritz-Carltons that came along with medical sales. The most fun had to be the Google-like SEO startup that encouraged scooter races and loud music, topping out at 300 employees before the feds shut the place down (I snuck in a visit to Google's HQ in Mountain View just prior). And, the most enlightening (enlightening for my soul, anyway) had to be the Fortune 500 (Lenovo).

    Not long after this exploratory phase, which included two 1,000-mile relocations, I made my way into marketing. Finally, the career I'd set out for so many years prior, yet something didn't feel right here either. So, I learned as much as I could and met some really great people while I pondered what I really wanted to be when I grew up.

     

    The real question was, how soon can I get out of high heels and into some sweatpants?

    It was at my first agency (where jeans were allowed and encouraged, a step in the right direction) that I wrote my first blog (2012). I immediately knew what had been missing ALL THIS TIME. Writing sales proposals and PowerPoint presentations just wasn't the same. Connecting with people via words and creativity, wow, this was it. It was love at first blog and I knew there was no going back so I forged ahead to explore every kind of copywriting I could: social media marketing, SEO-friendly web copy, newspaper ads, radio scripts, brochures, year-end reports, email marketing and so on.

    There was a lot of downsizing during those formative years and layoffs became commonplace. Being typically risk-averse, I may never have jumped into entrepreneurship but my experiences had taught me that everything is a risk, whether it appears that way or not.

     

    Eventually, the stars aligned and I became a freelance copywriter, seemingly overnight. It was an easy and aligned transition but having patience and trusting life was key for me to take the leap. Had I attempted to go full-time freelance any sooner, I'm not sure it would have worked.


    I'm ecstatic and grateful for the opportunities I've had over the years, especially this one. I never thought I'd ditch the Sunday blues, happily work from home and find fulfillment from the very thing that pays the bills. It's still a "job" some days but one I can fully cherish thanks to my hard-earned perspective. The freedom and lack of a dress code are priceless, though I do clean up well when forced!

    If you've read this far (kudos!) and have any curiosity about working together, let's connect in one of the 74.6 ways available online, or, (gasp) in person!

     

    #content #word #freebird

     

     

  • FIND ME...

    WHY LIMIT THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN CHAT?

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    563-275-6615

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    Davenport, Iowa Area

  • ...OR LET ME FIND YOU!

    MESSAGE ME HERE AND I'LL GLADLY GET BACK TO YOU.