Prospectus copywriting for top London university

Updated: May 17



The client


My client was a marketing agency that specialises in the Higher Education sector. They'd been hired by a top London university to help write the content for their brand new web design. They needed content for hundreds of courses spanning undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as information about the student experience, such as accommodation and location.


The challenge


Online prospectuses need to work hard. HE is a crowded marketplace and degrees are high ticket items. So prospectus copy has to include sufficient detail to help readers make an informed decision, enough appeal to help convert their interest into applications, and convey a sense of brand identity that helps institutions cut through the noise.


All within an ecosystem that includes multiple stakeholders - from academics and administrators, to marketers and web developers. It's no wonder that HE marketing teams call on expert copywriters to help them manage the challenge.


The university client had existing copy that needed a full refresh. Like many universities, the text was a little formal and overly academic. It focused on what the university wanted to convey, perhaps not always what the reader wanted to know.


Their marketing team knew they needed a full rewrite. But with such a large body of content to update, they couldn't do it alone.


The Write on Tyne impact


The university approached the HE consultancy for help and the consultancy reached out to me to join their team of professional HE writers. There were five of us in total, dividing the full online prospectus between us.


I was responsible for all undergraduate course descriptions, several postgraduate subject areas, and multiple student experience landing pages. This included interviewing academics and liaison with marketing staff to develop and refine messaging.


This project was a welcome opportunity to use my skills to help young people and education-returners make an informed decision about their future. I enjoyed using my copywriting skills to make the content:

  • more appropriate to the audience

  • customer-focused and benefit-led

  • active and engaging

  • concise and easy to digest

The result


The marketing team at the university were delighted with our work. The website went live and has been well-received.



'Libby joined our small team of freelance copywriters at very short notice in early 2020 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.'


Andrew Weltch, Senior Consultant, Weltch Media




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About me

Libby is a freelance copywriter and content marketer from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She worked in marketing and communications for 18 years before turning freelance in 2019. She's written for big brands and boutique businesses, crafting customer-friendly marketing content for print and online.


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