Hi, I’m Ben Matthews.
I’m a communications consultant and digital generalist. This site is a collection of practical tools, templates, and articles for communications professionals — whether you work in-house, freelance, or somewhere in between.
I also run a digital agency called Empower, which works with purpose-led organisations on digital strategy and communications.
Articles
Practical writing on communications strategy, campaign planning, and the craft of comms work. Each article pairs with a downloadable tool.
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How to ask for testimonials and referrals without it being awkward
Most freelance comms consultants have worked with clients who were genuinely pleased with the work and would happily say so. Most of them have never…
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How to track time on a comms project (and why it matters even on fixed-price work)
The case for tracking time is usually made in the context of billing by the hour. If you charge a day rate or fixed project…
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How to write a project debrief that actually improves your next campaign
Project debriefs have a reputation problem. The word itself suggests a bureaucratic obligation, a meeting that needs to happen before the project is officially closed,…
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How to raise your rates as a freelance comms consultant
Most freelance comms consultants have at least one client they’ve been charging the same rate to for two or three years. Possibly longer. The relationship…
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How to handle scope creep in a comms project
Scope creep is what happens when a project gradually becomes more than what you quoted for, without anyone explicitly agreeing to the expansion. It’s rarely…
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How to onboard a new comms client properly
The first few weeks of a client relationship establish patterns that are hard to change later. If you start with clear expectations, a shared understanding…
Tools
Downloadable templates and planning tools for communications work. Editable Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PDF guides — built from real practice.
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Campaign Planning Template
A spreadsheet for planning a campaign from start to finish, with sheets covering objectives, audiences,…
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Case Studies — Best Practice Guide
A guide to writing case studies that are actually useful, covering structure, consent, language, and…
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Client Onboarding Pack
A template for onboarding new freelance clients. Covers the welcome email, project kickoff checklist, and…
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Communications Campaign Gantt Planner
A Gantt-style spreadsheet for mapping a campaign across 13 weeks, with activity rows grouped by…
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Communications Strategy Template
A template for building a strategy from scratch. Covers objectives, audiences, key messages, channels, and…
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Creative Brief Template
A template for briefing designers, videographers, photographers, and agencies. Covers everything a supplier needs to…