A Guide (With Steps) For Hiring A Great Copywriter For Your Content

A Guide (With Steps) For Hiring A Great Copywriter

When I started my business a few years ago, I was in charge of everything. I did the content curation work, writing, editing, marketing, and managing all the social media accounts, and customer care all by myself.

  

All these responsibilities were overwhelming. So, as my business became bigger, I started to outsource some of these tasks, especially the writing work.

  

If you are at this stage where you can’t seem to cope with all the things that need to be done to build your business, you have probably thought of hiring a writer, but you are afraid of potentially harming your credibility and business.

  

I understand your fears. Hiring a copywriter for the first time can be quite nerve-wrecking.

  

However, if you are really serious about freeing up some valuable time in your schedule, you should look for a copywriter who can write the catchy headlines, epic email campaigns and compelling product descriptions that you need.

  

So, how do you go about hiring a copywriter who will help you build, rather than destroy your company?

  

Below I have highlighted some of the steps that you can use to hire a good copywriter. I will also list some of the common lies that copywriters tell their clients so you can avoid copywriters who are only interested in your money.

  

Steps For Hiring A Copywriter

Step 1: Figure Out What You Need (Need Analysis)

One of the main mistakes that people make when looking for a copywriter is hiring someone who does everything. This is brought about by the fact that most employers do not know what type of writer they want and so end up hiring a writer who does everything.

  

Nothing good can come from this.

  

If you do not know what you want, you will just end up wasting your money and get crappy content in return.

  

Thus, the first step in hiring a copywriter is to determine what kind of copywriter is right for your task.

  

Like most professionals, copywriters have specialties. Some of them focus on specific industries such as business, marketing, and technology while others focus on web copy and product packaging copywriting.

  

Copywriters fall into one of three general categories:

  

• ·Advertising copywriter – most of them come from ad agencies or publishing houses and have worked on taglines, media campaigns or graphic-heavy projects.
• ·Non-advertising copywriter – these include content writers for e-books, writers, blog writers, and white paper writers.
• ·Direct-response copywriter – these writers focus on moving prospects further into the sales funnel. They specialize in writing content for mails and landing pages.

Determining what you want to do will help you choose the right copywriter to engage. If you are looking for someone to write a blog post, for instance, you should look for a non-advertising copywriter because their main focus is content rather than an advertising copywriter who focuses on more on keywords.

  

Getting the right content writer can also save you money on SEO because most copywriters are also knowledgeable in SEO. Therefore, you can give them a list of keyword that you need to be included in the content and let them integrate those keywords naturally in the content.

  

You should also make sure that you know what you need to write before trying to find a writer. Most copywriters are good at more than one field, but if you know exactly what you want, you can find one who is good at that specific thing.

  

Highlight your main priorities and let your intended copywriter take them on once they start working for you.

  

Note that hiring a copywriter who specializes in one thing will cost you more money than one who does everything.

  

Step 2: Determine The Skill Level That You Need

Some people prefer to look for inexperienced writers and train them, while others prefer to hire established writers.

  

Therefore, determining the skill level you need is vital to getting the right copywriter.

  

It is easy to ascertain the skill level of most writers by asking for a sample. However, do not just ask them for any samples. Make sure they give you relevant samples that are similar to what you want.

  

Consider things like grammar, readability, flow, and spelling when evaluating possible copywriters. In addition, you can evaluate the writing by running their content through Read-Able or Hemingway App to get a readability score and a grammar evaluation.

  

Most importantly, make sure that your copywriter can capture the attention of your readers.

  

If you have a one-off project, consider looking for a contract writer or a freelance copywriter.

  

You can try freelancer marketplaces such as copypeer.com for simple writing gigs or some SEO work.

  

However, if you have a project that might come up again in a few months look for a writer that you can keep on retainer.

 

Step 3: Enquire About The Writer’s Experience Level

Experience level is not the same as skill level. Therefore, make sure you ask them to give you details about their past projects.

  

The best way to see the capability of a copywriter is by looking at the difference he or she made to the companies that he/she has worked with in the past.

  

Some of the questions you can ask the writer are:

• ·What direction did the copy that you created take the brand?
• ·What positive impact did you bring to the brand/companies you worked for?

To assist you determine if their experience will create value for your company, make sure you create a very specific job description. This the both of you will be on the same page.

  

You can also ask for referrals from their past clients, which will tell you how many similar projects they have completed. In addition, pay attention to the kind of questions they ask you. An experienced copywriter will ask detailed questions about what you need, what your goals are and what success means to you. Consider it a red flag if a writer does not ask any questions.

  

Step 4: Create A Test For The Copywriter

It is important to test the writer’s abilities on the real-life things that they will be doing for your company.

  

The tests do not have to be difficult or complicated. Provide a practical application of what you are hiring someone to do.

   

An example of a copy-test:

"Our company is creating a new home page. Our goal is to optimize conversions. Write ‘above-the-fold’ copy you believe will optimize the ‘Start Trial’ button click-through rate. Please complete within 96 hours.”

  

Give such a test to anyone that you are considering to hire. You might offend some freelancers by offering the test, but anyone who is sure of their skills well will not mind proving themselves.

  

Note that the key to a great copy-test is to keep it relevant and small.

  

Step 5: Determine Your Budget

Naturally, you will end up paying more for an experienced/high quality writer.

  

It is better to spend more money on content that you are sure will convert readers into clients than pay less for content that will not change your business.

  

You can expect to spend at least $50-$200/hour for a highly skilled copywriter. Most copywriters will charge between $75 and $100. You will spend between $50 and $100 for a blog post and up to 5,000 for other specialized tasks.

  

If you choose to get someone who is starting out in the industry, they will cost you less, but you must train them. And, although cheap, this method may prove costly in the end because you might waste a lot of time training someone who may never get any good at copywriting.

  

You have an option to seek cheaper copywriters, but keep in mind that a lower price tag may come with low content quality.

  

Step 6: Try To Gauge A Writer’s Enthusiasm

Selecting the right writer for your project is not merely about choosing the person with the best writing skills. Rather, you should choose someone who has the right skills and experience, but is also excited about your project.

  

The copywriter you choose should like your product and have a desire to promote it. It is important that the writer takes their role seriously and be ready to always give their best to your projects since they will be an integral part of your team.

  

You can set up a phone call or an in-person meeting to gauge their interest level. Apart from telling if they are enthusiastic about working for you, a face-to-face interview will also help you to know if they have done their homework on your product.

  

Lies To Look Out For When Outsourcing Your Copywriting Work

  

Some copywriters will tell you anything just to get your money or to justify their exorbitant fees.

  

Below are the lies and falsehood that you should look out for to ensure that you get what you paid for from your copywriter:

  

1)"The projects differ and it is difficult to quote a price before looking at the project”

It is true that every project is unique. However, experienced copywriters have a good idea of rough rates and averages for the work that they do. Additionally, the top copywriters display their rates openly since they have nothing to hide.

  

If you come across writers who tell you that they need all the details before they give you a quote, chances are that they are either inexperienced or they want to overcharge you.

  

2)"I am the perfect and most ideal writer for this job since I have a master’s degree in English literature”

Having a literature or communications degree is nice, but a degree in literature does not count for much in the work that a copywriter does. 

  

Copywriting has more to do with sales and marketing than literature.

  

What matters more than the academic qualifications are the writer’s results. Most top writers will show you what they have achieved for other businesses instead of quoting their academic credentials.

  

3)"I would like to know your budget before I give you quote for the job at hand”

Copywriters who want to know how much you are willing to spend just want to get more money out of you.

  

A good writer will give a quote based on the complexity of the task. They will never ask you about your budget because that does not factor in their cost estimate.

  

4)"Your project requires a lot of time, hence I will have to give you a higher quote”

The actual work of writing does not take much time at all. Top copywriters produce great copy in a few hours. High rates depend on the writer’s skills, reputation, experience, and ability to get results rather than the time it takes to write the content. Good copywriters will charge higher because they are ‘good’ and not because of the time they take to finish a project.

  

5)"Your email hit my spam folder. I only saw it an hour later”

This trick is the perfect excuse for any copywriter that wants to avoid you because they did not complete your work on time. The spam folder is just an easy excuse. Any good writer knows that a regular spam checkup is part of the routine.

  

6)"I’m totally swamped with work as of now and the only way I could manage your work is if you paid a rush fee”

This is psychological manipulation whose aim is to create the perception that the writer is in high demand so that you will want to pay them more money.

  

The in-demand copywriters do not need to squeeze anyone in their schedule because they do not need to. They have plenty of work, are not interested in squeezing you, and can comfortably tell you that you have to wait to get their services.

  

7)"Your budget will determine the quality of the work you get from me.”

There is no such thing as "You get what you pay for” in copywriting.

  

During the time I have worked in the field, I have seen a lot of low-priced, but high quality copywriters as well as high-priced, poor-quality copywriters.

  

Deceitful freelancers use the "get what you pay for” term to make themselves look better than they are and make you feel cheap. This in turn makes you hire them to prove that you can afford their services.

  

However, real copywriters simply point you to the portfolios and testimonials that prove they are worth the money you pay them. They do not need to make you feel bad.

  

8)"You can sell this copy to anyone”

There is no way you can write a copy targeting ‘anyone.’ A good copy is crafted targeting specific people with specific problems.

  

Deceitful copywriters will not ask about your target market and in turn, they will not sell to anyone at all. In turn, they will miss all the important elements of good persuasive copy such as addressing your reader’s concerns and pain points and drawing in your ideal customer to a sale by informing them about the benefits of your product.

  

9)"I have been doing this for years, so you need to trust me”

If someone feels the need to tell you repeatedly how good they are, they probably do not know what they are doing. You can easily tell that a copywriter knows exactly what they are doing even without them saying a word.

  

Saying this a few times may be ok, but if that is the only strategy they have for trying to get your business, then it should set off warning bells.

  

10)"All you need for great business is a great copy”

If all we needed to make sales was a great copy, no one would care about the design of their websites, marketing campaigns, and good customer service

  

No great copy will help your business without a clear plan, resources, tools, strategies, and tactics to attract clients.

  

Experienced copywriters will give you a plan of action to help solve the problem you were having, rather than just hope that writing good content will solve it.

  

Conclusion

The content you create for your audience is a huge part of your success. Your copy enhances your authority and visibility and provides a concrete way for your clients to reach you.

   

However, if you are a content marketer with a million things to do it is not always possible to produce high-quality content on a daily basis. Therefore, hiring a content will help you to improve your business.

  

Consider all the above factors when hiring a copywriter.