You may be an expert in your field but you may not know how to attract potential customers with properly craved copwyriting. Frankly, you do not have to. Not everyone is a so-called jack of all trades. What is more, such a person is usually a master of none. That is why, there is no need to learn marketing skills. Simply hire a copywriter to help you sell your services. How and where to find good copywriters for the job? This is exactly what we prepared for you in today’s article.
Who is a copywriter?
A master of words. A magician who enchants the audience with gripping stories. However you decide to call them, a copywriter’s job is to create engaging pieces of writing. These may be blog content, advertising, social media, or any other form of publicity on any platform.
To best describe the importance of a good copywriter is to give you a few examples of their work. There is an easy way to test its quality. If you recognize the brand or services by the phrase then the copywriter did a good job:
- ‘Connecting People’,
- ‘I’m lovin’ it’
- ‘Just Do It’
- ‘… gives you wings’
- ‘Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s…’
You probably guessed most of them (if not all) right. We could keep going, but you get the idea. A great copywriter is somebody who can make your brand recognizable, and give it… ‘wings‘! What qualities does such a person need to give your business the chance to shine through?
What to look for in a copywriter
The highest level of copywriting work requires a specific set of skills and qualities. We listed a few of them below.
Creativity
It is probably one of the most important features of professional copywriters. It is also some sort of talent that not everyone has (despite what many coaches try to tell us). Creativity can be described as the use of imagination or original ideas to create (in this case) a piece of writing. An engaging writing style is what you are looking for, and interesting ideas can only be born in creative minds.
Good communication skills
Another feature of a good copy is its simplicity and intelligibility. Great copywriters can convey even the most complex ideas in an easy way. A clear and simple message is what your audience appreciates the most. Good communication skills also mean better cooperation with a copywriter. They will gladly take feedback and adjust their work accordingly.
Decent technical skills
Writing does not technically have too much to do with science, so a writer may not be too fluent in technical matters. However, the basics will greatly help in operating various platforms businesses use nowadays to create, proofread, and edit content. Another crucial ability is to have a basic knowledge of SEO (search engine optimization).
Appropriate preparation process
If you were to sit two people and ask them to write a 2500-word long piece it would probably take them roughly the same time. However, you could get a brilliant piece of writing and an utterly useless copy too. So the writing process is not time-consuming at all. The difference lies in the preparation one makes to produce their work. A good writer will be inquisitive, detail-oriented, and interested in the audience, your opinions, feedback, the length, and many other details. If they do not find it in the brief, you can expect to be bombarded with questions. If you are not… you may not have chosen the best person for the job! However, there are many other mistakes one can make while searching for copywriters.
Common mistakes in hiring copywriters
As a business owner, you may have a certain idea about how hiring copywriters should look like. However, many companies fall for certain practices that seem logical but will most likely not guarantee success. Let’s analyze the don’ts in hiring the right copywriter.
‘A jack of all trades…’
‘…a master of none’. It may seem that a copywriter should write anything and everything you ask for. However, one-size-fits-all is not a good approach in a varied copywriter industry. For example, looking for somebody who writes witty blog posts you should not hire a person who specializes in writing books or academic articles. The style will simply not be the same and your reader may get bored (with all due respect to academic writers!).
Choosing the lowest price offered
‘It is just a few lines to write, how difficult can it be? Let’s accept the cheapest offer!’. Admit it, such a thought has crossed your mind. The truth is, a good copywriter can sit for hours preparing just a few lines so that when your audience reads it they yearn for more, or immediately add your product to the basket. After all, if it was easy, you could do it yourself and save a few dollars and plenty of time! Time and creativity are currencies that everyone values. If you are looking at an offer that presents you with a low price, you can safely assume that there will be edits and sometimes even the need to hire another (more expensive) copywriter to clean up the mess.
Not asking for samples
We all know that a resume can tell many colorful stories about a person’s experience. In the case of copywriters, who have a knack for telling colorful stories, asking for fragments of their previous work is a better alternative than skimming through their CVs. It is also one of the best ways to determine the copywriter’s skills and style.
Expecting ongoing edits or changes
It is sometimes hard to express what you expect from the copy you commissioned to write. That is why copywriters offer revisions and changes based on your feedback (usually, up to two). If there is still something that you are missing or do not like about the delivered work, one of two scenarios took place. Either you did not set your expectations clearly (or changed your mind during the process) or you chose a person who cannot stick to given guidelines. Either way, do not expect copywriters to work for free on countless edits.
Communication problems
Since we are on the topic of guidelines, the lack of clear communication is another mistake made by many managers. Copywriters can be called magicians, due to their stellar writing skills. However, they are not mind-readers, so giving them just a title or an idea is not enough to get the desired effect. Your instructions should include the purpose of the content, writing style, target audience, word count, useful sources, keywords, and anything else that will help them deliver a copy you will be satisfied with. Staying available for any questions and giving feedback promptly is also important for swift and mistake-free work.
The lack of clear deadlines
Obviously, you want to receive the copy as soon as possible. However, the first step to achieving this is discussing a tangible deadline with the copywriter. It is also worth remembering that quality takes time. Expecting to receive a good copy within just a few days is rather an unrealistic expectation. Make sure you also set some time aside for possible edits.
No time for guidance
Many business owners assume that the time they devote to finding the best copywriter is all they must do to receive top-quality content. However, it is not that easy. Firstly, you need to invest time in preparing the requirements. Then, you must devote it to revisions, feedback, and change requests, if needed.
Wanting your copywriter to be an expert in SEO
If you asked any good copywriter for a truthful opinion about SEO copywriting, they would probably say they hate it. Not because it is too difficult but because it can massively influence the quality of the piece. SEO pro analyzes the search engines and prepares the topic, keywords, and other technicalities that will make the text properly optimized for the search engines. It is not the same as the copywriter job. Your copywriter is there to use their creativity and produce gripping content. Too many keywords, and phrases and the necessity to use them in certain paragraphs and headings will dishearten a good writer and bring a mediocre result.
Best practices for hiring outstanding copywriters in 2024
Since we already know what mistakes not to make, let us have a look at the best ways to find, cooperate, and keep a good copywriter.
Specify your needs
As mentioned before, there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all copywriting. Figure out what you want your content to be and then look for someone who specializes in it. So, for your website, you may need one person for blog posts and content creation. If you need to write an ebook it will most likely be someone else. And yet another person might specialize in writing white papers. You might be lucky enough to find a copywriter who does more than one or two types of content. However, their prices may blow your mind.
Once you determine your needs, make sure you also specify your expectations regarding the outcome of work by preparing specific requirements in your job descirption.
Assess the skill level needed
Sometimes you may simply want a few words written and the topic does not need too much research. In such a case, it will probably not need proficiency and years of experience to create the type of content you need. Additionally, not every top-notch writer likes to take on simple assignments or one-off jobs. If your task is smaller or assignments are irregular, it is worth giving a try to someone who sounds decent but may not have much experience yet. You may be surprised at how well and fast your simple task gets done! You may also count on a reasonable price. For one-off or irregular small projects, hiring freelance copywriters is the best solution.
However, if you require long-term cooperation on a larger project, requiring skills, experience, and perhaps SEO knowledge, devote more time to the selection of an appropriate copywriter. You can consider two options: permanent employment or hiring a freelance writer. The former works well if you have a lot of content the copywriter must focus on and understand deeply. To have them focus exclusively on your business, hire them permanently. However, this option is more expensive.
You can also use platforms like Useme to choose and cooperate with freelancers regularly without hiring them permanently. This option is a perfect solution for any business that is looking for real experts in the field and values quick and effortless settlements. If you want to find out how to find a good copywriter through Useme, read on!
Verify copywriter’s skills
If you need a good copywriter you must also spend sufficient time on the selection of such. There are a few proven ways of choosing the best talent out there.
Request before & afters
Sometimes to see if the copywriter can make the difference is to… see this difference! Seeing the real change to the content will help you decide whether the cooperation will be fruitful. Asking for previous clients’ before & after helps you quickly verify the copywriter’s skills. However, note that sometimes the ‘before’ might be hard to deliver, as it may not be saved anywhere. In such a case, ask to describe what the job involved, and what the content transformation consisted of.
Verify the experience
The best copywriters are those who know your industry and are interested in the topic. For example, a nutrition degree will be an asset if you are looking for a copywriter who can write blog posts about diets. Some copywriters focus only on one industry, such as IT and technologies, marketing, HR, and so on. They write content for multiple clients that fall into one specific industry.
Request referrals
It is guaranteed that you are not the only one in your industry who wants to use copywriting services. In fact, there are plenty of businesses that already hire copywriters. Ask your contacts for referrals and recommendations. It is one of the best ways to get a killer copywriter and, at the same time, simplify the hiring process. Such a person will not only already be an experienced copywriter but you can also read their work before you even contact them.
Examine previous feedback
Every reputable copywriter will be able to provide feedback from their previous clients. Such reviews will be focused not so much on the copies but on other important aspects of cooperation, such as attitude, sticking to deadlines, communicativeness, and so on.
Prepare a test assignment
The best way to assess whether the copywriter is the right person for the job is to give them a test task. It does not have to be anything sophisticated or complicated. However, the test task should be connected to future assignments. The key is not only to assess whether the style suits your needs but also whether the copywriter can do what you will require of them in future projects. For example, if you are looking for someone to prepare blog articles for your IT blog, have them write a short blog post on a relevant topic.
You may also want to take it a step further and test the copywriter’s attitude and reaction to feedback. Therefore, once you receive the test task, ask them to edit it according to the given instructions and check whether they adhere to them. Such a two-stage test will give you an idea of what the cooperation with the copywriter looks like.
Of course, as much as you want to hire a reputable copywriter, such a copywriter also wants to cooperate with a reputable company. And any reputable company pays for test tasks. If you shortlist your candidates wisely, it will not be a waste of money (and time) but rather a formality and an investment.
Consider multiple candidates
It is never a wise move to put all your eggs in one basket. choose a few candidates and conduct the above assessments to choose the best copywriter for your needs.
Know your budget
Money is usually an uncomfortable topic. However, it is necessary to know how much you can spend on your content needs. If your budget is limited, you may have to compromise on quality or the time of the execution. It is also important to compare the prices of a few copywriters and weigh them against the quality they can deliver.
Where to search for good copywriting services?
To start with, you must assess what exactly you need. If you need a comprehensive service that will take care of the whole project, including various processes, such as content planning, writing, publishing, and auditing, it is the SEO agency you are looking for. You can find plenty of such agencies by typing in ‘SEO agency’ in your browser search engine.
If you are looking specifically for someone with great writing skills, it is a good idea to hire freelance copywriters. You can find them on freelancing platforms, such as Useme, which has an extensive database of experienced copywriters.
Every freelance copywriter has their own profile, where you can find such details as the about-me section, experience, writer’s portfolio, previous projects, and opinions. You can also create a job post with your specific requirements and browse through the applications, which consist of specific plans of project execution as well as the pricing.
No matter if you are looking for someone who will create product descriptions, landing pages, sales pages, blog posts, website content, social media posts or any other professional content, with Useme you can easily find a person who will suit your copywriting needs. Moreover, you can settle the accounts with them, even if they do not have their own company.
