Hiring copywriters: a brief intro to working with them

Hiring copywriters can be daunting.

Because more and more businesses are doing it.

And content production is on the rise.

However, despite the rise of content production, not enough people understand the value & process involved in copywriting.

Hiring copywriters: what you need to know

Let’s start by breaking things down before you even think about hiring copywriters.

So… what is copywriting exactly?

Copywriters are the backbone of every marketing campaign.

Because they are the ones not only writing the campaign but also

Getting to know the target audience in order to sell them…something.

And this selling process can happen either Mad Men style, where the person’s job is just to say:

Hey world, here’s a product. Buy it now because it will change your life!”

Or it can happen inbound marketing style, which involves content and interactions.

And, in case number two, the copywriter’s job is to inform and educate, in order to… 

Advance the buying process, rather than just say “buy now!”

A while ago, on the blog, I discussed qualities to look out for in a blogger

But today I’m going to expand on that, and discuss what a copywriter can do for your business.

Hiring copywriters and why it's a good idea

1) Putting your brand’s  identity into words

I’ve worked with a lot of really bright business owners and marketing professionals.

And all of them are extraordinary at what they do. 

But, once you tell them to summarize what they do in simple, everyday English that a kid could understand, it doesn’t work out so well.  

It’s awesome to be able to be able to make professionals within your industry understand what you do.

But if you want your family, casual acquaintances, friends, etc to hear/ understand you… 

You have to have your plain language description of “what you do” sorted out. 

And it’s not just about your peers understanding your lifestyle choices.

Everyone that you meet could potentially be a referral over the long-term, even those that work outside your industry!

Because that same person might themselves talking to someone that’s on the lookout for someone like you.

A copywriter can help you advertise your message, through articulating it in a way that makes sense to your ideal customer.

2) Selling is a much more objective process

The problem with writing your own marketing content is the fact that it’s tough to be objective.

Especially if you’re the owner of the business!

Because it’s hard to listen in on what your audience wants when your business is an emotional investment.

And this is a problem that leads to marketing campaigns with a bad ROI.

Often business owners have no idea where to begin when it comes to researching their target audience.

Good copywriters don’t just write.

They’ll also research and listen carefully to the feedback of their client’s audience

And the point of that is to figure out how to tap into what they really want.

And then they’ll use that knowledge to:

  • Awaken people’s urge to buy
  • Or at the very least learn more about a product or service

And if you can find someone that has a history of pulling that off, your hiring copywriters process will be worth it!

3) You’ll figure out your actual strategy

Since the ultimate goal of any copywriter is to capture the viewer’s attention, copywriters are also good strategists.

And it doesn’t matter what their speciality is.

With the ones that are actually good at what they do, this will always apply.

For instance, a copywriter that specializes in magazine ads will know which magazines to target for a specific brand.

And a website copywriter will know core essentials such as basic SEO and social media/search engine promotion strategies.

A good copywriter will take what they’ve written, and figure out what mediums will actually reach your audience.

4) The content compliments the medium

Besides having a strategy in place for your content, a good copywriter will also know how to make it compliment the chosen medium.

But what exactly do I mean by that?

The medium, essentially is whatever kind of copywriting the copywriter is focusing on.

For instance, if the medium is the web, which is my area of speciality, and the copywriter is producing a sales page…

The sales page won’t just be about who the product is for and why the reader should “buy now”, it will also make the content be in perfect harmony with everything from testimonials to photos.

And that’s exactly why my content marketing strategy sessions are a complimentary part of my copywriting services.

Because if you want online content to actually reach an audience, you need a custom content strategy that will reach someone besides your mom.

Uncovering your ideal content marketing strategy can be a bit overwhelming on your own.

So if need my help, click here for more info about how you can join the August project rotation.

And if you have any questions, comment below!

Posted 7 Aug, 2017

I’d love to hear from you on this topic!

Hiring copywriters: a brief intro to working with them

I am a freelance writer and editor, and I draw on my experiences as a neurodivergent person to provide advice and create content for disability-friendly organizations. I've worked with Spot App, Uptimize, E-bay, and Saatva Mattress Company. My writing has been featured on Weebly Inspiration Center, The Good Trade, Search Engine Journal, and more. I was diagnosed with dyspraxia when I was four years old. I wrote a book about my disability, "Stumbling through Time and Space: Living life with dyspraxia", available September 2022 through Jessica Kingsley Books. My advocacy efforts are dedicated to furthering a supportive community for neurodiverse people. I am a founding member of the Dyspraxic Alliance and Dyspraxia Magazine Panel Member.​