Hiring a Copywriter – What to Know Before You Do It

By the title of this website I’m sure it’s no surprise to learn that creating sales driven copy is one of my focuses and one of the services which we provide through this website. But before you hire me or anyone else to create the copy which your audience sees, the copy which is literally your only line of offense and which will make or break/determine your business’ success with whatever you are trying to convert on, what should you first consider? Let’s take a look in question response format the major points which you should have established for yourself before hiring a copywriter.Hiring a Copywriter

Hiring a Copywriter

Who is the Copy For?

Don’t expect that just because you’re hiring someone whom specializes in copywriting that they will be a natural in whatever subject matter your business covers. The truth is that certain copywriters are better suited for certain jobs based on their experiences both work and personal.

For instance as a generalized example, if you own an online makeup retailer, you likely want someone who can write effectively from a woman’s perspective given that women will be your primary demographic and clientele and while that doesn’t completely exclude men, generally a woman will have a better idea of the kind of copy another woman is looking for.

If you’ve got a dating website, you’d be better off hiring someone who has experience in that niche before and has possibly even written for other successful dating websites.

What is the Copy For?

Moving from niche to medium, answer the question “what is the copy for”. What medium will your copy be delivered to your audience through. On a macro level I mean video narration vs. textual copy and on a more specific level I mean sales page copy vs. email copy.

Don’t assume that narrated or spoken copy is that similar to copy which you read. It helps to have a specialist in video copy if that’s what you’re going with because textual copywriters tend to make their copy overly convoluted at times which can be fine for written copy but which translates poorly when a narrator is speaking that copy. Go with someone who has experience with your specific medium.

What’s Your Budget?

Before you pursue a copywriter, get a clear idea of what your specific budget for this project will be. You should lay this out for your copywriter early in the conversation and I recommend agreeing on a one time payment deal rather than something which is loosely defined or even (God forbid) performance/incentive based and can easily get unprofessional quickly if something goes wrong. The important part is that both parties understand the terms of the deal and know what they’ll be getting out of it before any work is done.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for some samples from your copywriter. These samples can be existing samples they have in your field or you can even ask them to write something up quickly like an opening paragraph for you to consider. Oftentimes you’ll find that this can weed out the wrong candidates if it’s clear that they’re way off base or don’t have a grasp on you or your clientele’s needs.

If you want to try to tackle your copy on your own, start off with a look at my 7 copywriting skills every copywriter needs as well as my 10 sales page copywriting tips to really amp up your sales driven copy.

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