Handing over your brand copy to someone else can be a BIG mental hurdle.
Why?
Because the words, messaging and brand touchpoints your audience is exposed to can make or break your brand.
So getting it right is INCREDIBLY important.
And one warranted question many business owners like you are asking themselves is:
“How do I find the perfect copywriter for my business?”
The answer?
That depends on you, your brand and your needs.
Here’s my perspective on this question and a practical step-by-step guide that will take the guesswork out of finding a copywriter for your business.
Before you set out to hire your perfect copywriter
It’s tempting to simply hit up the first 10 copywriters you know of on Instagram and work out the rest later.
BUT before you start chatting to your shortlist, know where you’re at and do a stock-take of your brand copy.
That will save you and everyone involved precious time.
Some great questions to ask yourself:
❔ What brand touchpoints do I currently have?
(We’re talking website, emails, order confirmation, packaging, etc)
❔ Which of them are doing what I need them to do? Which aren’t?
❔ What do I like about my existing copy? What don’t I like?
❔ What do I struggle with when it comes to writing for my brand?
❔ What do I need to fill any holes?
❔ Is my existing copy ok and all I need is someone to tighten it? Or do I need copy written from scratch?
❔ Have I found my brand voice and can I confidently write consistently? Or do I need to sort that first?
❔ Do I need to go back to basics and get customer insights to refine my messaging?
❔ Have I done my SEO research?
Your answers will then determine the boxes your perfect copywriter needs to tick.
And the budget that will have to go with it.
Once you start looking for the perfect copywriter
Once you know where you’re at in your business and how your current copy stacks up, it’s time to suss out your shortlist of potential copywriters.
Here are great ways to create a shortlist before you reach out:
Check out their about page to learn about their journey BEFORE they turned to copywriting (because it’s SUPER relevant)
Sign up to their mailing list (especially if you’re after copy for your email sequences)
Try to track down case studies and/or testimonials that highlight the results rather than the process
Do they continuously improve their skills?
Do they share who they’ve trained with and how they built up their expertise?
Do you get a vibe from their copy and why they do what they do?
Do they include audience research as part of the writing process so you end up with messages that resonate with your customer and AREN’T just pulled out of thin air?
Do they seem to understand SEO optimisation and does that play into the copy on their website?
(You don’t need to hire an SEO expert, but you can often tell from a copywriter’s website whether they know how to please Google AND write for humans.)
Does their offer align with your budget and what you have in mind?
(If not, do they provide things you hadn’t considered previously which will deliver incredible outcomes for you and your business over and above the time and headaches you save.)
You’ll be surprised how much you can find out about your shortlist and narrow it down simply by doing all the right research.
During the call with your (hopefully) perfect-fit copywriter
Now that you have your shortlist, it’s time to jump on a call with the pick of the bunch.
(PS If they don’t offer no-strings-attached calls that should be an instant red flag.)
Things to pay attention to during the call:
Have they done their research and know your brand? Does that shine through during the call?
(Don’t expect hours of pre-work, but at least expect them to know what you do and the state of your website.)
Do they ask questions such as:
Your goals for the copy?
Do know your audience?
Do you have a writing style guide or brand strategy doc?
When was the last time you surveyed your audience?
Are they happy to share samples of their work or allow you to contact past customers?
Do they seem genuinely excited about working with you?
Do you get a vibe?
Also, if you’re looking for someone strategic, you’d expect them to challenge your approach or vision. You want them to show hints of their strategic thought processes BEFORE you sign on the dotted line.
What happens after the call?
What it comes to now is intricate details that show they’ve got their processes sorted.
Here are some of the things to expect once you’ve worked out what you need:
Do they send you a detailed proposal that outlines what’s included, the timelines you’re looking at and the next steps?
Does the service include revisions to make sure you’re 100% happy or is it a day rate where the service finishes at the end of the session?
How will they get to know you to make sure they get you, your brand and your audience before they write?
What payment arrangements are there?
(It’s common to pay a certain amount upfront.)
