Why should you hire a copywriter? If you run a small or home based business it can be difficult to see the point of bringing in somebody from outside. Why not cut costs by doing it yourself? After all, it’s only writing, and everybody knows how to do that, don’t they?
There are a huge number of excuses that you can invent to avoid having to hire a freelance copywriter – you can do it yourself; nobody else will be able to understand your business; you already have a working marketing campaign – they’re all familiar excuses. And crucially, they’re all rubbish. The truth is that bringing in a copywriter to polish up your text and advertising campaigns is one of the most important things you can do to increase the success of a business.
There are hundreds of good reasons to hire a freelance copywriter to turn your business around, here are just a few:
- A copywriter has perspective – you can sometimes be too close to your business. As an outsider, a copywriter is able to see your business as your clients do, and can make sure that your copy says exactly what it needs to say to have maximum impact on your target audience.
- Copywriters are experienced – you may know your own business better than anyone, but by the same rationale, a copywriter knows his. It’s the copywriter’s job to connect with people and bring them round to his point of view, and those are techniques that work no matter what the product is.
- A copywriter can keep you up-to-date – what worked last season may not necessarily work now. It’s part of the copywriter’s job to keep up with the latest trends and shifts in consumer demand. Hiring a copywriter gives you not only great writing, but access to this invaluable bank of knowledge.
- Copywriters can save you money – how often do you have to pay your staff to work overtime so they can work on your advertising? Hiring a professional copywriter will cut costs and, as staff are free to go back to their own jobs, it will raise productivity as well!
Many firms splash out thousands on flashy designs for their websites and brochures, but seem strangely reluctant to spend almost anything on the content that fills them. And yet this is the most important part!
Your writing is the message you send out to your clients. Design is important, but it is the writing that determines how your prospective clients will view you, and you cannot afford to skimp on that. .
How to Hire a copywriter
Hiring a freelance copywriter can seem a daunting prospect if it’s your first time, but you should keep in mind that it is no different from hiring any other professional service. A good copywriter will be able to tell you in advance how much you will need to pay, and what information he needs in order to complete the job. Many writers charge a rate per hour, or per day, although some prefer to agree a set price for the entire job.
However your copywriter chooses to work, the cost of the job should be clear from the outset, and you are unlikely to be hit with any hidden charges. Just in case, however, have your copywriter sign a terms of service document for your project, which you can refer back to in case of a dispute.
Here are a few other things to bear in mind when looking to hire a freelance copywriter:
- Plan ahead – a good copywriter will tell you what information he needs to complete a job, but you can save time and money by thinking ahead and having everything ready when the copywriter starts the job. A little preparation can go a long way.
- Check out the writer beforehand – no matter how good a particular copywriter is, if you don’t like his writing style there’s no point hiring him. So don’t just take on the first copywriter you find, take the time to shop around a little bit – get recommendations from friends who have hired freelancers in the past. When you have a list of potentials, compare them. Get them to send you writing samples and pitches, and narrow the list down until you have found the perfect writer for your project.
- Don’t worry if he has never written for your industry before – one of the most important parts of a copywriting job is research, and most of the copywriter’s skills can be applied just as well to any industry. The copywriter’s skill is in connecting with people, and persuading them to take a specific course of action, whatever that may be.
- Make sure there is enough time to complete the job – don’t bring in a copywriter at the final stages of a project and expect them to come up with a masterpiece. A writer needs to let the project gestate for a while before he can bring it all together and produce his best work. While most copywriters will agree to work to a tighter deadline, if you want top quality writing, it’s a good idea to give yours a little more time to get it spot on.
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
While the initial outlay for hiring a freelance copywriter may seem steep, it repay itself many times over. It’s impossible to overstress the value that clear, well-written copy can bring to a business – not to mention the marketing expertise that will be bringing in customers long after the copywriter has gone. And that’s possibly the best reason of all to bite the bullet and get yourself a copywriter!
See our article Design for Your Content [http://www.herdsofwords.co.uk/articles/design_for_content.html] to learn how to ensure that your website design is working to enhance, rather than eclipse, your message
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