What to Expect When You Hire a Copywriter
Some people don’t know what to expect when they hire a copywriter (if they even know what a copywriter is at all).
All they know is that they need to write content but don’t have the time or ability to do it themselves.
They’re often surprised when a copywriter asks them something about their business or previous customers that seems like it has nothing to do with the project they’re working on, or when it’s not as simple as just banging out a few paragraphs in a day for a blog post.
It can be a complicated process, especially if you don’t know what to expect. So here are a few things you should know about working with a copywriter that might put your mind at ease.
Expect an Expert
Not everyone knows how to write well. Sometimes people have trouble with spelling and grammar or aren’t sure how best to express what they want to say in words.
That’s probably part of the reason you thought of a copywriter in the first place.
So when you do hire a copywriter, part of what you’re hiring is someone who can do all the writing stuff that you can’t.
Copywriters are grammar experts, spelling experts, and writing experts. It’s their job, they have to be.
As well as writing experts, some copywriters are experts in a particular field. From industries like medicine or real estate to types of copy like direct mail or blog posts, there’s a copywriter that specialises in everything.
If you hire a copywriter that specialises in your niche, you’re not only getting a grammar whizz, you’re also getting someone who knows your industry, and probably your business, inside and out.
Expect Custom Content
Any copywriter worth their salt is going to make sure that you get content that works for you and your business.
A copywriter gets down to the nitty-gritty of your project and your business, typically starting with the brief (a set of questions they’ll ask you relating to your business, your customers, and the specific project you want them to work on).
Asking questions about your customers and your business in general, as well as about the project itself, means they can get the right tone of voice and language to appeal to your target audience and get the best results from your content.
Expect Research
As well as researching your business and customers from the brief, your copywriter will do their research into the topic they’re writing about.
As I said above, your copywriter should be an expert in your field. But not every copywriter knows everything about every topic (as much as we wish we did).
So whether it’s a blog post, a homepage, or an email sequence you want them to write, your copywriter will research the topic thoroughly until they are confident they can write your content expertly.
Expect SEO Knowledge
A large part of a copywriter’s job is to write content that gets in front of your audience.
A great way to get in front of your audience is to show up in search engine results.
Therefore, a copywriter is going to know the best ways to show up in those search results.
When you hire a copywriter, you’re hiring someone who knows how to use keywords without stuffing, when to use headlines, and when to link to reputable sources.
And all that customer research they did earlier?
That helps SEO as well.
Using the language and words your customers use when searching means you’re more likely to show up in their searches and get seen.
Expect an Editor
Copywriters don’t just write (mind-blowing, I know). They’re also great editors.
Most copywriters will include a certain amount of edits in their price (my quotes include two rounds of edits, just FYI).
This means that if there are details you’re not happy with in their first draft, they’re more than capable of editing it with your feedback in mind.
For larger projects, a lot of copywriters will keep you updated as they write to make sure they’re going in the right direction with the content, and they can edit along the way.
Shorter pieces get sent to you at the end and are edited depending on your comments.
Either way, the copywriter makes sure that you’re happy with the finished piece before they leave it.
Working with a copywriter doesn’t have to be a daunting task. After all, we’re here to alleviate your stress and give you more time to focus on other important things.
Related: 5 Reasons You Should Hire a Copywriter (and 2 Reasons You Shouldn’t)
Making sure that you know exactly what you’re getting means that you can start looking for a copywriter that suits you, that you get along with, and that you think can help your business.
With that in mind, I bet you’re wondering how well I stack up to all these expectations? (This is an advertising bit, skip it if you want, but hey, I have to make a living!)
What to Expect if you Hire me as your Copywriter?
I’d like to think I fit into all of these expectations well.
I’ve got degrees in English and Creative Writing (and a subscription to Grammarly), so you know I’ve got the writing knowledge down.
I’ve got a Diploma in Digital Marketing and a constant supply of Google tips and tricks coming into my email inbox so that ticks the SEO knowledge off the list.
And I absolutely adore researching the topics I write about. It’s one of my favourite parts of being a copywriter because that’s when I get to learn about new things.
My Process
Once you get in touch with me about your project, we have a chat on the phone or through email about what you want doing. I then send you over my client brief to get to know your business and customers, and once you’re happy I have all the information I need, I get to work on your content.
If you want updates as I write, I’ll send them on for your feedback. Otherwise, I’ll send you the first draft when it’s done. As I said before, you get two rounds of edits to make sure you’re 100% satisfied with the content, and when you are, we’re done.
Like I said, working with a copywriter is not a daunting process. We’re really a lovely bunch once you get know us.
If you have any queries or want to ask me about a quote, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.