A copywriter doesn’t just help you with the words. You also build a relationship with them as they learn the ins and outs of your business. Hiring a copywriter is an important decision.
They serve as more than a writer. They serve as an advisor, business consultant, and marketing strategist who sees your business from the mile-high perspective. And more importantly, they ask questions that lead to improved processes. Copywriters are not mired in the day-to-day operations, so they see things more clearly than you can, because you’re too close to all of it.
Hiring a copywriter is like hiring an extension of your team. They win when you win, so they have a vested interest in your success and typically build time into their process to talk through things together. As a result, you’ll want to know a few things before you hire one.
Scheduling a Discovery Call is Step One
You want to get to know your potential copywriter to help you decide whether your relationship is a good fit. Check out their ‘About Me’ page and their testimonials to dig up a little info about them. Then schedule a discovery call.
The discovery call doesn’t just help you decide whether this is the right copywriter for you, it also allows the copywriter to get to know you, and whether they can help you.
You’ve probably done discovery calls before, so you know the drill. If not, plan to spend about 20 minutes running through the basics of what you’re looking for and finding out how they can help. Now is the perfect time to ask questions about their process and decide if you want to work with them or not.
If it’s a fit… hooray! The next steps vary from a paid consultation call to getting a proposal, which typically means discussing in a second call to answer any final questions. It’s not a red flag if they can’t quote you immediately on the phone. Instead, it’s extremely common for copywriters to sit down after your conversation to build a plan that’s customized for your needs.
Ask Questions to Get an Idea of Their Process
Most copywriters have a proven process that gets results. Look them up to see if they talk about their process on their website. (Spoiler alert: Not having a website isn’t necessarily a red flag, because the cobbler’s children have no shoes. However, it’s worth asking them about, especially since websites are a great place to show off knowledge and list testimonials.) If they don’t talk about it on their site, then be sure to ask.
Other questions you may want to ask before hiring a copywriter include:
- Do they integrate well with other professionals?
- Do they work with designers and how does this portion work?
- How do they implement their discovery phase, their copywriting phase, and their approval process?
- Do they offer any feedback after their copy has been implemented?
- Do they design sites?
- What’s their time frame?
Think about the specific pieces you need and just ask, ask, ask.
After asking all your questions, do you have confidence that they fit your needs? If yes, great… You’re another step closer to hiring a copywriter.
Know What Type of Copy You Need
Web copy, sales pages, blog posts, email sequences, technical writing, white pages, case studies, use studies, product descriptions, and more… There are many different types of copy out there. You probably already know what you’re asking them about now, but you should also keep in mind future needs or if you have a complex project.
Maybe you just need help with tackling your web copy. Or maybe you need multiple types of copy taken care of, such as developing blog posts, ad copy, and email sequences.
Know what you need and find out if your copywriter has the skill set you’re looking for. A copywriter who specializes in service-based businesses may not be as strong writing for products, or maybe they’re skilled with writing web copy but don’t have the experience needed for sales pages. Think about what you need, and don’t hesitate to ask.
Understand the Value They Bring to the Table
You don’t go to a five-star restaurant and expect to be served a bowl of Kraft mac and cheese. You’re going for a masterpiece.
Understand that writing powerful, engaging copy requires skill, experience, raw talent, ideas, and creativity, just like cooking a delicious masterpiece requires expertise to tantalize your taste buds.
Think about the value you get from hiring a copywriter. It gives you confidence that you have the right words for sharing your message. And the results you receive from your copywriter is an investment in your success!
What You Need to Know About Onboarding
Most copywriters have a cut and dry onboarding process that includes a questionnaire and a call. Some copywriters require the questionnaire filled out completely in advance of the call, where others simply require the basics.
In my business, I get that words are my thing and not necessarily yours, so I ask that new clients answer questions as completely as possible, with the knowledge that we’ll dig deeper on the call. I use the onboarding questionnaire as a guide for our conversation to figure out what we already know, and what we need more information.
Many people think that hiring a copywriter is just about writing words that fit your brand and voice. However, it’s so much more!
Copywriters learn the ins and outs of your business by researching and asking you questions that fall into the 5 W’s (and 2 H’s):
- Who is your audience?
- What problems does your audience have?
- How does your audience talk about their problems?
- Where does your audience hang out?
- When will your audience need help from you?
- Why are you the solution and how?
As long as you’re clear on most of it, it’s okay if you don’t know the specifics on how your audience talks about their problems. That’s where the research phase comes in. Keep in mind, the more information you can provide, the better.
Are You Ready to Hire a Copywriter?
Do you know all the nitty-gritty details of your business? Is your business process clearly put together? Do you know the exact services you offer or the problems you are trying to solve? If you’re all over the map, you may not be ready.
However, if you are ready to partner with a copywriter, don’t worry if they aren’t an expert in your field. They learn about your business by doing their research and chatting with you to understand all the important pieces. Then, they strategically craft words to show your audience why you are the best option.
So, even if they’re not an expert in you or your company, to begin with, they will be by the end.
Get Hiring!
If you have a solid understanding of your needs, you know what questions to ask and the type of copy you need, and you are ready to make a valuable investment, you may be ready to hire a copywriter.
Book a discovery call with me to see if we are a good fit!
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