Any brand that wants to attract potential customers has to communicate effectively. In other words, brands need powerful copy to grow. Strong copy is more memorable, defines a brand’s personality, and compels people to take action.
Whether you need persuasive product descriptions, engaging email copy, or snappy sales copy, you need a great copywriter. They’re an invaluable addition to any marketing team. But how do you find the best?
First, it helps to understand where some brands are going wrong when it comes to finding a good copywriter. There are a few reasons why they run into trouble:
- They don’t ask the right questions.
- They overlook the writer’s other skill sets.
- They don’t plan the process.
Here, we’ll outline 10 techniques that address these issues…
10 Tips to Find and Hire an Amazing Copywriter
1. Know What You Want Before You Hire
Most copywriters can tackle a variety of projects, but if you mainly need landing page copy, you want to find a copywriter that is great at just that. You need to narrow your search
So before you start looking, ask yourself what kinds of copy you really need. If you need product descriptions, find someone that has a lot of experience in that format. If a writer has no specific niche, it could be a red flag. Find one that specializes in your industry and products, or in a particular format.
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2. Ask the Right Questions
If you get the chance to communicate with a potential writer by email, phone, or video, take the opportunity to ask the right questions. Here are some ideas:
- Do you have any work samples?
- Do you have a standard fee or minimum project rate?
- Have you worked with similar businesses or products?
- Is there a product category you prefer to write for?
- Do you specialize in short or long-form copy?
- What’s your typical turn around time?
- What’s your writing process?
- Would you complete a short writing assignment?
Getting the answers to these questions will give you a better feel for each writer’s personality and abilities.
3. Give Writer’s a Quick Test (or Two)
Asking writers if they’ll perform a quick test is a good way to find out how passionate they are about working for you. It will also help you select the best writers for your project, especially if you get multiple applications for your job post. It’s a good idea to pay for these assignments to encourage the best writers to apply.
Select a few writers based on their experience and suitability (as discussed above) and give each writer the same assignment. For example:
Assign a task that is relevant to future work. If you mainly want email copy, pay writers for a short email newsletter. To narrow down your search after you receive the first assignment, send back some suggestions for improvements. This will not only test their writing ability, it will also show you how they handle criticism. A great copywriter is also a great editor and collaborator.
From these tests, you’ll find out:
- If they can follow direction.
- If they can meet deadlines.
- If they can take criticism and act on it.
When giving out assignments like this, it’s important to provide clear instructions and give a real-life deadline.
Evaluate the work based on writing clarity, style, and persuasiveness. Only time will tell as to how talented and reliable a writer is. However, simple assignments like this will give you a good indication of writers’ abilities.
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4. Don’t Simply Rely on Qualifications
While some qualifications may indicate that a writer has more experience in research and certain writing skills, it’s not always the case that they’ll be the best writer for your projects. If you pay too much attention to a writer’s academic background, you could be missing out on some other incredible talent.
5. Don’t Charge Too Little
Paying someone $20 for website copy might save you money in the short term, but you’re unlikely to get outstanding copy. Think about the long-term investment. Great copy is more likely to engage readers, drive conversions, and increase sales, so it’s worth paying a premium up front. What’s more, you’ll attract more experienced copywriters to your project.
6. Consider Hiring Someone for Regular Work
If you need copy written on a regular basis, consider hiring a writer on the understanding that they’ll get regular work. Sometimes, you can get better prices from the writer for ongoing work. You can build a stronger relationship with a regular writer, and they might even prioritize your projects when you have tight deadlines to meet.
7. Don’t Constrict Your Writer with SEO Rules
Yes, SEO is important, but if you rely too heavily on content optimization, the effectiveness of your copy could suffer. If you give writers a strict set of keyword phrases to adhere to, it can suffocate their creativity, which lessens the impact of the copy.
Today, Google’s algorithm is geared toward rewarding information-rich, helpful web content that is not stuffed with keywords. Give writers a list of keywords to keep in mind, but let your writers focus on producing quality content above all else.
8. Don’t Ask for Performance Data
As a marketer, you need to keep an eye on conversion rates and your content marketing ROI. It’s a part of your job. However, it’s not part of a copywriter’s job to know how their content performs; in fact, after they’ve submitted their work, they usually won’t have any idea how their content performed in terms of user engagement. It’s up to you to find a good writer and assess how their copy performs over time.
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9. Be Clear About Revisions
Even the best copywriters need direction from time to time. If you give regular, constructive feedback to your writers, you can help shape their style to suit your unique brand voice. They’ll learn what you like and don’t like and this will limit the need for future revisions.
10. Don’t Take Too Long to Decide
Finally, it sometimes pays to move fast when you’re choosing which writers to work with. The best writers are busy and are more selective in seeking work that suits their aspirations. Obviously, you need to stick to hiring best practices that are outlined in this article, but if you take too long to decide who to work with, you could miss out on some great talent.
Posting Your Copywriter Job Listing
Now that you know what to look for and how to evaluate potential writers, the next step is to post your project or start looking for writers to work with.
There’s no better place to start your search than on the Constant Content platform. You’ll gain access to a large pool of experienced copywriters that you can contact directly. Alternatively, you can simply post your project on our site and potential writers will contact you.
Why Settle for Second Best?
If you want to give your brand a unique and persuasive voice that compels your audience to act, you need to hire a great copywriter. When you find the right one, they will boost customer engagement and support your brand’s growth for years to come. This leaves you free to focus on attracting website traffic and optimizing pages for conversions.
Amazing writers are out there right now. Why settle for second best?
Constant Content works with thousands of talented copywriters able to write your sales and marketing copy.
Hopefully, this guide will help you find an amazing copywriter for your future projects. But if you still need some direction, visit our help page on how to find the perfect writer for your business.
Best of luck finding your new copywriter!