You’ve seen the power of well-written content on a business’s site or blog. It pulls you in, entertains you, informs you, and leaves you thinking, “Wow, this brand feels like a trusted old friend!” But how do you find a writer who can create that same stunning effect on your site?
I’ve written plenty of blogs helping writers connect with potential clients, so today I’m focusing on the flip side: as a potential client, how do you find that writer who can deliver truly amazing content for your target audience? Start with these top tips for hiring a copywriter.
Search by Topic Specialty
Part of being a great copywriter is knowing how to research any topic and develop a strong enough understanding to write about it, so any professional copywriter should be able to write for any topic. Still, for truly great content, you want a person with some familiarity with your product or service.
When a writer has some related background knowledge, they’ll be able to speak more smoothly and knowledgeably about the subject. Particularly for B2B businesses, your customers will know if the writer truly knows what they’re talking about. And remember, the writer is representing you, so if it seems like they’re not knowledgeable, it seems like you’re not knowledgeable.
Consider the Type of Content Needed
What kind of written pieces do you need? Need web content for your new or existing website? Ready to reap the rewards of great blog posts? Trying to take your social media posts to the next level with well-written posts?
Most writers specialize in certain types of content because the way these content types are written is actually quite different. If you’re looking for purely one type of content, search for writers with that specialty. On the flip side, if you want multiple types of content, make sure each professional you research offers all those services.
Check Out Their Voice Versatility
Every business has its own brand voice (or at least, you should). It should coordinate with the visual aspects of your brand to create a cohesive image of your brand’s personality. Clearly, a great writer must be able to write in that brand voice to benefit your brand development and continuity.
While trying to find a copywriter, check each writer’s portfolio. If they’ve already written in a similar brand voice to yours, great! Even if they haven’t, though, look for versatility. Does everything appear to be in the same basic voice or do they show a collection of styles among their portfolio? If there’s variety, it means that this freelance writer knows how to switch up their writing style to embody different brand voices, so the chances are that they’ll be able to match yours.
Consider Any Other Necessary Skills
Think about what you want from your content and the writer. Depending on your goals and expectations, it’s important to look for writers who have the full set of skills you require.
Want your content to have great search engine optimization but don’t have your own SEO specialist to optimize it? Look for a copywriter with SEO knowledge. Want the writer to handle the entire content creation process including publishing the copy on the website? Hire someone with experience in WordPress or whatever content management system you use. Focusing on high-converting copy? Look for someone who’s great with call to action writing.
Compare Pricing
Money always matters, and that’s true with hiring a professional writer too. Take it with a grain of salt, though.
There are massive ranges of prices for writing, and in general, higher prices come from more experienced writers. An inexperienced writer isn’t necessarily a bad one, though, as much of a writer’s skill comes from natural talent.
In other words, hiring a cheap copywriter for two cents per word will probably get you poor content while a higher-priced writer is more likely to be a good copywriter, but always check out their portfolios rather than making assumptions based on prices.
Keep in mind that most writers charge on a per-project basis, so you may need to contact them for a quote. This gives you a chance to find out other details too like payment terms, deposit amounts, and so on.
Finding the Right Writer
The fact is that choosing a copywriter isn’t always easy. It can be hard to find someone with the skills and knowledge you need who can also truly capture your brand voice while also working well with your operational process. The tips above will get you started, but when you find the writer that works well with you, be sure to keep them around.
