Why Hire a Copywriter?
11 Reasons You Should Hire a Copywriter:
You have expertise in your field, but not in persuasive writing. Lots of people think industry experience + English degree = money. I hate being that guy, but this equation doesn’t work. Copywriting (i.e., persuasive writing) requires a specific set of skills and training. It puts psychology, persuasion, research, business, sales, marketing, and editing into a single craft. Maybe you read JD Supra religiously, but would you represent yourself in court?
You have an in-house content team that can’t write copy. Your writers are talented, they’re great at turning out phrases and blog posts, but they’re just not getting results. Fair enough! Time to get someone who does.
You don’t have an in-house content team. If no one on your team can write, you definitely need a copywriter.
You don’t have time. You’re a good writer, but it’s no longer worth your time writing your own copy or content. Right on. Time is money. And if you’re wasting time writing, you’re wasting money. Hire a good copywriter instead, and make money while using your time well. Eh?
You want to grow, i.e., make more money. Good copywriters will help you get results. If you could send just 3 emails and make $30,000, would you? Uh huh, thought so.
You want to create brand awareness. Brand awareness is tricky. In today’s world, that means running ads—and most people hate ads. Why? Because no one wants to feel like they’re being sold or pitched. The best ads won’t feel like advertising. And only good copywriters will understand that. So if you want to create lasting brand awareness, definitely hire a copywriter. Or maybe a proven brand agency.
You need to create a consistent brand voice. Good copywriters will help you create a brand personality: a consistent voice and tone that your customers will meet on every channel and in every interaction. This is important, especially if your company serves multiple audiences. If you have multiple tones going on, customers will think your company has multiple personalities. That could discredit your company and erode customer trust. Hire a copywriter.
You hate writing. Lots of people do! Instead of procrastinating on that weekly email or wiping sweat from your palms every time you stare at a blank screen, outsource it to someone who loves writing AND making money for clients.
You’re a bad writer. People notice mistakes. And they don’t make online purchases from bad writers. A single misspelling can decrease online sales by 50%. So if you’re a bad writer but you want to make money, hire a copywriter. Today, if possible. Please.
You can’t put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Hey, this is hard to do for most people. Kudos for honesty—few people admit they can’t see things from their customer’s perspective. I’ve got good news for you, though. A good copywriter can put himself in your customer’s shoes. This is a huge competitive advantage for any CMO or business owner.
You need another marketing brain. A good copywriter will bring lots of ideas. She’ll suggest offers, angles, even strategic ways to repurpose old content. If you’re the kind of person who loves getting fresh ideas—and executing them—then adding a copywriter to your team will help you tremendously.
5 Reasons NOT to Hire a Copywriter:
You don’t have the budget. Please don’t hire copywriters for $10 an hour or 10 cents a word. You won’t get a writer who knows marketing, positioning, and selling. Instead you’ll get someone who’s in it for the word count, not your success. And chances are, they won’t even be that good. You get what you pay for.
You need marketing help, but you’re not sure what kind. Marketing is complicated. Using any particular channel is like buying a pet. You have to feed and care for the damn thing every day. If you don’t have a clear strategy and a dent-proof reason for a particular channel, don’t hire a copywriter. Figure out what your strategy is first. Do some research. Talk to successful people in your industry.
You’re just looking for someone to write content. Content writers are powerful assets to have in your business...as long as you’re just looking for someone to crank out blog posts, white papers, etc. Copywriters are different, though. We’re the ones who are thinking about your bottom line, not just your blog calendar. If you’re looking for content, hire a content writer, not a copywriter.
You’re not interested in hearing new ideas or doing things differently. Look, that’s okay. You’ve got a vision, and you know what you want. But keep in mind that a legit copywriter will bring ideas and suggestions for optimizing and improving your marketing and sales. If you’re not open to doing things differently, you’re not going to benefit from hiring someone who thinks about sales and marketing as much as you do.
You have a bad product. If your product isn’t good, a copywriter won’t save it. Try selling your product first to get feedback. Listen to that feedback. Make adjustments. Get your product market-worthy, or no amount of persuasion will get someone to buy it. As Bill Bernbach said, nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising.
Answered yes to one or several of questions 1-11? As fate would have it, I’m a copywriter. Let’s chat.
