Tips and tricks to ensure you get a good one!
There are lots of copywriters out there so it pays to be careful who you choose, and to help you out, here’s the top 10 questions to ask a copywriter before you hire them.
Don’t use price as the gauge because like anything, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. And I wouldn’t recommend you use hourly rates to compare – what takes an incompetent writer 10 hours at $80 per hour may take a competent writer 5 hours at $130 per hour.
You do the math.
Your business or website is too important to leave in the hands of an inexperienced writer, so it pays to do some due diligence before you choose your copywriter.
Here are a few questions and tips to keep in mind when interviewing your copywriter:
1. Has your copywriter been trained?
Training is important but most copywriters are self-taught and do not have an external measuring tool to establish what will work and what won’t. Ask them where they did their training and how long they have been working as a writer.
Here at Bluejay Writing, training was completed with the Australian Writers’ Centre in Copywriting Essentials, SEO Copywriting and Content Writing………and maybe a few others, somehow I became a bit of a course junkie.
2. Ask to see some of their previous work.
A strong portfolio is a good indication that they have experience in copywriting or content creation and know what they are doing. Another great way to help you decide if the copywriter you are considering is the one for you might be through testimonials. Social proof and word of mouth feedback from previous clients will help you to make the right choice.
3. Do they ask to have a briefing meeting with you?
Some copywriters go off half-cocked and start writing without even asking for a briefing meeting. This is a sure sign they do not know what they are doing. Yes, a briefing takes time but like a house or building, all great things are built on a strong foundation – the Creative Brief is that foundation. Taking this time with your copywriter will help to ensure you get what you need and also can save wasted time and money if the copywriter has a strong brief to work with and not just winging it!
4. Do they ask you what the website needs to achieve?
Copywriters need to be good marketers and good marketers always start with the end in mind ie what do you want to achieve? If a copywriter doesn’t ask that of your website, how they can possibly write copy that achieves your objective?
5. Does your copywriter just take notes or do they challenge your assumptions and assertions?
No-one likes to be questioned constantly but all great copywriters will ask the basic questions that often get overlooked – the very questions that often turns a business on its head. Good copywriters ask lot of questions and help business owners find the answers.
6. Does your copywriter provide more than one round of revisions?
Getting copy right the first time is hard so it’s important your copywriter includes at least one, or even better, two rounds of revisions with their quote. There’s nothing worse than paying a copywriter extra fees to do revisions when their first draft didn’t even meet the brief.
Here at Bluejay Writing, you receive he initial draft and then 2 complimentary revisions to ensure you are 100% happy with the final product. Any reviews post that will be at a cost, however I am confident that with a solid briefing and clever writing you will be happy.
7. Does your copywriter give you a fixed quote?
Quoting a copywriting job can be very difficult because it’s not clear at the outset how much work is involved. However, that’s the nature of the beast and good copywriters are skilled at estimating how much time is involved and should be able to provide a fixed quote that won’t change unless the brief changes.
8. Does your copywriter give you a concrete deadline as to when they will deliver their first draft?
Getting copy on time is critical because it holds everything up if it’s not ready
and that means lost business for you.
Bluejay Writing are committed to delivering on time, on point and within budget. Check out the full list of services I offer here.
9. Has your copywriter worked with web developers before?
Having a copywriter that speaks the same language as web developers is very helpful in getting a website up and running. There is a lot of technical knowledge required to build a website and although copywriters are not IT gurus, it helps if your copywriter knows what meta tags, titles, descriptions, forms etc are because it means everyone is on the same page which ultimately saves you time and money.
10. Does your copywriter offer SEO copywriting?
Writing copy that helps a site get found on Google is vital so it’s worth asking your copywriter if they have this skill. You will pay extra to get this service but it’s well worth it if getting on page one of Google is important to you.
So, to summarise, there’s a fair bit of legwork in finding the right copywriter for your needs, but it’s absolutely worth that bit of extra effort to find someone who will be engaging, committed to ensuring you are happy with the end result, and can get you what you need on time and on point.
Bluejay Writing is exactly such a copywriter and is available to help you, see the full range of services on my website – www.bluejaywriting.com.I look forward to working with you.