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What You Should Know Before Hiring A Copywriter
By Garnet
In my opinion, one of the most fun aspects of running a business is writing the ad copy for various projects. Whether I need to write a brochure, or an advertisement, or an article, I enjoy the process of researching and developing articles. Just this week I wrote articles on aging cats, how to deal with inventory assembly items in QuickBooks , how to grow churches, recommendations for a business on how to get control of their magazine publishing process and improve quality, and this article on copywriting.
But if you're like me, there comes a time when you just don't have time to write every article that needs to be written. You may begin to consider hiring a professional copywriter. If you hire a pro, you'll get great articles. It's not complicated to hire a copywriter. Here are some of the things I learned about how to hire a great copywriter, and also some advice from the other side of the fence, what a great copywriter needs to succeed in working for you.
- A copywriter should be aware of your business image
A copywriter needs to be able to tailor their articles to fit with your business image. Be sure to make them aware of any stylistic guidelines that you've developed.
- Understand what you need, have a mission
Frequently I have clients that hire me to "tell them what it is they want me to do for them." I don't mind doing this, we both end up with a clearer idea of what we need. But it does increase their costs. To cut your costs in hiring copywriters and eliminate unnecessary revisions, be sure that you can define the following in advance:
- Define the use of the article?
- What medium will the article be in?
- What tone do you want for the article?
- Who is the target audience?
- What kind of response do you want?
- Define any "call to action" type statements you need in the article
- Get a copywriter who has experience in your medium
A sales brochure requires different skills than writing a research paper. And developing an executive summary for a business plan requires different skills than breaking up content into digestible chunks for a website. Be sure to hire a copywriter who has some experience in writing the specific kind of content you are needing.
- Industry experience is always needed
As long as the copywriter has experience writing the kind of article you are needing, they may not need experience in your specific industry. I am able to write articles about nearly any subject if I have enough time to research the specific issues in regards to that subject. Whether I am writing content for a business-to-business web site, a tutorial about computers, a guide to taking care of cats, or writing about health products, I enjoy getting into a new subject and learning about it so I can write a quality article.
- Define a realistic schedule
My favorite phrase concerning unrealistic schedules and writing deadlines is "a lack of planning on your part does not create an emergency on my part." Nothing is worse than not planning ahead properly for the copywriting that you need. Be sure to set realistic schedules that include time to supply the copywriter with any research material and content you already have, time for the copywriter to do their own research, time to properly check the article, proofreading, and time to adjust any formatting issues.
- Be sure to plan for quality assurance of the articles
You should definitely ask the copywriter to do all the following, but sure you do a fair amount of quality control of your own by going over the following checklist:
- Make sure the article is divided into digestible chunks
- Make sure that there are no empty dead weight sentences
- Double check all web links
- Make sure the article passes automated spell checking
- Be sure you can pay reasonably for the copywriter's work
The Bible said it best a long time ago "Don't bind the mouths of the oxen that tread the grain." Be sure that you pay your copywriter fairly. Understand that they are trading their skill and time to you in order to make a living. When they finish their articles, be sure to pay them promptly. Some experienced copywriters charge anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour. Treat your copywriter as the professional that they are. You'll not get the service you need if you try to force them to work for only $10 an hour.
- It might be worth it to keep a good editor on retainer
If you hire more than one copywriter over time, you might consider keeping a skilled editor / copywriter on retainer. Passing articles from one copywriter by a second copywriter is a great way to improve the overall quality of the content you have written. While this might seem like a needless repetition in expense, a good editor who knows your business, and can help insure some consistency of style among articles written by different copywriters, is a worthwhile investment.
- If you are having long pieces of content written, consider hiring an indexer to create the index
Writers are often the worst people to create an index for their own work. Publishing houses usually hire people skilled in the art of indexing to create the indexes for the works that they publish. Indexers not only know the ins and outs of the art of indexing, they also are skilled at looking at the article from a readers perspective to think about the kinds of index entries that are needed. No matter how good a writer and editor a copywriter is, they are usually much to close to their work to also do a good job of indexing.
- Good agreements are better than handshakes
Most professional writers have a standard agreement that they will ask you to sign. Occasionally you might need to offer an agreement to a writer. If you need to do this, cover the basic terms of the contract in a simple letter:
- Size of the writing assignment
- Deliverables and deadlines
- Assignment of rights
- Any required meetings
- Amount to be paid and when
- Nondisclosure agreement
Some writers also require an upfront deposit or retainer, and you should be prepared to deliver this with the agreement.
Remember that for any professional, time is money.
- Supply the writer with the background information
Be sure to give the writer all possible information as soon as possible. If you force the writer to spend time coaxing information out of you and your associates, you'll increase the costs of the content.
- Have one individual manage the copywriter, but get final decision makers involved
Having one individual manage the copywriter serves to greatly decrease the costs of having a copywriter by funneling all requests through one individual in your organization. This individual can act as a gate keeper to keep the copywriter from receiving contradictory requests from multiple places in your organization. Be sure that the higher up people involved in the decision making process have regular access to the work of the copywriter, but be sure they are willing to pass their responses through the person in charge of managing the copywriter.
- Give the copywriter specific feedback if changes are needed
Saying "It sucks, make it better" to a copywriter doesn't achieve anything. But giving the copywriter a specific focus for changes is much more productive: "We need to add more information about this set of benefits of the Acme Widget".
- Develop rapport with your copywriter
Remember that they are human too. Give them good feedback when they deserve it, and if they have feedback about your business, be willing to listen carefully their comments. A fresh set of eyes can see your business in new ways and give you very valuable feedback.
About The Author
Garnet R. Chaney is a well known software developer and writer of articles, tutorials, and internet marketing helps. You can visit a wide variety of his writing at http://www.garnetchaney.com
Article source: http://www.chat11.com/
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Things To Know Before Hiring A Copywriter