How to choose a good copywriter?
1st September 2014
Copywriting is writing copy for the purpose of advertising and marketing. The copy is meant to persuade someone to buy a product, or influence their opinions. Copywriting is a foundation stone of any marketing strategy; so getting it right is crucial.
Copywriters have different skills and areas of expertise and experience. In this article we will look at some of these differences, to help you choose the best copywriter for your business.
Industry
Some copywriters offer general services, writing for a number of different industries, in different styles and in a number of different mediums; whereas other copywriters are very specialist, writing for only one industry, in one style and in one medium.
Usually, it makes sense to choose a copywriter with experience in the particular type of project you’ll be asking them to do and ask for examples of their work. These kinds of copywriters will be familiar with your audience, their needs and wants and have experience of what works and what doesn’t work within the industry.
There are copywriting agencies, like Foreign Tongues, which have at least one copywriter for each discipline with a wealth of experience and knowledge.
If you decide to choose a generalist copywriter, they will possibly bring a fresh approach to your industry and charge less for their work but you will need to give them more background information so they can understand your client, your industry and your product.
Style
You need to make sure that the copywriter you choose can write – and write well! Have a read of the copy on their website or examples of their work first before signing up to anything and so avoid disappointment. You also need to consider what style you want them to write in. Business to business style isn’t the same as business to consumer style, for example. So it’s important that you know what copywriting you need before you hire a copywriter.
Companies selling their products directly to other business will need B2B copywriting. If you are aiming to attract more online customers you need an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) copywriter, who will not only look for relevant keywords but also write engaging and relevant content easily visible to search engines. SEO has come a long way from keywords stuffing and over optimisation; nowadays it’s all about high quality, relevancy and informative content that benefits your online visitors.
Other copywriting styles, such as sales copywriting and content writing, also need an experienced copywriter. Although primarily the aim of sales copy is to prompt the customer to make a purchase, writing it isn’t as easy as you may think. It should include specific headlines, objection handling, strong benefits, and a strong clear call to action.
Finally there is technical writing, such as medical or legal writing. These creative people are the hardest to find and tend to be most expensive but are a must if this is the industry you’re in.
Medium
Another way copywriters specialise is by the medium they write in. You may need content for your website, articles, press releases, white papers, eBooks and so on. This may seem straightforward but it’s important to bear in mind when looking for the right copywriter, and so prevent you from finding copywriters that aren’t good fit.
Finally, remember to give your copywriters a good background of your company, your objectives and what you want your content to do. Inform them of any company or industry specific jargon that you use and give them detailed description of the products and services you sell.
This is just a quick list of things to look for when choosing a copywriter. If you need more information or advice, simply call us on 0800 032 5939 or email translation@foreigntongues.co.uk.
