You’re considering working with a Freelance Copywriter, but where the hell do you start?
Well, before you start trawling through fifty pages on Google, or countless LinkedIn, Fiverr and website pages, there’s a few things you need to consider.
A job can only be done well based on the information given, because at the end of the day, seeking copywriting services without asking yourself a few questions first is as effective as a can of Pepsi at abolishing police brutality.
(Sometimes I forget that advert happened…)
So, what do you need to consider before working with a Freelance Copywriter?
1. You know your product/services best, but…
Hopefully, nobody knows more about your business than you, which puts you in the unique position of having the best idea of your ‘why’, and the solution your product or service is providing.
However, that doesn’t always translate to your marketing materials the way you want it to.
Regardless of the countless bad examples of marketing gone wrong, it boils down to the simplicity of human nature – just because you’re typing on a keyboard, doesn’t make you a copywriter.
That’s fine!
Your main aim when working with a Freelance Copywriter should be to provide the information you are uniquely posed to give, rather than assuming instantly that your way of writing and marketing is the best way.
2. It’s not about you
As mentioned above, a common pitfall with DIY marketing is that it can quickly become a ‘me, myself and I’ advertisement.
When have you ever rushed to buy something because someone has 50+ years’ experience in the industry? Or because they’re award-winning and have a degree?
It’s not about you, it’s about what you offer.
50+ years’ experience = trustworthy, reliable, reassuring
Award-winning = dependable, legitimate, high quality
If it isn’t generating an emotion for the reader, or instilling a desire to take action, then it’s absolutely pointless.
3. It’s never ‘just words’ when you’re working with a freelance copywriter
Copywriters can have a bit of a rep for making a bigger deal out of their job than necessary, but think about it…
It’s not a cold call, it’s not a throwaway DM – words can reach audiences of every size and actually speak TO them, not AT them.
Not only is great copy absolutely everywhere, from your website copy to social media, it’s what drives action.
In my (controversial) opinion, design can only speak for itself so much, because it needs the words to convey the message, generate the emotion and drive the action.
To summarise: yeah, copywriting is words… but words aren’t easy.
It’s why you’re deciding whether you should be working with a Freelance Copywriter in the first place!
4. If it isn’t about pleasure, it’s about pain (avoidance)
Human beings are really quite hedonistic, whilst also being completely avoidant of pain.
I could bore you with some psychology-related spiel about how it boils down to mental shortcuts called heuristics, but in essence, the main basis for a copywriting project can boil down to the seeking of pleasure or avoidance of pain.
Your product/service is likely to fall under either category in some way or another, and it’s this that is the basis for making it about them and not you.
(As mentioned earlier.)
For example, your super social media scheduling software helps people avoid pain by: making the process faster, taking out the headaches of manually posting content, having it all in one easy-to-use platform.
You’ll notice a lot of the social proofing that comes from testimonials and reviews relates to this pain/pleasure principle – “Before using ____, I used to suffer from terrible _____. Now I can ____ which I never dreamed of doing before!”.
5. Vague feedback is the death of all relationships
“Sorry, Daniel, we have to break up.”
“Why?”
“You’re just not punchy enough!”
That wouldn’t work as your explanation for a breakup, would it?
Well it doesn’t work for a copywriter, either.
I can understand (barely) the justification sometimes that people might not know what they are looking for until they see it, but words thrown about like ‘snappy’, ‘punchy’, and the needs-to-die-immediately ‘add a bit of oomph’ don’t help anybody.
What you might mean to say is, “I think the tone we’re going for should be more personable, written the way you’d speak to ____.”, or “Could we make this a little more exciting to read by changing ___?”.
You can rarely get what you want without asking the right questions, and if it’s truly difficult, ask your copywriter if they can prompt you in any way to get you going.
A few places to start when you’re tempted to ask for something punchier:
- Is it an issue with tone?
Are you reading it and thinking it doesn’t sound like something you would say, or that your brand would represent? If so, what do you think is central to your brand’s tone of voice? Conversational? Corporate? Informative?
- Is it an issue with formatting?
It might sound basic, but the layout of copy can hugely affect how it’s read. If you’re looking to make a more conversational, engaging read, shorter sentences and bullet points are a great place to start. For informative pieces, longer form is better, broken up with subheadings for ease.
- Are you being nitpicky for no reason?
What? It’s worth considering that you might be the problem!
I’m (kind of) joking…
Ready to start working with a Freelance Copywriter? Spoiler alert: I’m ready and waiting…
That’s a lot of food for thought!
Most copywriters will have their own unique way of conducting briefs and maintaining their process, but it’s vital to consider the important points before properly pursuing copywriting services to avoid the common pitfalls.
And for the love of God, stop asking for things to be punchier…
Of course, if you wanted top of the range copywriting services, you’d just go to my contact page so I can get back to you.
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