There is no way around it: every business needs words.
If you have a small business, you definitely need words
But you don’t need the same kind of copywriting that an organization like the NFL needs (spending $2.4 billion annually on sponsorships, Lord knows how much they spend on copywriting alone.)
In fact, if you have under 500 employees, you’re still considered a small business according to the Small Business Administration in the U.S.
And as we know: it’s the words you use on your website, in your sales, on your sales page, or even what you say face-to-face at a networking event that convinces people it’s time to work with you.
As a small business owner, you’re probably wondering…
→ How do you know when you need a copywriter?
→ What kind of copywriter should you hire?
→ How much should you invest?
Coming from a copywriter who primarily works with small businesses, obviously I’m biased.
However, I am also a small business owner! I don’t want you to make investments you’re not ready to make!
So no, you don’t have to go chasing down the copywriter for the NFL for your small business. We’re going to explore the ins and outs of hiring a small business copywriter, so you can get closer to your business goals.
But first, what is copywriting for small businesses?
Copywriting for small businesses is the same as any copy used for businesses: copy is the words used to sell stuff.
Copywriting is the practice of creating those words.
It’s every word used to convince people to buy stuff from you: from the tagline on your business card, to the sales email that convinces people to buy, to the homepage text that people see when they first Google you.
And yes, you can do the copywriting for your business yourself.
But many small business owners find that their copywriting needs outpace the time they have to write copy.
Or maybe they find that they actually don’t know how to write copy in a way that maximizes the sales they get. As I’m sure you’ve found, opening a blank Google doc to write words that convince people to buy from you isn’t easy. It’s also high stakes if you know you need to make money from those words.
Here are just a few of the copywriting needs that small business owners have:
- Website Copy: The words on your website. Writing copy for your homepage or services page that convince people to work with you requires a lot of strategy and research. This copy can be a CRUCIAL part of making more sales in your business because your website can sell for you 24/7.
- Advertisements: Every advertisement you see online, on TV, or out in the real world contains copy. If you run ads for your business, a copywriter can help make sure that those ads perform well and convert.
- Email Marketing: You definitely have emails in your inbox that are written by a copywriter, and they make businesses a ridiculous amount of money. Email marketing has one of the highest ROIs if done right.
- Sales Pages: Have a new offer, course, membership, or program you want to sell out? You’re gonna need a sales page to convince people to buy. A well-written sales page is crucial to the success of your launch.
- Social Media Content: When social media is used to market your business or sell your stuff, yes, that’s copywriting as well.
- Launch Copy: If you’re launching a new offer, program, course, or membership, you probably know that just posting “buy now!” on your Instagram story isn’t enough. A whole strategy is needed to make sure you have a successful launch, that’s copy too.
- Brand Messaging: Sometimes it’s worth working with a copywriter to get specific on your brand’s message: i.e. how you communicate about your brand. Working with a copywriter on brand messaging can help ensure you sound consistent, persuasive, and engaging every time you communicate about your business.
For every one of these items, many small business owners choose to work with a copywriter, since they’re experts at these tasks.
How do you know it’s time to hire a copywriter?
Hiring a copywriter is a great investment for your business — but it is still an investment that you want to make mindfully.
So, for many small business owners, they don’t have complete clarity on when it’s time to switch from DIY copywriting to hiring a true expert to write their copy.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself if you’re considering hiring a copywriter:
- Do you have the time to write your own copy?
This might be a no-brainer, but if you’re so busy running your business that you don’t have time to write copy, it makes sense to hire a copywriter to take over those tasks because they can do it 1) faster and 2) better than you can.
- Do you have the budget to hire a copywriter?
Good copywriters aren’t cheap, but they are worth it, considering the ROI of good copy. If you have the budget, you’re almost certain to see a good return on your investment.
- Will a copywriter help you reach your goals faster?
If you have specific goals in your business (rebrand, launch a new offer, marketing your business more effectively) a copywriter can help you make massive strides toward your business goals.
- Do you have other projects lined up that need a copywriter?
I’ll be straight with you: if you’re planning to redesign your website, you’ll want to invest in a copywriter as well. Not only do web designers prefer to work with clients who’ve already had their website copy written, but your website is going to convert much better when it’s convincing as well as pretty.
- Are your offers going to be changing anytime soon?
If you’re going through a rebrand, that is definitely the time to hire a copywriter. However, if you know your services are still in fluctuation, you might want to hold off on hiring a copywriter. Investing a lot into something you’re not attached to might mean you don’t get a very high ROI on that copy.
I’m not ever going to convince a small business owner to hire a copywriter if they truly are not ready. But when you are ready? Oooh boy is it a good investment.
BTW, let’s address the elephant in the room:
Should you hire a small business copywriter or use AI to write your copy?
This is just my 2 cents as a professional copywriter and casual user of AI:
→ AI can write a lot of words for your business, but that copy is only effective if you understand how it all works together in the bigger picture of your brand and marketing strategy.
Part of my work as a copywriter involves understanding the nuances of your brand and how your target audience interacts with your business.
AI is simply not good at capturing that nuance (right now.)
So while AI can definitely help you generate some ideas on copy, the overall strategy and creative direction of your copy is still best done by a copywriter.
(That’s also the answer I give when people ask if I’m worried about AI taking my job. So far, AI is not a better writer than I am, so I’m not worried about it, lol)
What you should consider when you want to work with a small business copywriter?
Ok, so now you’re probably understanding that hiring a copywriter for your small business is a good idea. When you’re starting to plan for working with a small business copywriter, here are the things I recommend you consider:
1. What are your goals?
When you first start looking for a small business copywriter, you need to consider your goals. After all, you probably have entrepreneur friends that can recommend their copywriter to you, but not all copywriters are the same. You want to find one that has the services and expertise to help get you closer to your goals.
For example, let’s say that you’re looking to have your website copy written for a rebrand, and you know that you’ll be focusing on SEO, blogging, and Pinterest for your marketing for the next quarter. In this case, you’ll definitely want to hire a website copywriter who can optimize your copy for SEO.
There are a lot of great website copywriters out there, but you would be surprised how few of them include SEO optimization in their services.
(Which I do, by the way. I want to get you found on Google. *winks*)
Just because your friend’s copywriter might have a clever way of writing doesn’t mean they can get you found on Google. Be sure you find a copywriter that gets you closer to your business goals.
2. Is your business still changing rapidly?
Though hiring a copywriter on day 1 of your business might be a fast-track to business growth, there’s a reason why many new businesses don’t invest in copy right away (and it’s not just because of their budget.)
If you invest in copy, you’ll want to make sure you can use that copy to its fullest potential. Since new businesses change so rapidly, hiring a copywriter to write your website or brand messaging may mean you have to redo it later once you’ve really settled into your identity as a business.
3. What entrepreneurs do you look up to, and who have they worked with?
As I mentioned, not all copywriters are created equal. And that’s fine!
But take a look at the copy of the entrepreneurs you look up to. What characteristics and value do they look for in a copywriter? Find a copywriter similar to the businesses you want to emulate in your own brand.
For example, I am not the copywriter to hire if you want to sound like a 5-am-ice-bath-hustle-bro. Buuut, if you want to sound like a relatable, conversational, best-friend, I am TOTALLY the copywriter for you.
(And if you happen to be a hustle-bro reading this, I think I could write copy better than your friend’s copywriter. Just saying. HMU.)
4. What is the cost of not hiring a copywriter?
Every now and then, I get an inquiry from a business owner who says they get a lot of traffic to their site, but they’re not making sales.
I hurt for them, but luckily, website copy can start getting them more sales for their business in just a couple weeks.
(Now, website copy can also help you get more traffic, but that’s another topic….)
The alternative in this situation would be either 1) continuing to miss out on sales or 2) spending months learning how to write copy in order to get it to where you want it to be.
Oftentimes, getting a copywriter to do the job for you will get the best results in the fastest amount of time, but you need to weigh all the elements of your business and make this decision for yourself.
5. Does the copywriter you’re considering work with businesses similar to yours?
Some copywriters only work with one kind of business. Others only write email. Some only work with ecommerce websites.
And some copywriters (like myself) have a nailed down a process that allows them to get up-close and personal with small businesses, knowing that they don’t often have the budget to hire an email specialist copywriter, a UX copywriter, and paid-ads copywriter.
Since I work mainly with small businesses, I’ve structured my copywriting business to be as one-stop-shop as possible so you can get everything you need to improve your marketing and grow your small business.
You can check out my portfolio here and my services page here to get an example of what I do best, and I encourage you to look at similar pages for the other copywriters you’re considering.
If you’re reading this, and you’re thinking “ok, yes, I definitely need a small business copywriter to help me reach my business goals,” then I know just the copywriter…
It’s me. Hi.
I’m a copywriter who works with small businesses (and helps them improve their marketing, their websites, and their overall brand)
You should definitely take a look at my copywriting services here if you’re looking to grow your business and refine your marketing. If you’re not sure which service is right for you, or you’re still in a DIY stage with your copy, you can book copywriting consultation call with me here, or shoot me a DM on Instagram.
