So, you’ve hired a copywriter. That’s great!
Maybe I’m the copywriter you’ve hired, and I sent you this blog post directly. (If that’s the case, hi client!)
Or maybe you’re thinking about hiring a copywriter, but you’re not completely sure what that will look like.
In the grand scheme of things, not a lot of people know what a copywriter is. It’s an even smaller percentage of people who actually end up hiring one.
Hiring an expert copywriter can and will be an amazing step for your business. You should congratulate yourself on getting this far.
So to make our time together as smooth as possible, or help you understand what you’re in for once you hire a copywriter like myself, let’s dive into some tips that will help you work well with the copywriter you’ve chosen.
Why are you working with a copywriter?
If you’re reading this blog post, I’m assuming you’re paying upwards of four figures for your copy.
Good copy isn’t cheap, but it’s a no-brainer investment when you reach a certain level of business.
At some point, hiring a professional copywriter is going to take your sales and engagement from good to great.
So before you hire a copywriter, you need to be specific about why you’re hiring a copywriter.
Like, actually specific please.
Not just I need copy.
But identify one of these as your why:
- I need copy to improve the conversions on my website.
- I need copy that will get me found by Google.
- I need copy to improve my email marketing.
- I need copy because I want to be seen as an industry leader.
- I need copy to get crystal clear on my brand and messaging.
Getting clear on why you’re hiring a copywriter will inform who you hire and how you work with them. Not all copywriters are created equal, and finding the right one won’t look the same for everyone.
For my own copywriting services, my clients tend to hire me because they are either going through a rebrand or evolving their business. They are ready to do their brand messaging right and show up as an industry leader from the first day they launch their new website.
If you want to hire a copywriter to help you create a lot of content quickly or do several one-off projects, I’m not your girl. It’s important you know what you want with your copy, so you’ll be happy with the results.
Now that you know your why behind hiring a copywriter, here’s how you can make this partnership as smooth and productive as possible.
1. Understand that your copywriter is like your architect
What does hiring a copywriter have to do with architecture?
Think of an expert copywriter like an architect for this project in your business (whether it’s creating a new website, launching a new service, setting up an email funnel, etc.)
You might have the overall vision, but they have the expertise to make it come to life.
You can tell them your goals, preferences, and opinions, but ultimately, if your copywriter/architect tells you something isn’t going to work, you should listen to them.
Think of this like if you were hiring an architect to work on an addition to your house- you would probably trust them if they pointed out a design flaw in your vision. The same goes for working with a copywriter.
On the flip side, your copywriter/architect isn’t really going to appreciate it if you come to the table with no vision at all. At that point, they don’t know what your expectations are, and it will become very hard for them to create something you like.
This is a partnership, so understand what you bring to the table (an understanding of your clients, heart of the business, vision for the future), and what your copywriter brings to the table (understanding of conversions, experience with copy, a clear view of the customer journey.)
2. Bring a collaborative mindset
Like any good partnership, you need to come with a collaborative mindset. Your copywriter isn’t someone who takes orders from you. They also can’t read your mind.
I promise you that your copywriter is equally invested in this project. (We get our business from referrals and want to add amazing pieces to our portfolios!) They want to see this project through to the best possible outcome.
So looking at this as a collaboration helps everything go smoothly.
3. Be intentional with your feedback
“I don’t like it” isn’t helpful feedback.
I’m pretty good at asking clarifying questions to my clients, but even I can’t work with an “I don’t like it” comment.
It’s ok if you’re not a words-person (that’s why you’ve hired one) but try to get specific about what is and isn’t working as the project progresses. Be honest! We want you to be pleased with the outcome.
Copy is subjective too, no matter how often the marketing gurus tell you it’s not. Words will always mean different things to different people.
Explaining your perspective is always welcomed in feedback. After all, it’s your website/sales page/email we’re creating.
4. Check your ego at the door
If you’re my client, I know this isn’t a problem, *winks*
Still, it’s a good reminder for everyone involved to keep our egos in check for the sake of the project.
Ego is a delicate thing, and it sneaks up on us in unexpected ways.
Sometimes ego in a copywriting project can look like:
- Over-explaining your expertise so they know you’re “worth it.”
- Stuffing your homepage full of credentials and testimonials.
- Writing too many “I” or “Our” statements.
- Really trying to impress your client with how smart your writing is. (That’s my ego talking!)
Our collaboration is meant to benefit one person: your client.
Writing good copy should always be about what’s best for your soulmate client.
It’s not about sounding really smart and accomplished.
It’s not about adding clever writing to my portfolio.
It’s about being kind and empathetic to the client. That’s how they make a decision about buying from you.
(Also, Ariana Grande said you have to “keep a slim ego for a thick wallet” and I think that it’s been working out for her so far.)
5. Don’t be afraid to embrace what makes you unique
Speaking of ego sneaking up in unexpected ways…
Sometimes a coping mechanism for not feeling adequate in our businesses is paying too much attention to what others in your industry are doing.
If you’re aiming to be the middle ground of all your competitors, you’re going to be surrounded by people doing at least one thing better than you are.
But if you choose not to pay attention to the competition and instead get obsessed with your unique perspective, you’ll create a magnetic brand.
I’m not saying competitor research isn’t helpful or necessary, I just don’t want it to be a higher priority than embracing your brand’s unique positioning.
6. Know that your brand voice comes from you
There is a lot of noise in the digital marketing space around defining your brand voice.
For personal brands and service providers, I think you can disregard a lot of it. When it’s just you and your small team, your brand voice will come from you.
Larger companies can and should have a discussion about what they want their brand to feel like and the tone of voice they should use. But if you are the pulse of your brand, it’s simply too much energy to try and sound like something you’re not.
Think of it this way: you don’t think about what you should sound like every time you open your mouth, so why would you do that with your brand?
Brand voice isn’t just used in website copy. It needs to be consistent across all marketing materials and content.
As a copywriter, my goal is to sound like you. (The best version of you, that is.) So if you’re a super serious and straightforward person, don’t expect your copy to come out all bubbly and approachable.
Your copy should sound like you on your best day.
7. Give feedback or make requests in a timely manner
Copywriters are not your employees, and it gets very difficult for us when we have to delay or extend your project if we haven’t planned for it.
We have other clients we have to serve, most of which are on tight deadlines as well. Neglecting to give us feedback or make requests could derail some of our other projects and hurt the other clients we’re serving.
If you’re my client, I know you would never do this, but don’t book a project and then tell your copywriter you’re going on vacation for 2 weeks, and we’ll have to talk to your assistant about project details until you get back. That’s not an efficient use of your time, or ours.
8. Writing a conscientious testimonial is amazing
I’m sure you know this as a business owner yourself, but testimonials are gold to us entrepreneurs. And you know what’s better than a good testimonial? A great testimonial.
Writing a conscientious testimonial means highlighting the big benefits of the project we worked on together. It’s how we show the impact of our work, so others can access the benefits of working with a copywriter.
It’s not simply saying, “Delaney is so great! I loved all her jokes! Hire her!”
I prompt all my clients when giving testimonials, so it should be pretty easy for you to answer questions strategically designed to draw out a good testimonial. I simply wanted to remind you to keep our businesses in mind when you’re writing yours, so we have good marketing material to use.
(Although, you can still mention my jokes if you are moved to do so.)
9. Keep us looped in on your progress after we’ve parted ways
If there’s one thing a business is always going to have a need for, it’s copy.
So keep us in mind if you (or another person in your network) needs some amazing copy written. We deeply appreciate it.
Don’t be a stranger too, check in and let us know any big wins you have or feedback after the project is completed and the copy is being used in action.
The full impact of good website copy isn’t clear until months or even years after the project has wrapped up. I make a point to check in with my clients, but don’t hesitate to circle back to your copywriter after some time to let us know how the copy is performing.
There! Now you’re set up for a successful partnership with your copywriter.
If you’re ready to uplevel your copy game, you’re in luck. Here are some ways you can connect with me:
Subscribe to my newsletter: This isn’t a regular newsletter, it’s a cool newsletter. I send out marketing tips each week, accompanied by a zany story, and what’s inspiring me for the week. Subscribe to the wired & inspired newsletter here.
Check out my copywriting services: If you’re going through a rebrand, launching a new site, or desperately need an update on your sales page or brand messaging, I gotchu. Check out my services here.
Book a discovery call: Ready to have me write your website copy? Inquire here, tell me more about your brand and business, and we’ll get started on your project.
Follow me on social media if you need more copywriting tips on your feed.
