Running a business is tough – I think of it as part juggler, part firefighter.
You’re trying to maintain control over constantly changing and competing priorities. Your whole day can sometimes be taken up with deciding which of your current emergencies is most critical and allocating the appropriate level of resources.
Time is NEVER you friend
There just never seems to be enough hours in the day. So, when it comes to look at getting some writing done to market your business, doing it yourself is probably not an option. Ok, not a big deal. You need to find a copywriter. Simple.
Only, when you do a quick online search for copywriters, there are literally thousands of copywriters and copywriting services to choose from. So, not so simple after all.
How on earth do you decide? What are the important things to look for so you can make that decision quickly and easily?
Reactions from Business Owners
Here are some of the reactions of business owners when they do a search for a copywriter the first time…
‘You can find copywriters who charge $20 a page and others who charge thousands a page. How can I make sure I am getting quality without paying too much?’
‘I checked out one website that listed over twenty different services, including some I had never heard of like lumpy mail and white papers. What level of expertise can someone have if they say they can write everything?’
‘Ok, so I might find the best copywriter in the world, but how do I know they are going to stick to deadlines and make sure the work gets done on time?’
These reactions are typical – and understandable – because they encompass three key elements of any purchase decision: Price, Quality and Customer Care.
Price
The old English proverb, ‘You get what you pay for’ is a good starting point when it comes to price.
One of the problems with the internet is that it has ushered in an era of ‘free information’ where ‘anyone can be a writer’. This has led to a large number of ambitious souls deciding to call themselves copywriters, with their entire justification being that they have a website saying that they are.
The end result is that there are many ‘writers’ competing at the low end of the market, scrapping for every last dollar, constantly trying to undercut the competition. Yes, you can easily get a cheap price, but you won’t get the results you are looking for. Which brings us to…
Quality
There are many copywriters out there that are referred to as ‘generalists’. They’re the ones who offer every conceivable kind of copywriting service on their website. They believe they can maximise their income by being all things to all clients.
‘Specialist’ copywriters, on the other hand, build their expertise in particular industries or by providing specific services. They build their reputation as a ‘go-to’ writer because they don’t take on clients or projects outside their niche area. Their priority is to earn respect.
Which kind of writer is more appealing? The answer is obvious. One tip – it’s a good idea to have a list ready of the kinds of services you’re after before you make an online search – to make it easier to find the right match.
Customer Care
You’ve found a specialist copywriter, who focuses on providing the kind of service you’re looking for, for a reasonable price. But how can you make sure that they’re going to finish on time?
The simplest way is to look at reviews. What are people saying about the copywriter on LinkedIn and Facebook? How many positive reviews do they have? Are there any negative ones? The bottom line is that even if the positive reviews don’t specifically mention timelines, they wouldn’t be positive if the work to be completed for the client was late.
If you’d like to read more about the art of copywriting, look out for more blogs in this series. Or if you’d like to share your thoughts, contact me at [email protected].
