How to Find a Copywriter that Can Turn Words into ROI

how to find a copywriter

Good copywriters are worth their weight in gold. They can literally turn your website into a well-oiled cash machine.

Why?

Well, first of all, most people use AdBlockers. In 2015, 200 million people chose not to see ads and installed ad blocking software. And more and more people are doing it every day. If you can’t reach these people via ads, your best hope is authority content aka the type of content that hooks people and convinces them you are worth their hard-earned dollars.

We already know that content marketing does work. However, with the average user spending no more than 37 seconds on an article, we also know that not all content writing works.

Last, but definitely not least, content marketing costs less than traditional outbound marketing tactics (62% less, to be precise), but generates a lot more leads.

Obviously, this is where good copywriting comes into play. Even more obvious is the fact that you need a good copywriter for that.

So let’s see how you can find a copywriter that can turn words into ROI for your brand, generate awareness, generate leads and, briefly put, help you meet your business goals, whatever they may be.

How to Find a Copywriter Who’s Right for Your Company

Let me start by saying that, even though I used to be a freelance copywriter, nowadays you can often find me screaming “I need a copywriter ASAP”. That’s because finding good copywriters is not an easy task.

And, in an agency, looking for copywriters is an endless process. The more you grow, the more skilled writers you need on your team.

Yes, there are thousands of people who label themselves as copywriters. Hundreds of them might be good for your company. A select few might be perfect. But the problem is that they don’t all hang around at the same bar, waiting for you to offer them the perfect gig.

At Idunn, I have recruited dozens of SEO writers, direct response copywriters, professional content writers and more. And I have to admit that not all of them were long-lasting relationships.

This is why I am constantly perfecting my recruiting techniques. Right now, this is my process (feel free to use it as is or adapt it for your own needs):

  1. Know Exactly what You Are Looking for

In a digital marketing agency, the requirements for writers are very specific, but ever-changing. While I know exactly what kind of copywriters I need to find for our repeat customers, I also have to be prepared for new clients and one-off projects.

This means that I usually need to find a copywriter who is versatile and can adapt to new tones of voice quite quickly.

However, if you need a copywriter for a single brand, this does not apply to you. What you should be looking for instead is compatibility.

The first step of finding the right copywriter is knowing exactly what you are looking for. You see, copywriters are a lot like doctors. We all have specialties. And even the most versatile of us has a preferred topic or type of copy, the one that they excel at.

So, what exactly are you looking for in your copywriter? What will they work on? Some of the options include:

  1. Web content
  2. Landing/sales pages
  3. Various sales copy (email, social media, ad copy)
  4. Blog posts
  5. SEO copy
  6. Product descriptions

You need to be clear on what you need even before you ask yourself the dreaded question in the title of this article – how to find a copywriter that fits my business?

When you are clear on what they are going to write, you can move on to the how.

  1. Prepare a Brief Content Style Guide

Don’t worry; it’s nothing too complicated. Yes, big brands have content style guides that “weigh” over a hundred pages. But if you’re not there yet, there’s no need to fret about it.

All you need to do is describe the style and tone that you expect the copywriter to use. Formal/informal, friendly/authoritative, informational/entertaining – you get the point. It should take more than a couple of phrases and, if you already know your buyer persona, this should be a no-brainer.

Pro tip: if you’re unclear about what works and what doesn’t with your target audience, you can always ask for the writer’s opinion. You may be pleasantly surprised at their insightful answers.

  1. Don’t Hire “SEO Experts”

It’s a common mistake that people do at their first “hire”. A self-proclaimed SEO expert will tell you that they can handle everything, from backlinks to “excellent”, SEO-friendly content.

Sounds like a dream come true, right?

Unfortunately, in real life very few agencies manage to offer a turnkey service. Most SEO agencies will hire cheap copywriters who produce keyword-stuffed pieces that are barely readable by humans.

A copywriter with SEO knowledge is much better than an SEO expert with copywriting knowledge.

I’ve said it before: when I hire SEO copywriters, I care about their penmanship and their marketing background. Everyone can learn how to use a keyword research tool. But very few people can insert keywords in any type of copy and make it sound natural, human-friendly and altogether good.

When you set out to find a copywriter, make sure that you don’t get derailed by turnkey services or promises of SEO that works in days.

  1. Steer Clear of Freelancing Websites (if it’s Your First Time Hiring)

I’ll be honest: I started my career on such websites. Now, my agency works for some of the clients I initially took on as a freelance copywriter.

And, yes, sometimes I even look for writers on Freelancer or UpWork.

But even for me, someone who’s spent hundreds of hours on these websites, it’s still hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Freelancing websites are great if you’re looking to pay $1 for a 500-word illegible article. However, the cost of copywriting services (and by that I mean good copywriting services) is nowhere near that price.

Dirt-cheap agencies posing in individual freelance copywriters, illiterate writers, and flaky people who never deliver or deliver 10 days after the deadline are just a few things you’ll commonly see on these websites. Of course, all of them will promise to be the best writers you’ve ever met. But you shouldn’t fall for template proposals.

I actually wrote an entire article on what freelance copywriters say just to get the gig.

Bottom line: if your question isn’t just “how to find a copywriter”, but “how to find a great copywriter”, you should look elsewhere. Unless, of course, you have a lot of money to spend testing freelancers and a lot of hours to kill.

Again, I’m not saying that you can’t find a copywriter worth the name on such websites. I’m just saying it’s a lot of work to get to that copywriter and wade your way through all the scammers.

  1. The Best Places to Find a Copywriter

Finding a professional copywriter may seem like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. But the effort is worth it.

Here are a few places to start your search:

  1. Recommendations – reach out to friends, family or colleagues who are business owners or work in a marketing department. Simply asking if they know how to find a copywriter will get you a long way. Most of them already have someone they count on, so they could recommend that person to you. Alternatively, they can tell you how they found their stellar copywriters.
  2. A Google search – yes, it can be that simple! A good copywriter or copywriting agency will be easy to find. Go beyond the first results page and compare and contrast the websites you found. Do they have clients in your field? Do they have testimonials? What about their social presence? Ideally, interview up to three candidates before making a decision.
  3. A copywriting agency — yes, like this one (wink, wink). Not to toot my own horn, but working with an agency comes with extra guarantees. Timeliness and quality of work are just two of them. Plus, agencies usually have larger teams, so you can benefit from real marketing expertise. Last, but not least, when one of the writers is unavailable, their colleagues can pick up the slack so your deadlines are never affected.

Set out to find a copywriter that can truly make a difference? Congratulations, your quest is over! All you have to do is fill in the form below and we’ll get back to you in less than 24 hours.

 

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Adriana Tica is an expert marketer and copywriter, with 10 years in the field, most of which were spent marketing tech companies. She is the Owner and Founder of Idunn. In October 2019, she also launched Copywritech, a digital marketing agency that provides copywriting, SEO content writing, and strategy services to companies in the tech industry.