Words have power, especially when it comes to putting together a marketing plan for your business. Whether print or digital, a copywriter is essential in putting together writing that will effectively encourage audiences to respond positively to your value propositions. Unlike other marketers, less is often more with copywriters, who are often most effective when getting their message across with punchy and concise writing. Copy succeeds when it causes the audience to follow a call to action, whether it’s signing up to a newsletter, making a purchase, or filling in a survey. Good copy can directly influence your sales figures, so if you’re having trouble consistently generating effective content, it may be time to engage the services of a professional copywriter. If you’re scratching your head about where to begin the search, we’ll explain the best ways to go about hiring the copywriter you’ll need to supercharge your business.
If you want to tap into a huge network of accomplished professionals, LinkedIn is the best place to start. You can use the professional social network to search for copywriters and get a feel for their backgrounds and experience. You’ll also be able to see the companies and campaigns that they’ve worked on previously, which could prove instructive in deciding whether their skill set is a good fit for your business. You can also find any copywriters who’ve worked with people in your own network, which will make it easier to verify their credentials and find out what other people’s experience with them has been like.
While Google might not be as streamlined as LinkedIn, it’s still a great way to sniff out copywriters who might be suitable for your business. You can search by location and add the right keywords to narrow down the results. You’ll find that many copywriters have their own websites, where they’re likely to feature links to the work in their portfolio, allowing you to see if their writing style ticks your boxes.
Referrals
Take a look at your own professional and personal networks to see if they will be able to supply a recommendation for a decent copywriter. You might be able to find copywriters who have already proven their talents with someone in your peer group, especially if they’re coming from people in the same industry as your business. This will let you bypass a lot of research work that you’d need to perform trying to blind hire a copywriter from elsewhere.
Online Tools
Sourcing top-level professionals is easier than ever when you take advantage of the right online tools. There’s a variety of services that can help you track down experienced copywriters, but the one we would recommend is SignalHire. This browser extension lets you search for candidates by criteria like skills and location from over 600 million online profiles on the biggest networking platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and GitHub.
SignalHire is especially useful because it analyzes a person’s entire account to return results instead of just their basic profile information, so you might find some diamonds in the rough that you would have otherwise skipped. Results will include skills and work history, and you can extract their emails, allowing you to contact them directly. A service like SignalHire will give you plenty of options for finding the right copywriter and can provide the information for you to make an informed decision before taking a hire any further.
Copywriter Hiring 101
Whichever route you choose for finding a copywriter, there are some dos and don’ts that you should follow to give you a better chance of choosing the right copywriter for your needs, as not all copywriters have the same talents and expertise.
Avoid Online Gig Work Platforms
You might be drawn in by the low rates, but generally, the copywriters you’re likely to find on sites like Fiverr and Upwork will have a lot less experience under their belts than more established professionals. While there’s a chance that they’ll connect you to a writer who’s got what it takes to meet your brief, more accomplished writers will move to other forums, so it’s safest to look elsewhere.
Build a Copywriter Profile
Different copywriters abound across different industries, and they will have their own specializations, strengths, and weaknesses. For example, a copywriter who specializes in the medical field will have a vastly different repertoire than one who works in E-commerce. Think about what you want their writing to achieve, which will help both you and a prospective hire quickly decide if the job is right for them.
Vet Their Portfolios
A professional copywriter looking for work should have a portfolio with examples of their best work ready to show prospective clients. This will include the work they think shows off their greatest strengths and ought to serve to highlight their range, voice, and writing style. Make sure that you’re also checking some of their more recent work to ensure that their skillset is still relevant for the work you want them to complete.
Go With Industry Experience
While many copywriters might cover various industries, finding one with professional experience in your field will save you a lot of time and effort later on. A knowledgeable copywriter will be familiar with the jargon and technical vocabulary that may need to feature in their writing, while working knowledge of the sector will prove useful in giving their writing urgency and help your copy stand out from the competition.
Ask After References
The average copywriter operates as a freelancer, and you’re putting a lot of trust (not to mention money) into them to provide you with good work. Many copywriters will place testimonials online, but it’s also work asking for a couple of references sometimes just to make doubly sure that they’re vouched for. There’s no harm in asking, and a professional should have no problem producing some proof of their talents.
Final Thoughts
You might look at copy as a secondary business concern, but great writing has the power to make your products and services seem compelling to audiences. Hiring a copywriter out of the blue might seem daunting, but with the help of tools like SignalHire and following the rest of our tips, you can find a quality writer to bring your business ideas to life.
