via Laineys Repertoire
There have been a rush of blogs across my RSS reader lately about how 2012 is the year content marketing is set to take off. Many marketing heads will be looking to hire out content development to ghost and guest bloggers. After all, it is rather difficult to market content when there is no actual content to market.
This is almost 100% good news for those in my industry. Except for the tiny part where writers have to work with non-writers. While this isn’t entirely a bad thing, I have had some experiences in the past which demonstrated how many professionals aren’t sure how to work with a copywriter.
Writing is one of those things that everyone assumes they can just do. If you can speak, you can write. Right?
No, not really. At all.
Some are lucky enough to realize their limitations and are lucky if they can spell out their grocery list correctly. Others whip out words to their blog/website without a second thought and we’re left to wonder how serious they are. I mean, if a website is poorly written, do you have to tell the owner? How do you recover from that? Remove your contact link?
Others, though, are able to develop a strong understanding of written language. They become the novelists and playwrights, the journalists, the copywriters.
Flat out – if you own a business, you’ll eventually need copy. If you can’t hack it then you should save yourself the headache and the embarrassment of doing it wrong and hire a copywriter.
What does a copywriter do?
As they name suggests: we write copy. The words that fill your promotional material, your websites, your advertisements. In a case where one word follows the next, that’s what we’re up to. Our goal is to generate the kind of copy that turns your audience into your customers through targeted language and keyword research.
That’s copywriter. Not: copyrighter. We have nothing to do with settling patent issues. Yes, I have had to dispel this on more than one occasion. “Copyrighter” isn’t even a thing.
Where do you get a copywriter? They’re all over the damn place. If you’re working with a marketing firm, they probably have in-house writers. A lot of copywriters are freelance and have established websites to promote their work. Google it. Or ask around. Look for companies that have really good copy and ask them where they got their work done.
What do you need written? It’s best to lay this out up front. The better idea you have of what you need written up front, the less surprises there are down the road. Smart copywriters will have some kind of survey to fill out or a handful of questions that will allow them to collect the information they need. Not only do we want to create solid copy, but we also want to be able to convey your voice and personality through it.
The more information you can give us, the better. Give us the scoop on your product, your brand, business, and services. Otherwise we’re left shooting in the dark and pulling words out of our ass. While I can do that all day long, the clock is running.
Speaking of clock’s running…
Payment. Yep, it is that much. No, discounts aren’t available. Ok, if you can do it for that much, then why are we still talking? Please understand: Having great copy is the cornerstone of your marketing. Snazzy websites and great graphics are nice, but how are you planning on conveying what your brand or product is/does without the copy? Video is on the up-and-up, but what good is a video without a script that is written? What about your customers who can’t/won’t watch the video. You need a writer, a good one, and it will definitely cost you something.
This is your business, why wouldn’t you invest in your marketing?
Looking for something cheaper? Always something good going on over at Elance. Keep in mind – you get what you pay for, and the language barrier can be a bit of a, you know, barrier.
A few Dos and Dont’s
Do: Trust us, we know what we’re doing. At least, most of us know what we’re doing. You can only review the copy so many times and say “I don’t know, it just doesn’t sound like me” before I have to wonder if you ever listen to yourself.
Do: Build a relationship with us. Build a good relationship with us. You never know when you’ll need something else written, so keep your copywriter in the loop for changes your website or marketing campaign may be experiencing.
Don’t: Run the copy by your teenage daughter – the one who happened to get into the freshman AP English class at her high school. I was in that class, it’s not that impressive. You are the business owner, you need to be making the calls.
Don’t: Try to stretch out the terms of the contract. Don’t try to sneak in extra pages of content. If we estimated 15 hours of work and it ends up being 20, expect to pay the 20. This is our craft, our profession. We are as good at this as you are at your business.
Overall, get yourself in good with a copywriter. If they are anything like me, then they know professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Many copywriters are multi-talented as well and can do everything from community management to content marketing (mind you, these services are not usually free) which can also do wonders for your business.
