Questions About Hiring a Copywriter - Very Confusing

9 replies
I really need some insight into hiring a copywriter. I've bought copywriting courses, posted in forums and have written my own copy for several years. I finally had someone be truthful with me and say the copy on one of my sites stunk. I needed to hear that and am upset nobody else up to this point was that blunt with me. So I'm on this quest to find a good copywriter and it's really an amazing process. 1. Why do no copywriters offer a guarantee or at least give you confidence that after you spend a mega load of money the conversion rate will increase? 2. Why do some not offer revisions? 3. What should I really be looking for in a copywriter? Thanks,
#confusing #copywriter #hiring #questions
  • Profile picture of the author JOSourcing
    Banned
    Originally Posted by wiseworks View Post

    1. Why do no copywriters offer a guarantee or at least give you confidence that after you spend a mega load of money the conversion rate will increase?
    Some do. You have to seek them out specifically.

    Originally Posted by wiseworks View Post

    2. Why do some not offer revisions?
    Again, some do. And again, you have to seek them out specifically.

    Originally Posted by wiseworks View Post

    3. What should I really be looking for in a copywriter?
    Well, you can start with guarantees and revisions. :-) Other things are:
    • lots of verifiable testimonials
    • membership in known organizations
    • indications that you're working with a professional (no free sites, no dependency on advertising schemes, large presence on the internet)
    • samples, samples, samples!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5859234].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Robert Boduch
      Hi Jeff...

      The reason quality copywriters offer no guarantee is that copy is just one element. It's one piece of the puzzle, rather than everything. Most competent copywriters will give you their best copy and welcome key revisions. But once they hand over the copy to the client, any number of things can happen.

      In my experience, many clients can't wait to get their hands on their finished copy and as soon as they do, they start making changes on their own. Some of those changes are minor, some not. But there is usually a very good reason why the original didn't include those particular details. If you want to make changes, your copywriter should at least be willing to discuss these in detail with you.

      Another big factor is the quality of traffic. Is it of the same caliber and quantity? In some cases, it's not the same at all.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5859346].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by wiseworks View Post

    1. Why do no copywriters offer a guarantee or at least give you confidence that after you spend a mega load of money the conversion rate will increase?
    Because the conversion rate is, for the most part, dependent on (i) how the client uses the copy and (ii) what sort of traffic is sent to it, i.e. it's not sufficiently within the copywriter's control for them to be able to take responsibility for it.

    It's a similar position to the one in which article writers find themselves. Sometimes they just have to let their results speak for themselves and see whether the clients return. People writing $10 articles are losing nearly all their clients, all the time, not necessarily through any fault of the articles, because the clients imagine that article directories are there to provide backlinks and traffic (i.e. they don't know how to use them). People writing $200 articles (of whom there are many here) are fully booked because their clients know how to get the articles syndicated. With copywriters, it's similar: people writing $50/$100 "copy" are continually advertising for new clients because their previous clients couldn't get any sales, not necessarily through any fault of the copy. The $5,000/$10,000 copywriters here (of whom there are many) don't have this problem, because they and their clients recognise each other and they all know their own jobs, and there's plenty of repeat work for them. I'm oversimplifying, of course, but this is substantially so.

    Originally Posted by wiseworks View Post

    2. Why do some not offer revisions?
    I believe many/most well established ones do, and they tend to encourage their clients to split-test, and are well placed to advise them exactly what to split-test.

    Originally Posted by wiseworks View Post

    3. What should I really be looking for in a copywriter?
    In my opinion, personal recommendations from people you know and trust, and/or a history that clearly speaks for itself.

    (And when you see their previous work, it should be free from grotesque hype/income-claims/deceptions, and so on, obviously: people whose copy isn't even legally compliant, and people using fake urgency, fake scarcity and other "pressure tactics" aren't really copywriters - they're only pretending to be copywriters and are actually clueless wannabes who will not provide you with a decent conversion-rate: they just copy each others' work imagining that "it 'must' work otherwise everyone wouldn't be doing it". :rolleyes: )
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5859313].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jessicalynn
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      Because the conversion rate is, for the most part, dependent on (i) how the client uses the copy and (ii) what sort of traffic is sent to it, i.e. it's not sufficiently within the copywriter's control for them to be able to take responsibility for it.

      It's a similar position to the one in which article writers find themselves. Sometimes they just have to let their results speak for themselves and see whether the clients return. People writing $10 articles are losing nearly all their clients, all the time, not necessarily through any fault of the articles, because the clients imagine that article directories are there to provide backlinks and traffic (i.e. they don't know how to use them). People writing $200 articles (of whom there are many here) are fully booked because their clients know how to get the articles syndicated. With copywriters, it's similar: people writing $50/$100 "copy" are continually advertising for new clients because their previous clients couldn't get any sales, not necessarily through any fault of the copy. The $5,000/$10,000 copywriters here (of whom there are many) don't have this problem, because they and their clients recognise each other and they all know their own jobs, and there's plenty of repeat work for them. I'm oversimplifying, of course, but this is substantially so.
      This is something really interesting (and true) for writers to keep in mind also. If you set your prices a certain way, you will attract a certain type of client.

      To the original poster, I wouldn't expect every copywriter to guarantee conversions, although I'm sure some do. Like others have said, there are just too many variables.

      Just use your common sense when hiring a copywriter and you should be fine.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5860620].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author James B
    I would suggest you look at the portfolio of work before, anything.

    Understand what copywriting is, and see if they are applying it.

    Example: keyword - dog collars

    Copywrite example: 14 reasons for having dog collars


    Things to check: Is the headline matching up with the content? If the content starts to sway away from the headlines goal, then I would assume the person needs more work.

    Information should be for the readers, not any personal voice involved.


    As for promoting copy writing and conversions, its beyond the writers control of where you place that content and conducting seo. Lack of conversions can be simple from, not adding pictures or head line breaks or call to action links.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5859314].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jasono
    Have you ever heard of careful screening/evaluation during hiring or during interviewing an applicant? It's really worth it if you do this. This way you can set the standard of the work that you want.
    Signature

    Learn how to make more money using outsourcing and virtual assistants while freeing up your valuable time. Visit http://outsourcingautopilot.com

    Facebook - Twitter

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5859366].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author wiseworks
    Thank you everyone for replying. This has been a big help. It's confirming several things for me. It's not just about the copy and the copywriter but the quality of my keywords as well as the numerous other factors which go into conversions. I'm making some sales with this particular site but I've been testing the copy for years now. Someone finally told me it didn't speak to my market good enough and that's why I'm finally looking for a pro to help me out. I don't want to waste anymore of my niches time by not speaking to them properly. Btw, I don't know why my posts are in one paragraph. Formatting is messed up or something.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5859534].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Pecan
    You must really hold the opinion of your friend in high regards.

    If you've never had a reason to doubt your copywriting skill until recently, maybe all you need is a critique. If you can trust my memory, I think Ryan Healy was offering them for $300.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5860530].message }}

Trending Topics