Eight Questions to Ask When Hiring a Copywriter

By now you’ve probably heard from nearly everyone that you need content. Just when you learned to perfectly balance all of the hats you wear as an entrepreneur, one more has been thrown into the mix. Chances are you didn’t get into business to write, but are quickly finding out it’s a major part of operating your business and getting sales. When you think about it, you need sales pages, advertisements, emails, social media captions, blogs, and lead magnets in your marketing funnel to attract your prospective clients. Creating quality and consistent content is tough. You may have found yourself spending several viable hours brainstorming and writing about what you’re going to write, or worse, you haven’t done either.

Writing content, or even thinking about content can be overwhelming but you’re a boss who’s willing to do whatever it takes to grow your brand. An excellent way to do that is to outsource some of the work. You’ve heard about Fiverr and ODesk, and you figure, as long as someone knows how to write, they can get all of your content needs taken care of. But that’s where you’re wrong! There is more to creating content for your business than simply creating content for your business (yes you read that right). What you need is a great Copywriter. A Copywriter is someone who will write your business content for you. You need to find someone who understands your company’s brand and can write content that will engage and inspire your readers to act. You also want to make sure they can implement a content strategy that will align with your sales and marketing plan. Do not hire blindly. Below is a list of eight questions you should be asking before hiring your new Copywriter.

1. Is English your native language?

Assuming your target audience’s native language is English, your content should be in English as well. You need content that your reader can easily understand and digest. This means using business jargon isn’t always the best way to connect. Sometimes you’ll want to use phrases and sayings that aren’t necessarily grammatically correct but that your readers can relate to. It’s important to know when and how to do this. While it is certainly possible for a non-English native Copywriter to create great content for you, you want to be confident that they understand the tone and language you want to use when communicating your message.

2. Are you able to write in different styles?

An excellent Copywriter can change their writing style to reflect a particular industry. Some writers specialize in certain industries, and that is perfectly fine. However, you need to make sure the writer you hire can write for your brand, especially if it’s not their preferred industry.

3. What makes good content?

Every Copywriter should be able to answer this question. Their answers may vary, but they should resemble, “Good content should inform and engage readers.” or, “Good content drives clicks, page views, unique visitors, etc.” Bottom line, their answer should reflect your brand’s bottom line.

4. What do you need to know about a project before you start writing?

If their answer is “nothing”, they aren’t the right Copywriter for you! Good content writers start by asking questions and doing research. They need to know who your target audience is and what your project goals are before starting.

5. How will you capture my brand’s voice?

Every great writer has a unique voice. However, the voice they write in for you should align with your brand’s voice. A good Copywriter candidate will be able to familiarize his or herself with your brand’s voice and consistently write in the correct tone.

6. How do you make your writing more SEO (search engine optimization) friendly?

Your copywriter should know SEO best practices. He or she should be aware how to use keywords and the quantity to use them in. They should also be familiar with adding hyperlinks that link to other pages on your site or other high authority publications.

7. How do you manage your time to meet deadlines?

A great content writer has a writing strategy that includes brainstorming, pre-writing, editing, and submitting before your deadline. They should be committed to meeting deadlines and scheduling check-ins if needed.

8. What are you currently reading?

Good writers are active readers. An excellent Copywriter might mention blogs that they are subscribed to or books that are in rotation if they are reading more than one. Even if they aren’t currently reading something, their answer should tell you that they do read often. The important thing is to make sure that they are active readers. Reading helps writers learn other tones and sharpen their skills.

Publishing great content is crucial for your brand. It’s what you will use to grow, engage, and connect with your audience. Make sure that your potential Copywriter understands your bottom line and can help you reach your business goals. That’s the primary objective. They may be an amazing writer, but if they cannot help you achieve your goals, then they are not the writer for you.

What other questions would you ask before hiring a copywriter for your business? Let me know below.