Duct Tape Marketing

Whether it’s a catalog, sales letter, brochure or website content, words are the main way you communicate the value of your products and services to potential clients.  And, when written right, your marketing materials can do the sales job for you even when you are not around.

Of course, few small business owners have the staff, or the skills and experience, to write compelling sales copy themselves. Unfortunately, many also don’t want to invest in hiring a professional copywriter to do the job for them. So they try to do the work themselves.

The result? They end up spending even more in terms of time, money and frustration—only to get little or no results.

Because writing for marketing materials is completely different from any other kind of writing out there. And it is the polar opposite of how most of us were taught to write in school.

So if you really want customers to take notice—and take action—you can’t afford to cut corners writing your marketing materials. That means hiring a professional copywriter.

However, just hiring any professional writer doesn’t guarantee you’re going to get the results you want. Because, frankly, anyone can hang out a shingle and say they are a copywriter. That doesn’t mean they know how to grab people by the eyeballs and convince them to whip out there credit card and hire (or buy from) you.

But if you follow these guidelines, you should be very happy with the end result.

1)    Know the difference. Copywriters come in a few different flavors, and it’s important to know the difference or you could end up hiring the wrong person. Here’s a basic breakdown…

Content writers are skilled at writing articles and general information. Though they can come up with a nice sounding piece, they often don’t have to sales and marketing background to sell effectively on paper.

Direct response copywriters are skilled at sales & marketing, and usually specialize in areas like direct mail, Website copy, and advertising copy. They cost more up front, but everything they do is designed to move the prospect closer to making a sale. So you get the results you’re after.

2)    Shop around. Many writers specialize in a particular type of writing or subject matter, though some are excellent generalists. You want to hire someone experienced in the type of writing you are looking for. Now that most writer’s have websites, it’s fairly simple to find a few and compare their work.

3)    Don’t hire based on price alone. Sure, sometimes you can find a great writer who is new to the business and charges bargain basement prices. But if you want quality, you should be prepared to pay a fair price for it.

Ask to see writing samples and, if possible, interview more than one writer. Make sure you like their skills, style, work ethic and ideas before you hire them. And most importantly, ask about results.

Just because someone has written sales letters, brochures or Website copy before, does not mean their work has generated sales or business growth. So ask for testimonials and examples of the effectiveness of their work.

4)    Questions are critical. A quality copywriter should have a list of questions to ask you about your business and project. At the very least, they should want to know: who is your target market; how do you intend to use the piece; what action do you want the reader to take; what are the features AND benefits of your product or service; and if you have testimonials.  If they don’t, don’t hire them.

5)    Read the fine print. Any professional writer should have a contract. Be sure to read it carefully to find out how many revisions are included and what, if any, guarantee the writer offers. These vary from writer to writer, but most will offer at least two complete revisions of their work at no extra charge.

6)    Expect to pay a deposit. Because writing is an intangible, most writers want a guarantee they will be paid for their time and services. This usually means paying a deposit up front.

If you cancel a project after the writer has begun work, expect to lose your deposit—even if you never receive a finished product.

This may seem unfair on the surface, but the writer has already cleared time in their schedule, possibly turned down other work, and put in valuable hours on your project. They deserve to be paid for their time.

7)    Know what you want before you start. Writers are not mind readers, and they are rarely skilled marketing consultants. So it is important that you have a clear idea of the scope, focus, goals and details of the project beforehand. You also want to give the writer as much background material as possible before the projects starts. Samples of similar work that you like are also very helpful.

Most writers are willing to do their own research, and some may be able to consult with you to develop your theme or concept. But you should expect to pay extra for this.

8)    If your budget is small, create a rough draft first. Most writers either charge an hourly rate or bid per project. So the more information you can give a writer, the faster they can complete your project, and the less it will cost you.

Even if you aren’t a good writer, create an outline or rough draft of what you want. The writer will have an easier time producing a finished project that matches your original vision.

9)    Anticipate edits. Because a copywriter is trying to take your ideas and put them on paper, you can’t expect them to hit the nail on the head the first time. Think of their initial submission as a first draft that puts you both on the same page. From there you can clarify the details and direction.

If it’s a large project, ask to see a draft of the first piece or section before the writer does any more work. That way if you need to make any major changes you can do it before they get too far along and costs go up.

10)    Change cost you. A writer bids on a project, and creates an initial draft, based on the information you give them. If you suddenly decide you would rather have an article on tomatoes instead of oranges, it’ll cost you. Expect to pay for work already completed, as well as the new work you are asking for.

Hiring a freelance writer is no different from hiring any other employee. Each one will have different strengths and weaknesses. Your goal is to find the one who can best create the end result you are looking for (IE: sales). And when it comes to hiring copywriters, you really do get what you pay for.

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