6 Important Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Copywriter
So you’ve decided you want to hire a copywriter to work with your business... But before you go on the hunt for the perfect person, here are some questions that I highly recommend thinking about before taking those next steps.
Not only will these questions help you to identify the best person for you to work with (and make your working relationship with them easier), but it will also help you find some clarity around *why* you need a copywriter and how exactly you can best put them to use!
1: ‘Do I know who my target audience is and the niche I work in?’
This question is really important because if you don’t know your audience and the niche they’re in, how is the copywriter going to know who to write for?
So before you start your search for the perfect copywriter, make sure you’ve established who your target audience is and the niche you prefer to work with. And don’t be afraid to get specific! (Copywriters and big fans of the specifics!)
Some copywriters are well known for writing in the wellness, business or relationship niche. Once you know your niche you can find the copywriter that is right for you.
2: ‘Do I know my business inside and out?’
At first, this can seem like a silly question; of course you know your business, it's your business. But what I mean by this is can you clearly list and describe what services you offer?
What does your customer journey look like?
What are your business values?
All of these are vital snippets of information that are of great use to a copywriter as it helps us build up a nice picture of who we are writing for. It also helps us with things like writing the perfect calls to action that your audience simply can’t resist!
3: ‘What transformation do I provide?’
This goes hand in hand with question 2 and is pivotal when it comes to copy. It also happens to be something I often see missing from sales pages (when it should be one of the main things talked about!).
Knowing what transformation you provide your clients with, both literally and emotionally, can help a copywriter create copy that both entices your ideal client in and converts them into a paying client.
Do your services help your clients find more time in their business? Or help to provide them with a clear direction on how best to move forward? Brilliant!
Whatever the transformation is, just make sure you can clearly describe how clients feel before versus after working with you.
4: ‘What do I need a copywriter to do for me?’
Sounds like a simple enough question, but knowing exactly what copy you need will help streamline the process and help you find the perfect copywriter for the job. The key thing to think about is whether you are looking for someone to write copy for sales pages, emails or websites or someone who specializes in content writing such as blogs, social media posts and articles.
Conversion/sales copy has quite a different structure than content writing and you need to make sure the person you hire is an expert in the type of copy you need.
5: ‘Where will this copy fit in my customer journey?’
Pair this question with the one above and you’ll be well on your way to discovering exactly what copy you need!
There is a big difference between writing copy for a brand new customer versus someone who has worked with you before (or someone landing in between!).
Before hiring a copywriter it’s a good idea to pinpoint exactly where this copy will be seen in your customer's journey. Think about how they are seeing the copy, what you want them to do after reading it, and what stage of your sales funnel they are at. All of these are questions that need a bit of contemplation before looking to work with a copywriter.
6: ‘Do I have the budget for a copywriter?/ What is my budget?’
Good copywriting can work wonders for your business and creating this magical copy takes a lot of time, research and skill so be prepared to pay for it! Now you’ve established exactly what copy you need, do some research and try to identify your budget.
After answering these 6 questions, you are officially ready to start looking for a copywriter (how exciting!).
However, if some of these questions had you feeling a bit stuck and you are looking for some more clarity in your business, specifically when it comes to knowing your brand voice and identifying your niche, don’t panic! I’m currently offering half-day intensive workshops where we will go over just that! Helping you to feel confident when it comes to knowing your business inside and out.
So if you’re ready to gain some much-needed clarity, you can start right here.