Once you’ve made the decision to hire a copywriter, it can be tricky to find a good one.
Searching for copywriters online often leads you to cheap, low quality companies that dole out your work to the lowest anonymous bidder. How, then, do you find the folks that will stick with your company and help craft the content and marketing materials that will help you achieve your goals?
Referrals Can Still Be The Best Form of Advertising
When you’re looking for a specialist like a copywriter, it makes sense to ask people who have already hired for that skill. Check within your business networks and even question the people who work for you already — if they can vouch for the person’s work, so much the better. Remember, you want a professional copywriter, not somebody’s nephew who’s out of work and looking for a temporary job.
If you happen to be replacing a copywriter who’s leaving for greener pastures, make sure to ask them for the name of a connection who can pick up where they left off. This is a great way to create continuity between writers, since your outgoing writer can fill the incoming writer in on any nuances about the business or content strategy they’ve observed that you may not be aware of.
When Referrals Aren’t Enough
Unfortunately, you won’t always be able to get a good referral for a copywriter in your field — that’s when you’re in for some real work. LinkedIn can be a great resource for finding all sorts of business professionals, copywriters included. Take a look at people in your niche or local area, read the samples they’ve put on their website and go through their blog if they’ve bothered to write one. The more complete their marketing package, the more confident you can feel that they have the skills necessary to do the work you have in mind.
Many employers take ads out seeking writers, and this is a great tactic, too. Just know that you’ll be bombarded with applicants, many of whom are far from qualified. Once you’ve got the stack narrowed to a few favorites, you may want to ask for a paid test piece to see how well they can handle your own content. Never expect a professional to beg for your work or provide you with content for free — too many have been burned that way. Experienced writers, the ones you really want, will refuse to provide free custom samples.
Copywriters aren’t hard to find as long as you’re picking up the right rocks and sticking your head in the right holes. If you can find one via your personal networks, you’ll have a near-guaranteed winner, but even going out on your own with an ad or a trip through LinkedIn can yield the results you’re seeking.