How to Hire a Good Copywriter (The Complete Guide)

So you’ve got an amazing offer, and you know your people need it. But how do you convey why your offer is the real deal and will change your ideal clients’ lives? You hire a copywriter!

But that’s so much easier said than done, right? 

Now, you can definitely write your own website copy, sales copy, launch copy, or email copy if that’s your jam. But if you read the feedback from our BDCC clients, they’ll be the first to tell you that hiring a professional copywriter is the best way to:

1. Focus on what you do best – because you’ve just hired an expert to write your copy

2. Get your message across to your people in a way that makes them say YES without hesitation!

If you’ve never hired a copywriter before, you might have a lot of questions. Maybe you’ve heard of copywriter horror stories from other business owner friends. Or maybe you’ve hired a copywriter in the past and were disappointed in some way or another. 

All of those scenarios indicate that you need a little guidance on how to hire a copywriter, and what better way to provide that than with a complete guide to hiring a copywriter?

Because the truth is, there are many moving parts to the copywriting process, especially if you’re looking for a copywriter with more than just hard skills. Because a copywriter that’s good with words and has great communication, organization, professionalism, and personality will make your overall experience and project deliverable so much better!

This is exactly why we wanted to provide a complete guide on how to hire a copywriter so you get one that cares about your business as much as you do and can write damn good copy.

We’ll cover what a copywriter does, how to know when to hire one, what you should look for in a copywriter, how much they cost (in general), what you should expect once you hire one, and so on. So let’s hop right in!

But what exactly does a copywriter do?

Copywriters specialize in writing copy specifically designed to generate sales and increase revenue. The copy they write encourages the reader to take a specific action. To persuade readers to take action, specific strategies should be used which means copywriters need to know human psychology, have high-quality research capabilities and know how to dig deep into their customers’ market. And depending on their specialty, they should have at least basic knowledge of SEO and know how to read KPIs and other metrics used in digital marketing.

You aren’t just getting someone who is good with words. You (should) be getting someone that knows how to do the pre-work and write words that connect and persuade a specific audience to take a particular action –usually to increase sales, generates revenue and grow a business. 

A great copywriter should be able to write sales page copy, email funnel copy, website copy, launch copy, or landing page copy and more. They might specialize in one of these or all of them. We talk more about why website copy is so important for your biz in this post.

Websites, sales pages, emails, and launch campaigns are common projects where you should hire a copywriter, not a content writer. Content writers usually write blog posts, social posts, and other informational copy. Do you want to know more about the difference between the two? Check out the post we wrote explaining this in detail! 

What should you do before hiring a copywriter?

Research, research, research! Come to the table with all your ducks in a row. A copywriter can undoubtedly help you out if there are areas of uncertainty within the project scope, but for the most part, you should know your offer, your ideal client, and your project goals. 

Knowing your offer before you approach your copywriter helps streamline the process and will make the copy they write for you more impactful. The same goes for your ideal clients. Know. Who. They. Are. Some copywriters might be able to help you find out who your people are if they do brand messaging in addition to copy, but most copywriters just come in to write copy that converts. And to convert people, you need to know the people. 

What questions should you ask before hiring a copywriter?

1. Do they have in-depth knowledge about your specific niche market? If not, are they willing to research your industry or niche? 

A lot of copywriters have expertise in a specific topic. Sometimes this expertise aligns perfectly with your niche, sometimes, it overlaps, and sometimes it just doesn’t fit at all. Depending on the copywriter, they might be able to conduct enough thorough research on whatever niche the project involves. Beware of how versatile your copywriter can be.

If you need a copywriter who knows the ins and outs of SaaS, don’t waste your time talking to copywriters who have no clue what that is. Find a copywriter that specializes in what you need if that’s important for your project. 

2. How do they manage their time, and can they hit deadlines? 

We’re all human, but you’re hiring a copywriter to get a specific job done at the end of the day. Copywriters need excellent time management skills because producing great copy requires a lot of pre-work to produce the deliverables their clients will receive. Make sure they have a process in place that sets them up to hit any set deadlines you need (within reason, of course). 

3. What is their average turnaround time and availability?

A copywriter should be able to write great copy in a reasonable timeframe. However, great copywriters are usually in high demand, which means many copywriters have a waitlist for future clients because they’re unable to start working on a new project for months. So if you know you have a project in the pipeline that will need extensive copy written, book your copywriter ahead of time!

4. Will they optimize the copy for SEO? 

In this day and age, every copywriter and digital marketer knows that SEO is essential. However, there is a fine line between writing for a human and writing for an algorithm. But SEO does help bring in more organic traffic, which (along with strategic copy) can increase conversions.

5. What is their price range for projects? And do they take payment plans? 

Most copywriters have a set rate for specific projects. They might also have the flexibility to create a package unique to your project. And depending on the total price, they might offer payment plans to help clients cover the cost of their services without breaking the bank. 

Before hiring a copywriter, you need to determine your price range. If you absolutely cannot pay a $10k price tag for your copy, don’t book Discovery Calls with copywriters in that price range.

What should you look for before hiring a copywriter?

1. Select a writer that is familiar with your niche. 

A medical practice owner may want to hire a copywriter familiar with medical terminology or find a copywriter willing to research that industry to learn more about it. Good copywriters do this without being asked, but depending on your niche’s complexity, it might be better to go with a copywriter who is more passionate about your topic so they can relate to your audience more. 

2. Great copywriters should also be great communicators. 

Communication is key to profitable copy. Be open about what you’re trying to achieve as a business owner. Likewise, copywriters need to be open about the strategies behind the copy they write. You should be able to bounce ideas off your copywriter and provide honest feedback on the work they’re doing for you. When there is a flow of communication between you and your copywriter, your project and your professional relationship will be better off. 

3. Look at what others are saying about this copywriter. 

Do they have testimonials or a portfolio? If yes, what do their previous clients say? We have a page FULL of incredible testimonials from well-loved clients AND a portfolio that shows our copy in action. Testimonials provide the credibility that will give you the confidence to invest in that copywriter’s services. Testimonials show off the copywriter’s responsibility, transparency, professionalism, and even personality!

4. Hire your copywriter based on the results they’ll provide you. 

Hire a copywriter that will bring true value to your business. Many copywriters can whip up copy that sounds good and slap it on a web page. But is the copy they wrote converting readers into subscribers? Or buyers? Or clients? Did you generate leads from the copy they wrote? Has your email clickthrough rate increased? Make sure you look at these numbers before, during, and after hiring your copywriter so you know if their copy is working for you. 

5. Pick a copywriter you get along with and, ideally, like. 

Nothing is worse than working with someone that rubs you the wrong way. A copywriter should become a part of your team and have a positive attitude and outlook that can make the project (and your business life) so much more enjoyable. Usually, a Discovery Call will help you determine their personality a little, and if you know someone who has worked with this copywriter before, ask about them!

How much does it cost to hire a copywriter?

A great copywriter who takes the weight off your shoulders and provides you with a deliverable that produces real results is worth the money they charge –because you usually get what you pay for when it comes to copywriting. 

Expect to pay at least $75/hour for freelance copywriters (some even cost up to $250/hour).  However, most copywriters, especially copywriting agencies like BDCC, charge per project, not by the hour. For sales pages, websites, and email funnels, you’re probably looking at a couple of thousand dollars at least. 

Also, some copywriters work on royalty fees meaning they get a percentage of the sales you make from the project they wrote copy for.

Most copywriters offer a payment plan, so you don’t have to fork out the money all in one go. This makes outsourcing copy more approachable for business owners who want to grow their business while maintaining a healthy cash flow. 

When’s the right time to hire a copywriter?

A simple question is, are you feeling overwhelmed with writing your copy? If you are, hire a copywriter to take work off your plate! You can be a great writer and still outsource your copy. Work smarter, not harder. If writing isn’t where your energy needs to be, hire it out!

For more specific situations, you should hire a copywriter when you have a project you aren’t as skilled at or aren’t familiar with. For example, you might want to launch a new product and know how to do it successfully, but you aren’t great at writing the sales page copy, launch page copy, and email launch copy, but you know it’s essential to have before you can hit the green “go” button. Those copy projects immediately add a LOT to your plate. So why not let an expert copywriter do that work for you? We talk more about why you should hire a copywriter before a launch in this post!

How can you find a good copywriters?

There are a lot of copywriters in the market, some have years of experience, and some are amateurs. So how do you find good copywriters? 

There are several copywriter directories or job boards you can browse through to find one that calls to you. Many businesses post jobs on job boards specifically for writers, like ProBlogger, BloggingPro, Contenta, Flexjobs, WeWorkRemotely, and many more.

Your personal network is also a great place to tap into. Sometimes posting on social media or emailing your list can produce some great contenders. You might even have colleagues that have worked with copywriters they would recommend. 

You can always hire BDCC if all of the above sounds exhausting. We’d love to hear about your copywriting projects and how we can help your business! The most popular service is our VIP day, where we crank out your copy within a few days so you can hit the ground running in your business! Contact us today to get started!