The Process of Working with a Copywriter

Deciding to work with a copywriter means you’re making an investment in your business. You might want help early on with creating web copy and setting up a blog, or you may want someone to take over the content creation that you don’t have time for now.

What Does a Copywriter Need to Know?

So, what can you expect when you ask someone to do your business writing for you? The first thing a copywriter should do is get a good understanding of your business – what you do, how the business operates and who your customers are.

They should familiarise themselves with your existing copy and speak to the marketing, sales or PR support if appropriate. It’s important that they get to know you and your team, so they can communicate in your tone of voice and understand the core messages you’re sharing.

Give them access to all the appropriate documents and marketing materials that can help them get a clearer idea of your company and what it stands for. This includes case studies, offline material such as brochures and sales letters, press releases, interviews and staff newsletters. Provide contact details for people you’d like them to speak to for further information or to create new testimonials, and signpost them to additional resources.

Other Things to Think About Before Working with a Copywriter

It’s also essential that you agree exactly what they’ll do for you. A copywriter may be an expert in home or landing pages, have experience in your industry or are more of a generalist. Make sure you’ve found someone who can provide what you need, so you both have the same expectations.

Agree how long the project will take – is it a one-off with a specific deadline, or is it ongoing support that you’ll review periodically? When will the copywriter deliver the work, and how often? If they’re producing blogs or articles, do you have a rough word count in mind? Does the post need images? Will you supply these, or does the copywriter need to source them? Don’t forget, blog posts perform better with at least one image.

Finally, agree a price. You should expect a detailed discussion document which breaks down tasks and costs, but also be mindful that they may need to charge more if the requirements of the project change, or if there are any delays from your end.

If you’re not too sure what copywriting is, this blog may help to give you a better idea.