Do I really need a Copywriter?

It’s easy to assume that anyone who can string a sentence together is equipped to handle your marketing content. How hard can it be, right? Do I really need a copywriter?

But did you know that on average, visitors only read 20% of the content on a web page? If you don’t engage your reader in the headline copy alone, you are likely to lose a reader’s attention before they even start getting to know your business.

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Don’t fret. There are simple ways to identify a good copywriter and ensure the important parts of your business jump off of the page.

This post will look at the reasons why you need a copywriter and how to find a good match for your business.

Let’s get started…

What does a copywriter do?

To explain this correctly, we should perhaps start smaller. What is copy? Copy is the content that is shared on your social media platforms, in direct marketing emails. It’s the text on your website explaining what your business is all about, what you offer and why.

It’s all the words.

A copywriter is responsible for the production of these words with the goal to get readers to take action.

A content writer is responsible for the words necessary to inform.

Both types of writer can be used whether for marketing, advertising or for internal communications within your business. Though you will find that most copywriters also write content and vice versa.

On a daily basis a copywriter will:

• Write
• Research
• Interview
• Edit
• Proofread
• Manage projects such as organising artwork to accompany text or overseeing translations of their work

Some copywriters also manage all of the content for a business, including informative blog posts and whitepapers and may implement and create marketing plans.
While words are the main output of a copywriter, writing isn’t necessarily what they spend all of their time on.

What can a copywriter offer my business?

If you think about an average day, in how many different ways do you interact with customers? When you are on the phone with someone you have control of how you are perceived. The same applies if you meet with your clients face to face.

But, what about those customers who don’t know anything about you yet? Those who rely on the ‘about’ page of your website or your Facebook posts?

When a customer first arrives to your website, they are often looking to answer some kind of enquiry, whether it is ‘Which accounting suite is best for me?’ or ‘Why do I need a copywriter?’ It should be the aim of your business to ensure this answer is able to be found immediately by a site visitor. This is how you generate a new lead into a closed sale.

Copywriters help your business to achieve this through many different written platforms which include but are not limited to:

• Direct emails to clients such as a newsletter or direct marketing
• Social media posts
• Blog posts that seek to both inform and convert your site visitors
• Whitepapers that explain a technical aspect of your business in detail to educate your customers and to build trust in your brand
• Website copy – all of it. From the first landing on your homepage to the very last blog post they read, visitors to your site are making decisions about your business. A copywriter will ensure they take away the correct information

You may be thinking, ‘but I can do all of this myself.’ That may be the case, but hiring a dedicated professional can:

Save you time

Yes, you could write that 2,000 word post yourself, plus the email newsletter that is due, the social media posts and the white paper about your newest product. Or, you could use that valuable time somewhere else such as making those sales calls you’ve been putting off.

Get results

It is true that no one knows your business like you do, but a copywriter can ensure that the most important parts of this knowledge reach customers in a way that not only adds value to their experience on your site but also generates real sales.

Build your audience

Is your business in the top three organic search results on Google for the main question customers have when looking for the product or service you offer? Then I hate to be the one to tell you but you are unlikely to yield much online traffic. Why?

Think about it. How often do you look for the answer to a question on the second (or twentieth, for that matter) page of Google? You don’t! Because you know you are likely to find the information you need at the top of the first page.

A copywriter understands this and knows how get your name above the noise online.

What should I look for in a copywriter?

When you make the decision to hire a copywriter, hire the services of someone who:

1. Has experience across a broad range of topics to give you an idea of how they have approached different types of writing in the past.
2. Is flexible in terms of voice and style. Your copy should reflect your business and its goals, not those of the copywriter.
3. Can learn very quickly. Your copywriter should be able to write about anything given the time to research.
4. Understands SEO and inbound marketing and implements it in a way that benefits your business’ reputation.

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As you can see there are many considerations when choosing your copywriter. But, when you find a good match the results will speak for themselves.