How to hire a copywriter and not to regret it・{3 rules}

Photo by Edmond Dantès

This post will be about how to work with a copywriter so that you don’t waste money and time on something that your clients don’t need and won’t benefit your business. But to work with a copywriter, you have to hire one first. That’s what my story is about.

What’s the problem

A copywriter is often a person who works from home, is swamped with inexpensive orders and has to sit at the keyboard for 12 hours a day to make a living somehow. The quality of his work is low, there is no discipline at work, and as a result, this person can do you more harm than good.

Contacting such a person can be a big mistake if you don’t know the safety rules. The rules are very simple, like the basic rules of legal hygiene, but the power of simple rules is only revealed when you apply them.

Rule 1: Judge with your heart

Copywriters are found on freelance sites: fiverr.com or similar. They tend to have great track records and solid lists of client companies. For example, a person writes about himself:

“I’ve worked with Apple, Microsoft, and Elon Musk.”

Such bravado usually means that the person is very proud to be associated with these brands and is not confident enough in their skills to showcase work rather than other people’s brands. You can’t believe that.

Believe your gut impressions.

Flip through a copywriter’s portfolio and listen to what their voice sounds like in your head. Do you like the way it’s written? Do you feel that you have a decent, interesting conversation partner in front of you? Do you feel the depth? Are you interested in him?

If yes — study him further and move on to the next step. If no — don’t look at all those brands, awards and regalia.

You’re not reshaping the voice and spirit of the copywriter to fit your ideas of what’s beautiful. What you see in a portfolio is the best the copywriter has to offer you. You can’t make it any better. If intuitively, aesthetically, emotionally you don’t like this person — don’t waste your time, read the next one.

Rule 2: Always start with a paid test job

With any new person, you should first do a small test project and run all the interactions on it. Any small task with a specific deadline is fine. What to watch for:

1. How did you negotiate the price and scope of work with the copywriter? Did he negotiate at all, or did he swallow your first offer? What does that say about him?
2. How did the copywriter study your test task? Did he ask you to fill out a long questionnaire or did he come to the meeting and have a normal, human conversation? Are you another order in flux for him or does he want to understand your work?
3. Did the copywriter do the work on time? Delayed?
4. If delayed — did he come to you himself in advance or did he have to be scratched out?
5. How did you handle the payment? Did you have to worry about paying electronically? Did he offer to conclude a contract or was he afraid of the paperwork?
6. How was the result? How was it acceptable?

All the unpleasant things you notice at the test task stage, will only get worse on the real project. Especially pay attention to the study of the task and the deadline. If a copywriter has no time to understand your business on a short test project, and even less time to do the work, it will be even worse on a big task.

Rule 3: Work only under a contract.

You can work without a contract only on tasks whose performance you don’t care about, and on money you could lose. In other cases, there is a contract between the author and the client. It should contain, in addition to the usual subject of the contract, the cost and timing, the following items:

1. Who should do the work. Does the copywriter have the right to engage third parties to do the work?
2. What rights are transferred to the client? Does he/she have the right to publish the final text? Does the copywriter have the right to publish the text in his/her own name and sell it to another client? What is the territory of the rights?
3. Does the copywriter guarantee that he has all the rights to the work and has the right to transfer them to the customer?

The contract not only protects you and the copywriter, but it also shows a degree of discipline. If a person can’t take the time for a contract, can he take the time for normal writing?

There is a following trick: the copywriter gets an order, and then he hands it over to some other person (subcontractor) as a non-paid test assignment. This poor guy, the subcontractor, is writing a text in the hope of getting a big order. He gives it to the copywriter. The copywriter hands over the text to the client in his own name, gets the money, and disappears. The subcontractor gets neither money nor new orders. He is told that the client did not like the text and has chosen another copywriter. Then the client publishes the text, and the subcontractor finds it in Google, and comes back with a fair claim: “You published my text, and no one paid me”. It is unlikely to go to court, but the situation will be unpleasant.

The contract and freelance site (if you work through it) protects against such situations, and shows the good faith of the performer. And the customer, to be honest, there are also many people who want to make a profit from copywriters.

Search Efficiency

When choosing copywriters, you should be prepared for the fact that 90% of them will be rejected at different stages. Look at all the authors. First of all look at the text about yourself, second look at the work.

The number of attempts is important. You have to write thirty to pick your top three authors. Find your pearls at fiverr.com

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P. s: The article is written with the help of artificial intelligence. What do you think?