The 5 benefits of using a copywriter

This is the blog post where I try to persuade you to hire me.

Well, it might seem like that. But really I just want to discuss the benefits that copywriters offer. And remember: if you don’t believe you need a copywriter’s help, don’t – under any circumstances – hire one.

Copywriters are costly. So what do you get for your money?

1: A sense of perspective

From inside a business, it can be difficult to retain a sense of perspective. You can get caught up in the internal politics that weave through your working day, or you can get muddled by the previous incarnations of your business – or your fantastic ideas for your future. With all these ideas circulating, it can be very hard (or impossible) to succinctly state the features you offer or the benefits you bring.

My clients regularly say, “I don’t know how you’ll make any sense of all this…” before they tell me about their business. I usually say “it will be easy” before listening very carefully.

It’s easy for me to make sense of your business because I’m on the outside looking in. I won’t let you cloud my understanding with irrelevant information, and I won’t consider what your business used to be, or what it might become. I will only consider what your business is today, and who your customers are. I extract the relevant information and distil it into something useful. This is easy to do because I follow a process and I have the benefit of perspective.

No matter how hard you try, you will find it difficult to achieve the same perspective that I am afforded, purely because I have distance, and you don’t.

2: Clear, professional-grade communication

All I do is write for businesses and charities. From tiny startups to global mega-brands, I’ve put words in their mouths. I know how to communicate a message clearly, and I know how to adopt a brand’s voice – or define one. For five years I’ve done nothing but write for other people.

Good copy can impress your customers and help you make the sale. Bad copy can turn people away and detract from your carefully manicured brand. If you invest in a well-designed website and value the look and feel of your brand, who will you trust to write the words that do the talking?

I’ve seen many beautiful websites (which likely cost thousands of pounds) undone by copy evidently written by an intern. Professional, effective design is a great way to build trust and boost your reputation. Unprofessional, inarticulate copy is a great way to destroy trust and undermine your reputation.

3: Content delivered on time

Copywriters are so much more than a hired pen. But they’re also great for just getting stuff done. Many corporate projects stall and dither because someone can’t find the inspiration or the time to write something.

If your lovely new website is being delayed because your teams don’t have the spare capacity to assemble pages of content – outsource! If your grand marketing plan falls at the copy hurdle – outsource! If your white papers, blogs and reports remain in the blue sky with all the other thinking – outsource!

By handing these tasks to a professional whose one and only job is to write stuff, they will get done.

4: An advocate for quality (who can battle internal factions)

Many businesses struggle to produce web content because everyone has different ideas of what is ‘right’ and what is ‘good’. Hiring a copywriter or employing a content agency instantly eliminates inter-departmental arguments. The external agent can proclaim what is right, and what is good. Everyone can agree a template, a style and a tone for content, and all content can be produced according to the agreed guidelines.

Because these directives and initiatives come from outside the company, and are produced in partnership with multiple stakeholders, the various factions can do nothing but contribute and cooperate. Opinions are gathered, voices are heard, and fighting factions drop their guns.

Your copywriter wants to achieve the best result. They don’t want to score points with the boss, or belittle Frank in finance. They just want to help your company communicate in the best possible way. If there’s an argument to be had, it will only be to defend quality, and fight for right.

5: Your time back

Writing great content is time-consuming. And unless it’s your job, you’ve probably got lots of other things you need to be doing. Hire a copywriter so you can get back to work.

What do you think of my list? What would you add or remove?