You might think that, as a freelance copywriter, I must spend some of my time convincing people to hire me. But I don’t. I’ll happily tell people about my experiences as a copywriter and the clients I’ve written for. I’ll even talk about my education and previous career. But I will not attempt to ‘sell’ myself to a potential client. And that’s purely because if you don’t think you need a copywriter – if you don’t think a copywriter offers real benefits – then you should not hire one.
Writing copy is a tough service to sell, partly because most humans can write. So paying someone else to write for you can feel unnatural – like asking someone to do your blinking.
If you don’t think you need a copywriter, don’t hire one. If you understand marketing, and how the web works, and how to write persuasively in a way that will bring people to your website and encourage them to sign up and buy, then you should definitely write your own copy.
If you want to know how a copywriter might help you, then maybe read:
The 5 benefits of using a copywriter
The skills you need to be a freelance copywriter
or download one of my PDF guides and write your own copy:
How to write for the web (PDF)
Essential SEO: How to build links
So true.
As a freelance copywriter myself, I know most people think they can can write. The thing is, very few of them can write persuasive copy. Making it flow beautifully as well as logically is easier said than done. Fewer still have the knowledge needed to bear search engines’ needs in mind. Then you need to apply the necessary direct marketing wisdom to the mix. And I’ve yet to meet a non-writer who can bring basic business nous to bear on their efforts.
I reckon about 50% of my work involves editing websites, sales letters, email marketing copy, blog posts, article and ebooks whose creators thought they could write… then realised they can’t!
Thanks for a cool post!
Comment by Kate Naylor — May 8, 2013 @ 4:01 pm
I have been asked by a web design company to write 4 web pages for a client of theirs. I was just wondering how much I should charge them? Any suggestions?
Comment by Adam — May 22, 2013 @ 6:34 pm
Hi Adam,
Well, that’s a big question. For starters, it depends on how much you want to charge for your time. Copywriters charge anything from £100 per day to £400+, depending on their experience, skills and chutzpah.
You also need to consider how long the writing will take. The writing is only one part of the copywriting project – you also need to do research (perhaps speaking to the client and researching competitors).And how many rounds of revisions will you allow the client?
Apart from all of those considerations, the client’s budget is also an important factor. There’s no point spending ages working out your price if it comes to £500 and the client’s budget comes to £100. So try to ascertain their budget before you go much further. You don’t need concrete sums – just a ballpark figure.
Good luck!
Comment by Leif Kendall — May 23, 2013 @ 10:35 am