How to Hire a Star Copywriter, by Sarah Fraser
The good news is your digital communication needs are growing. You've got approval to hire outside writing talent to help with work overflow that exceeds your in-house capacity. Now how do you find the copywriter or agency of your dreams?
Assuming your candidate is an experienced writer, a simple approach to identifying a truly great copywriter is to ask the following questions:
1. How would you describe our brand and value proposition?
The not-so-dirty industry secret is most copywriters will take the time to really learn about your company AFTER they've been hired. Instead, they'll try to impress you with their writing bonafides and maybe even affordability. While those play a role, the top writers in their field will do their research before you interview them. They'll be able to articulate not only your brand and value proposition but also what defines your uniqueness and competitive edge. They might even know what respected research firms are saying about you.
They'll even be able to suggest ways to improve your website content to better reflect your brand and value proposition. Years ago, when I interviewed for a content management job at Microsoft, that was one of the toughest questions I was asked on the spot: how would you improve our web content? A star copywriter would be fully prepared to hit the ground running and make innovative suggestions that will take your content to the next level.
2. Do you understand the buyer journey and how do you suggest we focus content for each stage?
The copywriter of your dreams cannot be just a great writer, they must have a sophisticated understanding of how to move prospects through the marketing funnel - so you have more successful campaigns, convert more leads and sell more. For example, do they know that blogs are now the #1 touchpoint buyers have with your site? A writer who can describe successful content campaigns they've created for each stage of the buyer journey is worth their weight in gold.
3. Can you describe our buyers' personas?
A world-class copywriter once again has done their research and understands who your buyers are and what they need. That is absolutely critical to creating content that captures prospect and buyer interest - and maintaining it throughout the buyer journey. They can even help you construct buyer personas and craft the best strategy to capture those buyers' eyeballs.
4. Are you an authentic storyteller?
A great copywriter knows the hard sell doesn't work. It takes a more subtle approach to conveying the business benefits of your product or service in a way that wins the hearts and minds of today's increasingly sophisticated buyers. That's why one of my favorite types of content to write is success stories or case studies. I get to talk directly to your customer and tell the story of how your product or service delivered measurable business benefits for them. But it's key to write it in a way that is thoroughly credible with benefits that are transferable to a prospect's business needs.
5. Which Fortune 1000 companies have you written for?
You may think that if your company is a startup you don't need a writer who has written for the big leagues. But typically writers who have broken into the market of brand name companies are consummate professionals and will write for your company like it may be small now but it is headed for greatness. If a copywriter (or agency, for that matter) has never written for a name you know, particularly a leader in your industry, think twice about hiring them. In my own experience, having written for tech leaders such as Ingram Micro, Verizon, Microsoft and more, I actually get very excited about writing for a small innovator and/or market disruptor that could be the next Big Thing.
Post a comment