To set the record straight, copywriters don’t automatically assume they’re the only ones capable of stringing a sentence together. And clearly, when it comes to knowing your business, no one knows it better than you. So why, having already invested sums of cash on graphic designers, web developers and sales specialists, would you pay for a freelance copywriter to boot? It’s not as though you need any fancy software after all.
Open a Word Doc, bust out the synonym tool and a few thought provoking adjectives: Voila!
It’s a valid question, and one asked more often than I’d have anticipated. But – the more projects I take on, the more I realise just how much potential value a freelance copywriter can add. So, without further ado, here are my top five reasons to outsource to a freelance copywriter!
1. To make sense of the jargon
As simple as it is, one of the main bonuses to engaging a copywriter is the benefit of an outsider’s perspective. When you’re so involved in your business, the lingo and service/product offerings become part of your everyday speak. And when that happens, it’s easy to lose sight of what your audience actually understands and what will have them losing interest in befuddlement. When you start to lose this perspective, assumptions are unconsciously made that risk alienating your audience. My role here lies in giving structure to your content and distilling the important information into bite size portions your audience understands. If they don’t get what you’re saying or why you’re saying it, they will almost certainly not do whatever it is that your call to action asks of them.
2. An objective point of view
Unless you’re a one-man band, chances are there will be differing opinions about what should be included within your marketing copywriting and why. Do your customers need to know you’re ten years old? Is it relevant? How significant is the size of the business? That it’s locally owned? The turnover? All too often, marketing copy drowns in varying versions of ‘See how awesome we are? You’d be mad not to buy from us!’ But, if your copy doesn’t speak from an authentic place that engages directly with your target audience, it won’t work. That’s where the objective perspective comes in handy. By outsourcing to a professional (that’s me), you’re removing any internal factions with differing opinions. Once the style, tone of voice and plan is in place, at the end of the day it’s just about good copy.
3. Meeting your deadline
When someone internally has copywriting on their to-do list, it’s often left to the last minute. Whether it’s a case study, a blog post, or a social media plan, it will almost certainly be booted out in favour of other urgent ‘real’ projects that clients are waiting on. When you hire a copywriter, you engage someone whose only job is writing. My profession is solely about writing quality content that meets your deadline. And when your deadlines are met, the plan runs to time, and your business goals are fulfilled.
4. Quality content
When a business has heavily invested in designers and web developers, I find it so disappointing when the copy has clearly been left to the eleventh hour. Remember, it’s the content that describes to your clients what you do, how well you do it, and why they need it! If you have something amazing to share with the world, it’s crucial to ensure your content faithfully portrays your product or service in a way that gets people excited and promotes confidence. Would you trust a new acquaintance if they bored you, used words you couldn’t understand or changed personalities each time you met them? Would you buy from them?
5. Content is the future
Almost every marketing and comms professional agrees: content marketing is progressively important in the role it plays within marketing strategies. Consumers are increasingly hungry for information, and are in a position to make informed decisions like never before. Relevant and up-to-date content makes a confident statement about your position as a subject matter expert, and it’s this confidence that will inspire trust. While a holistic content marketing strategy includes much more than copywriting, words form a major role in conveying your key messages, connecting with your audience and ensuring you stay firmly front of mind.
Anything I’ve missed or want to know more about? Email me on info@carteblanchecopy.com
Image courtesy of simpleinsomnia
