10 MISTAKES TO

AVOID WHEN HIRING

A COPYWRITER
 10 MISTAKES TO
AVOID WHEN HIRING
A COPYWRITER
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1) Hiring an amateur copywriter
When hiring a copywriter it's so, so important you hire somebody who has studied everything
there is to study about copywriting and marketing, and who has then gone out and put that
knowledge into practice.

When it comes to the kitchen, I've never studied the subject, but each night I put myself to
work mixing ingredients together and heating it up in the hope it'll turn out at least edible.

Is that what you want from your copywriter? Somebody who mixes together a few words and
serves them to you in the hope they'll turn out at least edible?

Question your potential copywriter. Ask them what they think of the greats: David Ogilvy,
Claude Hopkins, Vic Schwab. If they look at you blankly, or provide an answer that's suspic-
iously similar to the first paragraph on their individual Wikipedia pages, you should ask your-
self if this is somebody you trust to serve up your sales message to your customers.

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2) Hiring outsourcers
When you hire an advertising agency to write your copy, it's a given that you won't always
have the top talent working on your project. Often junior copywriters will do the majority of the
work and the main man (or woman) will simply sign off on the work (think Don Draper in Mad
Men).

With that said, when hiring a freelance copywriter you should under no circumstances allow
your copywriter to outsource her work to anybody else. When a freelance copywriter outso-
urces copy jobs she will often pass your project on to people with very little skill in the art of
copy who are being paid a meagre wage to do a rushed job.

When you hire a freelance copywriter, insist that he writes every word of copy himself.

You're paying for Don Draper, you should get Don Draper.

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3) Being impressed by English Lit. majors
Write your copy in the colloquial language which your customers use in everyday
conversation. — David Ogilvy, 1911-1999

Copy is salesmanship in print. It's been said your copy must earn its keep in the same way
that any salesperson should. For this reason, former successful salesmen and women will
always create better copywriters than former English literature majors or amateur novelists.

It's not that your copy doesn't deserve the fine displays these wordsmiths can come up with.
The simple truth is, your customers like to be spoken to in the same language they use in
everyday conversation. They're put off by fancy words and pretentious phrasing, the use of
which will result in them turning the page, dropping your letter into their recycling bin, or
clicking away from your website.

A business and marketing education is a far better asset to any copywriter than an English
literature degree could ever hope to be.

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4) Focusing only on price
There are many cheap 'content creation' websites out there that claim to offer you the cheap-
est deals on copywriting available.

The thing is, these websites aren't really offering you a copywriter at all. They're offering you a
few words rushed out by a freelance writer between the hundred other jobs he has been
given for the day, each of which he's paid mere pennies for.

It's not hard to guess the level of care and attention he gives to each.

In reality, these sites are great if you want nothing more than words to fill a page. If however
you want your copy to sell, not just sit pretty; I would personally encourage you to avoid these
sites at all cost.

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5) Hiring an SEO copywriter
When looking for a copywriter, be wary of companies offering SEO (search engine optimisa-
tion) writing services, as many of them like to add the word 'copywriter' to the mix so to once
again lump real, educated and experienced copywriters in with a bunch of amateur writers
being paid pennies.

A real copywriter doesn't write for an algorithm. Apart from slight changes due to the target
audience (see point nine), a real copywriter will write the same style of copy whether she's
writing a physically mailed sales letter, a newspaper advertisement, an online banner, or copy
for your website.

That's not to say I don't appreciate the importance of SEO for your business. When creating
website copy I write keyword-rich copy the search engines love that still flows perfectly for the
reader, a tricky task for an amateur copywriter.

Anybody can place a bunch of keywords equidistant to each other inside a block of text. Few
can actually write that block.

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6) ALLOWING THEM TO Tell stories
When you once get a person’s attention, then is the time to accomplish all you ever hope with
him. — Claude Hopkins, 1866-1932.

A good copywriter isn't here to tell you stories.

I'm not saying stories don't get read. They absolutely do. But writing good stories in your copy
is simply a means to an end, not an end in itself. Short, personal stories in your already high
quality copy can help further your sales message, but it can't create one out of thin air.

On a related note, never work with a copywriter who tries to convince you to agree to a
'series' of advertisements. In a series you typically tell a story over several weeks or months by
placing the next advertisement in the series in the newspaper a couple of weeks after the first,
and so on.

The purpose of series advertisements can be found only in stroking the copywriter's ego. You
must tell the whole story, every time. You grow tired of your advertising far sooner than your
customers do. Copy that seems old to you will often be brand new to your customer.

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7) Hiring somebody who loves big brands
When Heinz first started marketing its beloved ketchup, it wasn't advertised in the same way it
is today. When Coca-Cola first came onto the scene, it didn't run the same kind of newspaper
advertisements and television spots we've all come to know and love.

Looking at what the big brands of the world are doing with their television advertising budget
has no way of helping you when you're just starting out, or ramping up your marketing efforts.
If a copywriter tells you he's going to make you into the Coca-Cola of your industry overnight,
discount him immediately.

The truth is, much of the advertising on television follows a very indirect response model. If
Coca-Cola run a new television campaign one week, and a couple of weeks later notice a
small spike in sales, they have no real way of knowing if that was due to the ad.

When you're starting out, you need to know exactly which ads are bringing money to your
door, and the way to go about discovering that is through direct response advertising.

I am a direct response copywriter.

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8) HIRING THEM FOR their love of words
Whenever I spend time sizing up my competition (another thing a good copywriter should do
on your behalf) I'm staggered by how many of them harp on (and on) about their love of
words. Often their website will be filled with inspirational quotes trying their damned hardest
to convince you of the value of words.

Now I understand that copy is, on the surface, just words. But in reality, it's so much more
than that.

You don't just need words, you need words that sell. It's not just about being convincing, it's
about being compelling. It's not just about reminding your potential customers you're still
trading, it's about handing them an offer and getting them to try you out for the first time, or
impressing your previous clients enough to compel them to give you another chance.

Words mean nothing without the ability to sell.

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9) AVOIDING target market RESEARCH
You must know your target audience inside out.

I'm not saying that to patronise. No doubt you have already spent a great deal of time digging
into the specifics of who you're targeting, but it doesn't hurt to have another look from time to
time. I've done exactly that on several occasions here at Honest Copy, and each time the exp-
erience has helped me to stay on track instead of swerving off in another direction.

Knowing your target market inside out is the key to selling.

Say you make the best bra in the world. It's a true masterpiece, and you're offering it to me at
half price off, today only. In those circumstances would I buy it? No, because I'm not your
target market. There was nothing wrong with your product, your offer, or even your copy. In
fact, they were all perfect; but perfect means nothing when aimed at the wrong target market.

If you work with me, I can help you confirm your current target market is who you should
continue to target, or work with you to decide upon an entirely new target market altogether.

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10) not calling HONEST COPY
In the words of the late David Ogilvy, “Good products can be sold by honest advertising. If you
don't think the product is good, you have no business advertising it.”

Here at Honest Copy I focus on ethically getting your sales messages to your current and
potential customers, without the use of high-pressure sales tactics. Whether you need web-
site copy, advertisements, brochures, or any number of other sales messages, I craft honest
copy that will get you in front of more people who already want what you have to offer so to:

• Bring you new customers and persuade them to give you a chance…
• Keep your current customers in touch with you and buying more…
• Bring back old customers and encourage them to buy from you again.

I’d love to talk with you about your copywriting project.

The easiest way to contact me is to email benjamin@honestcopy.com any time, or get in

touch with me directly using this form on my contact page.

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