8 questions before hiring a copywriter.
Although a copywriter can help you answer the following questions (just ask), it’s always best to try and solidify some answers before hiring one.
1) What's the message? What exactly are you trying to sell? Let your copywriter know so there’s no confusion.
2) Who are you? Your copywriter’s copy is only as good as they know you. While it’s also their job to ask questions and research more about your brand, it’s always a smart idea to point them in the right direction and provide the necessary information. You don’t have to give the whole story, just the parts you think your copywriter will benefit from knowing about.
3) What’s your tone of voice? How do you want things written? This should be in line with your brand voice. Most prefer a conversational tone that’s engaging and friendly. Determine what’s best for your audience.
4) Where do you plan to show this copy? Whether it’s social media, a sales letter, emails, a website page, or even an advertisement in a magazine or newspaper, tell your copywriter so they know how to design and structure the copy.
5) Who is your target audience? Tell your copywriter about their interests, hobbies, pain points, along with their age, gender, and profession so they have a clear idea of who they’re speaking to.
6) What’s your goal with the copy? To entertain? To educate and inform? To influence consideration? To increase web traffic? Identifying the main purpose of your marketing campaign will help your copywriter with choosing the right words and messaging.
7) Preferred English dialect? Getting this right will ensure there are no spelling mistakes between your copy and the intended audience (e.g., American, British, Canadian, Australian).
8) How much is enough? While this depends on where you’re planning to publish the copy (question #3), you can further specify if you’re aiming for something long or short by providing a word range to keep in mind. A good idea can be to point your copywriter to a nice example to give them an idea. But this is not mandatory.
