7 Essential Questions To Ask When Hiring A Good Copywriter

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Picture this: You’ve hired a website designer, taken brand photos, and have a date in mind to launch your new website! All the excitement is building up…but there’s one piece missing. 

You need to hire a copywriter. 

So what do you do?

You head to Instagram and start scrolling through copywriters but feel overwhelmed with the different options. Since they’re all amazing writers, how do you know which one is right for you?

Do you pick the copywriter who has years of experience and a huge portfolio but with prices a little higher than your budget? Or the new copywriter who seems eager and affordable but lacks experience in your industry? Maybe you go with the copywriter whose quirky one-liners made you burst out laughing. 

Here’s the truth: not every copywriter is the right fit. That’s why it’s important to ask questions that guide you in hiring a good copywriter for your business. 

Why Should You Hire A Copywriter? 

For your website and business to be as successful as you hope, you need to hire a copywriter who understands your brand, has SEO knowledge, and is someone you actually get along with!

When you hire a good copywriter – one who knows SEO, shares your brand values, and writes with your style in mind – you end up with a website that:

• Google loves, trusts, and ranks
• Brings in aligned clients and sales
• Communicates your values and personality
• Showcases your expertise and offers
• Creates a seamless client experience

Ultimately, a good copywriter helps you feel confident sharing your brand online and supports your goals with messaging techniques that bring in clients and sought-after sales.

But before hiring a copywriter, you need to have a few elements of your business prepared. 

What To Know When Hiring A Good Copywriter

Even the greatest copywriter in the world won’t be able to write your website copy without your help. Before hiring a copywriter, make sure you understand:

• Your services, deliverables, and pricing
• Your timeline and budget
• Your website design plan (template vs. custom vs. DIYing)
• Who your target audience is

Once you have these items in mind, it’s time to narrow down your copywriter options and find a good fit for your business.

7 Questions To Ask When Hiring A Good Copywriter

1. What do your packages, timeline, and deliverables look like?

You and your copywriter should be on the same page when it comes to pricing, timeline, and deliverables. There’s no point in hiring a copywriter (even if they’re freakin’ amazing) if they can’t work within your budget or projected timeline.

BUT! You might make an exception if you absolutely love them and are willing to compromise to work together.

The easiest way to know if a copywriter’s packages are a good fit is to look at their services page. You could also reach out directly to inquire about their services.

2. What industries have you written for before?

Copywriters tend to work in similar industries as they become more confident and knowledgeable in that industry’s market, language, and services. 

For example, I partner with a lot of website designers because I have a good understanding of their industry and target audience. But I’m also open to other creative industries.

Familiarity with your industry is important because they’ll understand your offers, jargon, and market right away. However, familiarity isn’t a deal breaker! A copywriter who is new to your industry may be able to offer a fresh perspective on your business. 

Take a look at what industries and businesses a copywriter has written for before hiring them. That way, you’ll see if there are any overlaps or similarities, and get a good idea of their writing style.

3. What is your process for understanding brand voice? 

Your brand voice makes your business stand out from the competition and stick in your audience’s mind. A good copywriter should be able to help you craft or refine your brand voice and bring it out in your copy. 

Every copywriter has their own way of understanding and developing brand voice, so don’t be afraid to ask what that process looks like. 

For myself, I start every website copy project with a two-hour kickoff call where we talk about the emotions your clients are experiencing, your values, your inspiration, and how you want to come across to your audience. From there, I’ll build a custom copy bank and brand voice guidelines for your business that I return to when crafting your copy. 

4. What is your SEO knowledge?

SEO (aka search engine optimization) is the process of making Google fall in love with your website so you can get more free traffic from aligned clients (aka more eyes on your biz). 

There are specific copywriting techniques that will improve your SEO, but it’s not an area that every copywriter specializes in. 

If SEO is important to you, make sure the copywriter you hire has some knowledge and experience with it. This could include courses they’ve taken or proof of how past websites have performed on Google. 

5. What values are important to your brand?

At the end of the day, you want to work with someone you get along with, who has similar goals, and who cares about running their business in a way that feels aligned with your own values. This is exactly why Tortuga Creative Studio decided to partner with me. 

‘I really appreciate how we have similar interests – in the environment and sustainability – which I feel means you understand our business on a deeper level. You connect with it and that is so important!’ – Natalie, Tortuga Creative Studio

Think about what matters to your business and the way you work, and then compare that with the copywriters you are thinking about hiring. 

6. Do you collaborate with designers? 

Design and copy work hand-in-hand to deliver a seamless brand experience for your audience and effective SEO for your business. 

Many designers and copywriters work independently. But, if you’re getting a custom website designed, it’s a good idea to find out if your copywriter and designer are happy to collaborate.

Curious about who I love to collaborate with? My main go-to’s are Samara Bortz and Launch It Girl!

7. Can I see past examples of your work? 

The final question you should ask when hiring a copywriter is if you can view past examples of their work or case studies. 

By reviewing past work, you’ll be able to see if you connect with their style of writing, if they’re able to adapt to different brand voices, and if they truly know what they’re doing when it comes to creating compelling copy. 

Pst. want to see some of my past work? Then take a peek at my case studies on Samara Bortz Design and Streamlined By Martine. 

Finding And Hiring A Good Copywriter For Your Creative Business

Hiring a copywriter should be exciting since this is an exciting time for your business! You deserve to feel confident in the copywriter you hire, not stressed out or worried about if they’re a good fit for your brand.

To feel certain about the copywriter you’re hiring, be sure to ask them these 7 questions:

1. What do your pricing, timeline, and deliverables look like?
2. What industries have you worked for before?
3. What is your brand voice development process?
4. What is your SEO knowledge?
5. What values are important to you?
6. Do you collaborate with designers?
7. Do you have past examples of work I can look through?

If you’re ready to start working with a copywriter and need answers to these questions, then head over to my SEO Website Copy service page to find out if I’m the right copywriter for you!