Can you rely upon a freelance copywriter?
I was recently asked this question by a web designer and I asked, “Can you rely upon a web designer?”
A freelance copywriter is just like another service provider. Like any other service provider he or she first has to establish his or her credentials before he or she can get some respectable assignments.
Why you need a freelance copywriter?
You need a freelance copywriter when you want to make an impact through your copy and you don’t want to hire one on a permanent basis. Then it makes sense to hire the services of a freelance copywriter, and on top of that, an experienced freelance copywriter.
Is a freelance copywriter same as a content writer?
In my case the answer can be yes because I write generic content, SEO content as well as marketing literature for my various clients. You would hire a freelance copywriter if you want to improve your sales through your copy. He or she should be able to write sales letters and pitches, promotional copy for your website, e-mail newsletters, conventional publications, advertising copy, press releases, or anything that prompts the readers to take an action.
A content writer on the other hand writes content that is not meant to prompt people into taking an action immediately. He or she may write informational content, link bait content, blog content, product descriptions and of course SEO content.
So how do you make sure that you can rely upon a freelance copywriter?
For convenience – and since I am a man – I will use he and his instead of again and again using he or she and his or her for the sake of brevity.
In order to make sure that you can rely upon your freelance copywriter you should check the following:
- Does your freelance copywriter have an official website? This is very important if your freelance copywriter intends to get work from the Internet. You will find many freelance copywriters lurking around in various online forums and on freelance websites soliciting new clients and bidding for various projects. Although there is nothing wrong in trying to get work like this these types of freelance copywriters are generally not consistent and they are not serious about their profession. When a freelance copywriter is seeking copywriting assignments on the Internet the least he can do is have a decent business website from where he can promote his services. A website also means that some investment is required and when people invest they are generally serious about their work as well as their clients’ work.
- Does he have an online portfolio? An online portfolio helps you get an idea of what sort of projects and assignments he has been involved with and how he has performed. A portfolio gives you a basic idea of his range and experience.
- How is the sales copy on his website? If he cannot convince you into hiring his copywriting services how can he convince your clients and customers into doing business with you? Study carefully the text and the way he communicates and the way he arranges text on various pages. The arrangement of text is of extreme importance when one is writing for websites.
- Does he have testimonials from different clients? Again, testimonials give you an idea of how he has been performing as a freelance copywriter. Make sure that the testimonials are real and can be easily verified.
- Does he blog regularly? This is not very important but if he does it means he takes lots of interest in his business and is eager to share his thoughts and experiences with his readers and existing and prospective clients. This also gives you an indication of his communication skills.
- How active is he in the social media circles? Again, this too is not very important but if he interacts a lot it means lots of people know him and can verify the quality of his services. The opposite can happen too: I have noticed some people are so active on various social media websites that they hardly pay attention to their professional assignments. So there has to be a balance.
Try looking for these traits and even if you find 3-4 of them you can easily rely upon your freelance copywriter.
