Picture this.
Your business is growing, and with it, it’s demand for high-quality content.
You have a new website that needs copy, brochures, articles, case studies and white papers that require writing.
The problem is you don’t have the skills or time to do them.
Then it hits you. You need to find a professional copywriter.
You do a Google search and ask colleagues for recommendations. After building a shortlist you give them a call for a chat.
That list is whittled down to a couple of possibilities.
You call them in for a meeting and chat through your needs. They ask a lot of questions to which you provide in-depth answers.
They go away and produce a proposal and quote, which they email you.
As you sip your coffee, you open their quotes, splutter, fall off your chair and scream “how much????”
Yes, professional copywriters aren’t cheap, but when you look at the grand scheme of things, they’re not expensive either.
How do you value copy?
In your opinion, how much should copy cost?
- £10 per web page?
- £5 per article?
- £100 per case study?
To be honest with you, if that’s what you think, you shouldn’t be using a copywriter.
Why?
Because you clearly don’t understand the value of professionally written content.
You see the value of copy has nothing to do with the number of words written or the time taken to create the content.
Instead, its value should be measured through the impact it has on your business.
For example, you found an experienced writer and commissioned them to write articles for your website.
They charged you £400 per article. Your friend thinks you’ve gone mad because his writer only charged him £150.
Each article you received was thoroughly researched, original and well written. Each expertly constructed for SEO purposes and focused on the needs of the reader.
One article alone resulted in you receiving five extra orders worth, let’s say, £1000 each.
Your friend’s articles produced nothing, nada, zip.
Your investment of £400 has just netted you £4600.
Now, who’s smiling?
A copywriter is far more than a scribe.
She is a professional marketer, an ideas person skilled in the art of search engine optimisation. She’s a clear thinker, able to write content that appeals to your readers. She is jargon-averse and not afraid to break a few grammar rules to make sure her copy has the right impact.
A professional hire delivers professional results
If you want your copy to reflect the professional reputation that you’ve worked hard to build, you have to hire a professional writer.
Every word your customers read reflects on your company.
Slap-dash, cheap content will ruin your reputation and damage your business. It may not drive away existing customers, but it sure as hell won’t attract new ones.
Being in business is risky, but working with a copywriter will mitigate that risk – especially where your reputation is concerned.
Sally Ormond, Briar Copywriting, has been working as a freelance copywriter for over a decade. She has been lucky enough to work with clients around the world who genuinely value professional copywriting.