In my last post, Creatives, Get to Work, I talked about the need for creative writers in business. I explained how the writers should find jobs, but now I’m going to explain how the job finds the writers. The way that Tasha found me was through Internships.com, but (I think she would agree) it was kind of just luck that things worked out as well as they did. To give you a funny anecdote, we had our first interview as I was driving to the airport–running late of course–and I could barely hear her in the bad cell reception. I didn’t think I would get the job AT ALL! I truly believe that Tasha is right, finding a copywriter is a lot of trial and error. Not everyone will work well together, understand your writing/business style, and fit into your vision. There are some ways to search and interview candidates in order to find the creative copywriter for you.
Before You Search
1. Determine what you need. Write it all down, and create a simple description of the job you want fulfilled by the copywriter.
2. Create a “rubric” of what you require on the writer’s sample and resume. For instance, if you are looking for a more professional writer, make sure they have a critical piece in their writing sample. If you’re looking for someone with experience in the service industry, check their resume for customer service experience. Don’t blindly look at a resume and writing sample, or simply check and see if it’s there. Know what you want going into the search, and be prepared to stick to it.
3. Ask around. Find people who really like their copywriters and ask them if their copywriter does freelance work. Ask businesses that you admire to share advice about how they find copywriters. This will help you gather a lot of information (even if it’s what not to do), and that can only help you.
Where to Search
- Linkedin.com
- Internships.com
- College Job Boards: Point Park University has a great creative writing program!
- Indeed.com
- On social media (blog posts, instagram, facebook and twitter)
What to Look For
- Look for a UNIQUE voice. In the last few years, the need for copywriters has increased exponentially because virtually every business uses them in their marketing strategy. It’s extremely important that you find someone who will stand out from the crowd. Don’t hire boring and safe, hire the person whose writing will catch the potential customer’s eye.
- Find someone that is accountable. It is really easy to pull the wool over someone’s eyes in the copywriting business. I’ve seen some of my “peers” take advantage of the system: asking to extend the due dates, claiming that their computer broke and they couldn’t finish a project, or just flat out ignoring phone calls. Look at their school schedule and their grades, and it will tell you if they are accountable or not. For more information read up on the 10 lies copywriters tell.
- Look for someone that suits your personality. If you are upbeat, find someone who compliments that. Don’t try to make things work just because you are “desperate” for some help. You are not going to work with someone you don’t like.
- Ask them if they are interested in your niche. Also, ask them to send a sample of their writing that closely resembles your own niche market. Tasha asked me if I was interested in the fashion industry. (Ya, think? Every girl’s dream!)
- Check and see if they are part of your target market. It is helpful to have someone writing from your target market because they better understand their audience and what techniques will sell your product/services.
- Find someone that is grateful for the opportunity and not just in it for the money, or future money. These people won’t ever understand your vision or take the time to figure you out as a business owner. They are in it for themselves alone.
- Make sure they are SEO friendly, and that they are familiar with things like keywords, hashtags, and Google’s Keyword tool.
After You Hire a Copywriter
- Formulate a time to call each day, but don’t make yourself unavailable. I think I text Tasha more than my parents and my boyfriend combined. Tasha and I aren’t just calling once a week, we are constantly talking. It’s helpful that we always have an open dialogue.
- Keep a set schedule of projects and due dates. There has to be organization–that is the key to success!
- Make them do research. I read up on so many SEO techniques for some of the articles I wrote, and it really helped me in the long run. I feel a lot more comfortable and confidant in my writing.
- Let them learn from their mistakes. This is how I learn best, I fail and then I know never to do that again. If you don’t ever fail, you wont ever progress and succeed.
I hope this was helpful, and as always, leave a comment!
