You’ve approached a professional copywriter to write content for your website or marketing materials. They seem decent enough and likeable. But how can you be sure they really have your best interests at heart?
A minority of unscrupulous professionals exist in every industry and copywriting is no different. Most writers will provide you with a fair service to match your marketing requirements but a few will only have your wallet in mind.
And as is so often the case with fraudsters, a likeable and charismatic writer can lead you into a false sense of security. They can persuade you to agree to services and terms that are excessive, overly expensive and just plain wrong.
So what are some of the trickery you need to look out for when hiring an unfamiliar copywriter?
I’ve put together five of the main warning signs that your new writer might be trying to milk your marketing budget for all its worth.
[PHOTO – Copywriter at her laptop – Pixabay
1. Tricking you into excessive numbers of pages for your website.
An unscrupulous copywriter will try to persuade you that the more website pages you have written, the better. The trouble is, this is not always true. While more pages present more gateways into your site from search engines, not all pages will suit the needs of your marketing goals.
A small family-run business might only need a one-page overview of the services they provide, for example, rather than a dozen individual service pages.
If in doubt, check what the top websites of your national competitors are doing. See what types of pages they have and whether they make sense. Get your copywriter to explain the reasoning behind the potential pages.
2. Tricking you into extra-long copy if you’re paying by the word.
An unscrupulous copywriter will try to persuade you that more words are needed for every page of a website, brochure or white paper. If you’re paying your copywriter by the word, instead of by the hour or by the project, then the more words they write, the costlier it can be for you.
The best way to avoid this word creep is to pay by the hour or by the page. Agree a fixed amount for a certain timeframe or number of pages, regardless of how many words are on the page.
A skilled copywriter knows that less is often better when it comes to copywriting. They can condense important facts and persuasion points into bite-sized chunks of text, thereby making it easier and faster for customers to read. This is a skill in itself.
If your copywriter has a habit of being long-winded, then it might be time to change writers.
3. Tricking you into more blog posts than you really need.
An unscrupulous copywriter will try to persuade you that blogging every day is the best content marketing strategy for your business. While this might be true, there are some points to consider.
Every blog post needs to fulfil a function. The main functions include: driving traffic to your website; converting this traffic into leads; establishing your brand as trustworthy; and developing long-term customer relationships.
Good blogging does all this and more. Good blog posts are often lengthy, in-depth, well researched and highly shareable on social media. It’s unlikely one single writer can keep up with this level of blogging output each and every day.
For a small business there’s really no need to blog every day if the weekly blog post is optimised and catered to the needs and interests of your target audience.
4. Tricking you into the wrong type of content marketing for your business.
An unscrupulous copywriter will try to persuade you of the need for the wrong kind of content for your business. The underhand copywriter will tell you the benefits of a variety of different marketing strategies that could well be unsuitable for your business type and target market.
In and of themselves, all marketing strategies have huge benefits if carried out well. However, some marketing techniques might be a waste of time, effort and money for your company. For example, a series of whitepapers might work very well for one type of business but be completely irrelevant to another.
Like with website pages, check what your national competitors are doing. Are they publishing case studies? Are they sending direct mail? Get your copywriter to explain the benefits of each content type and to share quality examples of them in action in your industry.
5. Tricking you into working with a substandard web designer
An unscrupulous copywriter will try to persuade you that a cheap website designer will save you money and do a good enough job. All copywriters have a number of web designers they can call for collaboration purposes. They tend to match one another in skill and quality.
A cheap and underhand copywriter will likely work with a cheap, unskilled and untrustworthy designer. They get the job done as fast as they can then send you the bill.
Always check the web designer they recommend before agreeing to hire their services. Have a look at their design website and browse their portfolio. See if the quality of their previous work matches with your expectations for your own site’s final design.
You can also spend a little time browsing regional web designer portfolios and comparing these to the recommended web designer. Never ever feel you need to agree with your copywriter’s recommendation. An experienced copywriter can just as easily work with a web designer of your choice.
Research and Ask Questions
It’s important to contrast, compare, ask a lot of questions and use your gut instinct when it comes to selecting the best copywriting services for your business. Positive recommendations from other business owners, whether known to you, or in the form of online testimonials, provide an excellent insight into the character and reputation of a writer.
Carry out a little research yourself into what types of pages or content strategies you’ll need and why. Then you’ll be able to better judge your new writer’s suggestions and plans.
