How to work with a digital copywriter

A strong digital copywriter is a formidable asset to have. Unfortunately, when hiring digital copywriters, a lot of businesses get things entirely the wrong way round:

• They realise they need content to be generated,
• They then frantically hunt for a digital copywriter,
• They then establish their requirements on the fly, and
• Make up approval processes as the relationship progresses.

If you want to enjoy a long-lasting relationship with a digital copywriter, you need to flip that process on its head. Whether you’ve already recognised that you have a need to hire a digital copywriter, or you’re planning to hire one in the future, going about things the right way will make all the difference.

What a digital copywriter does

An experienced digital copywriter will craft copy which is search engine friendly. This will assist with generating traffic to your website. At the same time, the digital copywriter will ensure that the text is persuasive and encourage visitors to develop into customers.

As your website will become an essential digital marketing tool for your company, its quality will have a precise effect on the success of your business. Just as you’d find a specialist to help you with a medical problem or to build a new wall in your house, you’ll get a better outcome if you hire a professional digital copywriter as opposed to taking the DIY route.

Look for a particular specialisation

Specialists can make magic.  As they’re highly competent in their chosen field, they can assist with providing an outcome that a generalist could only dream about delivering.  A specialist spends a substantial amount of time (usually over 10 000 hours) perfecting their craft.  If you have a big problem or an opportunity, you’ll want to make use of a specialist.  Although they often cost more – and rightfully so – in the end, you’ll have a better outcome.

A generalist can intelligently discuss many areas which are significant in your company’s life. The better generalists are curious.  You will find that they often read very widely, engage others in some conversations as well as attend continuing education classes in a wide variety of topics.

So if you’re a civil engineering firm, look for a digital copywriter who’s specialised in creating copy for this particular field. You can hire a generalist copywriter but, unless they have a vested interest in the civil engineering field, they won’t give you the in-depth copy that you’re looking for.

Put together a kick-ass brief

If you’re partnering with an external digital copywriter, or have an in-house digital copywriter and are starting a project, sharing a creative brief with all players makes sure that everyone’s on the same page and deliver what they are supposed to.

If you’re devoting time and money to work with a freelance digital copywriter on a well-executed content marketing campaign, you need to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your partnership. If you have a team in your company, they’ll be grateful that you’ve lett them know exactly what you want.

When implemented correctly, a creative brief will communicate your values, vision as well as the result that you’re looking for.

Here are the steps that go into putting together a creative brief. Remember that these are just general steps and can be altered, and added to, depending on the company that you’re in:

• Write about the brand and its background.
• Highlight challenges and objectives.
• Describe the target audience.
• Walk through the competitive landscape.
• Offer a brief distribution plan.
• Organise with a template.
• Share the brief.

You own the copy your digital copywriter put together so look for different ways that you can use it. Can some of the content be utilised in sales letters or proposals? Is it possible for you to lift a paragraph for an ad? Making use of the same copy will create consistency across your brand as well as help to spread the costs of your investment in digital copywriting over multiple projects.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

If you want to learn more about digital copywriting, we recommend that you do our Digital Copywriting and Content Marketing Course. Follow this link to find out more.