You’re in need of a reliable native English freelance copywriter with the relevant experience. But choosing someone is particularly tricky in our modern world with thousands of websites and information at our fingertips. Hence, it can be a great challenge to select a copywriter for your business. Below, you’ll find my top tips for seeking out the appropriate person. Good luck!
1. Trustworthy Website
A starting point for finding a good freelance native English copywriter might be to Google search for one in your area (that’s if you’re opposed to working with the person remotely). A real copywriter will spend a lot of time on his/her website – the written word, after all, is a copywriter’s first love. If the website doesn’t have any personal details (i.e. a full name or photograph) of the person, be careful. There are many fraudulent websites out there (many also pay for adverts on Google and don’t have a proper, well-thought-out site). You should also easily be able to find the person on Linkedin.com – this shows that they are consistent when it comes to their online presence. So ensure you do your homework.
2. Personal Brand
A true copywriter is someone who is clearly able to promote themselves and their personal brand to the world (in moderation of course though!). As mentioned above, you’ll also want a freelance copywriter who is visible on Linkedin.com (in addition to their website) – someone who contributes stories/articles/updates and who builds their brand by drawing on the strength of their online community. A copywriter with a strong personal brand is less likely to compromise on quality – they just don’t want to risk their reputation!
3. Native English
Native English doesn’t mean that the person has grown up exclusively in the UK. There are many native English speakers worldwide who have grown up in former British colonies (such as my South African self). Don’t write off copywriters who don’t originally stem from the UK. In fact, employing a native English-speaking copywriter with international experience would be best. Sometimes someone who is out of their comfort zone (or who has been out of their comfort zone) can help you see things from a unique perspective and often has the cultural know-how of your audience to boot!
That said, do ensure that the person’s first language is English or that they are completely bilingual (with a very high level of written English and attention to detail). If they’re not a native English speaker, you could also request proof of their level of English (or portfolio examples). That said, I’d be more sceptical to employ someone who isn’t native English speaking because they may simply lack the nuances of the language when it comes to writing (and if native English speakers can easily pick that up in their writing, so too will your target audience).
To counter this argument, I have also met a handful of native English speakers who could simply never work as copywriters – they just didn’t have the required skillset or attention to detail when it comes to writing. So keep an open mind but also be selective!
4. Portfolio Examples
If a freelance copywriter doesn’t have an online portfolio of writing samples, this is a red flag. Most good copywriters have a section on their website with various examples of the work they’ve been in engaged in. If not available, ask to see some examples and scrutinize the style and tone of those examples. You can even copy parts of their writing and paste this into Grammarly.com – in that way, you’ll pick up some of the main errors being made (if any). However, note that Grammarly doesn’t take into account actual copywriting style (which may utilize incomplete sentences and other punctuation errors on purpose and to drive home a message). But at least you’ll get an idea if their writing is accurate enough.
5. Style and Tone
Tone is something often forgotten by those seeking a native English copywriter. Don’t assume that the person is an expert just because they adhere to all of the above points so far! Scrutinize their writing style and tone. Are their sentences way too flowery and over the top? And what’s the tone of their writing like? Is there an underlying sarcasm or strange wit that your target audience may not understand or ‘get’? A good copywriter writes clearly and to the point (but this also depends on the medium, target audience, and overall purpose).
6. SEO and Content Marketing Knowledge
Nowadays copywriters need to have at least a basic knowledge of SEO (especially if you want a copywriter to create web copy for you). The same goes for the field of online marketing (or what is also called content marketing). A good freelance copywriter is on top of his/her game when it comes to the latest trends in the online world because ultimately, these trends may have an impact on his/her writing too.
7. Sector Knowledge
If you’re looking for a copywriter for a specific field (for example, let’s say you’re looking for a sustainability copywriter), it sure helps if the person has some sector knowledge or a basic understanding of the sector you operate in. If not, the person will have to invest some hours doing some basic research on the sector to become familiar with the target audience etc. Finding a copywriter with this knowledge from the onset might be a challenge, so you may have to open yourself up to someone who doesn’t have that knowledge but who has a lot of experience in the field of copywriting generally. A good copywriter will do proper research in order to feel confident in his/her writing.
8. Serious and Reliable
Does the copywriter stick to appointments and phone calls? Do they follow up with you and send you any necessary documents, including their portfolio and possible quotes for work to be conducted? Many writers are not good businesspeople and cannot be expected to be so. However, the good ones are self-taught and know the importance of customer service and working with clients. Those who are serious, reliable, and coherent in their communication from the onset are the ones you want to stick to. You’ll need them when your deadlines are looming.
9. Talk on the Phone
As simple as it sounds, having a phone or Skype chat (or meeting in person) is one of the best ways to get a sense of the person. You’ll be able to ask questions about their experience/background, get a sense of their motivation and willingness to do the project, and see if you can get along with them easily. If you’re only emailing them, you may not pick up on some of these crucial things. So both a verbal conversation and email correspondence are the best ways to ascertain if the person is right for you or not.
10. Avoid Agencies
I’m not saying that copywriting or communications agencies don’t know what they’re doing. I’m saying that often it’s difficult to oversee the work of multiple copywriters and the quality of the job may deteriorate. Those freelance copywriters working solely, in pairs, or very small groups are the ones to look for – they are mostly paid directly by clients and therefore have a high standard attributed to their work. They want to ensure the client is happy and enjoy seeing the results of their work. Those employed by agencies may not necessarily have this rapport with the client. They may also not have such high attention to quality as the agency serves as a middleman, from which they are more than often excluded. This is, of course, a generalization, and some agencies do indeed have a very high standard of work where output is thoroughly overseen (and where the copywriter is involved with the client from the onset). However, in the past, I have indeed seen problems arise on various occasions when it comes to agencies. So be aware of these potential problems and if you are to employ an agency, question everything.
Finding the right freelance copywriter for your business can be a challenge and you may not always find the right person from the onset. We encourage you to try out the person at first, giving you both space and time to get to know each other and your ways of working. Good luck!