Think you can take the Copywriting Challenge on your own? Allow me to convince you otherwise! Here are eleven reasons why business owners typically choose not to hire a writer, and my argument for each.
Excuse 1. "Why pay someone else when I can do the writing myself?" Next time you sit down with a writing project, pay attention to how you feel. Mentally, are you quickly and effortlessly able to extract the essence of what makes your consumer offering worthwhile? Or do you find yourself mired in extraneous details, unable to focus on what should be crystal-clear to an outsider? Bring a copywriter into the mix, and get a fresh perspective on your product or service, and a clear focus on your product benefits.
Excuse 2. "I know my product/business better than anyone else." This may in fact be true. But when was the last time you analyzed your own target audience? As society evolves, so do the needs of the average consumer. A great product can weather the winds of change and stand up to the test of time - but competition is stiff, and who is to say your good name will stay in the mainstream? A good writer will analyze the way people live in today's world and then add your product to that scheme in a way that makes it indispensible.
Excuse 3. "I find it difficult to work with someone in a remote location." Let's face it: it's the year 2004 and the world's greatest minds are linking up remotely in ways that are advancing them by light years. There is nothing more convenient than doling out a day's work with a quick click of the mouse, checking your Inbox later and to find five projects awaiting your review. Electronic information transfer is the ideal way to save money, time and resources while making use of a freelance copywriter or graphic artist's greatest strengths.
Excuse 4. "My business is in too great a state of flux for an outsider to keep up." While it may be true that you can typically "expect the unexpected", there is one thing that doesn't change: you've still got a message to convey and a family of products that compel you to put your best face forward. While you're dealing with market fluctuations, a writer can tap your potential buyer pool and harness that purchasing power with an advertising message worth its weight in gold.
Excuse 5. "We already have existing copy and it works just fine." Your current advertising may have served its purpose well once, but how many times have you recycled this same campaign? Another season means another reason to spend money! Let your writer do a little homework and find out what people are responding to of late. Great advertising uses the amazingly persuasive power of the written word to generate an actual psychological need for your product or service.
Excuse 6. "I can't afford such 'luxury business services.'" Many people view hiring independent contractors as a "big business" practice only. Not true! Think about how many times your full-timers worked overtime this year. If you paid them time-and-a-half, can you honestly say their output was up to snuff and worth the extra dime? Eliminate the headaches brought on by a disheartened group whose novice advertising attempts are gropings in the dark at best. Hire a professional writer to write ads that will turn your business around and pump up your sales volume!
Excuse 7. "We plan to bring on a full-time writer in the near future." Hiring someone new means another salary, another employee benefits package-and another set of commitments. While all this may seem like a worthy investment in the long run, there's no telling how the market will affect the future of your firm. Employ a Power Writer on a temp basis that you have the luxury of controlling, and work out a business deal that you're comfortable with.
Excuse 8. "Who needs fancy words? My product sells itself." Nowadays, you're competing with the entire world. It's called the global market, and if you want your name to be within the top rungs of the hierarchy, you must take steps to get yourself noticed. Ignoring the internet is the quickest way to lose your stronghold in your key market segment. Invest in a writer who can isolate your target audience and implement a killer ad strategy that will permanently burn your brand into the consumer mind.
Excuse 9. "Copywriters are for campaign work. We don't have a need for that." Copywriters earn their livelihood writing copy-not just awe-inspiring headlines, but plain everyday language as it's used in every aspect of your business. Crisp, professional writing lends polish and credibility-and establishes your corporation as one run by intelligent, exacting people... the kind others want to do business with! Don't let your reputation suffer at the hands of a poorly written piece! Call in a seasoned copywriter to get the message across with clarity, professionalism, and style.
Excuse 10. "My marketing person writes all of our promotions and ads already." If your marketing person is doing your writing, then who is doing your marketing? Ideally, your marketing guru should be conducting surveys and focus groups, planning long and short-term selling strategies. For those of you have a marketing expert who can do this AND flesh out the creative for all your compelling ads-well, please introduce me to this Super Human! For the rest of you: let the marketing guy focus on his area of expertise-and leave the writing to the writer.
Excuse 11. "I'm not comfortable revealing my business secrets to an unfamiliar outside party." Most writers create for the personal satisfaction that goes along with crafting a message that produces tangible results. By nature, a writer, or a graphic artist for that matter in fact has more to lose by sharing what they already know about effective advertising and mastering the tricks of the trade. An ad writer is happiest when she can deliver your message in the most succinct way possible, and yield incredible results for your business... in the way that you always imagined it could happen... but EVEN BETTER!
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine years' industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.