You can write, so why do you need a professional copywriter? Because, if you want to persuade anyone to do anything, an experienced copywriter will deliver the desired results. If it’s simply a company profile, professional editing can improve structure, correct grammar, and add some zing to your words.
A freelance copywriter, such as Jennifer Lancaster, works with the business owner (or their graphic designers), to create effective websites, press releases, newsletters, brochures, sales letters, or ads. Hiring a freelancer is a better option, considering that ad agencies have to pay a raft of overheads and many use old-school interruption advertising, while freelancers often work from home and can help you with new, low-cost forms of marketing.
Obviously affordability is a concern for the small business. Expect copywriters to charge between $65 and $150 an hour, and at the top end some charge $10,000! I like to quote on a project basis so my clients know exactly how much they will be billed. My rates are low end, for top quality work.
To achieve a fast and professional job, I prefer a written brief for all work. See Working with a copywriter for tips. For web copywriting, it is generally not necessary for us to meet unless the project is large and complex.
- Research target market, competitors and industry.
- Use ‘What’s In It For Me’ perspective, outline customer benefits.
- Plain English, conversational tone is best 90% of the time.
- Employ basic SEO: metatags, titles, headlines, alt tags, text links, and relevant keyword-rich text.