The time has come, your business needs new words and you know it.
Your messaging no longer feels “on brand” or your business has pivoted into unchartered territory and you need to update everything from your website to your Instagram bio.
Stat.
So you’ve been late-night scrolling through copywriter websites, snuggled deep into the couch wondering if you even need to hire someone or if you should just bang the words out yourself.
And then *BIG SIGH* the decision feels like a real Catch 22 – hire someone and make the investment or spend the time finding the right words on your own.
What’s a girl to do!?
Don’t worry. I got you, homeslice.
Let’s break this thang down so you can make your decision and get back to late-night reading instead of late-night scrolling.
Less blue light, more books, amiright?
You should hire a copywriter if:
Your business results for the year haven’t been quite where you wanted them
Lower than expected revenue can result from unclear messaging, not connecting with your audience, and not doing enough to mitigate audience doubts.
But, the good news is that great copy can fix all these issues. And professional copywriters know how to clarify your message, say everything in a way that specifically talks to your dream audience, and build up your credibility and trustworthiness.
You hate writing or it doesn’t feel like it comes naturally to you
Well, then this is a no-brainer. Life is too short to spend it doing things you absolutely hate.
Outsource those words and get back to whatever lights you up – thriller novels, puppies, Trader Joe’s one-pound chocolate bars…I won’t judge.
Sometimes it’s worth it to learn a new skill so you can DIY something in your business (like writing your about page with my proven formula), but sometimes it’s more worth it to save yourself the stress and hire a professional.
You want to save your time for tasks and projects that you love doing
Running a business is often time-consuming and you should grab any chance to work smarter and not harder by the horns and hold on tight.
When you hire a copywriter, you’re saving dozens of hours of your time for things in your business that you love to do. That’s more time for the “Why” behind why you started your business, which I’m guessing if you’re reading this blog wasn’t because you wanted to spend your time writing copy.
Think how many more clients you could serve by leaving the copy up in the hands of a competent professional.
You want up your sales, results, and brand reach, but nothing has been working
Sometimes all your business needs is a good kick in the words. And while I’m not sure that the pun I just tried to finagle into that idiom worked, I am sure that better copy is often one of the things missing when sales, results, and brand reach are lower than expected.
You could have the best product or service in the whole universe, but if you don’t know how to choose the right words, tone, and voice to describe it, you might be up a creek with nothing but a popsicle stick for paddling.
You’re fighting a losing battle, my friend.
Hiring a copywriter who knows how to strategically write copy that speaks directly to your audience and positions your product or service as something they MUST have to solve their problems, can truly be a business-changing decision.
You know your offer is awesome, but no one is signing up
Maybe your offer performed swimmingly during your market research phase, but now that you’ve launched it’s falling flat. The few people that tried it out loved it, so why aren’t you getting sales?
Ahem, it might have something to do with the words you’re using.
Granted copy is only one piece of the larger launch puzzle but it’s a pretty darn important one. It might be time to take a step back, rework, and relaunch your offer with sparkling new copy that does your offer justice.
You put a lot of time, energy, and love into your offer, and you deserve great copy to go with it.
You hastily DIY-ed your own copy years ago and haven’t touched it since
Oof, now this one’s an easy one.
Chances are your business has evolved since you first started it and since you slapped those words up on your website.
Old, outdated copy isn’t doing you any favors. It will just lead to more questions and doubts from your audience that you’ll have to answer and work doubly hard to soothe before they decide to buy.
AKA more work for you when you’re already a busy bee.
If your business has changed significantly or it’s been more than a year since you updated your copy, it’s time to bring in a professional for a full-scale revamp that aligns with your new goals.
You have a new product/service/experience to launch and want everything to exceed your expectations
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – you need high-performing copy if you want a high-results launch.
Even if your product/service/experience is the best thing since the invention of late-night Netflix binges if you don’t know how to talk about it in a way that connects with your audience and gets them to the next step of the purchase journey, you might be looking at a less-than-ideal launch.
A great copywriter will help you pinpoint the benefits of your product that your audience will care the most about and will weave those benefits into a larger story that draws your audience in and convinces them that they can’t live without what you’re offering.
Words really can be magical, can’t they? But I’m guessing you already knew that.
But Melissa, I don’t fit into any of those categories!
Hey, that’s cool, not trying to stuff you into a box over here.
So, let’s talk the opposite, when should you DIY your copy?
You should DIY your copy if:
You are extremely clear on your brand message and know just how to communicate it to clients
Let me guess, you’ve done this before to much fanfare?
If you’re a seasoned pro at knowing your brand message backward and forwards and you’re deeply familiar with your audience – like know how they take their coffee down to what they wished for at Christmas as a little kid – then get on with your bad self!
Or perhaps you’ve worked with a copywriter on another project who provided you with a brand messaging guide (kinda like the one I offer with my web copy packages). If so, you’ve got a great foundation for writing additional copy you may need.
You know exactly who your dream clients are and how to speak to them
Like the above point, you might be A-OK to write your copy if you’re intimately familiar with your dream clients and audience. Maybe you’ve been serving the same type of people for years and your words always resonate with them.
In that case, give copywriting a shot, assuming you have the time and energy to put into it. If you’re plenty busy with other things or simply don’t want to devote the time, then hire a copywriter.
DIY copy has served you well in the past
Giiiirrrl, maybe you missed your calling to be a copywriter! Just kidding…sort of.
If you’ve had launch after successful, confetti-worthy launch supported by your own DIY copy and a website that converts more clients than you can handle, then, by all means, keep it going.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Just like I would never tell Monica Geller how to clean her apartment or organize her different types of towels, I won’t tell you to change what you’re doing!
You have a background in advertising or marketing
Now this one is a maybe, maybe not situation. If you studied or worked in advertising or marketing and feel like you’ve got a good grasp on how to write words that convert while also speaking with a clear brand voice and message, then give it a go.
You can always bring in the professionals later if you need to! I offer web copy audits for your DIY web copy, so give me a holler if that’s the case.
If you do decide to hire a copywriter, here’s what you’ll need upfront
Decided to call in a pro to help you with your words? Here are a few things you’ll need to gather and figure out before you start working together if you want the best possible outcome:
THE GOALS: It’s great to know upfront what you want this new copy to do for you. What are your expectations – more clarity, more people to sign up for your email list, more sales of your product, more conversions for your launch, better SEO? The options are endless and truly depend on your individual business.
THE RESEARCH: It’s incredibly useful to have client feedback, testimonials, market research, and relevant facts/figures/past performance. You should know exactly what problem of your clients’ that your service/product solves.
THE BRAND VOICE: You need to know the words, phrases, tone, and overall voice that you will use to speak with your clients AKA the voice that resonates with them the most that they can relate to. If you don’t know this, a good copywriter or brand strategist can help you flesh this out.
THE EXTRAS: The details for your website or launch including pricing, FAQs (with answers), relevant experiences/training/details of your background you want to include, and refund policies.
So, what’s the verdict?
Will you be hiring a professional or DIY-ing your new copy this year?
If you’re still on the struggle bus decision-wise, send me a message here and we can set up a FREE consultation call and I’ll help you see what’s the best option for you.
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