There seem to be more freelance copywriters around than ever. Redundancy and corporate turmoil have pushed more people to give it a try, and as the recession (perhaps) turns the corner, firms are showing a renewed interest in marketing, particularly online. But how should you choose one? Here are a few pointers.
• What’s their experience? Ideally, you’re looking for actual writing experience, either as a freelance or in agencies or publishers. General experience in sales, marketing or another profession doesn’t necessarily equate to strong writing skills.
• What’s their track record? Have they racked up several years of success as a freelance copywriter? Have they been able to grow their client base through recommendations and reputation?
• Have they been recommended? With so many ways to solicit referrals online, there’s no reason why your potential freelance copywriter shouldn’t be able to show you a good bunch of recommendations.
• Do they get results? Ask to contact their former clients, and get a sense of the impact the freelance copywriter had on their marketing. Even if they can’t quantify it in sales or leads, you want to be hearing that they made a difference.
• Can they meet your needs? Everyone says they can do everything. But inevitably, they’ll be better at some things than others – B2B, B2C, direct marketing, online, SEO or whatever. With so much choice, there’s no reason to choose someone who hasn’t handled your kind of project before.
• Do they give value? Now, ‘value’ doesn’t mean ‘cheap’ – it means a good balance between experience, quality and price. Additional factors such as turnaround time, location and personality also count. You will, of course, always be able to buy cheaper – just as you can when buying a suit, a car or house. And, as elsewhere, you’ll get what you pay for.
• Do you like their stuff? Obviously, you’ll be looking for an online portfolio or a sample pack. But don’t take it at face value – back yourself as a judge. After all, you could be using the text that this
freelance copywriter creates for your marketing, PR or website. Do you like it?
And if you like all the answers, go ahead and use them!
