Feeling overwhelmed by copywriting? Wondering if it’s time to hire a pro?
This episode dives deep into:
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Should you outsource or DIY? We explore a checklist to help you decide.
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Are AI tools the answer? We discuss the power (and limitations) of technology.
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When is copywriting truly worth the investment?
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Signs you need to update your copy (even if you don’t need a copywriter yet!)
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When to DIY your copy (because yes, there is a time and place for that) and when a professional copywriter can skyrocket your ROI.
So do you really need to hire a copywriter to grow your business?
The answer might surprise you: it depends!
I am going to give you a checklist of when the answer is YES and when the answer is NO. This will equip you to make a well-timed choice to outsource the one thing in your business that will make everything easier – finding the right message.
…But first I want to address two very important questions that I get asked often.
Are Copywriters Still Needed?
Without opening this whole can of worms, I do want to address the elephant in the room. With advanced AI tools like GPT-4 and so many others, it’s tempting to rely on technology to generate content. However, I believe that their best use is for brainstorming ideas, conducting research, and occasionally even drafting initial versions of content to get the ball rolling.
Most of my clients know that AI will never nail their voic. They prefer to invest in a human being with emotional intelligence and who can comprehend the context or the subtleties of human interaction. Effective copywriting is empathetic. As you already know, it requires a deep understanding of the audience’s needs, desires, and pain points, which involves more than just stringing words together.
You cannot put a price tag on being understood.
A human copywriter listens deeply, asks the right questions at the right time to go even deeper. You don’t have to continually prompt a bot that just doesn’t get it. We bring our experience in the industry as well as an intuitive grasp of trends and human psychology that are necessary for conversion copywriting.
Don’t get me wrong, AI is a great tool to have in your toolbox. I’m not against it – but it cannot replace the expertise, creativity, and emotional intelligence that human copywriters bring to the table.
I would say that for most of my clients, it just doesn’t make sense to use it. For others, they tell me how they’d like me to use it as a starter then clean it up from there.
Businesses looking to create authentic, resonant content will still benefit greatly from the skills of a professional copywriter who can ensure that all final drafts are engaging, impactful, and poised to convert.
Is Copywriting Really Worth It?
Copywriting is often the deciding factor if a lead converts or not. Investing in copywriting is one of the most impactful decisions a business can make.
Learning the skill of copywriting as you grow your business is invaluable. It will get you to your first six figures. And it will help you know how to hire and vet a copywriter when the time is right. Crafting messages that speak directly to your ideal client and creating a connection that goes beyond mere transactions. Copywriting is a skill that will never go out of style.
I would even argue that mastering copywriting helps prevent burnout. Effective copywriting turns ideas into words that sell. And it does so without making the message feel salesy or inauthentic. That’s powerful. Good copywriting focuses on value and solutions. It’s about addressing the needs of your audience and offering them something of genuine benefit. This approach not only makes your marketing efforts more effective but also more enjoyable and sustainable.
Investing in copywriting—whether through hiring a professional or learning the skill yourself—is truly worth it. It enhances your ability to communicate your brand’s value, connect with your audience on a deeper level, and ultimately drive sustainable growth for your business.
When Should You Hire A Copywriter?
While we all want that black and white answer, let’s talk through these nuances so that you can make the decision that is truly best for your business as it stands right now in this current stage.
I am seeing lists out there from other copywriters saying you need to hire when that actually may or may not be the case! Here’s what I’m talking about:
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You cringe when you share your website (or immediately offer a caveat)
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You have to spend more time on a discovery call or writing a lengthy email to explain your services (because your business has grown, changed, and evolved since the last time you touched your services page on your website).
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You wrote your website/email sequence/sales page based on your industry guru’s copy and made it your own (I applaud your resourcefulness, and a lot of people use this tactic as a starting point, but at some point it stops working for you).
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Your business has shifted since you wrote your website. Even if you haven’t changed your services, you’ve refined your process, added value, gotten better results for your clients, and all of that needs to be infused into your message.
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You’re rebranding (or want to) and need to speak to the right people
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You don’t feel aligned with your voice.
Those are signs you need to update your copy. You may or may not need to hire a copywriter to make those updates. Let’s chat about when you can do it yourself, and when it’s wise to invest in a pro.
When To DIY Your Copywriting
Copywriting is one of the most valuable skills you can have as a business owner. You start by writing your own copy, even if you don’t do it forever.
Here are four cases where I’d recommend writing your own copy:
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You have not mastered your message yet.
There are several symptoms that may indicate you have not mastered your message yet. Here are some key signs to look out for:
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Low engagement rates suggest that your content isn’t capturing attention or addressing their needs, or resonating with your target audience.
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Poor conversion rates can indicate that your message isn’t compelling enough to drive action. This could mean that your value proposition isn’t clear or that your messaging doesn’t effectively communicate the benefits of your product or service. (This assumes you’re driving enough traffic to your website or landing pages to begin with!)
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High bounce rates on your website indicates that visitors are leaving your site quickly without interacting with it. This could be due to a mismatch between what they expected to find and what they actually found, which often points to unclear or ineffective messaging.
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Customer confusion. Your audience should easily understand what you offer, why it’s valuable, and how it benefits them—without them having to ask questions about it.
If this sounds like you, keep putting out content and test what resonates and what doesn’t. Having this data will allow a copywriter to help you in the future. The more data we have, the easier it is to make profitable decisions.
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Your offer is not proven.
In other words, you have not sold one offer at least ten times. Sell your offer to prove the concept before justifying the price tag of a copywriter. We only want to amplify a message if we know that it’s already working.
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You don’t have a strong brand foundation
I would also highly recommend working with a branch strategist first at this point to really do the foundational deep work of figuring out who you are the core values and vision and mission of your brand, and once that is all working for you then pass it off to a copywriter who can take what you have created and amplify your message to expand your reach. Once you know it is already working. You shouldn’t have to feel like you’re shouting from the rooftops. I want you to be able to whisper, and so many people are leaning in because they don’t want to miss a single word that you have to say.
Want a brand strategist recommendation? Meet a few of my faves in this interview series article.
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You don’t feel aligned with your voice.
You need to be confident in your voice first, before outsourcing it to someone else. A good copywriter can help pull stories and content out of you, but having a volume of content already created is helpful for us to learn your voice.
If these sound like you and you are still desiring copywriting support, my Power Hour is a budget-friendly way to get the support you need while still seeing an ROI on your investment. It is the best of both worlds where you get my Starter Doc to brain dump all of your ideas out of your head and your heart onto the paper, then we get in flow and write your specific copy project together, and you’ll pick up some copy tips, tricks, and hacks along the way—while your copy is being written in real time.
When To Hire A Copywriter
Here are four common scenarios to consider…
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You’re launching.
If you have plans to launch a course, a new product, a program, or revamp and optimize an old offer, my clients always underestimate just how much copywriting is needed to pull this off successfully. Hiring a copywriter well in advance of your launch will ensure that you’re priming your audience to get ready for that offer. It will also give you more confidence that once they’re ready for the offer, they’ll land on a page (or emails, or whatever) that moves them to make a buying decision. Too often I see people “launch” something that they threw together, and they wonder why no one is taking action. Always remember, your audience has not been living and breathing your offer for months, like you have. You need to do the work to shift their minds, get them excited about a potential transformation.
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You’re not actually writing your copy and it keeps falling down your to-do list.
Most of my clients are good writers – that’s why they’ve had so much success so far! But just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t outsource it. That may sound counterintuitive, but hear me out: How much time is it taking away from your actual zone of genius? Y’know, the thing people pay you to do? Just because you CAN do it, doesn’t mean that it’s the best use of your time and capacity. A better question is, are you actually doing it? Or, are you just saying you’ll do it, because you know you can, but putting it on the backburner for “when things slow down?” (Spoiler alert: things never slow down. Ever.)
Don’t let copy be what holds up your design process, or what keeps you from launching your new revenue-generating offer. Don’t let it hold you back from capturing a new audience, connecting with them in a second or two, and converting them to clients – while you sleep!
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You have a strong brand or you’re rebranding.
Maybe you have a brand message that resonates, but you’re tired. Of all the things you need to get done in a day, copy is dragging on your to-do list. Even though you may even like writing, you don’t like it as much as coaching and connecting with your people in your programs and ideal prospective clients in your world. Don’t become a victim of your own success!
As the CEO, you need more margin in your days and more space in your calendar for the visionary thinking that is going to move your company forward rather than being stuck in the weeds of a Google doc editing a sales page or an email series.
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You need to make sales, pronto.
If you’ve done everything you can, the answer might just be in your blind spot. As the sayings go:
“It’s hard to see the forest from the trees.”
“You can’t read the label from inside the jar.”
Often, a fresh perspective from an outside party who is experienced in your niche can quickly see what appears obvious only after we point it out. The answer is likely hiding in plain sight. But you can’t see it because you are way too close to your own business.
A copywriter can do the market research to get in the head of your ideal client and get to know them inside and out. We know what they’re googling in the middle of the night, not just what they’re posting on their Instagram stories. If you feel like your words are generic and aren’t really attracting the right people, a copywriter can help you see what’s in your blind spot.
Keep in mind that hiring a copywriter doesn’t necessarily have to mean outsourcing it completely. I offer done-with-you options (like my Power Hour!) as well to fit both your current needs and budget considerations. However, if time and mental real estate is the most urgent need, then hiring a copywriter may be the way to go. If that’s you, you can download my services guide and book a call with me here!
Hire A Copywriter That Sounds Just Like You!
You need to believe that your voice is unique AND someone else can write in your authentic voice so that not even your biggest fan can tell that it wasn’t you writing it. Whether that is your husband, your mom, your adult kids… they’ll say “wow this is so good!” And you’ll smile and think “it’s better than I could have written it myself.”
That’s the power of a great copywriter. We take the foundation you’ve built – your brand and messaging – and elevate it.
A copywriter can actually make your voice more authentic than if you were just writing alone. How? Well, often people try to sound ultra-professional or super-academic instead of just sounding like themselves. The process of working with a copywriter puts you at ease to just talk without overthinking, holds space for you to brain dump and word vomit…and then you go off and do your thing while we tidy it up into a powerful and concise message that will have the right people wanting to buy from you and only you, regardless of price.
Why ‘Doing It All’ Is Holding You Back And How To Hire A Copywriter
If you’ve invested time in building your brand and testing your message, you have earned the luxury of buying back your time with a seasoned copywriter that you can trust to both sound like you on the internet while amplifying your message to a wider audience.
Download my services guide to start the conversation on how we can work together!
As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Time is money.” It’s time to discover how a copywriter can save you both.
