11 Reasons Not to Hire a Freelance Copywriter (and
Why They're All Poor Excuses)
BY DINA GIOLITTO
EDITOR'S NOTE: Here are some excellent
sales counterarguments to help you promote and convince prospects about your
commercial writing services.
Think you can take the
Copywriting Challenge on your own? Allow me to convince you
otherwise! Here are 11 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 indispensable.
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
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
her site for rates and samples.
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