Tips, news and views from Green Light Copywriting

How to choose a freelance copywriter 10 October 2024

It’s a big decision. You know you need to create or edit some content, whether that’s for SEO copywriting, blog copywriting, technical copywriting or something else. Now it’s time to find the right freelance copywriter to help you achieve it. But where do you start? There’s a whole world of copywriters out there. So who do you choose and how do you make that decision?

As a freelance copywriter for more than two decades, I’ve put my experience into this guide to help support your decision-making process. Read on for tips on how to select the right freelance copywriter for you and your marketing content.

Understand your prospective copywriter’s approach to content

It is critical to start by gaining a sense of your potential freelance copywriter’s perspective. No two copywriters are alike, after all. We each have our own perspective on content. A lot will depend on the initial overview of your project. Start by giving your freelance copywriter a clear insight into your requirements. What’s your goal? What are the timescales? Who will they be working with? Is it an edit or something more involved ? Once you’ve given them an overview, ask them how they would approach it. Talk specifics. Check your copywriter’s take on your business and content. Is it creative? Is it sales-driven or more informational? Whatever it is, be sure it fits with what you want.

Check their copywriting expertise

Copywriter: the clue’s in the job title. Your prospective freelance copywriter is an expert in developing and writing content. But how did they develop that knowhow? What type of experience have they had – and how is it relevant to you and what you want to achieve? Look at how long they’ve been in the industry and the type of companies they have worked for. See how their answers to these questions align with your business and content. But a word of caution… Don’t let a fixation with a specific type of professional background get in the way of what could be a beautiful working relationship. Take expertise as one key factor in your choice of copywriter, but not the only one. It’s a critical part of the puzzle but certainly not everything. So, start with background and types of companies worked for, then go from there.

Look at their specialism

One freelance copywriter is not like another freelance copywriter. We each have our own specialism, whether that’s creating sales conversion copy, long-form content, web copywriting or something else. When you’re on the hunt for the ideal copywriter for your project, ask them about their specialist subject. Ask them what kind of approaches they use to make content truly distinctive. Not because you’re a Mastermind presenter but because this will have a big impact on the success of your project. Be sure to match the type of copywriting you need with the type of content the copywriter is a pro at developing. Again, it’s worth applying some caution here. Experienced copywriters are highly adaptable creatures, ready to write on almost any subject you can think of. So, as with my point above, don’t necessarily dismiss a copywriter because the area they seem to specialise in isn’t exactly in line with your business or subject area. The question should really be about whether they have the scope and understanding to create the content you need.

Understand their process

Every copywriter has a different way of working and getting the job done. Each one will have their own approach to preparing for the project, delivering it and dealing with amendments and updates. It’s essential to ask your prospective freelance copywriter about these aspects in your initial conversations. Talk to them about their process, from how you’ll brief them, to their level of flexibility, to how they deal with delays from the client’s side. This early stage is a way of setting the roadmap for the way you want your working relationship to unfold, so be sure that you gain a clear understanding of how your future copywriter will cooperate with you. Who’s going to be running the show? Are you looking for a person to push the project forward or take the lead from someone else? These may seem like a lot of questions but it’s much better to ask them at this stage than see your copywriting project stalled due to the lack of a strategy!

Look out for a good listener

With so many freelance copywriters out there, how do find one capable of creating the exact content you have in mind? How can you be sure the writer you choose will stay true to the personality of your business, your company tone of voice and your vision? Choose the wrong copywriter for the job and you could end up seeing delays with the launch of your content. Find the right person and it could be the start of a wonderful new working relationship. When you first speak with your prospective freelance copywriter, pay attention to how well they listen to you. Are they receptive to your ideas and approach? Do they really understand and value what you’re looking to achieve? Getting content created isn’t just a transaction. It’s an opportunity to create something great, to develop a collaboration that makes the whole better than the sum of its parts. And that means content with a better impact.

Ask about availability

Next week? ASAP? Yesterday? Every freelance copywriter knows one of the most important questions to ask a new or prospective client is about how soon they need their content. No problem. That’s the nature of freelance copywriting. When you speak to your potential writer, be sure to ask them about their availability, not only for the piece of content itself, but for queries, amendments and any other issues which might pop up. It’s important to be realistic about what’s achievable so you get your working relationship off to the right start. Building in a little time will make for better results, too. So be sure to ask the copywriters you contact about their availability and how flexible they can be. A big part of that is how good they are at communicating with you about project updates and issues. Here’s the thing: the better the relationship you and your copywriter build, the more flexible they’re likely to be. Hey, we’re only human. It’s always nice to help out someone we like – speaking as someone who has a lot of experience of flexing to help very dear and long-term clients, as required.

Be aware of the potential value

Project cost is critical, especially with tight budgets. You want to gain the best value from your freelance copywriter, but where do you start? A key first step is being clear about the cost vs inconvenience ratio. Using a cheaper copywriting service could end up costing you more in the long run. Price is important of course, but it shouldn’t be the only element that guides your decision. As well as looking at how much you have to invest, think about how much value this content could provide further down the line.

When you do get to discussing numbers with your copywriter, don’t fixate on the first number they come up with. A good freelance writer will be able to be flexible for long-term clients or larger projects. Because again, they will be aiming for a positive working relationship rather than a one-off transaction. Not to say they shouldn’t be able to deliver single piece of work quickly and within budget. But if they are really good, they will be looking to work with you long-term, making the most of their understanding of you and your business. So, while cost is a critical factor, it pays not to focus on that to the exception of everything else.

Here’s an idea: if you’re feeling cautious about investing in copywriting services, why not ask your prospective copywriter to complete a small paid task for you first? This could be a page of web content or a short article. Doing so will provide a helpful insight into how your copywriter works, cost vs time and their copywriting style.

Ask about other parties

I’m not talking about copywriting parties, though I’m sure they would be good. Plenty of heated discussions about rogue apostrophes and lots of word games. No, what I’m talking about here is other parties, other people. Because while freelance copywriters are, erm, freelance, they don’t always work alone. Just like copywriters, content can be hugely effective when developed as part of a team. And a good copywriter should be adept at collaborating. It’s often essential to create a team to get your content from idea to lead-creating draw. It can take designers, project managers, stakeholders, your manager, your manager’s manager… So it’s worth asking yourself whether you’re sure that your future possible freelance copywriter is not only a words person but a people person. Can they liaise, cooperate, share, join and any other verb that helps to make content a success? Are they so focused on creating content that they are perhaps less adept at meeting key people and drawing out the all-important messages for your content? Hopefully not.

Ask your prospective freelance copywriter how they would work with other people you might want to bring on board. Do they seem flexible, open to the idea? Or are they sending you signals that that’s not how they like to operate? Better to find out early than when you’re waiting for them to get back to your web designer with some content…

Consider how they handle amendments

I appreciate that making amendments to your content may not seem like the most exciting aspect of content to talk about, but it is a key part of it. Without the right amendments, your content will be less likely to reflect your business and messaging. So, how a freelance copywriter deals with amendments is a big clue to their overall calibre. Make sure you ask them whether amendments are included as part of the project costs. If so, how many? What about major rewrites? How about tweaks to the tone of voice? How do they handle those? Check they are comfortable with dealing with changes. It will also benefit your prospective copywriter to explain how you see your amendments process going. I know some organisations prefer to manage amendments themselves while others focus on sharing the draft content with the whole leadership team. Be transparent about your own amendments process from the start – and pay attention to how your potential freelance copywriter responds to your questions.

Check their copywriting personality type

Ask your prospective copywriter to take a personality test? No, I’m certainly not advocating that. But we all have different working styles, whether it’s more fixed and process-based or creative and free flowing. You don’t necessarily need to have the same working style as your prospective copywriter. Actually, it’s usually better to have complementary working styles for a truly successful team. But it’s still vital to listen for clues to your copywriter’s personality. You don’t have to, of course. But doing so will probably make your life easier in the long run. And opting for a copywriter who seems to have a good personality match with yours could be the start of a very productive working relationship. That’s certainly been my experience as a freelance copywriter.

Decide whether to go local or global

My years as a freelance copywriter have taught me this: clients like knowing their copywriter of choice is not too far away and available for a face to face catch-up. However, I’ve also noticed something else: clients appreciate this type of proximity early on but become more relaxed about it over time. What I’m saying is, in my opinion, the right freelance copywriter doesn’t necessarily have to be local. In fact, it could get in the way of finding just the right copywriter for you. I would suggest that location shouldn’t be the deciding factor in your quest. The wonders of technology mean you can build a great rapport – and great content – without actually having to meet. So, when you’re deciding on who to work with, make sure your choice, whether that is a local copywriter or someone further afield doesn’t bias the success of your content.

Look for the chemistry

Good chemistry between an organisation and freelance copywriter plays a key role in the success of a project. It’s a partnership, after all, and partnerships are built on rapport. Spend some time connecting with your prospective freelance copywriter and check that all is good between you. Is there a shared motivation to get the results you need? Ask yourself how well you think you can work with this person – and whether you’ll actually enjoy working them. Conversely, do they seem genuinely interested in working with you and getting to know your business? Look for the chemistry and the chemistry will look after you and your content.

Ready to find the right freelance copywriter?

While this guide aims to provide some answers, the whole process of finding the right freelance copywriter begins with asking the right questions. It’s all about that initial conversation. If you ask in a considered way about the copywriter’s approach, specialisms and ways of working early on, you’re much more likely to benefit from a great content at the end of the process. In short, make sure your choice of freelance copywriter is a great fit for your business, your content project and, of course, you. Even though I’ve set out to answer the question of how to choose a freelance copywriter, there are no perfect answers. The aspects I’ve covered are important but ultimately, it’s down to what suits you and your marketing strategy. It takes the right combination of experience, approach and chemistry. You need someone you’ll enjoy working with and who understands what you’re about and what you want to achieve.

Finding the right freelance copywriter is a vital part of creating impactful marketing content. Choose wisely and you can find one who will not only create the content you’ve been dreaming of but will also work with you in the long-term. Choose less than wisely and you could end up with a costly content mistake on your hands.

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