Here are some of the reasons why I think freelance copywriters are one of life’s little essentials. OK that’s an exaggeration; however from a business perspective, hiring a writer can make a huge difference to your project…

 

Freelance copywriters save a lot of time

Back in the day when I was a manager, I hired a freelance copywriter to produce our web copy. I was sneakily envious but she did a great job; and much as I wanted to do it myself, I genuinely did not have the time.  I often work with clients who find the job of producing the text daunting – not because they can’t write well but simply because of the hours and headspace required for writing. It just keeps dropping to the bottom of the to-do list – a big reason why projects such as new websites don’t run to schedule. Tell your web design team that you’ve outsourced your content to a professional writer and they’ll probably cheer.

 

Freelance copywriters save a lot of money

This always sounds a bit cheeky as you have to pay us, but think about it. We’re efficient writers that can focus on the job (see above) so naturally our speed of writing will be greater than that of a manager or employee; and we all live by that old “time is money” mantra.  We don’t have any impact on the daily running of the business. Plus, we come with no business on-costs (see below). Bargain.

 

You don’t need to look after us

In these tough times, freelancers are a marvellous resource. We appear, we do the job, then we go again. We’re not lurking about during those times when business is slower. We don’t ask for (irony alert) pesky, self-absorbed things like holidays, sick leave or maternity pay. We don’t need space, equipment or regular feeding. We don’t even use your electricity.

 

Freelance copywriters have that essential distance

We’re all close to our own businesses – and a good thing too, as businesses need that bit of heart and soul. The downside of being passionate about your product/services/team is that is makes it hard to write about them objectively. A freelance copywriter can step in, step back and write what your customer needs to read.

 

We write good copy – whatever the subject

It really doesn’t matter what your business is. From Easter eggs to engineering (that was my February), for a professional copywriter, writing is writing. Provided we have the accurate information, good copywriters can add that gloss that makes text readable, whatever the subject. (And we really come into our own if you suspect that your product may be a little, well, dull…)

And what does good copy do? See below…

 

Good copy gets results

Good copywriting will help establish your identity, build rapport with your target audience(s) and support your brand values (there’s no point banging on about professionalism and attention-to-detail if the writing is inaccurate). We all know this; and to be honest, I have lost count of the amount of copywriting blogs with this header: however it’s not a cliché – I prefer to see it as a truism.

All I will add is that you wouldn’t use photos taken on your friend’s phone to advertise your product. The same principle of professionalism should be applied to the written word.

 

This list of benefits, as they say, is not exhaustive – but all good writers should know when to stop.