Are you thinking about hiring a freelance copywriter? Here’s what to look out for when choosing the perfect one.

There are different types of copywriters including:

Traditional advertising copywriters

These talented writers have an advertising agency background and think up concepts and the ‘big idea’ for advertising campaigns across all mediums, including TV, video, radio, print and online. They can turn their hand to creative headlines, straplines and long-form copy.

Website copywriters and bloggers

From ex journalists to graduates who love writing, if you can tell stories and write well, you can be a website copywriter! These specialists are far less likely to have a traditional creative agency background but that doesn’t mean they can’t write brilliantly for the web.

SEO copywriters

These strategic writers write for search engines with the aim of achieving high ranking search results. The best can offer you related technical skills, such as coding and link-building. SEO copywriters often work in tandem with web developers and other digital experts.

PR writers

Public relations writer with a focus on writing press releases are nearly always journalists or PR experts and are less likely to write traditional marketing copy. Their role is specifically help your business to achieve coverage across broadcast and print media.

Here are some more points to consider concerning how to hire a freelance copywriter:

Who is your target audience?

Is your target audience business, consumer – or both? Make sure you check out the copywriter’s client list, testimonials and, most importantly, their portfolio. By checking out their work or projects page you can see if they lean towards B2B, B2C, or both, and whether they have written for similar sectors and target audiences.

What’s your budget?

Generally, the more experience a copywriter has, the more you can expect to pay. That said, even seasoned professionals may drop their rates if you are a charity or a start up or your product or service is of particular interest to the copywriter or may be a valuable addition to their portfolio – it does no harm to state your budget upfront in the first instance.

Do your personalities fit?

The copywriter-client relationship is all-important and key to delivering good work, especially if you intend to work with the writer on an ongoing basis. Look at the copywriter’s testimonials and recommendations page to see evidence of long-term client relationships. Once you reach out to the writer, you’ll also get a sense of their personality, intelligence, levels of responsiveness, rapport, passion, and so on.

Working out payment

Copywriters charge in a variety of ways, including by the hour, by the day or amount of words. Some copywriters charge on a project-by project basis, some insist on 50 per cent upfront, and some are flexible on payments. If the copywriter doesn’t mention rates on their website, make sure you establish payment in your first email/conversation.

Good luck in your search for the perfect writer. If you would like to find out more about how to hire a freelance copywriter, please