5 Costly Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring A Copywriter
- Jan 12, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 14, 2024
Written by: Jamie Caroccio, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You hit a certain level of success in your business. Sales are good. You've got more client work to focus on, and you're ready to start delegating to free up your time to focus on high-level business vision and strategy and coaching clients.
Your first hire is likely a part-time copywriter
You sign the contract and pay the invoice, eager to get started. You have your kickoff call, and about a week later, the copywriter sends you an initial draft of your sales page. You read the first few paragraphs, and your heart sinks. The copy sounds nothing like you. The amount of feedback you have is so overwhelming you think, "I'd be faster if I just rewrote this myself."
Or, maybe you decide that, even though the copy doesn't sound like you, this must be what works. You did hire a professional after all, so you choose to trust the process and shoot it over to your web guy and go about your launch, but… no calls get books, no sales, no new clients. Or, best case scenario, you find a copywriter who writes compelling copy that converts, but they're unreliable – they miss deadlines and disappear when you need them most.
In all scenarios, it's thousands of dollars wasted and dozens of hours of your time you'll never get back. If this has happened to you, you're not alone. Let’s dive into why this happens, the common mistakes to avoid, and how to find the perfect copywriter who writes copy that converts that actually sounds like you.
5 mistakes coaches make when hiring a copywriter
1. You don't understand basic copy principles
You may be an expert in your industry, but marketing isn't your specialty. And that's okay. That's why you hire support. Keep this in mind when you provide feedback on a copy draft. While feedback on common words and phrases you always use or would never use is helpful to weave your voice into the copy, too many rewrites can weaken it, especially if you request the removal of the persuasive writing techniques required to sell successfully online. The right copywriter knows the delicate dance between writing copy that converts without sacrificing your voice and personality. But even the best copywriters will struggle if they don't have a solid foundation to work from. This brings us to the next common mistake…
2. You haven't dialed in your messaging
Messaging refers to three main areas of your marketing:
Positioning ‒ what differentiates you from your competitors.
Ideal client ‒ understanding their biggest problems & deepest desires.
Offer ‒ your proven solution to their biggest problem.
If you don't have these three items dialed in before you hire a copywriter, their job, and consequently your job as the person providing them with feedback, will be infinitely more challenging. If you need clarity about your positioning, audience, or offer, your copywriter won't be either. And that will show up in your copy and create confusion, resulting in fewer conversions. The best copywriters will ensure you have strong messaging or support you in dialing it in before they write a word of copy for you.
3. You don't have a system for content creation
You may hire a copywriter for a one-off project, like a sales page or an email launch sequence, but you'll likely eventually want to offload ongoing projects ‒ like your weekly LinkedIn posts or monthly nurture emails. Without a smart system, it's easy to fall behind quickly. A client who used to write her own Linkedin content shared with me recently, "I'd wake up and try to write a post. Sometimes it would flow, but more often than not, I didn't know what to say or how to focus my thoughts." Whether you write your own copy or delegate it, you need a system to stay on track.
My content batch system
After 8+ years of supporting coaches and consultants with their copy, I've created my signature system. Instead of trying to create a daily LinkedIn post or weekly email, I batch the entire month. Here's what it looks like for monthly:
Each month I meet with my client to have a 1-hour batch call. Before the call, I share an outline with content ideas. The client provides high-level feedback. Then we meet on the batch call to dive deeper into the posts. This is also an opportunity to download future post ideas and stories. I write the draft. The client provides feedback. I finalize the copy. The client or their team schedules the posts and tracks stats.
I review stats from the past month to gather insights about what's working, what's not, and critical areas to optimize. Then I create the next month's outline based on those stats. And we rinse and repeat. The best part about this system? I do most of the work. So all my client has to do? Show up for the batch call and review a draft for feedback. That's it. A solid system is key to a successful content strategy and saves time and money.
4. You're not tracking stats
I can't tell you how many times I've spoken with coaches who weren't thrilled with their copywriters and heard them say, "My copy isn't converting," yet when I ask them to see the stats, they don't have them. You may not be getting sales calls booked or closing deals, which you'll notice without official tracking of any stats. One small change, like updating a headline, could completely change how a post performs. But, without data, you can't know:
What's not working
Relevant feedback to give your copywriter
How to optimize your copy
5. You haven't found the right copywriter
I am a copywriter. I love copywriters. But like any profession, there's a whole mix out there. Some are excellent, some will leave you hanging, and some simply don't know what they're doing.
How do you find the right one? The perfect copywriter for you who knows how to write copy that converts in your voice? The right copywriter will understand that writing copy is about more than using proven templates or headline formulas. We use these and love them, but they alone are not enough.
Writing compelling copy is about taking the time to understand your business, your voice, and your personality. It's about helping you fine-tune your messaging if it still needs to be dialed in. Following a reiterative process to help you track stats, pull insights, make data-driven decisions, and continuously optimize your copy.
For the past 8+ years, I've had the pleasure of working with hundreds of coaches (business, executive, leadership, life, and more.) I've helped write copy for six and seven-figure campaigns at one of the top marketing agencies in the personal and professional development space.
My job? To help coaches attract more high-end clients online with copywriting that's simple, fun, and profitable. To learn more of my best tips to transform boring, bland copy into tasty treats customers crave in just 5 minutes a day, sign up for my free Coffee & Copy Tips
Jamie Caroccio, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jamie Caroccio is a Copy Coach & Copywriter. She helps coaches attract more high-end clients online with copywriting that is simple, fun, and profitable. Over the past 7+ years, she’s worked with hundreds of coaches across industries (business, executive, health, leadership, and more.) She’s helped write copy for six and seven-figure campaigns at one of the top marketing agencies in the personal and professional development space. She was a guest speaker for the Be Social Change Future of Social Impact Marketing panel. She’s also the Founder of “Coffee & Copy Tips,” a free newsletter that teaches you how to write better copy in just 5 minutes a day.
