As a professional copywriter, one might think I recommend every business owner hire a professional copywriter on Day 1, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. A copywriter can only work effectively when certain foundational aspects of your business are already in place. Outsourcing too early can put you at financial risk if certain elements of your business aren’t yet consistent.
So, when is it truly beneficial to bring in a professional copywriter, and when is it smarter to look for DIY or Done-With-You copywriting offers? (See also: How Much Does A Website Copywriter Cost?)
Let’s talk about what your business needs to look like before making this critical decision.
But first thing’s first…
What are the benefits of hiring a professional copywriter?
Professional copywriters know how to craft messages that convert and can help you see the forest from the trees by providing a fresh perspective on your brand. This guidance can help you get out of your own head and allow for truly original copy to be created that helps you stand out in a crowded market.
High-Quality, Conversion-Focused Content Creation
Professional copywriters are skilled marketers who know how to craft messaging that resonates with your audience and compels them to take a specific action, while also reflecting your brand’s voice and values. High-quality communication also significantly enhances your brand’s image and credibility.
Time-Saving
Researching, strategizing, writing, and editing quality copy takes a lot of time and effort. By hiring a copywriter, you can focus on other crucial aspects of your business while your copywriter focuses on creating the copy to support your business goals. This can be especially beneficial if you have a busy schedule or lack the expertise to write compelling copy.
Expertise in SEO and Marketing
A copywriter’s role spans SEO, UX design, marketing strategy, sales psychology, and much, much more. In fact, here are 10 Things a copywriter does that you probably didn’t know they do.
Experienced copywriters understand SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how to write content that ranks well on search engines. They also have insights into funnel and launch marketing strategies that can boost your content’s effectiveness, driving more traffic and conversions.
Here Are 6 Signs You’re Ready To Hire a Copywriter
1) You’re an established business with proven offers
If your business has at least one proven offer that resonates with your audience, it’s a strong sign that hiring a copywriter could be beneficial. A proven offer means you’ve validated your product or service in the market, and now it’s time to scale.
There are several ways to test your offers before investing in a copywriter:
- Service providers can take on free or discounted clients to validate whether an offer meets client needs, the working process is sound, and the deliverables are sufficient.
- Course creators can run a beta test program with “scholarship” students.
- Product creators can offer free products or samples, or sell a limited run of products and ask for private feedback.
Once you’ve landed on a core offer, a professional copywriter can help you:
- expand your offer tiers
- write new services pages
- communicate a more dialed-in value proposition
- optimize your copy for SEO
- attract more customers based on the existing data and wisdom you’ve gleaned through launches, testing, trial and error.
2) Solid cash flow to market your new copy(!)
Not only do you need sufficient funds to pay a copywriter, you need a strong cash flow to begin marketing your business in order for your copy to do its job.
I repeat—your copy can’t do its job unless you invest in marketing activities that funnel people to your site.
Website copy does not exist in a vacuum and SEO-optimized copy is one piece of a very interconnected marketing puzzle. If you build it, they will not come. You need to invest in other strategies to create a marketing flywheel effect, whether that’s via blogging (and then using Pinterest, Instagram, and email marketing to gain readership) or network/relationship marketing.
A healthy cash flow means you’ll have the funds to allocate resources to improve your overall marketing efforts so that everything together leads to higher returns in the long run.
Related: What’s the ROI of Professional Copywriting?
While the upfront cost might seem significant, the return on investment can be substantial. In the immediate term, well-written copy can increase conversions and boost sales, but the ROI gold lives in the long-term benefits that ultimately pay for itself through improved business performance.
A strategic email funnel can make you money on auto-pilot for years.
A stellar website can generate new leads on auto-pilot for years.
An optimized blog post can build your search authority and drive traffic to your site for…you guessed it…YEARS.
3) Solid cash flow to invest in website design(!!)
A website designer is not a copywriter and a copywriter is not a website designer. Copy and design go hand in hand and you can expect to invest between $10K-$25K for a professionally written AND designed website. You’ll probably have to invest more if you want a brand designer to tackle your visual branding (logo, color palette, typography, etc.) as well.
Effective web design complements your copy, ensures readability, streamlines the user experience and, of course, applies a visually appealing “skin” to your website that is deeply rooted in your overall brand strategy.
A copywriter’s note about using website design templates…
If you’re planning to use a website design template, that template will undoubtedly need to be customized to fit the copywriting. Most design templates aren’t designed with copy in mind, but if you don’t want to break the template or forget about mobile optimization, you’ll need a designer who understands copy-by-design best practices who can use your template as a baseline, and retrofit/add/move sections around to work with the copy as needed.
(In case you’re wondering, which comes first, copy or design? It’s ALWAYS copy, and here’s why.)
4) No time or ability to DIY
As a business owner, your time is valuable. If you find yourself stretched thin, trying to juggle multiple responsibilities, it might be worth the money to outsource your website copywriting. Copywriting is a time-intensive process that requires focus and creativity. A 5-7 page website takes me, 40 hours, on average to research and write from start to finish.
A professional copywriter can take the burden off your shoulders, allowing you to focus on other critical aspects of your business. They can produce high-quality content quickly and efficiently, freeing up your time to concentrate on growth and strategy.
Check out my 2-week Brand Messaging + Website Copywriting service here →
5) Your profession requires high credibility
For some industries, DIY isn’t going to cut it. High-quality content is crucial for establishing credibility and trust with discerning audiences. High-end or luxury service providers, legal and financial services, and most every tech startup needs polished, engaging copy that reflects well on your brand. Professional copywriting fine-tunes your brand’s voice, communicates your values, enhances your overall image and matches your audience’s expectations.
On the flip side, poorly written copy can reveal your business’s immaturity and raise doubts about your offer or product’s brand promise.
6) You’re scaling your business
You need proven offers before scaling your business. (See point #1 above.) As your business grows, your copy and content needs will likely increase. Whether you’re planning to launch new offers or expand your marketing efforts, having a copywriter on hand can help you manage the content demands without needing to hire a full-time employee or pull all-nighters trying to do it all yourself.
Once a copywriter becomes familiar with your business, voice, and style, their expertise allows them to adapt to your growing needs and maintain consistency across all your marketing channels.
Reach out if you’re interested in my copywriting retainer services →
3 Signs You’re Not Ready To Hire A Copywriter
1) You’re a Day 1 startup or business that cannot afford to refresh your copy in a year
In the early stages of your business, you’re learning about your audience’s needs and validating your product or offer against the market. Your messaging will (and should) evolve over a year as you test and iterate on what you’re learning.
Bootstrapping or DIYing your copy is more practical and cost-effective if you will not have the cash flow to keep a freelance copywriter on retainer.
If you hire a copywriter and decide to pivot your offers six months down the line, you’ll either have to re-hire that copywriter to refresh your copy or be stuck with outdated copy that no longer serves your business.
One of the benefits of DIYing your copy is you are forced to think critically about your business, audience, and goals. When you outsource your messaging from the start, talking about your business will feel like reading a memorized script because it didn’t come from you first.
If you’re a startup, a simple landing page where you can A/B test messaging is a great way to get a marketing page up and running and learn about your audience without committing to a fully-realized brand identity and messaging. A copywriter can work with you to help set this up and map what you need to test before building out a fully realized marketing site.
Inquire about Landing Page Copy here →
2) You have a limited budget (less than $1,500)
If your budget is tight, you’ll need to prioritize your expenses. While professional copywriting can provide significant benefits, it might not deserve the top spot on your list if other areas of your business require more immediate attention.
DIY Resources and Tools for Founders, Startups, and Growing Businesses.
I offer numerous tools and resources for free in the BP Library that can help you learn the basics of copywriting.
If you’re ready to DIY your copy (and save your money for a copy refresh when your budget is more flush) head to the BP Shop for my copywriting templates which include step-by-step video tutorials and workbooks to guide you through each and every section of the page.
Should You Hire A Copywriter Or Not?
Hiring a copywriter can fast-track the website copywriting process, but it’s not always the right decision for your business. By understanding the right time to bring in a professional and knowing when to handle things yourself, you can make informed decisions that benefit your business in the long run. Whether you’re ready to scale your operations or just starting out, the key is to evaluate your needs, budget, and capabilities carefully. This all depends on your offers, cash flow, budget for web design, how early-stage your business is, your ability to DIY, and the level of professionalism required in your field.
✏️When you’re ready to hire a freelance copywriter…
BRAND MESSAGING – A 4-day brand strategy intensive to help you dial in your brand and your messaging.
WEBSITE COPYWRITING – Let me articulate your brand story, co-create your brand messaging, and translate it into powerful web copy that converts.
SALES PAGE COPY – Long-form sales page copy that moves people to buy your courses and offers without giving them (and you) the ick.
COPY TUNE-UP + EDITING – Perfect for the DIYer on a budget. Button up your copy with a professional diagnosis and copy edits before hitting publish.
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