5 ways a freelance copywriter can help every business
Actions may speak louder than words. But words can drive people to action.
A survey by Conductor found that reading educational content from a brand made people 131% more likely to go on to make a purchase. But it’s not just about sales. 64% were more likely to see the brand as trustworthy – and this increased to 73% a week later.
It’s clear that words have power. Get yours right and you’ll reap the benefits. But what if you’re not interested in writing, or simply don’t have the time? That’s where a freelance copywriter can help.
What is a copywriter?
A copywriter is someone who writes words (or ‘copy’) that persuade, inform or inspire others on their journey.
In its purest form, copywriting ends with a ‘call to action’ – something specific for people to do after reading or hearing the words – and the main point is to drive sales. But there are many different types of writing, and most copywriters will cover a lot more than promotional one-liners.
What does a copywriter do?
A copywriter writes the words that help you connect with customers, through touchpoints like your website and social posts.
They support the way you keep your teams up to date and ready for anything, through things like internal newsletters and sales materials.
And they can help distinguish your business amongst your peers, through things like thought leadership pieces.
Wherever you have something to say, a copywriter can help you articulate it in the style and tone that suits your business.
Why should I hire a copywriter?
It’s a good question, with a very simple answer: it will save you time and give you peace of mind. A copywriter can:
1. Free up your time
There are only a certain number of hours in the day, and good writing takes time. Pass your writing to someone else, so you can focus on what’s really important to your business.
2. Handle the SEO for you
Every business needs a website, and that website needs to get in front of the right people. SEO is the wizardry that makes this happen; good copywriters can weave keywords into content without sounding like a robot.
3. Come up with content ideas
Creating original content for websites, emails, social media, internal comms and sales materials. Because the more you put out there, the more colleagues and customers will get to know and trust your business.
4. Maintain consistency across channels
When your website, literature and social media pages work together, you’ll present a stronger brand to customers, patients, students or clients. And that helps keep your brand purpose and values clear to all.
5. Support you as needed
A freelance copywriter can support you on specific campaigns or long-term projects as and when: no commitment required. Which is good news for budgets, and good news for overstretched in-house teams.
Can’t I just do it myself?
You could. After all, most people can write. But can you get your message across in different ways to different audiences? Can you write like you’re having a conversation, rather than a business meeting? Do you know the optimum number of characters for Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook? Do you have the time to spare to find out?
How hard could it be?
There’s a lot more to copywriting than first meets the eye. It’s not just filling space. Writing a headline is very different to writing a brochure. Content for a website doesn’t follow the same rules as printed material. SEO is not just a case of cramming as many keywords in as you can.
If a subject is technical you need to make it simple: not everyone will have the same level of expertise as you or your client. If you run your own company, you might even know too much, be too close – it makes it hard to be succinct.
A note on grammar
If you’re not really a words person, your best bet is to pass the writing to someone who is. Copywriters tend to be slightly obsessed with grammar, spelling and punctuation. So if this isn’t your thing, then hand it over. Because there’s almost nothing we love more than sharp sentences and well-placed apostrophes.
Looking for a freelance copywriter?
If you need help with finding your voice, updating your website, writing some blogs or being more active on social media, then get in touch at hello@pigpencopy.com. We’ve got years of experience and we’re here to help. We’ll free up your time and build your presence – or that of your clients – while you get on with other stuff. We’d love to hear from you.