Copywriting: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What copywriting is

A copywriter writes persuasive text for websites, ads, emails and brochures, matching your voice to the reader and the action you want them to take. People hire one when their current text is not getting the response they want, or when they launch something new and need plain words to explain it.

Signs you need it

  • Your product or service page gets visits but few people buy or ask for a quote.
  • Your ads run, but the headline and offer do not make people click.
  • Your email list opens messages but almost no one replies or books.
  • You are launching a new service and cannot describe what it does in plain terms.
  • Your website reads like a list of features and never says what the customer gets.
  • Your brochure or sales page sounds nothing like the way you talk to customers.

What the pro does

  • Reads your current text, your offer and the customers you want, and asks what action you want readers to take.
  • Writes two or three headline and opening directions so you can choose the tone before full drafts are written.
  • Drafts the full copy for each page, ad or email, keeping it close to your voice.
  • Writes calls to action that match the one step you want the reader to take next.
  • Revises after your notes and delivers final text with a short list of what changed and why.

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Number and length of pieces, such as pages, ads, emails or brochure panels.
  • Research needed about your product, competitors and customers.
  • How many rounds of revision are included.
  • Whether the copy must be adapted for several channels, such as web, print and social.
  • Whether the writer interviews you or your team before writing.
  • Rush timing for a launch date.
  • Whether the writer also sets up page layout or only supplies the text.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The list of pieces to be written and the length or format of each.
  • The number of revision rounds and what counts as a revision.
  • The research and interview work included.
  • The date for the first draft and the date for final delivery.
  • Who owns the copy after payment and whether you can reuse it in other ads or channels.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Can you show two or three pages or ads you wrote for my kind of business, and what each one was meant to get the reader to do?
  • How will you learn my voice, and do you need a sample of my writing or a call first?
  • Do you write headlines and calls to action, or only the body text?
  • How do you handle a launch where I need the copy in a few days?
  • Will you ask me for proof points, such as product details and real testimonials, before you make any claim?
  • Who checks the claims in the copy before it is published?
  • Will you test two versions, and how will we decide which one to keep?

Red flags

  • Promises that the copy will bring a set number of sales or leads.
  • Writes claims about your product that you have not confirmed.
  • Asks no questions about your customers, your offer or your goal before writing.
  • Sends template text with only your business name swapped in.
  • Cannot show past work or explain how they decide whether copy is working.

What you can do yourself

You can write a rough brief yourself: who the reader is, the one action you want, the main problem you solve, and three pieces of copy from others that you like. Hire a copywriter when the text has to persuade a specific audience, when the product needs careful wording, or when the copy will run in paid ads where each line affects the cost of every click.

Licenses and permits

Copywriting is not commonly licensed, so a license is usually not required for this work. Check with your state or local licensing agency if you have a question, and ask the writer for samples in your industry as proof of skill.

Copywriting questions

Do I need to give the copywriter my brand guidelines?

Yes, if you have them. Brand colors, a style guide or a list of words you always use help the writer match your voice. If you have none, a few of your past posts or emails do the same job.

Who owns the words once I pay?

Ownership and reuse should be written into the agreement before work starts. Ask whether you get full rights to use the copy in any channel, and whether the writer may reuse it for other clients.

Can a copywriter promise more sales?

No writer can promise results, because sales depend on your offer, your price, your audience and the market. A good copywriter makes the message clear and specific, and explains how they plan to test it.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer copywriting remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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