If there’s one thing we hate, it’s seeing professionally written copy done badly. Unfortunately, lazy copywriters are everywhere, and it’s often difficult to distinguish them from the good ones until their work is in front of you. At this point you’re already biting your nails wondering why you agreed to pay them so much and how you can fix the problem. Today, we wanted to let you in on some of the warning signs, so you can tell right away when you’re dealing with a copywriting body snatcher, and not the real deal.
Warning Sign 1 – ‘We Do A Bit Of Everything’
This is often a case of ‘jack of all trades master of none’ syndrome, and is quite common in copywriters. They claim to be able to write anything and everything under the sun as long as you are willing to pay for it. We’ll level with you now – no writer can write everything.
Training in specialities is part of learning the craft, and honing your ability to write well. If you ask a copywriter who specialises in business copy to write you a children’s book, most of them won’t know where to start and odds are the end product won’t be that good. Quiz your copywriter about their training and specialities to make sure they can actually do what they claim.
Warning Sign 2 – ‘We’re Cheap’
Not ‘we’re good value’, just cheap. While being cheap might be a good thing in your mind, just take a second and think about what that means. Instead of showcasing their strengths as a copywriter, and telling you why they are worth that little bit extra, their best quality is their price.
Often a cheap copywriter is cheap because they know they can’t justify charging more, so go for the lowest price to entice you in. This is false economy, and often you will end up paying more with another copywriter to fix it anyway. As the old saying goes – you get what you pay for.
Warning Sign 3 – They Don’t Talk About End Use
What your copy is actually being used for is an incredibly important element in the writing process. After all, the tone, style, structure and even voice might be dramatically different if you are writing for a leaflet instead of a web page, or for a blog instead of a newsletter.
What’s more, if they don’t ask about end use, they don’t know who will be reading it or where it will end up, and they could end up writing copy that is completely irrelevant to what you need it for.
Warning Sign 4 – ‘We Don’t Have Any Examples Of Our Work’
Hopefully this one speaks for itself. If they can’t show you any of their previous work, they either don’t have any to show you, or there is a reason they wont. Either way, this should ring some alarm bells.
(We have loads by the way, just get in touch to request samples!)
Warning Sign 5 – They Don’t Ask Why You Want New Copy
Why you want to move away from what you’ve got is a very important factor. Knowing what’s wrong with it, what you don’t like or why it’s not working helps a copywriter shape the new copy in the right way. It also helps us avoid all of those bad elements you don’t like in your new copy. If a copywriter doesn’t know what you are hoping to achieve with the change, then how will they ever know if it’s a success?
And there you have it! If you’re lucky and just a little bit savvy, you will be able to spot a rubbish copywriter a mile away, and steer clear! For advice on your copy or to see examples of our work, just get in touch, or pop round for a coffee and a biscuit!