From Mundane To Magnetic: 5 Reasons Why You Should Hire A Copywriter

Having just spent a week soaking up the scorching Cypriot sun (where I spent much of the time feverishly chasing the kids with a factor 50 spray gun), we returned home sun-drenched and satiated. 

Not five minutes through the door, I notice the oven clock staring blankly back at me. No power. I open the fridge door only to be hit square in the nose with a stench not dissimilar to a sewage works on a hot summer’s day. Turns out the oven plug had blown and tripped the kitchen sockets. Just what we needed after a day’s travelling. (OK, I know it sounds a little first world problem but bear with me…) 

I wasn’t going to attempt to fix the problem myself (aside from swiftly escorting the rotting broccoli and soggy fishfingers from the premises). 

But what’s this got to do with copywriting? 

Well, I have no technical, electrical or kitchen appliance expertise, nor the inclination, time, or patience to figure-it-out-myself. If I wanted the oven sorted, I needed someone who knew what they were doing. 

Someone with the right knowledge and skills who could solve my problem (without electrocuting themselves or starting a fire) honed through years of study and on-the-job experience. And it’s true for most professions – from plumbing and plastering to web developing and wedding photography – you hire someone to do the job for you. 

But copywriting. Well, that’s different… isn’t it? Many of us have been holding a pencil since we were knee-high to a grasshopper. We all know how to write. The same can’t be said for fixing faulty ovens, leaky pipes, or a glitchy websites. So, if we can all write, why on earth hire a copywriter?

But before we get into the Why. Let’s look at the What. 

As a copywriter, I’m often asked what it is I do, quickly followed up with, “Is it to do with copyright?” The short answer is no. Copywrite and copyright are two entirely different terms, which I’ll quickly cover off so there’s no confusion. Copywriting is the writing of text for marketing, advertising and business or brand-related communications. (In the industry, we call this text copy.) 

Copyright, on the other hand, is an automatic right for the creator of an original work to decide how that work is used. According to gov.uk, copyright ‘protects your work and stops others from using it without your permission’. In other words, “HANDS OFF!”

Copywriting vs. content creation

In our increasingly noisy world, however, not all writing’s created equal. Take content creation. While similar to copywriting, they have distinctly different goals. 

Content creation aims to inform, educate or entertain your audience. Think Instagram captions, blogs posts, articles and the like. 

But when you need people to buy, click, or hit subscribe – that’s where copywriting comes into its own. It’s the art of writing text to sell, persuade, or compel the audience to take a specific action (via a well-conceived and pithy Call to Action, or CTA). 

Most copywriters do both. 

So, why hire a copywriter? 

Whether you’re a solopreneur or multi-million-pound business owner, hiring a (good) copywriter (‘cos let’s face it who wants a bad one?) can be a gamechanger. Here’s why… 

• The art of persuasion 

Need to up your sales? Then scrap your list of shiny product features and seek out a copywriter. Their sleuthing skills will get to the heart of your audience to unpick their problems and reveal their deepest desires. This serves as the starting point for a deliciously persuasive copy that converts your audience into die-hard fans (or cold-hard-cash-paying customers). 

• More time for you   

In the case of my post-holiday melodrama, I called an electrician and was feeding hungry mouths within a matter of hours. Had I tackled The Case of the Dead Oven myself, we’d have been tapping up Deliveroo for days. Yes, you can write your copy yourself. You may even enjoy doing it. But hand it over to a professional, and you’ll not only get the job done quicker, it’ll free up your time to focus on what you do best. And who doesn’t want more time in their day? 

• Sound more human 

You’ll no doubt be familiar with the terms circling back, leveraging synergies and touching base? It’s the language of meeting rooms and “whizzy” PowerPoint presentations the world over, adopted to impress business ideas in a strategic way. But these formal, vague (and, dare I say it, cringeworthy) concepts can confuse and annoy the people you’re communicating with. And if that’s happening, chances are they’ve already switched off. 

Jargon can feature as much in sales copy as it does in the boardroom. If you cram your advertising with technical specs and acronyms, you’re just as likely to lose your sale. A copywriter will help you to speak your audience’s language, refine your tone of voice, and communicate like a real human being (not an AI-generated one). 

• Cut through the noise 

We are bombarded with messages every day, so if you’re fighting to get noticed, draw on the expertise of a copywriter to develop a distinctive voice that resonates with those who matter most. Through clear, compelling messaging, convincing calls to action, or killer taglines that turn heads – their magic can help you stand head and shoulders above your competitors. 

• Helps you see the wood for the trees  

When you’re immersed in your business, it’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae and be a little too close to the product, service or initiative you want to market. Hiring a fresh pair of eyes can help to broaden your perspective and see the bigger picture. And with most good copywriters, they will help you to see things from your audience’s viewpoint, hone your messages, and create copy that gets people talking and taking action. 

Whether you want more sales, more subscribers, or more productivity at work, your words need to engage and persuade. Which is why hiring a copywriter can transform communications from the mundane to the magnetic thanks to compelling, high-converting copy that gets the job done.