Hard-Earned Lessons from the Frontlines of PR in Houston
The right ad copywriter can help propel your company to dizzying heights of success -- all with the subtle turn of a phrase.
Consider the copywriter who linked two common English words and turned them into a billion-dollar ad campaign that spawned countless imitators and boasts a jaw-dropping 90% consumer awareness rate. Who would think that those words – Got Milk? – could singlehandedly pull an entire industry out of a 20-year slump?
Such is the power of a copywriter. Yet for every success story like this, there are dozens of tales of copywriters who do not deliver the goods. How well you select your copywriter can make all the difference in the success or failure of your advertising initiative.
1. Focus on Substance, Not Trends
The advertising world is littered with self-appointed guru and "rockstar" copywriters. One can hardly blame them. After all, advertising is an industry where one's worth is often determined by reputation as much as actual track record.
Try to separate illusion from reality. Research trade journals or news sites for solid information about the copywriter’s background and completed projects. Remember that inflated reputation does not necessarily mean a bad copywriter, though. You just want to make sure you are hiring a person on the basis of facts, not baseless reputation.
2. Find Copywriters with Proactive Traits
You are not hiring a poet in a garret. You are hiring a responsible businessperson who has a certain skill with words and ideas. Yet many copywriters find it difficult to accomplish simple tasks such as returning phone calls on a timely basis and meeting deadlines. Forget them. What you need is a proactive collaborator who is available on a regular basis to exchange ideas with you, and to produce results.
3. Can You Work with the Copywriter?
Ultimately, you must be able to work with this person. Copywriting is a collaborative effort between client and writer. And as a paying client, you can rightfully expect to work with a flexible person who has a cheerful manner and who values your input. That’s not too much to ask for; that’s just good business.
4. Results-Based Copy is the Only Copy that Matters
Great copy doesn’t just have to “sound good.” Great copy brings results.
Whatever your chosen metric (sales, sign-ups, leads, or so on), look for a writer who can produce statistics for similar projects, correlating copy with success.
5. Beware Guarantees of Future Results
Nobody can predict the future. Avoid any copywriter who promises that his or her copy will produce a certain result. Any such guarantee is a sales gimmick. On the other hand, it is acceptable to set up a results-based compensation plan with a copywriter.
6. Can the Copywriter Think Holistically?
A copywriter does usually not orchestrate entire advertising campaigns. Rather, the copywriter is responsible for producing one piece of the campaign. But you do want to hire a copywriter who has a realistic understanding of how his or her piece fits into the entire scope of the project. Ask: “How do you envision your copy fitting into the advertising campaign as a whole?” There really isn’t a wrong answer to this question. You just want a copywriter willing to take on larger concepts.
7. Ask for Fresh Writing Samples
Does the copywriter have old writing samples? If the samples pre-date the Reagan presidency, you can safely drop that person like a hot potato. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing for a copywriter’s website to display samples that are several months or even a year old. In fact, it might just mean that she is too gainfully employed to attend to her own site. Give her a break; simply ask for fresh samples.
8. Demand a Copywriter Who Knows Your Industry
If you want to sell medical supplies, it makes no sense to hire a copywriter who has only written for the aviation industry. There are plenty of copywriters out there who are familiar with your industry. On the other hand, steer clear of copywriters who are so embedded in a field that they cannot produce fresh angles.
9. Treat Client Information with Sensitivity?
Not every client wants their sensitive information exposed to the world. So if the copywriter refers to other clients and projects in vague generalities, there might be a perfectly good reason for this. This might mean that the copywriter is faithfully abiding by Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) that he signed with his clients. After all, there will come a day when you will be on the other side of fence – hoping that your former provider keeps confidential matters confidential.
10. Quick to Provide References?
Still, you will want references. And any copywriter worth his weight makes sure that he has cleared disclosure with a number of former clients. References are the best indicator of worth you can obtain. Be sure to follow through and actually contact these references.
Houston public relations firm Bayou City Public Relations is owned by Sharon Dotson, APR. Bayou City Public Relations specializes in getting positive media coverage for successful small to mid-size niche businesses in the Houston area, and nationally.
