How to Distinguish an Experienced Copywriter from the Best

The power of good copy can increase your conversion rate by 113 percent. But before hiring a copywriter, entrepreneurs should know how to differentiate an experienced copywriter from a newbie.

Sure, the neophyte could possess a creative writing flair and perfect grammar skills. But these two evident skills should be a given. What you should look for in an experienced copywriter are these seven traits that will level up your ad copy.

1. Tenacious researcher

Being a copywriter means wearing many different hats. They have to be knowledgable about each client, company, or industry. As their client base augments, they will be writing about various products. Although the client can give some details about the product, an experienced copywriter doesn’t stop there.

They have to research more about the particular industry, trends, and current events. When they’re writing copy, copywriters try to find an angle that sells. And this is where a tenacious research ability is needed. They need to know these crucial factors:

• Unique selling proposition
• Brand’s status in the industry
• Competitors
• Consumers’ desires, problems, and needs
• Current customers and prominent people using the product (for social proof)
• Product’s features and benefits
• General industry information

When skillful copywriters have all the necessary information before writing, it can translate into a compelling and convincing copy. Here’s what Nike did for the current controversial issue on Colin Kaepernick. The American activist had refused to stand and give respect during the pre-game national anthem. It was to advocate his stand against police brutality. 

And while many were appalled by this stunt, Nike used this as an angle for their billboard copy. 

2. Excellent interviewer

An Americal journalist and novelist, Helen Benedict, once said, “People who are interviewed a lot get tired of the same old questions. You want to stand out as an interviewer and get a good story, and that depends on preparation and intelligence.”

Before writing copy for a product, it takes more than research to gather all the bits and pieces of information. Most experienced copywriters resort to interviewing prominent people to understand the company and its products better. 

This is so the copywriter can craft and position the product in the best light while being concise. Here are a few tips for conducting killer interviews:

• Research about the topic in-depth
• Know how you want to angle your copy
• Take note of anecdotes, quotes, and significant stories from the interview
• List down as many questions as you want 
• Ask open-ended questions more

Although you can most certainly find everything on Google, interviewing the most vital people in the company will give you the “real” lowdown on the products. Take a look at how straightforward Trello’s copy is. It concisely describes how the platform works in an easy-to-understand language, the effect of a well-researched copy brief.

3. Knows the audience well

Ad copy isn’t merely whipping up words that describe the product. Copywriting is a useful marketing tool that sells. And knowing who you’re selling to is the first reason why copywriting brings success.

An experienced copywriter knows how imperative audience research is. And he will leave no stone unturned when it comes to drilling down who they are precisely. Here’s a couple of questions a copywriter asks during audience research:

• What are the audience’s pain points?
• Where do they hang out online?
• What do they enjoy reading?
• Do they have technical knowledge?
• What are the common misconceptions about the product?
• What frustrates them about this type of product?
• Why people generally like the company or product?

If you want to narrow down the audience, you may also use a table like this one from Marketing land.

4. Up-to-date with modern advertising 

Back in the day, copywriting was longer and had dramatic prose in it. However, the consumer attention span has been decreasing and is believed to be down to eight seconds. Obviously, eight seconds isn’t enough to capture long-form copywriting. 

Recent copywriting is shorter, smarter, and more compelling. Any experienced copywriter knows how to captivate the audience with only five words, just like this Ricola example. 

5. Receptive to feedback

You’ll smell newbie copywriters just by the way they handle feedback. Some of them tend to be close-minded. On the other hand, most experienced copywriters strive to learn new things to hone their skills. And this makes receptiveness and a thirst for knowledge two of the most common traits of an experienced copywriter.

This is also why it should be easy to work with accomplished copywriters. They take feedback well and understand that they still may have flaws and areas for improvement. Also, professional copywriters know that constructive criticism can lead to higher productivity. 

6. Patience for writing

We all know that good copy takes time to write. Though the word count is relatively shorter than blogs and articles, it’s challenging to compress everything into a few sentences. Copywriters know that hastily doing a project results in bad copywriting and is counterproductive.

According to Goins Writer, “Patience is a writer’s most important virtue.” Being impatient could impact their writing. Whether they’re writing a paragraph or a three-letter word, it’s vital to think through every word they choose. Check out this KFC public apology for their chicken shortage in 2018. Copywriting could be as simple as interchanging the letters in your brand name to grab attention. 

7. Avid reader

A well-versed copywriter is almost always reading digital magazines, business magazines, or current industry news and events. This is to broaden their perspectives on the various types of industries. 

When copywriters have to deal with different industries, it gives them an upper hand when they know a thing or two about the industry. Moreover, reading a lot of business magazines and digital marketing pieces will also augment their vocabulary. Plus, this will allow them to master their English skills. 

Wrap Up

Hiring an experienced copywriter is the only way to scale your brand. Never skimp and waste your time on a newbie copywriter who can’t even deliver. Any professional copywriter worth his salt knows having these traits leads to more attention-grabbing copy. And as entrepreneurs, it is your responsibility to recognize these from the get-go.