9 Ways to Get More from Your Copywriters

It can be challenging to trust third-party copywriters to write for your company. Here are nine things you can give a copywriter to ensure better content.

I have an insatiable need for content when I do an SEO campaign. I try to set this expectation up front with a new client. Almost always, they tell me they can write whatever I need. Inevitably, they are unable to keep up with the amount of content I need.

That is fine. I never expected my clients to be able to keep up with my (their) content needs. After all, they are busy managing their businesses or coordinating several marketing initiatives. I don’t expect them to be writers, either.

UPDATE: Some clients are tempted to use AI to generate content on their website. That’s a bad idea! For one, the LLMs don’t want to use LLM-written content for their answers. Second, please re-read Google’s guidelines about AI-content carefully. Some took this to mean that AI content is “okay” to Google. At the recent Google event, however, John Mueller reminded us that SEOs tend to take things too far- and that’s not what they meant. My recommendation: take time and write it yourself. If you don’t have time, hire a copywriter.

That’s when I turn to my experienced team of writers. Over the years, I’ve worked with dozens of different writers. Some were expensive, some were cheap, some were good, and some were bad. Just because they were expensive doesn’t mean they were good. Some of the best writers I’ve worked with are often inexpensive.

Though all this I’ve learned one truth about copywriters: crap in, crap out.

If you tell the writer what you need and expect, they’ll produce great content. If you don’t give them much to start from, you won’t be happy with the result.

So, what does a writer need to know to write for your company’s website? Here are several things you need to tell them.

1. What is the topic?

Copywriters are generalists. They need to be quick learners and good researchers. If you give them a good place to start, they will take the time to understand it and produce something good. They will make something boring and general if you don’t give them a starting point.

When working with copywriters, I suggest giving them a “topic” rather than a “keyword.” Gone are the days of keyword density. Now the search engines look for semantics. The easiest way to do this is to write about a topic. When they write about a topic, they’ll naturally use your keywords and natural variations.

2. How long do you need it to be?

Most writers work in terms of words. They usually charge by the word, too. You need to be clear upfront about your needs.

I prefer longer content. I like at least 800 words for each article. This is because:

• The search engines like longer content.
• Longer content gives you more opportunity from the long tail.
• It’s hard for a writer to BS their way through longer content. That means they will have to put more effort into it, and you will like it better.

3. When do you need to receive it? When is it due?

Set your expectations upfront. Your writer is balancing your needs with their other clients (sorry- it’s not an exclusive relationship). Learn from my experience: whenever I’ve set a soft deadline, I get burned.

4. How much will you pay them?

This might seem obvious, but I always find someone who thinks this should be free. The fact is, you’re hiring someone because you don’t have time to write it yourself. How much is your time worth? You’ve made a good trade if you can get someone to write something for less than that.

While you might be able to negotiate a bulk discount, don’t try to get a deal with the promise of future work. Your writer has bills to pay, too, and they can’t pay them with your promise of “more to come.”

5. On behalf of whom will they write this?

Sometimes you’ll want the writer to speak for themselves. They can use their name, experiences, and style. This is especially good when hiring an expert to write for you.

Other times, you’ll want the writer to write on your behalf. Ghost writing is a legitimate practice. Do you think Richard Branson writes his blog? No- he’s got more important things to do. You do too. Don’t hesitate to hire someone to write for you.

6. For whom will they write this?

A good writer needs to know the audience for whom they’re writing. Are they novices? Are they experts? Are they male or female? The more you can give your writer, the better the article will speak to your audience.

7. Where will this appear?

Some content might go on your website. Other articles might appear on other sites. Your writer needs to know this because it affects the article’s conclusion. For example, you can be entirely and transparently self-promotional on your website. For instance, when you publish on someone else’s blog, you probably have to be more neutral in tone.

8. How will you use this?

A landing page is different than a blog post. For example, a landing page can be a hard sell with an in-your-face call to action. A blog post should be more educational and informational. Tell your writer how you’ll use their content, and they can adapt.

9. Do you have any branding guidelines they need to follow? Do you have any style guidelines?

This is the most challenging part of delegating your content to another writer. Most companies have never thought of these things before. Here are some things you should consider before hiring a writer:

• What is the correct way to refer to your company? Is there an acceptable shorthand for your company’s name? An abbreviation?
• Are there any key messaging items you want to convey, even subtly? What makes your company different?
• Do you prefer to talk to your customers (using the second person)? Do you prefer to talk about your topic (using the third person)? Do you prefer to talk about your experience (first person)? It’s funny how websites overlook this. I know my site is guilty of an inconsistency in person.
• When your boss reads it, what will freak them out? Everyone has pet peeves. Prepare your writer by warning them off the ones that will send your boss into orbit.
• Keep a running document of things you expect from each writer. Add it to your list when a writer delivers something you don’t like. That way, next time, your writer won’t make that mistake.

Even if you give your writer all this information, sometimes clients can be unhappy. When I ask them what they don’t like about it, they can have difficulty putting it into words. That’s why I developed my second maxim for working with copywriters: just because it’s different, doesn’t make it wrong.

Remember your first job as a manager? Remember how terrible the people you were responsible for were at their jobs? Remember how difficult it was not to push them aside and do it right, for them? When you hire a copywriter for your content, you’ll have to go through this all over again. Delegation is hard, but it’s the only way you’ll be able to produce enough content for your SEO campaign. I hope these guidelines help.