Where can I find a good copywriter?

Actually Matt, copywriters are very often hired for new site launches - including for About pages. The about page, homepage, product descriptions, etc. are all copy. While not all directly sell, they all are persuasive in one way or another. Something like an About page is just more subtly so, and that's why it's more important, not less, to have it written by a qualified copywriter who understands the needs, desires, and motivations of the site's target market or audience. An About page can play a huge rule in the trust factor between the visitor (often a potential client or customer) and the site owner or company behind it. It can also play a major role in whether or not something like press releases work (if the info on the site you send journalists to isn't doing its job effectively, they're not likely to cover you). Persuading people to invest trust in you, what you're selling, or in the info you're providing enough to want to pass it along isn't an easy thing to do. Most About pages are very poorly done - there was a lot of buzz about that very issue in my industry just a few months back actually. It's definitely not a complete waste of money to hire a qualified writer for any type of writing you need done, if you're serious about your business.

 

Well, being both a newcomer here and at this point a Generalist Writer, I ‘m going out on a limb to tackle this one. But, I’m going to do so anyway.

Firstly, Dan, the writers here gave you top-drawer advice. You really do need to be able to clearly define both the kind of writer, and the kind of “document product” that you want to expect good results.

Another point, which no one else brought up, but that realistically needs to be understood is that most people who are viable professionals either in Content or Copywriting strains of the writing industry would most likely not be offering services through this site. [Although I recognize a few styles that I’ve seen in much more professional places as well.] My understanding from what I’ve read about the site is that the rates available here are far below the going rates for people who get most or all of their Copywriting work, in particular – and a Press Release is Copywriting work – through other-than-Internet means. People such as that would basically say “you get what you pay for;” and the maximum rates paid through the site are below what a well-established Copywriter would even consider accepting for work. Even some content writers do generally better on rates than what I’ve read about the rates available through this site; although those rates seem closer for many content writers.

What I see as others respond and you ask for clarifications through the thread is that it seems that even after, let alone before, you have engaged writers on a project you have only the vaguest understanding of either the product specifications the writer needs to aim for nor the type of writer who should be sought to do that kind of work. Nor even, for that matter, do you seem to have any understanding of why the Press Release site would not accept the piece. Do you know, or can you get it clarified why they do not deem it a Press Release? It is well within possibility that their definition of Press Release is one that is unique to them and wouldn’t be specifications that any copywriter in the world would consider to be a Press Release.

Having come out of the Technical and Business Writing side of the profession, I can tell you that Freelancers there routinely include in the SOW [Statement of Work] limitations on the number of rewrites, if any, that the upfront costs cover. The reason they do so is precisely because they’ve seen exactly the text book case this thread traces too many times. In that sense, your Press Release writer may be correct: even now I have the sense that you couldn’t give a writer a clear Statement of Work enabling them to have a fair shot at doing the job correctly. We’ve all seen too many clients only reluctantly willing to pay a fee that profit-wise only covers a first draft; and then expect uncounted revisions to get what they want when proper Specifications at the outset would have made for acceptable results with minimal, occasionally even no, post-delivery revisions.

As the last poster before me pointed out, even in a couple paragraph post, what you're looking for seems to be two different jobs by potentially two different writers [Press Release versus Content pages for a website.] If the client can't define what it is s(he) wants, how s(he) expect the writer to do so? [Many good writers do do both Copywriting and Content Writing, though.]

All that aside, however; we all have slip-ups but shoddy spelling and other mechanics in applying for a writing project, where one is trying to sell our own skills in part by evidencing them, certainly should lead one to look with suspicion on the writer’s general ability.

Also, trying to find out through referrals and information how to have a more successful writer-client engagement as you’ve done in this thread is a significant step in the right direction.

My overall purpose, I think, here is to try to bring together into a “whole cloth” pattern the general threads I see in the post and its replies; hoping it will enable you to give the next writer satisfactory specifications that will increase the odds of their giving you what you need. The best writer in the world has a better chance of getting it wrong than right without adequate specifications from the client.

From the thoughtful and well-written posts, once you do that then the referrals of other writers here give you a good sense of who might have the best qualifications for your particular specifications.

 

Oops.

I seem to have made things worsen by trying to redirect my errantly placed post; to have that post also end up on the same thread! [The one right after this one in date.]

Moderator: I'm fairly sure I didn't select the wrong thread the second time; so if this one ends up in the wrong spot yet again, can you re-direct since it might be a site problem?

Apologies for the confusion to either thread.

 

Since a lot of online copy is bad and site-owners don't
have the time to learn to do it well themselves it
sometimes makes sense to hire a specialist in
copywriting. Just be aware - "When you pay
Peanuts you Get Monkeys" - so beware of super-low
price quotes.

I write copy. If you have copy that is not converting
adequately I guarantee increased conversions with your
copy makeover or your money back.

Copy is a specialized field. I've done well writing copy for
my own projects but if You want better results I can help
You get the copy that gets the money.

Case-by-case basis. Sliding scale. I sometimes even
do critiques for free. If you have a website that deserves
to succeed and you know your copy is weak I'll be
happy to take a look and shoot you a guestimate to
fix it.

You can Google my name. I have a reputation at stake
as a marketer of integrity and I take on a limited number
of up-and-coming entrepreneurs as clients.

 

As i said earlier, a waste of money.

But, don't take my word for it.

The last 100-1000-10,000 websites that we all visited - how many times did we go to the about page?

I rest my case.

Now people may very well hire copywriters to produce content for the about page, home page and the remainder of the site. It doesn't mean it is a wise business choice.

I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to hire a copywriter unless they were selling something specific or needed promotion via press release/brochures etc etc etc.

There is simply no need to throw money down the toilet hiring someone to do something they can't do. No different to hiring a content writer to write your press releases, 1/100 will get it right, your better off just hiring the best qualified for the job, it's cheaper and it will be done right the first time.

 

It seems that you're stating this based on your experience. Could you show any proof that majority of people don't read About pages?

Anyway, the purpose of an about page is to provide more information about a particular website or a blog. For websites, an about page can provide more details on what a company does, how long it has been in the business, etc. As for blogs, it shows readers the topics that the blog covers and probably information about the blogger.

But more than just providing information, about pages can also help build a website or blog's credibility. It can be a subtle way of selling a site or blog.

That said, you can't simply dismiss about pages as a waste of money.

 

It's just common sense. The vast majority of websurfers do not visit the about page, if you think that they do, what can I say, you're entitled to your opinion, I'm not going to argue about it.

Everybody has stats available for their site or sites, you can all see how much traffic your about page gets.

 

Actually Matt, you're still way off base. About pages are used. As someone who's worked in PR for years, I can tell you they're an absolute stable for journalists on the Web - one of the first pages they'll look at if they want to know more about a company before deciding to conduct an interview, write a story, or ignore you altogether. It's not about the quantity - it's about who does use them (that's just one example), and how the trust you build there can affect your relationship with them (or lack thereof). The fact that you haven't had good experiences with copywriters doesn't mean they're useless. Countless companies and sites (probably far more successful) would absolutely disagree with you.

 

I think you should try reading my previous posts before commenting because I don't think you actually managed to comprehend what I said the first or second time around.

 

No Matt, I understood you perfectly. My point, which I clearly stated when I said "It's not about the quantity - it's about who does use them" addressed it.

Your argument is that most average Joe surfers don't read an About page (which is still irrelevant if you can't offer statistics demonstrating it) and that essentially makes copywriters worthless.

My point is that the value of a copywriter doesn't end with the customer audience - it goes far beyond that. Some consumers certainly do read them though.

Personally, unless I'm ordering from a big name company I'm familiar with, I always do my background research. It's simply a matter of being an informed consumer. The higher the ticket price, the more value a copywriter can bring to the table.

They can be particularly effective in large B-to-B sales of products or services. There's a reason copywriters are paid what they're paid - especially the top copywriters. While companies can certainly make sales without them, a good copywriter can bring in greatly increased conversions, leading to sales increases far outweighing their cost to the company.

 

It actually goes beyond my opinion. One of the sites I own wherein the about page is #2 in the most viewed content next to the index page. You could interpret it any way you want, but one thing is clear in this case - majority of that site's visitors visit the about page.

You can say common sense. You can say a majority of such and such. But unless you can quantify your claim, I'll continue disagreeing with you.

 

No BS, you need me to provide you with stats for you to believe this?

I'm not going to waste anymore time on this, it's obvious that common sense isn't going to prevail here so i'll just leave it alone. You can believe what you want to believe.

 

I notice you didnt say all 10 of my sites or all 24 of my sites or all 398 of my sites but you did say 1 on my sites. As I just said, I'm not going to argue about this, you too can believe what you want to believe...p.s your post qualified my arguement without me having to chase up the stats, Cheers.

 

Matt: do you own the betting sites in your signature? If yes, it would be funny because statistics play a huge part in betting, the same thing that you don't find any value in.

 

Actually, I didn't qualify your argument. I was simply stating my case against what you said that about pages are a waste of money, therefore, useless.

 

95% of all times I read "About us" pages.

 

Actually People DO read "about me" pages. I have tested
this. On sites where I have done this the "about me" page
usually is right behind the Index page in number of visits.

People want to know who wrote it, created it, is selling it,
whatever "it" is. They are curious and they want re-assurance.

People will send you emails saying "hey I ran track in High School
too" or whatever - and what they are saying is that they like
you and they feel they have something in common with you.

"About us" pages - if you put some sort of stiff corporate face
on your business - well it's a choice I don't agree with.

The best strategy, proven in direct mail, is to put a human
face on your marketing. Even if the company owner never
deals directly with customers... well, he or she should, because
it keeps things real, but if he or she doesn't it's still a good
idea to use some sort of public face.

Lee Iacoca - Chrysler
Richard Thalheimer - The Sharper Image
Oprah Winfrey - Oprah

You get the idea. People want to feel like they know you.

 

Yes , I am one.

 

All I can tell you is that one of the sites I wrote sold for $2million two weeks ago. He bought 4 sites from the guy but the buyer said it was the one that nailed the target market that sealed the deal. That was the one I wrote.

A copywriter knows instinctively how to write to a market which often gets search engine attention, too, without any effort because phrases are in there that the target uses. I always go in and add phrases or change a few things and then work with the tags. I want a balance of copywriting and SEO.

I don't always think the "about me" page is popular for a site but it depends on the site. There is one I have done for a client that is #2 after the index/home page. Then another client who I felt did not need one but he insisted, gets low visitation. So you can't make a sweeping generalization because as soon as you do, you're faced with an exception.

 

webgal, do you mind to share where such deals usually happens ? I mean like $2mil website selling ? Is it kinda private deal ?