Marketing your own business is hard. It also takes a lot of time. That’s why many business professionals recommend hiring a copywriter.

But as a small business owner, hiring is a big deal. How can you be sure a copywriter will help, not harm, your beloved company?

In this post, we'll discuss reasons for hiring a copywriter, as well as signs you should hold off. As a freelance copywriter myself, I'd love for you to decide you're ready to hire someone (like me!), but I also want to empower you to make the choice to wait, which can be just as difficult. Whichever way you go, just know I'm cheering you on.

What Does a Copywriter Do?

First off, let’s discuss what a copywriter does. Contrary to phonetic confusion, a copywriter has nothing to do with legally protecting your intellectual property. (That’s copyRIGHT.)

A copywriter is someone who uses sales, marketing, and psychology principles to sell your products or services. This can take many forms, including:

• Web pages

• Sales pages

• Sales emails

• Newsletters

• Email automations

• Ad copy

• Headlines

• Blog content

• Social media posts

• White pages

• Case studies

• Product descriptions

• And so much more

Signs You Should Hire a Copywriter

1. You hate writing about your business

If you cringe every time you sit down to try to write your home page or another product description, then you should look into hiring a copywriter to handle it for you. Some people struggle to write about their business, and that’s okay. It’s hard to write about something you’re so close to, especially in a way that will actually get sales.

Rather than stress, why not hand off your website to a copywriter? They'll ask you some questions, and in a few weeks, they'll come back with beautiful web copy that you didn't have to slave over.

2. You struggle to write copy that sells

The main goal of copy (aka the words on your website or ad) is to sell. If what you're writing isn't doing that, then you should consider hiring a copywriter to help you.

Copywriters use psychological tactics to take prospects from lurkers to buyers. Of course, they aren’t miracle workers. If you have a poor product or didn’t do proper market research, they can’t suddenly make it a best-seller. But they can help you create copy that highlights your product’s value to drive sales.

3. You’re a bad writer

Please don't take this the wrong way. But some people just aren’t good at writing. That’s okay. Not everyone can be a writer, just like not everyone can be an artist or a politician. Becoming a good writer takes a lot of time and effort that not everyone wants to put in.

If you struggle with writing, you should definitely look into hiring a copywriter to help you. You'll get fantastic writing without worrying if it's full of errors or grammatical issues. It's well worth the money to gain peace of mind.

4. You don’t have time to write copy

Small business owners are busy. You have to make products, ship orders, create social media posts, manage inventory, and a million other little things. If your plate is already full, there’s no shame in outsourcing your copywriting to a professional.

Not only will it save you time, but you’ll get back a better product than if you’d rushed something off. Instead of stressing over word choice, you'll have more time to spend on the parts of business you actually enjoy.

Signs You Shouldn't Hire a Copywriter

1. You don’t know what you need

A good copywriter can help you round out and solidify your ideas. But they can’t read your mind. You can’t just hire them, point them at your website, and say “go”. They need to know if you’re looking to increase conversions, get more sales, or improve your SEO. Do you want web copy or blog posts?

If you don’t know these things, they won't be able to help you in any beneficial way. You should hold off hiring until you know precisely what you need. (If you need a little guidance, you could also look into booking a session with a business consultant to advise you.)

2. You’re just starting out

It’s exciting to start a new business. It can be tempting to go all in and hire a copywriter right away so you can have the best possible copy to sell your beautiful new products.

But new businesses tend to grow and evolve, especially during the first few months as you figure stuff out. I know mine did. If you hire a writer too soon, your offer or niche might change, so you have to start all over. It’s better to give it a few months until you’re certain about what you’re doing.

3. You don’t have a decent budget

I won’t lie–hiring a copywriter is expensive. They can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales, which means they charge a higher rate for their services.

If you don’t have a reasonable marketing budget, you should probably hold off hiring for now. Cost can vary, depending on experience, whether you need them for a one-time project or a retainer, and so much more. You'll need to budget at least a few hundred per month, if not more.

I hope these tips helped you decide if it’s time for you to hire or not. If you are ready, I have a few posts on hiring a freelance writer that you should definitely check out.

• Hiring a Freelancer for Your Small Business- Two Methods That Work

• How to Pick a Good Freelancer: Tips from a Freelance Writer

I would also love to see if I'm a good fit to help you write blog posts, emails, and web copy for your business. Click the button below to learn more and set up your free intro call today.