How to Hire a Copywriter for Your Ad Copy

You’re not the only Entrepreneur that needs to find the right copywriter, but to get clients, it could be just as easy as seeing if you’re suffering from one of the Facebook ad issues below…

It happens to everyone, you create your first Facebook ad campaign and put together any copy that seems to make sense, just to get the ad running. The ad gets approved, then you wait, thinking that every user that sees it will respond to your offer and that the sales are going to start rolling in. Well, it’s not that easy, for a variety of reasons, but mainly because really good ad copy takes some effort and it’s one piece of an organized campaign that is part of a much larger strategy…

Important

Your ad copy is going to be the reason why Facebook users are going to start trusting you and believing that you have the solution that they’re looking for, so choosing the right person to write that copy should include someone that has a good understanding of their craft, of the Facebook ad platform, and of your business. You don’t just want anyone to write your ad copy, and you don’t want to just do it yourself, especially if you don’t understand the fundamentals of persuasive writing…

Symptoms

Before you can start your search for a copywriter, you need to be able to identify the symptoms that are leading you to need fresh copy in the first place for your ad campaign. Similar to when your car’s engine light turns on, you need to list each symptom that may be causing it, in order to be able to identify the best solution for fixing it.

Your Facebook ad campaigns are going to operate in much the same way, you need to know your symptoms so a copywriter can produce copy that addresses them and causes them not to return. The most common symptoms are:

– Ad Denied
– Low Ad Distribution
– Low Ad Response Rate
– Low Ad Engagement
– Low Landing Page Engagement

You might be suffering from one specific symptom or it’s possible that your seeing all of these symptoms across multiple campaigns, this is why your looking to hire a copywriter for your ad copy.

Ads Denied

Your ad copy needs to follow the guidelines that Facebook has setup to ensure that it does not negatively affect the community. Besides what’s prohibited or restricted to advertise, the copy itself is scrutinized for using bad grammar and profane language, directly identifying personal attributes, promoting fraud or making misleading statements, and personal health transitions using negative imagery before with unlikely results after…

Bad grammar…

With such a short amount of space to work with, your ad copy needs to be precise and correct, that’s why Facebook guidelines require that you use correct and appropriate grammar, at all times. You also never want to create copy that distracts from the message, tripping up the user’s mental attention to try and figure out what it was you intended to say…

As part of Facebook’s disinterest in bad grammar, they also require that you use symbols, numbers, and letters as they are intended to be used. Your don’t want to use any of these characters to make any direct implications or in place of letters to cause the user to derive an intended meaning. It’s not a good method for getting your message across and destroys the community methodology they are trying to promote…

Profane language…

It goes without saying, but the use of profanity in your ad copy is only going to result in the inevitable. So, despite feeling like you have creative license to use flowery language that pushes the boundaries of what is or isn’t profane, you need to think about, not just your ads continuing to be denied, but also the possibility of your account being shut down…

Personal attributes…

It’s never a good idea to personally identify a user in your ad using their attributes, whether they are physical, behavioral, or mental. If you were to do so, your going to grab the user’s attention, but you’re also going to build a level of insecurity that not only can backfire on your brand, but it also creates an unsafe environment within the community. So, as much as your think it’s a good idea, there are no long-term benefits to drawing negative attention on the user…

Fraud or misleading statements…

Using a “too good to be true” statement in your ad copy is not a good start to building a trusting relationship with the user. Besides the fact that grandiose statements are often times passed over, even more subdued unbelievable benefits will create the wrong image, leading to further bad performance. Keeping your leading value positive and truthful is going to build your brand and give you the results you want…

Personal health…

You can’t have side-by-side, before and after, images that show how your solution proved to be successful for your customers personal health. Besides the fact that you think it may be an effective strategy to encourage conversions, it doesn’t protect the community from unsubstantiated results. You’re going to have to be much more considerate about how you go about relaying your message of success without leading the user on…

Low Ad Distribution

You’re probably not formulating your message into your ad copy correctly. If you have your audience figured out, then through a series of other issues, including a low ad response or engagement rate, you’re going to experience very low distribution. The main cause would be ad copy that just isn’t getting across to the right audience…

Low Ad Response Rate

You could be seeing the results of an ad message that isn’t ready to be seen by the user, such as asking for a sale before they have even been qualified. Your ad messages should be progressive, introducing yourself and your solution, adding value to that relationship, and you ask for a call-to-action only when they are ready. In between this process, you have ad messages that encourage return back into your sales funnel. Each message is orchestrated according to the right time in that relationship they have progressed…

Low Ad Engagement

You’re probably experiencing an audience that just isn’t interested in your message because they have not been properly qualified or gradually introduced to your solution. You might have the audience right, but the ad copy, the value you’re offering, and the sale you’re asking for, need to be timed differently. If they’re not ready, they’re not going to respond to your call-to-action, so you need to start with offering value first to give them a reason to want to buy your solution…

Low Landing Page Engagement

Your ad copy is going to dictate the message all the way down the sales funnel, especially at the landing page. So, if that message changes at the landing page, you’re going to lose the focus of the user. At any time that you begin to create moments where the user needs to think, you’re essentially restarting the sales process, and your landing page is not going to be setup for first time interaction. You need to maintain a congruent message across your sales funnel…

[get_segue key=”facebook_ad_copy_only” pos=”1″]

Searching For a Copywriter for Ad Copy

There are several platforms where the ad copy is a key part of how your ad campaign performs, but with Facebook, you have a very powerful system that allows you to be able to use that ad copy in your ad to engage with a willing community. There are many copywriters that have proven their success applying their skills to these Facebook ad campaigns, but you require a strategic discipline that can’t be found easily, at least not without guidance…

Who you don’t want…

The best Facebook copywriter’s aren’t just writing copy for ads, but also managing the messages on landing pages, and email campaigns. Anyone can write ad copy, but to write effective copy that really grabs the user’s attention, you need someone that has a focus as a persuasive writer for sales campaigns. While, previous success is important, you don’t want someone that doesn’t understand the fundamentals of copywriting and how they can be applied to your ads to achieve your goals…

Who you want…

A really good copywriter shouldn’t be hard to find, your going to have a much harder time finding someone that has experience with applying a social strategy through copy to your ad campaigns. You want someone that has good business sense and understands your offer and how it operates to generate revenue. Furthermore, they need to be able to cultivate your goals through a long-term engagement campaign to produce positive results…

Where do you find them…

You should always be on the lookout for really good copywriters, reading through ads or blog posts, and searching for that person that has the right tone you need to communicate with your customers…

Aggressive tactic…

The right copywriters you’re looking for are always pooled together, they search out the authority figures for copywriting and engage with them through their social media accounts and blog posts. The best copywriting tactics are going to be discussed there, detailing successes and failures, and encouraging and reinforcing each other’s work…

A serious authority copywriter is going to be open to, and encourage, your questions about your projects. Don’t be shy about sharing what your objectives are and how you want your ad copy to help in accomplishing them. You can even go so far as to ask for referrals for available copywriters as you continue to interact with them. Your goal is to build relationships and start adding to your list of copywriters that you’re going to refer to in the future…

The authority copywriters are going to be the best in the business, but they aren’t going to be the best fit for your needs. You want to be able to work with a copywriter that is accessible and affordable, so your advantage is going to be to search through the community of copywriters that post comments. Here, you’re going to be able to create a list of active copywriters that are looking to hone their craft, better their skills, and they should be ready and willing to offer their copywriting services…

An alternative to building a list of copywriters is to have them find you through these authority figures. Everyone wants to showcase their talents and the best are always willing to compete, so, if you’re willing, you can create a competition for the most effective copywriting. Using the authority figures weight, it can be promoted across their communities, and you can pick several winners where you will use each copy in live ads, and the winner will be determined by who has the best results…

A good copywriter can make a big difference for an ad campaign and a creative way to find them can help weed out the worst of them. Be open minded about who you want to work with, but be weary of anyone just offering copywriting services without really understanding what your trying to achieve…

Passive tactic…

You can always choose to take a much lesser aggressive approach and find your copywriter through Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other job site. You’re going to be able to search for and find copywriters as professionals, as opposed to part-time bloggers. You’re also going to be able to see their previous or current work experience, and in some instances see their portfolio of projects that they are most proud of…

If you choose to search through Facebook to find a copywriter, then you’re going to have access to their timeline, which can provide you with a huge amount of insight into their creativity. Not all copywriters are fans of what they do, but the special ones are going to express that pride, not only in the posts that they like, but also in their comments. Passionate copywriters have a way with words, they speak with eloquence, and this is probably best depicted in their interactions with those that they know and love…

Certainly, LinkedIn is an obvious tool to use to find professional copywriters, but you wouldn’t be doing yourself justice, if you didn’t use the information that you find and research them to get a better understanding of their skills. A lot of that information is found on their profile, so you just have to want to get to know them better…

Here are some examples of job titles to search for…

Copywriter

Editorial Communications

Advertising Copywriter

Marketing Copywriter

eCommerce Copywriter

Digital Copywriter

Creative Writer

Project Writer

Freelance Copywriter

Also consider:

Content Manager

Content Marketing Specialist

Content Marketing Manager

Content Marketing Strategist

Content Marketing Intern

Content Marketing Associate

Here are some examples of skills to search for…

business strategy

marketing fundamentals

grammar rules

creative & imaginative

clear communication

persuasive writing

lead qualification

Lazy tactic…

If you’ve heard of the “gig economy” or know freelance workers, then you know about the contractor marketplaces. These sites and apps create a marketplace for buyers ( clients ) and sellers ( contractors ) to exchange services with each other, they also offer payment services for security. This is the most effortless way to find many different copywriters with varying skills and experiences…

To start, contractors usually work on a project-per-project basis, so your going to have to have your objectives outlined for your ad campaigns and all the details of what you’re expecting ready. There are marketplaces that facilitate projects to be extended, this mimics a long-term contract or similar to working with an employee full-time. When you create your project on any of these marketplaces, you’re going to have to outline how you intend your sales funnel to operate or you’re going to have to request that they suggest a strategy for you…

You need to understand that these marketplaces are open to contractors from all over the world, so, there are cultural differences that you’re going to have to contend with, there is going to be an issue with the open times for communication, and your going to have to watch out for contractors that appear as a single person but are really part of a “mill” type organization. Outside of those issues, there are benefits, and the most obvious is going to be the discount price you will see in comparison to a domestic copy writer, but your going to have to determine if there is still value received, and not just perceived…

Here is a list of marketplaces you can use…

Upwork.com

Freelancer.com

Guru.com

Fiverr.com

Freeup.com

[get_segue key=”facebook_ad_copy_only” pos=”2″]

Hiring a Copywriter for Ad Copy

If you already have a list of potential Copywriters, either from one of the contractor marketplaces, or on one of the popular job sites, you’re going to need to organize your objectives, needs, and expectations to be able to find the right person that you think would be a good match…

First, what are your business objectives…

Your should already know what you’re going to expect from a copywriter, but don’t forget about how your ad copy fits into your wider strategy. Your business objectives are going to guide your needs, and the copywriter will be better equipped to fulfill your request…

Next, what are your tactical needs…

If you already have ad copy that is active in your ad campaigns, than this is a good start for a copywriter to see the tactical choices that have already been made that produce the poor performance. In this case, they will know exactly what doesn’t work, which offers efficiency and better opportunity to produce effective ad copy…

Think about what your time frame is…

Depending on your project size, your ad copy shouldn’t take more than a couple of days for a single or multiple pieces. But, in the event that you need multiple pieces for different qualification levels and perhaps even landing page support, then you’re probably going to have to be prepared for a turn-around time of up to a week, if not more, depending on the extent of the copywriting. With this said, you need to figure out your development schedule before you can commit to your campaign schedule…

Difference between an agency and a person…

There are always other options to consider when looking for a copywriter, such as working with a creative agency, which will have full-time employees that have the talent and experience to produce effective copy. If your ad campaign requires a high level of professional support and you need a more structured method to getting the copy produced, than an agency would be your best choice. The drawback is cost, you’re going to get top level support, but you’re going to pay a premium for that service, so be aware of this…

Recognize the obstacles of working with someone international…

There are cost benefits to working with a copywriter from another country, not to mention the fact that international contractors may have a schedule that is much more available. You’re going to have to give consideration to the language you need your ad copy written in and the contractor’s grasp of that language when writing your copy. Furthermore, there are words, sayings, and certain punchlines that are creatively used in ad copy that seem to be better executed when the copywriter’s first language is the same as the one your looking to use. In any case, your going to have to make the decision that is best for you…

How to value experience…

After taking the time to find the best copywriters, you’re going to come across some that have sporadic experience and others that have a consistent career path. The best copywriter for you might not always be the conventional choice, you really need to look at your objectives, your offer, and their ability to creatively apply copy that enhances their value…

You’re going to dictate what it is you want or need, but the copywriter is going to have the fundamentals in place to be able to determine the most effective method to communicate your message. Outside of writing your ad copy yourself, you have to choose someone you trust, so that they can provide you insight, perhaps in your message direction that you weren’t aware of, to get the results you’re looking for…

Here are a list of questions to ask…

Do you have a specific tone you use for writing ad copy?

Do you adjust your tone according to each client needs?

Can you give an example of differing tones for ad copy?

How will you decide which tone would work best for me?

Describe your process for gathering the ad objectives and applying them to the ad copy.

How do you qualify the prospect in the ad copy?

What are the ad copy differences at each stage of the sales funnel?

What should be the ideal length of the ad copy?

Give an example of a successful call-to-action.

How should the ad copy support a video ad?

Here is a list of skills to look for…

Passion for copywriting

Align objectives and needs with copy

Understand social media and content marketing

Able to apply strategic level thinking for copy

Firm understanding of the major ad platforms

Specific experience with Facebook ads

You should know what is fair market value for the work…

[get_segue key=”facebook_ad_copy_only” pos=”3″]

Be mindful of what you should get from the work…

Finding the right person to write converting ad copy for you has to involve you understanding that it’s a process. Part of that process includes you setting a reasonable expectation for, not just writing the ad copy itself, but also for it’s effectiveness. Even under perfect conditions, your ad copy can be ineffective, mainly because other factors influence success of an ad campaign…

You need to understand how your ad copy fits into your entire ad campaign objective. If you’re mindful of this, then you can set a fair expectation, and your if you planning accordingly, then you can be ready to make adjustments as need…

The best way to approach your ad copy, is to make sure it is written with your end in-mind, that is the conversion. So, if you know where you want the user to end, than you create a winning experience for them filled with value, that’s sales funnel, and the ad copy is directing at each intent that you establish…

You’re not searching for a copywriter to write new ad copy, just because you think you need it, you’re going to do it because you know you need it, to alleviate one or more of those symptoms, and to maintain a healthy ad campaign…

Entrepreneur Marketing
Made [ Easy ]

Enroll in my FREE 9 lesson course that has helped so many other Entrepreneurs to...
Automate Their Marketing...
to Get More Clients...

Enter your email address