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TimGlynneJones
Tim Glynne-Jones

Aug 13, 2021, 10:00 AM

7 Good Reasons for Hiring a Copywriter

Big ideas begin with words – whether you’re thinking them, saying them or writing them down. But this articulation of ideas is a common stumbling block for all organisations, not just charities, and it can seriously hold projects up, or even prevent them from ever getting off the ground.

This is where investing in a professional copywriter can yield significant returns. When you engage a copywriter, you begin to feel the benefits long before you see anything written down. Here’s how.

1. Getting the job started

How many times have you told yourself you’d write that piece of copy to kickstart a campaign or galvanise your support base… and never quite got round to it? A copywriter will push you through that mental barrier and get the job started. You know, that job you’ve been putting off for the last two years!

2. Picking your brains

You know your organisation better than anyone but when asked about it, do you remember all the services and benefits you provide and all the interesting projects you’ve completed? By asking questions, a copywriter will pull valuable information out of your head that you had completely forgotten was in there. So when it comes to presenting your selling points, you don’t leave anything out.

3. Planning the supporter experience

You may be the expert on your own organisation but when it comes to understanding the supporter experience you provide you’re probably in the worst possible position. Too close, you see. A copywriter will look at your activities with an objective eye, which will help in planning the content and its structure for the best usability and relevance to your audience.

4. Making it punchy

OK, so you’ve picked your own brains and written down a long list of all your selling points. In fact, it’s not so much a list as a copy of War and Peace. A copywriter will take all that valuable information and craft it into a succinct piece of copy that potential supporters will want to read, rather than switching off from. They might even tell you it would work best as a video or an illustration – ideas that it’s hard to see for yourself.

5. Looking professional

I never said spelling and grammar aren’t important. The accuracy of your writing says as much about your competence and professionalism as the quality of your services – possibly even more, since it’s what potential supporters see first. If a writer gives you bad spelling and grammar, give them the boot!

6. Being seen

Good writing gets noticed and that’s the general idea behind marketing. This can be through traditional channels like editorial in a magazine, or modern digital channels like web searches. You’ve heard of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? Copywriters will enhance your SEO by researching keywords and working them effectively into your online content.

7. Saving you time and money

Compare your need for copy to a leaking pipe. The longer you ignore it, the more damage it will cause. Your communications will look out of date, irrelevant, unprofessional… all of which will cost you support. Fix it yourself and you’ll be taking up time that could be spent more profitably on some other aspect of running your organisation. More cost. But get a professional in and they will do the job more efficiently and more effectively, helping you to start attracting more supporters sooner. For a relatively small cost you’ll be boosting the success of your business for a long time to come.

Andrew Johnson

Tim Glynne-Jones has been writing professionally for over 30 years, as both a copywriter and journalist. He advises charities and businesses on all their words-related needs, from writing websites, case studies and sales collateral to planning content marketing campaigns.