Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
Good copywriting tells a story. It listens to an audience’s frustrations, goals, desires and creates content that entices the audience to respond in a certain way.
From a 3 word headline to a downloadable ebook to social media posts, every word you share with your audience is important. You want to make sure you have the right copywriter for the job.
Some of it can be done with AI if you’re in a pinch, but remember, AI is a tool.
- It is not a creator.
- It does not feel.
- It is not human.
And all of the ‘brilliant’ copy it gives you was learned from people.
Even to this day there’s confusion on what ‘copy’ entails and what a copywriter can actually do! When I first started copywriting I was ready to take on anything — I could do it all! But over the years I’ve narrowed my focus down to my favorite: website copywriting.
For any new copywriters out there, companies thinking about whether they need a copywriter on staff, or anyone thinking about hiring a freelance writer — do it!
So here are 11 common copywriting services, many being taken over by AI leaving real people out of a job, that you can outsource to a human!
“Words matter. Every time you sit down to write an ad, web page, video script, or other content for your company, you have the opportunity to break through to people. Find those opportunities in your marketing and make sure that you’ve made the most of them.” Meghan Keaney Anderson, Hubspot
What Freelance Copywriting Services Are Available?
1. Blogs
I’m starting with blogs because they truly are the gift that keeps on giving.
It seems like everyone has a blog these days, because they work! But if you’re new here a blog is basically an online journal that allows your brand to share thoughts, trends, product info, and other educational (and entertaining) content to engage your audience with.
Blogs are important because they:
- Drive website traffic
- Allow you to promote your products and services
- Provide good content that builds trust & establishes authority (Google likes that)
- Give you sales material to convert a lead
And maybe most importantly — from an SEO perspective blogs allow you to rank and show up in the search results for a significantly large amount of topics that you can’t do with just your website’s core pages.
Blogs are not:
Blogs are:
It doesn’t have to be complicated but it does need to be well thought out. Keyword research can help you figure out what questions your audience has and wants to see more of. I help you create a fully optimized SEO content brief, and a copywriter brings this to life.
Good writing = good content.
Good content builds trust, drives website traffic and continues to do so months to years, increases conversions, and so much more.
2. Email Marketing
Around 333 billion emails are sent and received, worldwide, every day in 2022. Where would we be without email? When I’m done working, I switch over to my personal email to handle all things life related there.
Email marketing is important to your company’s success and because we’re friends, if you’re not using email then you’re losing money.
In a Litmus survey, 94% of respondents said email is in the top 3 most important channels for their success.
For all you sustainable and small businesses who think you have nothing to say or that daily emails feel to spammy (to which I agree) I’m here to tell you there are multiple different types of email marketing you can participate in that will fit your company’s needs!
Photo by Brian Tromp
A. Email Sequences
Emails sequences are automatically scheduled emails that go out based on a user’s action. They are an important part of the sales cycle and can help build relationships with prospects, existing customers, and leads.
Unless you just opened your first email account yesterday (and maybe not even then) you’ve most likely been on the receiving end of an email sequence.
Email sequences can save you loads of time because you’ve already mapped out the customer’s journey. All that’s left is for them to begin their trek.
They can be between 1 and upwards of 7 so there’s plenty of room for you to find a cadence that feels right.
Common email sequences are:
- Welcome sequences (thanks for subscribing, here’s what to expect)
- Purchasing sequences (thanks for purchasing, here’s what you do now)
- Sales sequence (our company thinks we can help you, here’s how)
- Onboarding sequence (so you’ve become a customer, now what?)
- Re-engagement (we haven’t heard from you in awhile, still interested?)
B. Email Newsletters
Newsletters are generally a bit more informative and personal than other forms of email marketing.
They come from a person or a brand with the intent to nurture relationships and build brand awareness. They read more like a brochure and should provide value to the recipient.
When is a newsletter beneficial?
Let’s say you have a solar panel company. After someone purchases and installs the panels, they don’t want to receive MORE sales emails. A newsletter sent 1-2X per month with tips on cleaning, how to use the solar calculator, how to file for tax credits, how the panels work in different seasons, what happens when the power goes out, and other tips/info that would provide tremendous value and increase brand loyalty.
If you’re feeling like multiple emails in one week is too much, a newsletter is probably for you. Start with 1 per month, see how that feels and adjust.
C. Sales Emails
A sales email is an email with the intention of promoting, or introducing, a product or service to an audience with the intention of making a sale. If you’ve ever signed up for a company’s email list, your inbox is likely full of them right now.
Sales emails allow you to have some fun — depending on your brand voice and audience of course.
Email lists are incredibly valuable for your business. SEO is great at getting new people to your site, but email is how you nurture return customers.
If you still think of it as spammy, think about it like this: People have signed up to be on your list. They want to hear from you. And when they stop wanting that they can unsubscribe. It’s as easy as that.
3. Website Copy
Pretty much every business needs a website; but not just any website. You need a good website, especially if you’re putting out content and directing people back to it. A good website is more than something that looks pretty.
- Have you ever gone to a website with a ton of info and tabs but you still weren’t really sure what the company did?
- Have you ever gone to a website and there was nothing except an address, a picture, and maybe 3 sentences?
- What about the frustration when you’re unable to find what you need on a website?
- Have you received great content from a company but when you go to their website it’s a severe letdown and looks nothing like their other online presence? It kind of makes their content feel spammy and inauthentic.
Not only are all of these super annoying, but they’re examples of poor copywriting!
As a business owner you don’t have to be a person of all trades — you of all people know that you’ve gotten where you are with help from others and hiring people to do what you don’t know how to do.
The same goes for writing concise, informative copy.
After leaving your website, people should at a minimum know:
- Who you are
- What you do
- What products/services you offer
- The value of your products/services
- How to get ahold of you
- Where else to find you (social media)
Your website should educate and inform, and with SEO optimization, rank for keywords in your industry that attract your ideal customer and help them find you.
Good website content drives the right people to your website while making it an enjoyable experience.
Talk to me about website copy!
4. Landing Page/Sales Page
This is 100% not what I do — Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash
Once you get a visitor to your site, how are you going to convert them?
A landing page!
*Note that landing pages and sales pages tend to cost more than general website copy because they need to be written in a specific way and have higher conversion potential.
The purpose of a landing page is to reach a specific audience with a message that encourages the lead/prospect to take action (sign up for a newsletter, download an ebook, make a purchase) which then gives you information on the conversion.
Landing pages can be used at different points throughout the sales funnel and are a great way to convert leads!
Which do you think will convert more?
- Person A gets an email from you, is interested in your product, and is then directed to your home page.
- Person B gets an email from you, is interested in your product, and is then taken to a targeted landing page containing benefits, FAQs, and raving reviews of the product they’re interested in.
Hubspot has a great article I’d recommend checking if you’re in doubt on why landing pages are so important.
A good landing page must address the pain points, hesitations, and questions someone might have before converting, as well as what value this product/service brings to their life.
5. Product Descriptions
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
A product description is a snippet that describes the product’s benefits and/or features on your website.
In my personal opinion product descriptions often get overlooked. It’s so easy to put it into ChatGPT and have it spit something back at you. This is a great place to have fun and bring out your brand’s voice — WHILE providing helpful information.
There’s nothing more frustrating than reading a product description and still not being able to understand what the product/service is.
You’ve most likely experienced one of these before.
“Once upon a time a marshmallow met a rose and they decided to embark upon a journey. A journey of truth, understanding, and ultimately, of love. Inspired by the basalt cliffs of the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, we are so proud to bring you a creation like no other. Made with love and non-toxic ingredients. Stay loving, stay truthful.”
As a consumer, I don’t want to have to scroll all over the page and go to multiple places on your website, other websites, reviews, and/or social media to find out the details I need to know about your product.
Instead, let’s try:
“Inspired by the rolling green hills of Ireland running into the basalt cliffs of the giant’s causeway, this eyeshadow brings you five long-lasting earth tones that blend and layer, perfect for a dramatic night out or an easy day on zoom. With sustainability at the forefront of everything we do, the palette is made from recycled toilet paper rolls and uses no magnets and no mica. We use organic, GMO free ingredients and include elements such as coconut oil, shea butter, and jojoba oil to nurture your skin all day long.”
*Please note this example purely from my imagination. Any relation to an existing product or service is unintentional.*
Even if it’s not your style it contains a ton more information that will help you make your purchase.
A good product description tells people the details of the product and why they should buy it. It truly thinks about your customer.
6. Social Media Blurbs/Ads
Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash
Just as your website functions as an expression of your brand, your social media profiles do as well.
Social media is usually one of the first places someone will go to research your company/product/service. If they’re met with digital crickets … Weeeeellll, it’s not a good look.
On the flip side, social media is a great place to keep the quality content going and increase trust and authority with your audience. You can also use other platforms to highlight those blogs posts you’ve been working hard on!
Bringing on a copywriter for ads and social media can help you:
- Clearly communicate with your audience
- Build/maintain your brand image
- Create content that goes with the tone of your brand
- Provides a ton of value in a few words
7. Line Editing
Already have some content written and don’t want to start over? Copywriters can also do that!
I offer a copy audit service that checks your existing copy for style, content, and language to make sure your point is being communicated the way it should be. This is great if you already have copy you kind of like and don’t want to start over, aren’t ready for the commitment of new copy, need a budget-friendly option, and/or are planning on going through a rebrand soon.
Line editing is not looking for grammatical or technical errors but rather to ensure the whole piece flows together and reads the way you want it to. A copy editor checks for grammatical, technical, and even factual errors.
8. Ebooks
An ebook is an informational piece of long-form content that a customer or prospect can download and access on any device.
An ebook:
- Can be offered as a lead magnet
- Can help position yourself as a thought leader in the industry
- Can provide more information on your company or products
- Generally starts around 2,000 words and can fluctuate
- Is generally accompanied with graphs, pictures, and other content to break it up and make it more engaging
Before you decide to put out an ebook, talk to your sales team and research your audience. The topic should be something you’ve lightly touched on but haven’t covered in depth that your audience wants to know more about while being a natural part of the conversation in the sales process.
For more information on ebooks, check out this Hubspot article.
Pricing for Freelance Copywriting Services
Also not me — Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
Listen, I get it. ChatGPT, Claude, whatever AI you use offers you this beautiful expanse of creating content that sounds good to you for free! Or for $20/month. It’s like a siren’s call.
But how do you know if it’s really good? You’ve cut the experts entirely from the process. Copywriting is one of those unseen benefits. You don’t know how much you need it until it’s not there.
Working with an actual human professional, there are a few ways pricing is determined for copywriting services. The two most common are per word and project based rates. Neither is better or worse than the other but rather what works better for the freelancer.
Pricing for freelance copywriting services generally includes:
- The labor required to complete said piece
- Research, research, research
- Free revisions (up to a certain amount)
- Administrative components (meetings, communication, edits, etc)
When looking at copywriting rates, it’s important to think about the value the content is bringing to your business. Copywriting is not one of those areas where you want to go with the cheapest quote without doing more research.
Bad copywriting isn’t just going to put you out of some money that you’ll then need to re-spend for a better copywriter to fix. It can cause serious damage to your brand reputation and the relationship you have with your clientele.
Be sure to talk to a potential freelancer before hiring them and make sure both you and the freelancer understand the style and tone of the project/business.
As a freelancer, I’ve thought long and hard about the value my content brings which is reflected in my pricing.
Things such as:
- The time it takes to research a project/topic
- The time it takes to research an audience
- Revisions
- Administrative Work
- Studying your brand voice to get it right
- A fair wage that represents my experience and quality of work — a girls gotta eat
- Almost most importantly — making sure I’ve given 100+% to your project because that’s how I operate.
- And most importantly — being in your corner. We wear a lot of hats as small business owners. We need reliable partners who can not only handle the work but take it over. I just had a client tell me how amazing it feels to have me in her corner. To have another person thinking so diligently, carefully, and strategically about your business and how it can succeed.
- Results:
- I’ve helped my clients rank in the #1 spot for multiple pieces using targeted keywords
- I’ve helped a small business send an email that resulted in the owner getting a text saying it was the one of the cutest emails they’ve received from a brand and it put them in such a good mood.
Expect project minimums that I, and others, have implemented to ensure our focus is on the details that matter.
When talking to a freelancer, a budget should always be discussed up front. It is better for both of us to be on the same page from the beginning!
A few benefits of hiring a freelance copywriter are:
- Save money — you don’t have to pay health insurance or benefits
- Save time — let your team focus on their jobs and the copywriter on the content
- Get results — copywriters write with the intention of getting results
- Don’t say the wrong thing — copywriters speak in the tone of your brand directly to your customers
I hope that helps clear up some of the freelance copywriting services available! There are a ton more out there that may be added to this list in the future.
I wish you the best of luck on your journey to find a freelance copywriter and if you’d like to talk to me about working on a project, I’d love to hear from you!
