How to Choose a Good Copywriter

They’ve always been around at the top, wordsmiths who craft an indelible phrase that defines a company. You can think of a good copy writer as a master of disciplined creativity. You won’t find their quotes mentioned in Bartlett’s Famous Quotations, yet their words achieve a certain immortality, “Things Go Better with Coke…" "Reach out and Touch Somebody…" "Finger Lickin’ Good…" "LSMFT… Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco.”

A copywriter knows that good campaigns are created from the outside in. People aren’t interested in the words per se but in the message the words convey to the consumer.

My own company, Checkmate Pictures is in the image making business, combining words and pictures in a way for small to medium sized businesses to sell their wares.

For this posting, I’ve enlisted the expertise of a friend, Christine Whitmarsh, who owns Christine Ink. http://www.christine-ink.com/ a Reno, Nevada based copy writing agency. Both of us understand that good copy writing is about being clear, unambiguous, and vivid; but the craft goes deeper.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Find a copywriter who is passionate about writing.
   According to Christine Whitmarsh, she has a goal of using words to their fullest potential, “related to literacy, love of reading, writing and passion for the written word, and ultimately freedom of expression… a logical progression all the way up to free expression and a changed world based on open communication and absence of fear-based censorship.”

2. 

   Choose one who embraces the concept of Unique Selling Proposition.
   The idea was created by Ted Bates in the 1940’s who founded one of the top advertising agencies in the world. The premise is to position your company in terms of what makes it distinctive in providing a benefit for the consumer. A couple of great examples are Burger King’s “Have it Your Way” campaign or 7 –Up calling itself the un-cola.

3. Find a copywriter who thinks visually.
   I’m not talking about layout for a web page or print ad, but in assembling an arrangement of vital ideas that cut through the clutter. One of the best ever in this regard was the campaign of Benson and Hedges Cigarettes which was founded in 1873 to make fags for the Prince of Wales. The brand didn’t take off in the United States until the late 1960’s when a series of TV commercials emphasized in a montage of vignettes how long the cigarette was, its USP, producing more satisfaction per pack.

4. Choose a copywriter who understands “The call to action.”
   The pay off to any ad or promotion is what the consumer will do when motivated by your company’s prose, from dialing a toll free number, to picking a product off a shelf. As Christine Whitmarsh says, “Say it loud, say it proud – Our words have the power to change the world!”

[BarryWaite]

on 10/10/2007 I was just introduced at a recent conference for coaching about copy writing and I agree with this article. Well written and a good read.

[alyssaink]

on 5/25/2007 Ditto to Kristen's comment. I really appreciate that you're emphasizing the passion, skill, and commitment to the work - this IS what makes a good copywriter - and not focusing on price per word.

[acousticgroupie]

on 5/24/2007 As a fellow copywriter, I think this is a great article!