The Benefits of Working with a Freelance Copywriter

Independent freelance copywriters understand what it takes to build, run and maintain a business – they do that for their own business every day. They know what it takes to reach and convert audiences – they do that every time they win a new project.

Compare this to the on-site, in-office, on-desk full-time agency copywriter. The view? Four walls. The inspiration? The sound of the phone ringing plus "all-important" PR that has absolutely nothing to do with the writing task at hand. Today’s work may not be their best. There’s always another day, another client, another project in which to shine. Right? They're getting their salary anyway. Meanwhile, your client floats off to another agency...

In contrast, for a freelance copywriter, with every project and every client, a lot more is on the line – their livelihood, their credibility, their staying power. Copywriting is about having a special relationship with words – about understanding the intricacies between branding, marketing, advertising and being able to deliver the right content on-target on-time. But copywriting is also about self-reliance, freedom and motivation. How will your agency copy move and soar in a confined space within a set hierarchy?

Search interest over time for the term "freelance copywriter" beats that for "agency copywriter", as the above Google Trends comparison shows. One reason is the benefits provided by one over the other.

Five benefits you can gain from the right freelance copywriter

Once you realize the advantages of hiring a freelance copywriter for your next agency project, here are 5 things to look for to find the right one for your business:

1. Dedication

A dedicated freelance copywriter is like your brand attorney, therapist and priest – all bundled up in one neat package. Loyalty and confidentiality are integral to safeguarding your brand messaging and marketing communications.

2. Reliability

You want a copywriter you can trust. Someone with standards and a high degree of commitment. Someone you can count on for regularly satisfying your top clients and for tackling that “mission impossible” copywriting project.

3. Versatility

You don’t want to spend time and effort searching for a new copywriter every time the medium changes – print or digital, web or audiovisual. The right freelance copywriter, given accurate guidelines and a sensible deadline, can perform in any medium.

4. Strategy

Try to find a copywriter who can design and implement innovative content strategies. Without strategy, you risk losing brand consistency. Without innovation, your content loses interest, and you lose market share.

5. Selectivity

Look for someone who’s not just in it for the money. Just as your agency is selective about what clients you take on and you have your reasons why, so should the copywriter. A selective copywriter is not open to being a content mill, to sacrificing content quality for any reason, or to writing for brands that engage in unsustainable practices.

And if you truly understand the value of content for your agency or brand...

In addition to the above, and if you want to take your copy the extra mile, look for a freelance copywriter with psychic tendencies, who can “see” beyond the creative brief, ask the right questions, and listen to the “unsaid” that needs to be heard. After all, isn't that why you need a copywriter in the first place?