Dear Fellow Marketer,
Online marketers frequent this blog searching for that one, special, gifted copywriter who has what it takes to write copy for them.
It’s to *YOU*, this post is directed.
However, this post is not about me. That’s not why I am writing this.
It’s about EVERY OTHER eager, hard working, ambitious copywriter that frequents this blog and helps marketers like you as well as other copywriters.
In order to get the results you are looking for here, no matter what they are, you must understand four SIMPLE things about us copywriters. Most marketers do not understand let alone do these things. And you knowing them WILL make you a better marketer.
They WILL give you a competitive advantage. So please, please listen.
I am going to go through them in detail. Again, please indulge me for a moment. It’s only to your benefit.
First, you need to know, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING to a copywriter is their mindset. Period.
We protect our mindset at all costs. We stand an ever vigilant guard at the door of our minds.
Stated differently, a copywriter needs to be constantly INSPIRED BY YOU and your product in order to contribute to you. If we lose our inspiration, even for a moment, it’s over and neither of us will get the result you want for your webpage or your business.
You want us to crow about you and your product and company. You want us to BELIEVE. You want us singing your praises to the high heavens.
Help us do that.
For instance, most copywriters I know, they will work their hearts out, they will slit their wrist, open a vein and bleed all over the floor, just to know they have contributed to you here on this forum.
I have seen it enough times to know and I am constantly amazed and inspired.
You doing even a rather small thing like hitting the “Thanks!” button for example on our posts, has a HUGE impact on our day, lifts our spirits to the stratosphere, makes us jubilant and makes us want to contribute even more to you.
No kidding.
Some of the marketers come here looking like a newborn cuddly, cute little adorable puppy… some come here looking like a ragged mutt which hasn’t seen a meal in days and has the mange… Some are kennel club, best of breed show dogs… some come here looking like a battle-scarred, battle-fatigued, ultra-cautious guard dog longingly looking for someone they can trust and believe in.
No matter. It makes no difference.
Because any copywriter who spends any time at all here ULTIMATELY wants to contribute to *YOU*–freely, willingly, and yes, admittedly maybe in hopes of landing you as a Client.
But based upon my experience, we always want to serve you, contribute to you and help you succeed. We rejoice in seeing YOU do well.
So help us, help you. Please, only inspire us. This is your first and foremost directive.
Second, challenge us.
This is harder in light of what I just said, but like a sports coach, you want to get the very best out of your copywriter and the folks critiquing your website.
It’s perfectly ok to challenge, but not in a negative way, lest we get self-defensive and lash back.
You want to constantly encourage… but couch your words… ask “why?”… and demand why we are advocating a certain strategy or piece of copy. In other words, you want us to work hard to earn your business and prove we have the copywriting chops.
It’s ok to look at a piece of copy we wrote and say “Not good enough. I think *WE* can do better. I think you can do better. I see it in you.”
In a copywriter’s brain, we are ALWAYS trying to get better at our craft, at our profession, and improve, and sometimes, like building muscle, there needs to be a bit of resistance, so the muscle fibers are torn a bit and then rebuilt.
But never, ever doubt your copywriter have your best and highest interests at heart. But at the same time, give us that bit of resistance. Go ahead, you have our permission to challenge us and make us work even more for you.
ALL will benefit from the learning.
Us copywriters will adore you for it, because it will make us even better in the process.
Third, unequivocally, stick to your agreements.
When you ultimately hire your copywriter, pay them per the agreed upon terms. To the letter.
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, takes the wind out of a copywriter’s inspirational sails faster than not being paid as agreed.
Now I realize there occasionally may be upsets and disagreements. That’s business. But by and large, pay us as originally specified.
Again–when we go to bed each night, you want us dreaming about you and your business.
In the morning, you want us lifting you up again and singing your praises to the high, high heavens. We will do it gladly, with a song in our hearts.
Paying us gives us the freedom, flexibility and permission to do just that.
Fourth, back up the dump truck and unload EVERYTHING you have.
What do I mean by that?
Well, a copywriter FEEDS on research. For a copywriter, information is the breakfast of champions. We are information piranhas. We NEED research about you, your products, your competition, your company, your customers, your prospects, your reputation. I could go on.
Good or bad, whatever it is, shower us, better yet flood us, with information.
Hold nothing back. Even the occasional bad stuff. One little (maybe inconsequential to you) thing could SO make the difference and as a result, transform YOUR financial destiny.
So that’s it in a nutshell.
Inspire us, challenge us, pay us like clockwork and give us the information we need to do our best work for you.
We will work our hearts out for you on your behalf.
Think of it this way. A few years ago, there was a TV show called “Star Trek: the Next Generation.”
The show (and movie) regularly focused on a large group of half human, half android beings called “The Borg.”
They were of a collective mind. One goal. Total domination.
Consider us, YOUR copywriting “Borg.” We have only one goal: Your success. “Resistance is futile.”
PS: One of my partners, actually inspired this post. When it comes to copywriters, he “gets it” implicitly. He has a habit of demanding more from me than I will ever demand from myself. And I am forever grateful and eternally eager to please (and collaboratively profit.)
