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ARE YOU A SMALL OR MEDIUM BUSINESS OR PART OF A LARGER
CORPORATION?
Click here to learn
more about working directly with and hiring Get It In
Writing for copywriting and marketing consulting
services. We’re looking to build a long-term
relationship as your copywriter and part of your
marketing team.
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ARE YOU A WEB, SEO, P.R., AD, GRAPHICS OR PRINTING
COMPANY, CONSULTANT OR AGENCY?
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more about outsourcing your clients’ copywriting needs
to Get It In Writing for copywriting and marketing
consulting services. Your clients will get the high
quality copy they need quickly and professionally.
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ARE YOU A BUSINESS OWNER, ENTREPRENEUR, COACH,
CONSULTANT, VIRTUAL ASSISTANT OR EXPERIENCED WRITER?
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more about how our “DIY” (Do It Yourself) products and
tools will give your business the marketing boost it
needs and you the skills do it yourself.
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The Mini-Skirt Theory: CEO Offers Businesses,
Marketing Pros Tips on Evaluating Copywriters
Boca Raton,
FL ---In today’s attention deficit society,
catching a reader’s attention requires just the
right touch.
Allison Nazarian, President of Get It In
Writing, Inc., suggests that good
copywriting should pass the Mini-Skirt Test: “It
must be long enough to cover the subject, yet
short enough to be interesting,” she explains.
Whether it’s Web content, a brochure or a
monthly newsletter, hurried readers are scanning
text faster than ever. Ideas need to be
communicated quickly and succinctly. How does
Nazarian evaluate the copywriters she hires at
Get It In Writing? She offers these guidelines:
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Are the copywriters you’re interviewing naturally curious
people? Do they read voraciously? These are the kinds of
writers you want—those who enjoy learning, researching and
reading everything they can get their hands on. This not only
improves the depth of their concepts but also the quality and
style of their writing. Go ahead--ask them to share with you
the books they’ve read recently. Ask them which magazines and
newspapers they subscribe to. There is a direct correlation
between what they’re exposing themselves to and the quality of
their writing.
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What did they study in college? “Those who studied
journalism or communications are at the top on my list, as
they are professionally trained in the nuances in news
reporting, feature writing, public relations writing and
advertising copywriting. Journalism students and those who
have worked as journalists are also more inclined to care
about deadlines,” Nazarian adds.
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Do they work full time as copywriters? Are they paid well
for their work? “These points are critical,” Nazarian
explains. If someone is a novelist merely moonlighting as a
copywriter, he or she won’t have the built-in knack for great
headlines or benefits-driven copy. If they’re not being paid a
minimum of $75 an hour for their work, keep looking. Your
company cannot afford to hire a lowballing copywriter—it will
reflect in the end result.
-
Do they really understand SEO-driven copywriting for the
Web? If your copywriter isn’t familiar with Search Engine
Optimization when writing Web copy, find someone who is. The
end result in the Web content they create for you will make an
enormous difference in how search engines find your Web site,
and in your Web rankings.
-
Can they provide real samples? Many decision-makers
evaluating copywriters are dazzled by the layout and design of
the piece, rather than the actual copy. Ignore the pretty
photography and graphics. “Ask the copywriter to give you a
simple Microsoft Word document so you are not distracted by
the presentation of the piece,” Nazarian advises. As you read
their samples, ask yourself: Is the copy stripped of jargon?
Is it succinct? Does the copywriter really speak to the
audience for whom the copy is intended? Can the copywriter
vary his or her style and voice? Can they write with pizzazz
when necessary?
If the copywriters you interview
can meet the criteria listed here, hire them. You’ll be amazed
at the impact good copy will have on your bottom line.
About Get It In Writing, Inc: Since 2001, Get It
In Writing, Inc. has been showing clients why “words mean
business.” GIIW’s business-to-business and business-to-consumer
clients nationwide are realizing that improved marketing
communications minimize errors on many levels and, as
significantly, ultimately have a positive impact on the bottom
line.
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