5 Reasons You Absolutely Shouldn’t Hire Me As A Copywriter

5 Reasons You Absolutely Shouldn’t Hire Me As A Copywriter

A huge part of staying active in this industry for so long comes down to being able to trust your instincts. At the start of my career, is anyone wanted to hire me as a copywriter, I would say yes immediately. I would say yes to everything with the dogged determination of someone who has never gone through 15 rounds of edits with a client only for them to decide they actually quite liked the first draft.

Eventually, I learned to spot the signs of a problem client from the initial call. It’s not always a case of the client being awkward or difficult; sometimes I just recognize that there are differences in the way we operate or see the world that are going to get in the way of a productive work relationship.

I’m still not immune to optimistically ignoring the red flags, but I’m getting better at listening to my gut feeling and knowing when to bow out of a conversation. If you’d like to hire me as a copywriter, here are a few reasons you might want to think again…

1. You’re actually pretty happy with what ChatGPT suggested

Where to start with this one? That’s great. I’m glad you’re enjoying the plagiarism toy. What you are essentially enjoying is the hard work of countless copywriters, stolen, repackaged and sold as something new. 

A large language model is trained on the good, the bad and he ugly that the internet has to offer. So when you’re asking it to write about a niche topic that I’ve already written extensively about, you can almost guarantee it was trained on my own work and that of other copywriters in the sector.

That’s not to say that generative AI content can’t find a place in content strategy, but copying and pasting directly from ChatGPT into your website CMS is a recipe for disaster. I offer more than can be replicated with AI, and if you cannot see that, then I don’t think we’ll work well together. 

2. You think no one reads the copy anyway

    I’ve had agency bosses say this directly to my face without even a shred of self-awareness. If you don’t appreciate the value of the words on your website and in your marketing communications, nothing I can do or say will convince you otherwise. 

    I’m not saying that the copy is the only important component on your website, but I am saying it’s an important part of the mix.

    3. You haven’t done the groundwork

      What do I mean by this? I don’t need clients to have a crystal clear idea about their voice, their direction and their content strategy. In many ways, I like a bit of freedom to offer suggestions and bounce ideas back and forth.

      But you need to have a clue. You need to know what you’re trying to build. You need to know who your ideal customer is. If you haven’t done the groundwork – or if you don’t know how to communicate it effectively – then you need a clairvoyant, not a copywriter.

      4. You want it cheap, fast and somehow also epic

        Pick two. 

        You can’t have all three. 

        You know this. 

        This can’t be the first time you’re hearing this.

        5. You’re really looking for a full-time staff member

          Absolutely, I’m flattered when this happens. When I reach the end of a project and there’s chatter of a full time job on the line, a part of me will always consider it. But then I remember the checklist of requirements I would need for a full-time job to be able to compete with what I currently have, and I have to politely decline.

          If you’re looking for a full-time copywriter or content strategist, advertise for one. Freelance copywriters with multiple clients are very rarely looking for full-time work.

          Who will I work with?

          Alienating a lot of potential clients might seem like a poor business model, but what I’ve really done is reduced the number of calls I have to take with people that aren’t aligned with my goals and objectives.

          For me to be able to do my best work, I need to be working for clients with a vision. They love what they do, and they’re looking for someone to help them to communicate this passion. At the very least, they need to see the value in what I bring to the table. Sound like you? Let’s talk… 

          Laura Howarth Website Copywriter

          Hiya, I'm Laura Howarth.

          I’m a freelance copywriter based in Manchester. I help startup and independent businesses that are ready to scale compete with the big boys using cost-effective content marketing strategies that get results. 

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