Copywriting services: Are you searching for the right words?
A professional writer can help you plan, write, and promote effective content.
A professional copywriter can connect with your audience—and make your life easier. Learn how to outsource your next writing project.
It may seem like more work to hand off a writing project than to buckle down and do it yourself. Especially when no one else on earth could possibly “get it”: the intricacies of the subject matter, the details of the technical jargon, the complexity of your brand standards—not to mention your manager’s aversion to semicolons.
Finding a writer who can handle all of that can seem impossible.
But it doesn’t have to be. A good copywriting agency partner can—and should—make your life easier. They can provide you with a professional copywriter who knows your industry and its language. They can absorb your brand guidelines and produce content in your voice. They can partner with you over the long term, learning the unwritten quirks of your firm and writing content that’s so clean you barely have to review it. In short, they can help you produce more content with less stress—and without sacrificing quality.
Whether you’re writing white papers, web copy, proposals, or patient education materials, there’s a professional writer who can help. Just ask.
Outsourcing copywriting services helps you produce clear and compelling content, even when your message is complicated.
Why do companies hire professional copywriters?
Writing is rarely a one-step process. Most content projects require research and planning, expert interviews, outline development—and a lot of time. And that’s before drafts enter the corporate review process or move on to follow-up steps like fact-checking and design.
Many communications departments can’t keep up with the content demands in their organizations. There’s just too much to write.
Consider hiring a copywriting firm if any of these writing-related scenarios sound familiar:
- You have more writing assignments than your staff can manage.
- You miss deadlines or have to adjust campaigns because you can’t produce content in time.
- You have to pass up cool content opportunities because you can’t find someone to write or produce the story.
- You’re publishing content that’s below your standards—or not publishing content because you don’t have time to do it right.
- You struggle to find good, reliable writers, or you’re spending too much time managing a roster of freelancers.
- You can’t find a writer who “gets you,” sounds like you, or understands your product and industry.
Outsourcing copywriting services should bring you relief. A highly trained, professional writer can become an extension of your team, helping you accelerate the production of high-quality communications. They’ll also give your staff some relief, ensuring they can continue to produce quality work in a supportive environment, without getting burned out.
It’s complicated
Our professional copywriters can handle your most complex content needs. We love turning confusing copy into clear, compelling content.
What kind of writing can be outsourced?
The simple answer: Any type of writing you produce can be outsourced, even if the subject matter is extremely complicated.
The trick is finding the right writing partner—one that has specialized experience in your industry and a deep bench of copywriting talent. For example, a copywriting agency may be able to support some or all of the following types of writing projects:
- Digital content (e.g., websites and landing pages, email campaigns, e-newsletters, and social media posts)
- Thought leadership pieces (e.g., white papers, blog posts, and bylined articles)
- Internal communications (e.g., executive communications, leadership emails, employee profiles, and newsletters)
- Marketing communications (e.g., case studies, brochures, industry reports, and slide decks)
- Medical communications (e.g., patient education materials, medical success stories, continuing medical education)
- Proposal writing (e.g., bids, proposals, and grants)
- Scholarly writing (e.g., research proposals or research reports)
How to get expert copywriting help
Once you decide to outsource writing, it’s time to start building a good working relationship. Don’t worry—you don’t have to swap selfies or childhood stories. You just have to share a little bit of information about your organization and the project at hand.
Here are the key pieces of information you’ll want to share with your copywriting services firm:
- What do you need? Briefly summarize your project. Will this be a blog post or white paper? Is there a target page length or word count? Is this a stand-alone piece or part of a larger campaign? Where will it be published?
- What’s the point? Why is this project important? Why is it important right now? How does it align with your business goals and communications strategy?
- What’s the key message? What do you want readers to know, do, or feel after reading this piece? What is the call to action?
- Who’s it for? What specific audience (or audiences) are you targeting? What demographic details do you have about them? What are their pain points? Where are they in the buyer’s journey?
- When do you need copy? Most clients need time to manage internal review processes and shepherd content through the design process. That means the writing deadline may be much earlier than the final publication deadline. With that in mind, when can the writer start? And when do you need final, approved copy?
- Who’s the designated point of contact? Who in your firm (if not you) will be the single point of contact for the writer? This person should be their go-to for answering questions and consolidating feedback from reviewers into one document. Providing a single point of contact within your company simplifies and speeds up the writing process, especially if you plan to have multiple internal reviewers.
- Who are the experts? If your writer will be interviewing a subject matter expert (or experts) in your firm, what are their names and titles? What’s their contact information and time zone? What’s the best way to reach them? Will you make introductions and set up the interviews, or should the writer?
- What’s your business process? Let your writing agency know if you need a formal estimate or statement of work to get started. If you have budgetary or time restrictions, share those up front. And if you want the project tagged to a purchase order or task number, share that as well.
You’ll also want to give your copywriter:
- Style guides. You can also send acronym lists, and product literature (if you have them). Good copywriters start learning about your products and tone before they start writing. If these materials aren’t accessible or current, send a URL or a recent project that performed really well.
- The inside scoop. Just a little bit of background information helps your writer emphasize your strengths and emulate your voice. Some clients provide “watch-outs,” which flag potentially sensitive topics or words to avoid. Your writer can also leverage user reviews, SEO keyword lists, sales decks, and interview transcripts. The goal is to create effective copy that sails through your review cycles.
By sharing this information with your copywriter up front, you help them hit the ground running, well poised for success. You’ll field fewer questions, and you’ll get back a clean product that closely matches your expectations.
“Thanks so much—this is a fantastic draft! I’m super-impressed at how well you have synthesized the brain dump of information I sent. Thank you!”
— Refactored
Outsource copywriting to make content development simple, even when the subject is not
Some content managers worry their subject matter is too complicated to hand off. For the right partner, it won’t be.
Professional writers care about readability as much as accuracy. They can help you create content that resonates with experts and is accessible to non-expert decision-makers.
How can you tell if a writing partner is up for the job?
- They ask good questions.
- They “speak the lingo” and use terms and phrases correctly.
- They provide evidence- or research-based support for their approach (e.g., using accessibility standards or readability metrics, as needed).
- They’re known in the industry (i.e., they work with other firms that you know and respect).
- They teach other writers how to communicate, write, or edit for complex industries.
- They’re flexible and easy to work with.
Consider the type of team you want to work with, as well. Is the agency focused on your priorities or their own prestige? Do they force you to follow their frameworks, or are they willing to work in your systems, using your methods?
A content partner who’s honest, helpful, responsive, and reliable will make your writing projects simpler to manage. Look for a writing agency that understands—and cares about—your industry, audience, culture, and goals.
Outsourcing writing services: Should you choose a freelancer or a content firm?
Compared to freelance writers, professional writing firms offer several advantages:
- You have to make only one phone call to find the perfect fit. A copywriting agency will match your project with a professional writer who understands the topic, audience, medium, and desired outcome.
- If your content needs grow or change over time, a content agency can scale with you. An agency can assign more qualified writers to help during heavier content seasons. With the extra help, you can keep pace with increasing deadlines or pursue ambitious content projects.
- A writing agency can support a variety of content types. Medical communications and scholarly writing require a different skill set than social media or employee communications. A content firm can bring specialized experience to your project and meet all your content needs.
- A copywriting firm can accept one-off assignments, if that’s what you need, but they can also support your bigger-picture content strategy. A copywriting service can also suggest more uses for the content you create and ways to promote your materials.
- Some content firms also offer copy editing, fact-checking, and design services, so you can complete your entire content project with one point of contact, rather than sourcing from multiple agencies or freelancers.
- Writing agencies usually have more quality control processes than freelancers do. Anyone who’s assigned to your project has been carefully vetted, and their work will be reviewed before it comes back to you.
- Content companies invest in employee development and training. They may even require it. Writers with copywriting firms will be up to date on best practices, platform guidelines, and industry trends. This is especially important when you’re writing across platforms or for accessibility.
Freelancer or firm? Choose the path that makes your life easier. And always outsource copywriting to someone who understands your industry and takes the time to learn about your company, audience, and goals.
Why outsource?
Editing services
Design services
Proposal production
Outsourcing services
How can we help?
We’re excited to write, edit, and design for you.
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