When you’ve been doing this for so long, it’s easy to forget the things you do all the time. The ways you work by default don’t feel new or interesting anymore. But, when someone’s trying to find a freelance copywriter, there’s real value in stating the obvious: the value you bring to the table as standard.

#1 Writing copy that converts

Not all copywriting is explicitly for conversions, but anyone who doesn’t know how to take people from engagement to action probably isn’t much of a copywriter.

When you’re working on, say, some PPC landing page copywriting, what you write is naturally and intrinsically linked to actions and conversions. But the same fundamentals of conversion copywriting – things like audience insight, benefit-driven copy, social proof and strong calls to action – apply across all copy in different ways. It’s just that the nature of the conversion changes.

If I’m working on an email, I might have a specific landing page I want people to visit. But, if I’m writing a deeply nested page on your website, there’s still an outcome I’m chasing. Maybe it’s getting them to continue their journey onto another page. Maybe it’s something entirely immeasurable, like keeping your brand in mind the next time they’re ready to make a purchase.

#2 Clarifying your messaging and positioning

Some of my direct and agency clients come with years of work on their positioning and messaging. They present big bibles of guidance on how they communicate. But, even if your messaging is nailed down, the process of writing any new piece of copy will naturally be an act of filtration, prioritisation, and re-articulation.

Work on messaging and positioning – things like messaging guides, competitive analysis, etc – does and should command its own fee. But every copywriter I know will always be looking for small improvements to your existing messaging. It’s never a case of taking what you have and putting it in new words. It’s always about refining the way you communicate and the points you emphasise with every new piece of collateral.

In this way, new assets become bigger and more impactful than their specific, immediate application. They become your latest example of your brand’s messaging articulated in the right way – something that’s incredibly useful if it’s been years since you last reviewed and reworked how you take yourself to market.

#3 Thinking (and speaking) strategically

Once every so often, a client will come to me with a problem and say ‘How would you solve this?’

It’s not about specific deliverables, or a ready-made roadmap for the next bit of marketing. It’s about using the breadth of perspective that freelance copywriters have – considerably wider than most in-house marketing teams – to plan copy and content strategically, geared around specific outcomes or improvements.

Similarly, I’ll often finish an individual project with some suggestions about what we could do next. This isn’t an upsell (that’s a happy bonus), but a chance to build on what we’ve done. This is the kind of strategic thinking that should come as standard whenever you’re working with a freelancer: a wide view on getting more traffic, or driving more footfall, or whatever. Because it’s rarely about one piece of collateral. It’s about taking people on a journey, driven by consistent assets every step of the way.

Speak to a freelance copywriter (where the good stuff comes as standard)

This is the self-promotion part of the post, so let’s get it out of the way quick: if you’re trying to find a freelance copywriter, you can stop now and send me an email.

When you do, you’ll get the advantage of:

• Wide-reaching perspective across industries and types of collateral
• No-nonsense strategy that sounds more like ‘Hey, I’ve got a cool idea!’ than ‘Allow me to share my data-driven vision for transformation’
• Copy that converts in the ways you measure and the invisible ways you don’t

The post Performance isn’t an extra: what your freelance copywriter should be giving you as standard appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

But, as you might expect a freelance copywriter to suggest, that’s not your only option.

Why you might need a tone of voice agency

From an established tone of voice agency (or just a more general branding house), you can expect a ready-to-run process that’s already been road-tested across different clients. That’s a huge benefit if you’re looking for speed and scale. The more people in the team, and the more structured the approach, the faster you can theoretically go.

At the same time, all those extra people – the copywriters, sure, but also the creative director, artworker, and so on – all bring a new perspective and their own creativity. I’ve worked on agency tone of voice projects where the best idea came from the account manager. An agency can often rally everyone together to throw their ideas into the mix (for better or worse), even if you end up throwing most of them away.

And, of course, there’s the fact that no tone of voice is an island. Everything happens in context. Whatever your tone of voice ends up being, it needs to work in close harmony with the rest of your brand, from your logo to your art style. A powerful way to lose any confidence from your customers is a mismatch between the way you communicate and the other elements that convey personality. If you have the most playful logo in the world but the most technical approach to your copy, you may as well not pay for either. Consistency is key.

Why you could use a tone of voice copywriter

Most freelance copywriters have dabbled in tone of voice; many of us do it regularly and for big-name clients. 

The vast majority of the average copywriter’s tone of voice projects will be delivered through and in-partnership with an agency. You pay your agency, they in turn get a freelance copywriter who’s hopefully a specialist with some tone and guidelines experience under their belt. So, if you’re concerned about tone of voice project costs, there’s definitely a case for skipping the middleman.

Even the most affordable tone of voice agencies need to cover bigger costs than your average freelancer. That extra cost comes with some benefits in terms of resilience, capacity to scale up, and the assurance that comes from a bigger team.

If you can find the right freelance copywriter, though, you get the advantage of someone taking real ownership over your tone of voice – a more personal, boutique way of working, where one individual guides you through the process. 

When I worked with Vitabiotics to define their updated tone of voice, it was me and the leadership. No layers of back and forth, no complexity. Even better, they were able to keep me on-board to check internal content for tone – a vital way to help everyone adopt the new guidelines, which is the whole point of the project.

When you can craft your own tone

Finally, there’s the lean, mean way of doing things: put your own tone of voice together at a fraction of the cost of outsourcing.

For small businesses and unfunded startups, this isn’t a bad idea. If you’re a team of one or two people, you don’t need to worry about consistency in the same way as a global brand with hundreds of people writing comms, copy and content every day.

That’s not to say there isn’t value in articulating your tone of voice and writing it down. But the stakes are lower in terms of consistency – although they’re probably higher in terms of competition.

Without a big, established brand behind you, tone of voice becomes a powerful way to stand out and command attention. I’m reluctant to use such a hackneyed example, but that’s why Innocent sold so much blended fruit and, more importantly, became the lazy copywriters go-to tone of voice example. They used their insight into the market to make tone their competitive edge.

The Tone of Voice Toolkit: how impactful brand voices are built

The more you know about tone of voice and the traits of successful projects, the more you can make an informed decision about the approach that’s right for you. That’s why I decided to write down everything I know about tone of voice in a book: The Tone of Voice Toolkit.

Across two parts, it’s a practical look at:

• Why the right tone of voice is uncovered, not invented
• The step-by-step approach I use on tone of voice projects (that’s also worked well for the agencies I support)
• Why most tone of voice guidelines are overwritten and underused
• How to write strong guidelines that actually drive adoption and consistency

The Tone of Voice Toolkit is coming soon. In the meantime, you can register below for updates when it’s available.

The post High-impact guidelines: do you really need a tone of voice agency? appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

The problem? Finding and hiring the right freelance copywriter can be an absolute nightmare.

Clients are under pressure to prove the value of their investment in copy, especially when an uninformed CEO might think whatever the AI spat out is good enough. 

That means finding someone to go beyond the words on the page. Someone who can think strategically, give you the benefit of their experience and creative taste, and deliver work with impact. All while making the experience feel not just easy, but easier than it would be to wrangle with an LLM until you get something you’re 75% happy with.

To help you build a business case for hiring a professional – and make sure you’re hiring the right one – here’s how I’d handle my search for the perfect copywriter, with some extra ideas from smart, immensely hireable copywriters in my network.

Table of contents

• Step 1: Understand what you’re paying for
• Step 2: Work out your basic copywriting brief
• Step 3: How to set a budget for freelance copywriting
• Step 4: How to build a list of potential copywriters
• Step 5: Make contact with your potential copywriters
• Step 6: Meet your new favourite freelance copywriter
• In conclusion: Find a good human who happens to be a great copywriter

Step 1: Understand what you’re paying for

Before you start hunting for the right freelance copywriter, you need to get clear on what you’re really paying for. 

When I was starting out in copywriting, I didn’t know what I was doing. And when I met the first client who came with a four-figure budget, I panicked hard.

It’s too much for a handful of web pages. If I quote for the entire budget, I’ll be overcharging them and, in turn, I’ll start sinking under the pressure of expectations. No, I’ll send them an estimate in-line with what I’m charging everyone else, budget be damned.

Of course, they went elsewhere. Because they were budgeting for outcomes, and I was still invoicing for words. They understood the value they were willing to pay for, while I didn’t understand the value of what I was doing every day.

If you’re just trying to fill space, you should probably stop reading here before you waste any more of your time and money.

“When it comes to hiring a freelance copywriter, clients who are focused solely on cost have lost sight of the value we can provide. Good copy will help them improve their marketing and increase sales. That’s why their focus should not be on what the copy will cost them, but on what the copy could do for them.”

Steven Stark, Freelance Senior Copywriter

What does a freelance copywriter do? 

A freelance copywriter is someone who writes words for advertisements, for more than one client. Thanks, Cambridge. But that’s what it means, not what we do.

Here’s what my average week looks like.

That’s just a third of my time on writing. So: what does a copywriter do? Most of the time, it’s not writing the copy. It’s doing everything else that will inform whether the copy works or not.

Anybody who has dabbled with the idea of being a copywriter can probably write words that make sense. But you could probably do that yourself, at a push.

What a copywriter really brings to the party is an ability to pinpoint what’s important from huge amounts of background material and context, including:

• The competitive landscape
• What genuinely, authentically makes your business different
• What your customers think and feel
• Your audience, how it’s evolving, and what they care about
• Where you’ve been and your strategy for what comes next

Using that information, they’ll:

• Find creative ways to make copy capture attention and convince people with compelling ideas
• Use empathy and intuition to understand what readers might be feeling at any given moment, then write copy that addresses those needs or concerns
• Own the copy aspect of a brand or project, safeguarding consistency and understanding how different assets connect into a customer journey
• Bring a level of experience and expertise in how the most effective copywriting works, so you can feel confident about what you’re putting out there

As I put it to a client a few weeks ago: ‘Anyone can write, but you’re really paying a copywriter to think.’

On his website, word nerd Matt Phil Carver has a great list of the non-writing things a copywriter does:

“Being good at writing isn’t particularly valuable as a skill. There are many, many people who can do it. AI can do it. (Sort of. Debatably.). When I look at how I’m described by clients, the recurring themes aren’t about writing at all.”

Matt Phil Carver, Brand Writer

Step 2: Work out your basic copywriting brief

Briefing a copywriter is all about understanding the deliverables you want them to create and what the impact of those deliverables should be. It might sound simple, but my experience tells me that not every client knows that.

That’s why, before you even think about shortlisting potential writers, I recommend taking a step back and really interrogating what it is that you’re trying to buy.

There are plenty of briefing templates online, but it only really takes a sentence at first: we need a freelance copywriter to write <deliverables> that:

• … help us reach a different kind of customer.
• …convert traffic into leads.
• …perform better in search engine results.
• …make us look more professional/trustworthy/fun/any other adjective.
• …are a better reflection of our brand today.
• …give us more personality.
• …support a new strategy we’re trying.
• …are more engaging and emotive.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. What matters here is giving your copy a sense of purpose from the outset. A writer communicates with people through words. A copywriter compels people to take action, whether that’s clicking a button, making a phone call, or just seeing your brand in a new light.

How detailed does a copywriting brief need to be?

It used to be common for clients to prepare a 1 to 2-page creative brief, including some basic information on the brand, deliverables, timescale, budget, audience, and desired outcomes.

These days, I don’t see these more formal briefs very often outside of structured procurement processes with RFPs. And when I do, they’re often clearly generated by AI, which isn’t great for relevance or usefulness.

“The worst briefs I get are AI-generated. They’re incredibly generic and the outlines don’t have an engaging flow to them. They read like a checklist – and a really boring one at that. They’re flat and unhelpful to me as a writer, because I know that the reader won’t benefit from some of the topics suggested and they’ll be bored before they get to the part that’s actually helpful.”

Kerri Holtzman, B2B Freelance Copywriter & Content Writer

I’m with Kerri. Whether they’re written by human beings or LLMs, a needlessly exhaustive brief feels prescriptive and makes it harder for a copywriter to use their expertise, shaping the structure, messaging, and approach. Worse, even the most in-depth copywriting briefs are rarely sufficient. 

A good copywriter will go on their own journey to research your business, brand, competitors and audiences – and probably have their own process. When you use a freelance copywriter, part of what you’re paying for is the fact they’ve done this hundreds, even thousands of times. So there’s no need to do all the work yourself. Instead, let the copywriter lead you.

While you might feel some pressure to write down everything you know in one huge document, less is generally more at this early stage. Your copywriter will know how to get the information they need. And, in an ideal world, we want to move from emails, quick calls and written briefs to an actual relationship as soon as possible anyway.

Making your copywriting brief bigger

If you’re not sure exactly which deliverables you need, that’s okay. A seasoned freelance writer has probably picked their way through multiple agencies and a whole bucket full of end-clients. And a curious, invested copywriter will always be paying attention to what works and what doesn’t.

The deliverables are useful if you’re looking to get a quick cost or move fast, but they’re not that important overall. Most copywriters can turn their hand to any touchpoint, on any channel, and will be happy to help you figure out what’s best.

What’s essential is that sense of purpose. When you know what you need to achieve, a good copywriter will be able to put a strategist hat on to help you figure out how to make it happen.

Step 3: How to set a budget for freelance copywriting

To set a budget, you need to think more about the value of the outcomes you’re after than what feels like the ‘right price’ for a given deliverable.

Take a SaaS brand as an example. We don’t want someone to write some landing pages and PPC ads. We want someone to write a small customer journey that generates traffic and drives conversions. And if we know the average subscription revenue from a new conversion, we can start to feel out a broad budget for the copy we need.

What makes it harder is the fact that not all copy ties to a direct metric like conversion rates. Sometimes it’s about getting your brand out there or helping existing customers see you in a new light. In these instances, you’ll need to come at the problem from the other direction: what are high/medium/low rates for the sort of copywriter you need? What will the right expertise cost you? 

Often, the fastest way to get an answer is just emailing a handful of freelance copywriters for an early indication. There’s no need to go through the whole spiel – just say ‘We’re thinking of doing some work on our X, can you give me some ballparks that I won’t hold you to?’

Whether you ask for early estimates or build out your budget based on value, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Avoid per-word, per-day and per-hour rates: they set the wrong incentives (to write extra words and go very slowly)
• Build space into your budget for meetings and calls: the last thing you need is someone who nickle and dimes you for every little interaction
• If you can, budget for some QA time from the copywriter: this is things like updating your style guide to reflect key decisions, or checking copy once it’s in its final, designed form (not enough people do this!)
• Expect to pay a 50% deposit upfront: this is fairly standard

What’s the average rate for a freelance copywriter?

The 2025 ProCopywriters Survey puts the average day rate at £480 in the UK (not that it’s a great idea to start paying for work by the day).

What’s telling, though, is the steady increase in rates since 2020. With increased pressure from AI and junior copywriters trying to ‘level up’ because LLMs removed the content-driven bottom of the market, I would expect rates to continue to grow over time. 

In my anecdotal experience, the most experienced copywriters are trying to move to fewer more lucrative projects rather than a run-rate of smaller bits and pieces. So while there’ll be fewer of us, the ones who are still here will charge more. 

Truth told, I couldn’t even tell you what an average copywriting rate is – and I’ve been doing this for over a decade.

A cursory search of UK copywriters gives me some average copywriting rates that seem to make sense. Keep in mind these will vary if you need a specialist, over in the world of direct response, and internationally.

But that doesn’t mean someone’s in the wrong if they charge you double, half, or any amount in between. Remember, you’re not just paying for the work – you’re paying for the right person. And you can trust that, whatever they set their rates to, that’s the correct rate for them (even if you decide you don’t want to pay it, or think you’re getting a bargain). 

“Your budget depends on what’s important to you. If budget is your concern, pay less for an inexperienced writer. You’re likely to be able to train them to give you what you want, with the trade off being more rounds of reviews and edits. But if you want the job done right, by someone who understands how to take direction and can anticipate things you need – and can afford to pay more – you usually should.”

Joe Shearer, Content Marketing Professional

Why don’t freelance copywriters share their rates?

Most freelance copywriters don’t share their rates online, although, in the past few years, I’ve seen more people move to a commoditised, packaged approach where you buy a bundle of deliverables, or even pay a monthly subscription.

In part, that reluctance to share rates is just good salesmanship (the same salesmanship you’re hoping they’ll use in your copy). A freelance copywriter wants to build rapport and a relationship with you, highlight their relevant experience, position themselves as an expert, then hit you with the money. But it’s also because every figure comes with a caveat.

Your new website might estimate out at £300 per page. But if you seem easy to work with, like the amends will be manageable, and like you’re going to be helpful in preparing relevant source material, that could tend down towards £200. If you’re a huge brand with dozens of stakeholders who’ll need to sign off on the copy, you could probably expect the copywriter to build in some extra breathing room and danger money.

In this sense, it’s important to know what you have to offer the copywriter, not just in terms of your budget, but the project itself.

“There are two types of projects: one for the meal and one for the reel. Both get your best effort, but they’re different efforts. Working ‘for the meal,’ you’re paid to be efficient, smart, professional. Getting to solid ideas and finishing them off quickly. Working ‘for the reel,’ the work gets extra juice, extra creative top spin. The pay is beyond dollars. It helps you build your portfolio and flex what’s unique about you as a writer.”

Al Wyatt, Founder/Director, Jetpack Agency

Al, whose name I now realise looks exactly like AI written down, is spot on. Be frank with yourself about the project you have on the table. The money, time and effort conversation is very different if you’re a household name doing a big, layered, potentially award-winning outdoor campaign versus a startup looking for a single blog post. Harsh but true. If your project is especially small, it might be worth bundling multiple projects together at once, so the total fee makes it worth the inevitable onboarding and initial research that comes with any new client.

Equally, not enough clients share their budgets. Common sense negotiation says you should let the other person take the lead but, if you find a copywriter who seems like a basically normal person – the kind of character you’ll want to work with – there’s nothing wrong with telling them what you have to spend and finding out what you can get. You might find it’s more than you had expected.

When you share your budget, you can also lean on your potential copywriter’s knowledge. If I know you’re trying to make your website convert and you have £2k to spend, I can tell you where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Tell me what you need and what you have, then I’ll tell you what I can do.

As someone who takes transparency and directness pretty seriously, I’d love every client to state a problem, name a budget, and let me tell them what’s possible. But I recognise not every freelancer has the same approach. Some might see your budget as a target to hit, not a limit to work within. So, if I was searching for someone, I can see why I might want to keep my budget to myself, at least at first.

Step 4: How to build a list of potential copywriters

Here’s the thing: the very best way to find a freelance copywriter is to ask someone else for a personal referral.

Yes, it’s a way to get an outside seal of approval and hear first-hand about the experience of working with the copywriter. But it’s also a great way to make your week easier, because you don’t really have to think about the choice.

If you can do that, do that. 

If not, here are some things to consider as you start to scour the internet and build a list of people to contact.

What should I look for in a copywriter?

Freelance copywriter Lauren Holden put together a useful list of some common criteria that might (or might not) be relevant to your search:

1. Someone who’s local to you and available for in-person meetings
2. Someone who ‘just gets’ your business, tone of voice, and the way you work
3. Someone who isn’t afraid to take the reins if needed and tell you what’s working (or what isn’t)
4. Someone who can adapt to your budget, wants and needs
5. Someone who takes your feedback on board and is happy to work around you
6. Someone who can fit your work in within a reasonable timeframe

These criteria might influence where you go to start building your list. If finding someone to work around your strict existing process is important, it might be that job boards are a good place to start. If you’re on a tight timeline and need someone who’s instantly available, you might start on social media to see whether anyone seems to have gaps right now.

Decide what it is you’re really looking for – that’ll almost certainly help you know where to find it.

“The copywriter for you depends on the factors that are important to you. You need to find someone who’s attuned to how you work.” 

Lauren Holden, Freelance Copywriter

Does your copywriter’s location matter?

In late 2025, I saw an uptick in search queries for ‘UK copywriter’ and ‘UK freelance copywriter.’ This would suggest that, to some people, location is still an important criteria in finding the right person for the job.

I can only assume this is about those little linguistic differences in English around the world. If you’re based in the UK and writing for a UK audience, a native might give you some extra peace of mind. There’s also the potential for a better timezone match or an in-person meeting (although these seem to happen a vanishingly small amount now).

I’d caution against limiting your search too much by location. 

In the past year, I’ve worked with clients in the UK, but also in France, the United States and the UAE. They all have their own preferences, culturally and linguistically (weirdly, France seems to love writing in basically-UK-English-but-also-using-the-letter-Z-a-lot). Switching back and forth is as simple as flicking a switch, mentally and physically in the document itself.

In many ways, it’s no different than the way you’d expect your copywriter to effortlessly adapt depending on the current project. Writing for your website is different to writing for your employee newsletter, which is different to writing a pitch deck. And writing for you is – should be – different to writing for every other client.

What are the best places to hire freelance copywriters?

Some obvious routes are job boards, copywriter directories and recruitment websites, but clients often find themselves on freelance marketplace websites like Freelancer.com and Upwork. That’s what happens when those sites have a stranglehold on search results and huge budgets for ads.

The default senior copywriter position is, no, these sites are all terrible. But it’s a little more nuanced than that.

Fifteen years ago, I started my career on marketplace websites. I had no experience, no formal training aside from my English degree, and no idea where to start. So People Per Hour was an obvious choice and, you know what? It worked. At first. Not for long.

In those early days, my focus was this: I’m not very good, so what I can do is work harder and faster than everyone else. That’s exactly the mentality you need for a marketplace website, and it served me well.

It can work for clients, too, because:

• You only need to look in one place – it’s faster
• You manage the whole relationship within the platform
• You have some accountability if the work is crap
• The nature of bidding on marketplaces inevitably pushes prices down

But, as you might expect, there’s a huge catch. These marketplace websites take a cut for their platform, usually between 5% and 20%. Why would any freelancer in their right mind be giving a platform 20% if they were good enough to get work elsewhere? Especially when that’s 20% of a fee that was already driven down by the biases built into the platform itself?

You’re looking for a copywriter. If they’re not capable enough to market themselves without help from a ready-to-use marketplace, why would they be able to do anything differently for you?

There’s also an AI consideration. Being forced to work for an alarmingly low rate is going to tempt your copywriter to use AI with abandon – or possibly even necessitate it just to stay afloat. And, if you’re just looking for words to fill a space, you could probably use the AI yourself and cut out the middleman.

Instead, you need to find the right person in a place where they’re showcasing themselves, putting everything they claim to know into practice. That’ll usually be their own website or portfolio; it might be their social media presence.

Time to hit the search engines.

“A good copywriter should exude their expertise and capability in every piece of communication they exhibit. Emails, calls, portfolios, websites, socials. If a client looks at anything like that, they should get an instant idea of whether or not this person is the right fit.”

Georgie Steele, Freelance Copywriter

How do I find a specialised copywriter in my niche?

The great thing about specialist, niche freelance copywriters is that they’re incredibly easy to search for – plug ‘freelance copywriter’ and your vertical into your favourite search engine and you’re away.

But it’s important to consider whether you really need a specialist at all, or whether that might limit the perspective and experience you have access to. This could also have an impact on cost and availability: the best specialists I know are hyper-sensitive about potential conflicts of interest when your brand is too similar to an existing client, and always charge a premium when they’re working in their niche.

I’ve always been a generalist freelance copywriter, but I’ve built up some experience in specific areas like SaaS, consulting, health, and tech. Creatively, this is sometimes more of a limitation than an opportunity. The truth is that it’s harder to come up with something fresh when you’re the fifth health and wellness client I’ve worked with this year.

Conversely, the experience from seemingly disparate projects can be a real benefit. At the end of the day, we’re writing for people – and an approach that connects with people in one industry might be just as impactful in another.

Copywriter Joe Shearer puts it wonderfully:

“Writers are storytellers, and copywriters are telling someone else’s story, not their own. Having told someone else’s story that’s superficially similar to another really isn’t that helpful. Storytelling skills are universal, and getting to the heart of the story, and writing that story, is the key skill a copywriter needs. Other details quickly fall into place.”

Joe Shearer, Content Marketing Professional

The point is: you’re looking for someone with experience solving the kind of problems you need to be solved. For my imaginary SaaS brand, I’d be much more inclined to go with a copywriter who has a proven track record decrypting complex products and making them feel human than I would a less experienced freelancer who is a self-professed SaaS specialist.

“Experience matters and you get what you pay for. Even if the writer doesn’t have direct experience in your vertical, it doesn’t mean they can’t handle the assignment. Think quality over direct industry experience.”

Adam Kaplan, Creative Marketing Executive

What performance data should I look for?

Copywriting isn’t about making things sound pretty — it’s about getting results. It’s only natural, then, that you’d be looking for hard numbers about the impact of a copywriter’s previous work.

Freelance copywriters know this. That’s why we all continuously drop words like ‘conversion’ and ‘results’ and ‘clicks.’ But, if my very limited insight through a small sample size poll is anything to go by, most of us don’t have the actual numbers to give you.

I asked 21 copywriters on LinkedIn whether their clients shared performance data with them. 81% said they got data from no clients at all, or very few. And absolutely nobody (0%!) said they got consistent data from almost all of their clients.

While the sample size is tiny, this included copywriters in multiple countries, at different levels of seniority and experience. And it definitely reflects my own experience over the past 15 years: I can count the clients who have been transparent with their data on one hand. According to copywriters over on Reddit, I’m far from alone.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking for performance, or a copywriter that goes beyond writing words to actually make important stuff happen. It’s just that the real metrics you might use to measure that performance aren’t very direct.

Client retention is a good one. Some of my clients have been with me for over a decade and that surely indicates that the copy is doing what it needs to. Another is to ask about the longevity of some copy – if a PPC landing page is still online and doing its stuff after five years, it’s probably getting the conversions it needs.

If I was looking for a freelance copywriter, though, I’d probably focus my ‘results’ conversation more around adaptability. We all know the best practices for conversions, but what works for one client won’t work for the next. For real results, it’s way more important that your copywriter has a mentality of continual improvement and optimisation: get something out there that should perform, see if it actually does, and refine it over time until it delivers.

What should I look for in a freelance copywriter’s portfolio?

Portfolio evaluation isn’t easy, but try to keep the focus on what you’re looking for: someone with deep experience doing the type of work you need. Colourful mock-ups and creative campaigns are exciting, but they can also be distracting. Someone can be an incredible freelance copywriter and still be the wrong copywriter for you.

Here are the four biggest factors I’d be looking at in a portfolio/on a freelancer’s website:

1. Trust signals like testimonials and logos

A personal recommendation is best but, if not, an impersonal one will do. Check for work for familiar brands and well-known agencies, alongside testimonials and reviews from those clients that describe what the experience and the work were like.

“Look for a copywriter with client testimonials showing a proven track record of getting results.”

Bob Bly, Direct Response Copywriter

2. Specific capability plus useful versatility

Check that the copywriter has delivered the precise type of work you need. If you’re putting together a nurture email campaign, you’ll sure as hell want a writer who knows their way around email. And if they’ve done it a lot, that means more insight and perspective to bring to the table. They’ve already seen what works and what doesn’t. This is the insight you’re hoping to buy.

I’d be reluctant to run with a copywriter who specialises in a single type of asset, though. Today’s customer journeys are complex and varied. Campaigns cross multiple touchpoints and, for copy to be any good, it needs to consider the whole context. That means, even if your current project is about emails, you want someone who understands the related landing pages, PPC ads, and so on.

“I would ask whether or not the copywriter has done both short and long form projects. Versatility is a must for 360 campaigns to work.”

Paul Benenati, Copywriter

3. Going beyond the basics

At the most basic level, a copywriter will write copy that engages people, offers clarity, focuses on benefits instead of features, and compels people to take action. But these are hygiene factors: they’re to be expected.

While there’s a case for occasionally stating the obvious, I look for a sense that the copywriter is going beyond these basics – selling themselves and what makes them unique, rather than selling the idea of copywriting itself. That might be interesting clients, unique experience, or strong opinions about what makes their copywriting especially good.

“I’m not here to sell you on hiring a copywriter. What I can sell you on is what I do better than other writers, the profit my writing has generated, my timeliness, my formal training, and the years of experience I have in my niche.”

Matt Hall, PR & Content Manager

4. A sense of identity and personality

Use your gut: does this copywriter make you feel something? Do you get a sense of who they are, what they’re about, and what they’ll be like to work with?

If we assume a basic level of competence across all freelance copywriters, it’s the experience of working with them that sets them apart. That’s why I want portfolios and websites to put a stake in the ground by actually having a personality. It doesn’t have to be about random asides and telling you their favourite pizza topping. But, beyond a list of copywriting services, you should always be able to catch a vibe – and see if that vibe fits with yours.

“Don’t hire copywriters for their resume. Don’t expect their portfolio to be a perfect example of your niche. Copywriters aren’t defined by their employers, but their thinking. Hire the copywriter who’s willing to dream and push boundaries.”

Shon-Leuiss Harris, Copywriter, ACD & Content Strategist

Step 5: Make contact with your potential copywriters

Once you have a list of freelance copywriters, it’s time to open up the doors of communication: make that call or send that email.

Keeping things simple, you’ll want to cover:

• Who you are: your role, your brand, and a link to your website for background
• What you need: the specific project, the deliverable, and any timeline you might have
• Relevant assets: you might be ready to share your brand guidelines, tone of voice, or a more extensive brief if you have one

Usually, these are enough for the copywriter to consider the project, think about availability, and get back to you with the next steps. And if you’re going to share your budget at all, now’s the time to do it. Better to find out that you can’t afford this specific copywriter now, rather than after you’ve wasted time going down the funnel.

At this stage, you’ve probably got a whole load of questions for your potential copywriter. Hold your fire.

In my experience, emailing back and forth doesn’t tell me an awful lot about a copywriter. Instead, aim to get into a real life human conversation as soon as possible – it’s as simple as closing your first email with a suggestion that you speak whenever it’s convenient.

“If you can, meet them in person, talk about their interests and anything but the work. Their personality will tell you bucket loads.”

Cormac McCann, Creative Director

It’s also a good idea to keep things small and focused for now. You might have a whole team involved in the project, but start with a single point of contact – that’s you. If not, you could set alarm bells ringing for a copywriter who’s trying to avoid a complex, confused way of working.

“Sometimes a company will have different departments throw in their opinions on the creative direction of a brand based on their personal experience in their own department. To feel confident that my work will be respected, I like to see a clients’ marketing team owning its marketing and creative process.”

Wayne Walker, Digital Copywriter

Should I ask a copywriter to do a free sample or test?

The short answer is no, but perhaps not for the reasons you might think.

Despite what most established freelancers would have you think, the concept of ‘free work’ isn’t entirely bad. If I’m putting in a proposal for a big project (think £4-£5k minimum, like a website), my standard template includes space for me to show a few examples. I might put together a 100-200 word chunk that shows how we can make the copy more focused on our key messages, or elevate the tone. This works for me, because it’s often easier to show you what I’ll do than spend four pages trying to explain it.

But that’s the crucial point: it works for me. And I’m the one that’s decided it’s worth the time investment.

It’s not that a freelance copywriter should never give you something for nothing. It’s that, when it’s your idea and you ask for it, you’re sending signals that potentially start the relationship off on the wrong foot.

When a new prospect says ‘We’ll need you to write an unpaid sample piece,’ I hear ‘We don’t see you as an expert and we don’t respect your time.’ What the prospect is really saying is ‘We don’t feel confident and we’re nervous about this process.’

So, why don’t we have that more honest conversation? Tell your potential copywriter that you’re scared about making this decision, that the people above you will berate you if you get it wrong, and that you need help to feel more confident. Explain the real problem and trust that an experienced freelancer knows the best way forward.

That could be:

• Sharing more targeted examples of previous work that’s super relevant, but not necessarily in the more general portfolio
• Getting on a call with your most challenging stakeholders to help them feel reassured
• Writing an example, for free, providing the freelancer decides what it is, how long it is, and whether to do it at all

Step 6: Meet your new favourite freelance copywriter (and some other great ones)

Speaking to your potential copywriter, one human to another, is the fastest way to know whether the relationship is going to work.

It’s where you’ll go beyond their ability to write to get a sense of who they actually are, what they care about, and how they work. It’s where you’ll see whether they’re sharp and quick-witted, or slow and potentially witless. And, believe me, if they can think on their feet, they can think before they write.

I would allow for up to 30 minutes with each of your potential copywriters. This is enough time to explain your project and ask/answer key questions. And, if you ask for more time with no real commitment, any busy copywriter will have to think about billing you. We don’t want that.

You’ll be tempted to go into exhaustive detail about your project, but that’s not the focus. By all means share the headlines: what you’ve been doing, what you’re now doing differently, and how the copywriter can help. But the real focus should be on getting the information you need to make a good decision.

“In my experience, most clients – direct clients, not marketing pros or ad agencies – have no idea what to ask a copywriter.”

Georg Turner, Copywriter

What questions should I ask a copywriter in an interview?

I’d hazard against calling it an interview. Few of us went freelance because we wanted to do normal recruitment stuff. But whatever shape it takes, whether it’s called a chat, or a discussion, or a consultation, you’re interviewing: you’re assessing whether the person you’ve met is right for the job.

In your initial discussion, you’ll ask about the copywriter’s relevant experience, their way of working, their approach to copywriting, and how they can help. 

Some of their answers will tell you things you need to know. Others will help you gently test their ability to think strategically and creatively, the two most important skills you’re paying for.

Ask: How do you usually work?

This is a great place to start because of the subtle cue it sends to your potential copywriter: you’re a human, I respect that you have your own way of working, and I intend to honour that.

Ask any group of freelance copywriters and you’ll find that ‘being treated like an employee’ is a major problem. That’s why nobody wants to be always on call, or to join your Slack channel, or to promise availability that might not be there in a month.

“Always ask a potential freelance copywriter about how they prefer to work. Some of us have years of in-house or agency experience before going out on our own. Others have been solo since day one. If your team needs someone to fold into the company, that background matters.”

Shon-Leuiss Harris, Copywriter, ACD & Content Strategist

Ask: What’s your most relevant project?

Once you’ve explained your brand, your industry, and what you need, let the copywriter bring their most relevant work to the surface.

You can’t fully judge work based on its final form. You don’t know the challenges that were involved or how the copywriter solved them. So create space for the writer to talk you through it. You might find that the copywriter has a fantastic, relevant example where they solved the exact same problem you’re faced with, even if it’s in a different industry or a different type of asset.

Ask: What’s your process for editing and review?

It would be fair to assume that someone who writes all day probably prefers written feedback, but you can’t be sure.

Some projects depend on Word or Google Docs files with comments from every conceivable stakeholder. Others are built around verbal feedback from calls and approval meetings. You might have a preference, your copywriter might have a preference, and there might be cost implications if an unholy amount of meetings will be required. Best to ask now and make sure these preferences match.

“You should definitely ask your potential copywriter about the editing/review process. There are lots of different methods, but everyone needs to be on the same page before you start. How many rounds of edits will the writer do for the initial fee? Do you review them in track changes, comments on a document, or go over them in a live call? It’s a better experience for everyone when we all understand what to expect.”

Kelsey Gilchrist, Copywriter and Editor

Ask: How many rounds of amends do we get (and how many do you think we need)?

It’s not the ability to get it right first time that defines whether a copywriter is any good. It’s whether they get there in a reasonable amount of time.

Sometimes, a bad first draft is the fastest way to get more clarity from a client. In other instances, everything falls into place and the first draft goes through without a fuss.

Your copywriter should send you terms and conditions before work gets underway. These will explain exactly what you get for your money, and when revisions may lead to an extra charge. But asking the question early clues you into the writer’s approach to quality control and client satisfaction.

“My process changes from project to project and the final deliverable is what really matters. I want my clients to be happy with the final product, period. Whether that means making a few tweaks or starting from scratch, I’m willing to do what it takes to complete the project to satisfaction. To me, that’s so much more important than my process.”

Kayla Rose Hall, SEO Content Writer and Strategist

Ask: How do you write copy that connects with people?

While this question might invite waffle, it’s a powerful way to get a copywriter chatting about what matters. As a group, copywriters care about people – what they want, how they feel, and the lifestyles they aspire to.

In 2026, more clients are remembering that it’s the ability to connect with people that makes real life writers so indispensable. If your potential copywriter doesn’t have some strongly held beliefs about what it takes to build that human connection, they’re probably not a great fit.

“AI provides a skill. But what it does not provide, and I doubt it ever will, is the power of human touch and personal connection.”

Heather Smith, Pink Lemon Marketing

Don’t (Just) Ask: What’s your availability?

For what appears to be an innocuous question, asking about availability in a general, all-encompassing way is a trap. 

If we get on a call today, I can tell you what my availability looks like for the next few weeks – but only in terms of ‘Good’ or ‘Busy,’ neither of which are overly useful to you. Even if I could say ‘six hours a week,’ that wouldn’t tell you much about the quantity of work I could get through.

Instead, try to be specific about the work you need and what you want to know. Some better ways to handle the availability topic are:

• Assuming we get all our material together, when can you start?
• We need roughly x pieces per week – could you fit that in?
• If things go well and our needs increase, is there space to grow the workload?

Availability as a general concept is completely made up. If a copywriter’s availability is good now, that might change when a juicy, urgent project comes through tomorrow. This fluidity is the only way to survive, so I’d strongly recommend being specific about what you need (and how that might change or evolve over time), then trusting your copywriter to juggle effectively.

Don’t Ask Anything: Listen for the right questions

Finally, listen out for smart, incisive questions. Not just the ones you leave space for.

There’ll no doubt be part of the conversation where you say ‘Do you have any questions?’ but most copywriters take this to mean ‘Is there anything essential we’ve missed?’ or ‘Is there anything you didn’t understand?’ I find the questions a copywriter asks in all the in-between moments – when they query something you’ve suggested, or poke for more depth – are strong signals of expertise and insight.

Pay particular attention if you hear the word ‘why’ – that’s usually a clear attempt to dig deeper. You say ‘We’re trying to make all our comms more educational.’ When your copywriter asks why, they’re trying to find out the real motivation is. That you want to be a thought leader. That your customers find you confusing.

Because, when your copywriter knows what you’re actually trying to achieve, they might be able to suggest a smarter, better way to make it happen.

The importance of trusting your instincts

I get off a call with a potential client. She seemed fine, except she didn’t. Nothing was wrong. Everything is wrong.

In these initial discussions, someone can say all the right things but give you all the wrong signals. I’ve been there. I’ve had a weird feeling in my gut after a call, one that I’ve politely ignored as I started the work. Trust me: what you can ignore on day one becomes unavoidable within a week or two. And it’s harder to get out of these relationships than it is to get into them.

While your initial call or meeting with a copywriter is a chance to ask questions, it’s also the only opportunity you’ll have to judge how someone makes you feel. Don’t settle for mediocre. If you don’t feel confident, if you don’t feel listened to, if you don’t feel excited to pay the deposit so they can get on with the job, politely step away.

Writing is often seen as the fundamental skill of a copywriter, but it’s not. Interpersonal skills are everything. They’re what will make the process feel painless for you, as well as what will make sure your copy connects with your audience on a fundamental, personal level.

“I’ll put up with ‘close’ on a lot of things if they’re easy to play with. If they’re a diva, no thanks. The ability to do the work should be a given; therefore, the variable is interpersonal skills.”

Adam Kaplan, Creative Marketing Executive

When you find someone who’s a pleasure to work with, it benefits other people, too. Those interpersonal skills will also determine how effectively your copywriter can collaborate and communicate with other stakeholders. Whether they’re chatting to your team or interviewing a customer for insight into what you do, you need to be confident they’ll be able to build rapport and get the information they need.

“At this point, I think having a skilled interviewer is as, if not more, important than having a good copywriter. The way to stand out from the rest of the AI dreck is to go beyond what people (and AI) can already find on the internet. You have to be able to dig deeper and add real insight or novel ideas. That means being able to talk to SMEs, understand what they’re saying, and translate it effectively. Frankly, this was always important. Now it’s just for a different reason.”

Theresa Cramer, Quiet Corner Communications

In conclusion: find a good human who happens to be a great copywriter

2025 in copywriting was defined by a shift to AI experimentation. So far, 2026 seems to be swinging back in the other direction, with an increased emphasis on the perspective and taste that only an experienced copywriter can bring.

People are certainly using AI, especially for the kind of banal blog post you would’ve previously gone to rookie copywriters and freelance marketplaces for. Messaging, positioning, and tone of voice copywriting continue to be key, whether you’re briefing a copywriter or prompting a machine. But as LLMs begin to go beyond adoption to clutter you with ads and payment plans, big brands are realising that it’s just easier to pay someone who knows what they’re doing.

Even the most AI-curious in-house teams are refocusing on people:

“I worry that AI will hinder the use of sharper and stronger language, which an expert copywriter can deliver with just a little more effort. The time savings simply aren’t worth the loss of brand character of customer impact. Readers are becoming increasingly able to tell the difference between AI and human writing, and they overwhelmingly prefer the latter.”

Jess Morgan, Copywriter at a major financial institution

AI, much like an inexperienced freelance copywriter, can do what you tell it to. But it doesn’t own anything.

It can’t say ‘Hold on, there’s a better way,’ or ‘This sounds crazy, but how about…?’ It can work fast, but it can’t think hard. It can’t care about what it’s doing, what it’s writing, and what the impact will be.

“It’s when you’re presenting to client and something doesn’t stick, having a solid alt or an interesting insight off the top of your head. That’s what shows you know the business and you’ve thought hard about this.”

Eric Maury, Copywriter & Creative Director

More than ever, the power of copywriting is in its ability to be for humans, by humans. Be it B2B or B2C, that’s what it’s always been about. One person speaking to another in a way that’s sharp, engaging and, ultimately, sells. So put that at the heart of your search: not just looking for a freelance copywriter, but a trusted, close collaborator you couldn’t do business without.

The post How to find the right freelance copywriter in 2026 appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

Yes, tone of voice projects can be powerful. But they can also be completely pointless.

Over the past fifteen years, I’ve been giving startups and household names a more interesting tone of voice – and developing guidelines that people actually find useful. Now, I’m explaining how I do that in the Tone of Voice Toolkit: a two-part resource on finding your tone of voice, then articulating it in a way everyone can understand.

Tone of Voice Toolkit is coming soon. In the meantime, you can get updates and the chance for a free early copy by registering below.

How do I create a compelling tone of voice?

You can create your tone of voice right now – no need to hire a freelance copywriter. Just pick three random adjectives and you’re good to go.

But if you want something that feels both authentic and exciting, you need to start with what you do and the unique way you do it. The right tone of voice isn’t something you invent – it’s something you uncover.

In part one of the toolkit, you’ll get:

• Ideas on road-testing your tone of voice before you go too far in the wrong direction
• A step-by-step process to uncover your tone of voice
• Tips on competitor research and fact-finding through workshops and interviews

What do good brand voice guidelines look like?

As a freelance copywriter, the overriding goal is always to understand the needs of your reader and write something that connects with them. Why would tone of voice guidelines be any different?

Too often, the guidelines that explain a tone of voice require herculean effort to decrypt, let alone put into practice. But your tone of voice only works when everyone can use it. That means your agencies and copywriters, but also the new hire in customer service how just wants hacks they can use easily.

In part two of the toolkit, you’ll get:

• Advice on adapting your voice to suit specific channels and audiences
• A page-by-page you can follow to make your guidelines comprehensive yet concise
• An honest look at what’s useful and what almost every reader will ignore

A tone of voice book that’s not boring.
Register for updates and early access.

The Tone of Voice Toolkit isn’t the definitive resource you’ve been dreaming of. It’s not where I’ll reveal the secrets big agencies don’t want you to know. But, in a world where brand and tone projects often feel messy, unintentional, and like a huge waste of money, it’ll help:

• Copywriters to tackle larger (and more lucrative) tone of voice projects
• Agencies to bring more clarity to how they structure and deliver projects
• In-house teams to do the work you’re paying above the odds for – or at least make sure it delivers a return

Sound good? Pop your email in the form and I’ll keep you updated on the run-up to release (and won’t keep you updated on anything else).

The post Sharing everything I know about tone of voice appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

What clients do understand, though, is that putting together a good brief is difficult. Thankfully, it’s not always necessary.

The power of being able to write fast

Despite the hours they might bill you for, most seasoned copywriters can get things done much faster than you’d expect. An 800-word article? Give me a couple of hours. Copy for an investor pitch presentation? Give me half a day.

I don’t think this about writing, skill, or experience. It’s certainly not about quality. It’s just the trained behaviour of being able to switch off your critical brain and get words out onto the virtual paper. Most copywriters can go fast (like Sonic the Hedgehog). Of course, this often leads to sub-par output and very little enjoyment (like Sonic the Hedgehog).

This ability to write copy at speed is influenced by two factors.

On the one hand, there’s the speed that comes from an excellent brief and a lot of background knowledge. Many of my most beloved clients have been with me for over a decade. I know their businesses and brands inside out. That’s a huge time-saver compared to an entirely new world to get to grips with.

But there’s also the opposite end: the speed that comes from just putting things down based on intuition and guesswork, without much care for the quality. And when you’re struggling to get a solid brief together, this can be a vital tool.

Doing the maths of getting the words right

Great copy comes from deep experience in every aspect of copywriting, paired with deep information and insight into the task at hand. That could include competitor analysis, knowledge about the audience, and a sound footing in the brand and it’s positioning.

In an ideal world, this would all come out of a brief. Some clients are cautious about oversharing dozens of documents but, in my view, the more information, the better. It’s the copywriter’s job to prioritise and draw out what’s important. But other clients really struggle to pull the relevant information together and, ultimately, the best way forward becomes a question of maths.

If I’m having a hard time eliciting a brief, I could spend hours, even days, holding meetings and sending emails to get the information I need. A busy client could put everything else on hold to write an exhaustive brief, although there’s still no guarantee of the quality.

But if all this time is money, when does it stop being a good investment? Uncovering the brief could take a fortnight. Writing a draft—providing we all agree it’s going to be a steaming pile of dung—might take just a few hours. 

A good brief is very much welcome but, if drawing it out of the client is going to take ages, the maths might not make sense.

We’re all super clear on the things we hate

Check the rage-bait videos on social media for proof: we’re all ready to be very vocal about the things we hate. What many of us are less good at is articulating what we like before we see it right in front of us.

It’s like buying a mattress. I have no clue whether I want soft or firm, memory foam or something different. But I’ll know the right one when I feel it. With a weaker brief, copywriting can be like that—a bit vague until you feel it. 

So, if you’re having a hard time getting all the information you think you might need, force yourself to write the draft that’s all guesswork. I can promise that, when you send it, you’ll soon get some very direct answers on the stuff that’s wrong—and the little gems that might be pushing in the right direction.

The post Why fast first drafts are the answer to bad copywriting briefs appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

I recognise it’s more than a little unhealthy. I know it comes from a place of anxiety and catastrophising the fact that, if the work isn’t spot on, the client will lose their mind and never speak to me again and then I’ll be unemployed and then I’ll have to get a job in a supermarket and then… well, you get the idea.

Caring too much about things is one of my most destructive traits. I think it’s also what a lot of copywriting clients are paying me for.

Clients and agencies: we care about different things

I don’t know who you are. If I did, that’d either be the advent of telepathy, or a GDPR nightmare with the amount of data I’d need. But I can hazard a guess that you have more fun things to obsess about than the meticulous detail of some copy.

I know, I know: you’re in marketing, you’re a client, you care about whether the copy is good. Or you’re an agency, and the work you send out affects your reputation and client roster. But you have more important things to focus on.

Maybe you’re thinking strategy—what the next year looks like, the project or opportunity emerging in twelve months that we can start planning for now. Maybe you’re consumed by the shifts in direction coming down from the senior leadership above you. Maybe you’re just focused on stretching your budget.

All those things can be affected by copywriting, branding and tone of voice. But that’s for you to worry about. What I care about is the copy—wholly and exclusively—and whether it does the job this specific, individual piece needs to do.

You can pay me to care about your copy

The things that I spend my time obsessing about are probably hard to relate to for most people. The things that put me on edge are things you might not even notice.

I get antsy when there’s not a clear hierarchy of information on a landing page. My pulse starts racing when I see some headlines that start with verbs, and others that don’t. I retch when some bullet points follow-on from the introductory sentence and some don’t.

These are the types of issue I’m thinking about all day, every day, while you do something substantially more interesting and useful. That’s what you’re paying your copywriter for—not just to write, but to own the copy and really take it personally. Whatever interesting stuff your workday has to offer, there’s a friendly UK copywriter obsessing about your commas and word choices.

I’ve worked on every kind of copywriting project. I’ve done first-hand client work for household names, building brands and tone of voice right alongside the senior leaders. And I’ve put together some headlines for a startup that I’ve never heard from again. I care about those projects equally—if only because I’m too self-critical to do work that’s phoned in.

The importance of owning it

The point is this: high-performing copy never comes from a transactional place. In my experience, it’s never successful when it becomes about meeting a word count, filling a space, or just getting the deliverable done. 

The best results happen when you find a copywriter who’s willing to take ownership of your copy—and you’re willing to give it.

That’s not about losing your input or sense of control. It’s not about ignoring your amends. But it’s about your copywriter being willing to say this is what I do, I do it more than you, and I’m the last line of defence between your ideas and the beautiful work we’re creating together. 

That means embracing amends and seeking input, but also applying a layer of expertise to get beneath the brief and, later, the feedback: what does this suggestion really mean? Do we actually want to change this word, or is it more about us being bored at this point in the copy, which might have a better fix?

Every day, we all spend our time solving problems—hopefully, ones worth solving. When your copywriter takes real ownership, your copy becomes their problem, not yours.

The post The unsubtle art of caring too much appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

We’re all writers. Whether it’s crafting a caption for your Instagram post or writing an unnecessarily long WhatsApp for a friend who’s having a tough time. Whether it’s easy to understand or riddled with spelling mistakes and shorthand. 

But that’s not what a copywriter does, not really. Here’s why.

Impactful copywriting is about drawing the right conclusions

Anyone can write. A copywriter can draw the right conclusions from all the information at-hand and turn that into something that feels relevant, compelling and persuasive.

Let’s pick a project that seems basic and straightforward: an email telling your existing customers about a time-limited discount, available if they upgrade. 

Even this fairly simple piece of collateral is built on a near endless number of variables—all the bits and pieces that influence what you should say, how you should say it, and in what order.

Suddenly, your simple promo email needs to account for things like:

• What kind of people your customers are—what gets them excited?
• What are they feeling when they receive this email? Do we send one a week? Or once in a blue moon?
• What are your competitors doing? Are we still more expensive, even with our discount? Are we undercutting them? Does that make us look less premium?
• What makes the upgrade worthwhile? What are all the features and benefits that would meaningfully improve life for the audience?
• What else is happening in the average inbox? How can we stand out when people skim through and instinctively decide to relegate us to the junk folder?
• How does this tie into our bigger plans? Will it seem weird when we announce next month that this time-limited one-of-a-kind discount is available again?

This isn’t a definitive list. There’s a whole web of different factors that influence the copy. Some take the form of questions you can ask and get answers to. Others are more amorphous: vibes and intuitions that you pick up on through osmosis and really understanding both the brand and the audience.

All of which it to say: there’s a lot to consider. And the most valuable skill a copywriter brings to the table is effectively considering it all.

Finding the right copy in the real world

In a fantasy land, every little promo email will be backed with a fifty-page brief, capturing everything about the audience, the context, whether the economy makes people ready to spend right now, and so on. Hundreds of little questions and answers, all influencing the way the copy turns out.

This, of course, isn’t where we live.

In reality, the numerous variables that influence copy—and determine whether it’ll do its job—come in dribs and drabs. It’s the sort of thing you notice in a meeting, pick up on in an email, or uncover based on your understanding of the sector, the competitors, and the audience. 

Some of it’s just based on human instinct and empathy; a willingness to step into the shoes of your customers and understand what they might actually care about. Some of it’s based on rapport with clients themselves, developing a sixth sense for what’s important—not because they told you, but because you felt it.

The highest performing copy is always underpinned by these insights. And the single most important thing a copywriter can do is put a stake in the ground, say ‘These are the conclusions we’re acting on,’ and write with intention.

Building your copy on something solid

I’m powerfully resisting the urge to use a foundation metaphor here. See, that’s what I mean: the critical level of audience insight and empathy that tells me, no, these people have seen the ‘Build your copy on a solid foundation from the ground up’ thing a million times. Don’t do that.

Instead, I’ll use a real-world example. That’ll helpfully make this piece—this copy—feel authentic and truthful.

I’m routinely asked to take copy that exists and rework it. I quote for exactly that. And I end up rebuilding huge amounts of what’s there, blowing past the amount I’ve billed, because the problem wasn’t the writing. Providing it’s understandable, the problem is almost never the writing. It’s the conclusions and angles the thing is built on in the first place.

It’s about knowing what people might be feeling. Understanding what you’re saying and where you’re saying it and how you might make it stand out, or make people feel intrigued. It’s about taking a mass of information, the more the merrier, and distilling out the right focus points while tossing the rest aside.

Anyone can write. We all do it, all the time, personally and professionally. But not anyone can draw the right conclusions. And that’s honestly the only thing that matters.

The post What great copywriting is really about (it’s not writing) appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

I encounter plenty of solid, professional copywriters, each bringing their own feel and flavour to what they do. But, on a recent project, a client said they could really tell the difference when I did the writing, compared to other people writing part of the project. That got me thinking: can they?

If everyone’s good in their own way – if everyone meets a base level of getting the job done – is there any difference when I do the copy? Are there any sort of principles I try to stick to that other copywriters might not focus on or prioritise? And are these traits worth watching for as you try to find a freelance copywriter?

Unsurprisingly, given that this isn’t the end of the article: yep, there are three that I can think of.

#1 Finding the emotional core

When we talk about writing for an audience, we often think in big, broad terms. What kind of person are we dealing with? What are their general pain points and needs? But I always strive to get closer to what I might call the ‘emotional core’ – what somebody is feeling in the moment they read the copy.

Even though my work tends to skew B2B, we’re always dealing with human beings. Maybe they’ve had a long day, maybe they’re desperate for change, maybe they’re begrudgingly reading something shoved onto them from a more junior team member.

Beyond writing the copy, I see my role as an advocate for the audience and what they’re feeling on a human level. That obviously means writing with a personal feel, but it also means:

• Bringing out the humanity in a product, however B2B, technical, or detached it might seem on the surface
• Understanding what people are likely to be feeling when they start reading, so we can build rapport and get them interested
• Using structure to mirror the emotional journey the reader is on—not hysterically crying, but from intrigue to excitement and so on

#2 Bringing things down to earth

I’m always a little uncomfortable with names like storyteller and creative. The work’s creative, but I see being a copywriter as closer to a carpenter than a novelist.

Equally, I don’t love the term professional copywriter. I expect you to be professional. I want to know what you can do above and beyond that.

At the most fundamental level, you have a handful of tools in your belt and you can use them to assemble something that performs its function—that is, to persuade people to buy stuff they don’t need. You don’t get there through guesswork, you get there through experience and expertise.

Brand positioning, audience insights, competitor analysis – they all serve to influence practical choices that determine how the copy must be. So the bones of a piece aren’t especially creative; they’re almost inevitable.

I try to keep the focus on this sense of cause and effect in everything I write. We can add and build out the creative dimension—the smart ideas that might grab attention or help us stand out—later. First thing’s first: craft something that works.

#3 Writing with intention

While it’s just a corporate structure, my limited company is called What For Creative. What for? Because that’s the only question that really matters.

Yes, we could work together to write new copy for your website or develop a new tone of voice. But what for? What’s the outcome we’re aiming at? Why bother?

In everything I write, I think of this question—right down to the sentence and individual word level. Some things might happen based on intuition, but nothing happens by accident. Whether it’s a word choice, a bit of punctation, or the overall shape of the copy, it’s all written with purpose: open to change, but underpinned by informed decisions and meaningful choices.

Sometimes, the intention is just ‘to change up the rhythm of the sentences’ or ‘to add a bit of personality and colour.’ But I firmly believe that every word should be justifiable and defensible.

Of course, these things aren’t unique or exclusive. They’re skills shared by all of the greatest copywriters I’ve worked with. But the important bit is keeping them front and centre; not just using them as tools, but fighting for them, even up against an impossible deadline or difficult perspectives from other people.

The post How I write copy (or: why I’m not like the other guys) appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

Telling other copywriters which words are allowed is bland and boring. What’s significantly more interesting is looking at why these buzzwords continue to creep in, even when every copywriter vows to never use them.

Let’s talk about innovative solutions

I work with a lot of freelance clients in the tech space, taking complex, technical ideas and distilling it down into something human and benefit driven. In that world, ‘solutions’ is almost unavoidable – it’s there in the briefs, it’s there in the structure and navigation of a website, and it’s sometimes there in the copy.

Why? Because it’s an authentic word that people are using. And that makes it a word we might have to use.

When you’re sitting in an endless Teams meeting as part of a project, people use the word ‘solutions’ all the time. I think there are a few key reasons:

1. Habit. People hear it and repeat it to match vocabulary with their colleagues.
2. Evasion. People are trying to avoid other words that are equally bland, like software.
3. Value. ‘Product’ brings to mind a commodity; something sold back and forth at low value. ‘Solution’ is an attempt to make a product sound more sophisticated.
4. Striving for benefits. People are trying to extend to a benefit – if we say ‘software,’ it’s just software. If we say ‘solutions,’ we’re implying that we solve a problem.
5. Breadth. When you can do twenty different things for your customers, a word like ‘solutions’ is vague enough to capture them all without really getting into the specifics.

Together, those factors make ‘solutions’ a bit of well-worn jargon that people actually use. It’s the language inside the business; it’s also the language you’ll find customers adopting wherever they hang out. Is it any surprise that it slips into the copy, too?

Adopting or avoiding jargon with intent

The issue isn’t using words like ‘solutions,’ not really. It’s using them accidentally and incidentally, filling a space with a low-effort word you haven’t considered. That’s not what a good copywriter does. Anyone worth their salt is carefully weighing up the words they choose and using them with real intention.

If there’s one overarching goal, copywriters need to mirror the language and vocabulary of their prospects. You need to meet your audience where they are, speaking the same way they do, to build rapport, trust, and engagement. And sometimes that means using technical terms or words that have become cliché. And that’s fine with me (as long as you did it on purpose).

Equally, removing the jargon takes an intentional approach. It’s not enough to blanket outlaw certain words because someone in the marketing team has decided they’re worthless. Not if they’re still the words that crop up on every phone call and in every meeting. That’s inauthentic – and that breeds distrust with your potential customers.

When you remove potential words, you get nowhere. When you offer a better alternative, it’s easier to shift how people speak and, in turn, write.

That’s where strong messaging platforms and style guides come in. Nobody should be desperately reaching for ways to describe what you do; they should be supported by clear, re-usable bits of copy that tell them exactly what to say and how to say it. These references show people what good looks like, which words you use, and which words you avoid. It remains mind-blowing to me that so few established brands can tell me in a single sentence how they describe what they do. And that leaves all the other people that write for the business – the internal comms teams, the marketing folk – out there to fend for themselves.

I’ve worked on loads of guidelines to help brands know what to say and how to say it – read about those projects here.

The post Why copywriters actually end up writing jargon (and what to do about it) appeared first on Stephen Marsh Copywriter.

Over the past six months, I’ve seen a real uptick in people looking for an expert eye on their AI-generated copy. After all, the algorithm can spit out the words – but it still takes knowledge and experience to know whether it’s actually any good.

In almost every example, I’ve seen one thing that the AI consistently misses – the fact that high converting, highly impactful copy takes people on a journey. 

Why customer journeys are core to writing great copy

Whether you’re plotting out a sitemap, thinking about UX, or refreshing and reworking a funnel of content, customer journeys matter. We want as many customers as possible to move on a journey from not giving a hoot to being your biggest fan. And biggest spender.

As a freelance copywriter, I’m constantly pushing to understand where in the journey the copy is going to sit. The task of getting attention from a cold start is radically different to reassuring prospects in the final moments before they take action. 

When you think about classic copywriting formulae, audience needs and desires are fundamental. But beyond the emotional and practical desire – for example, to feel confident by joining a brilliant gym – audiences always have more micro, in-the-moment needs. Why should I care? What do I need to know next? What will the experience of saying yes mean in practical terms?

Copy works when it meets people where they are on a moment-by-moment basis – and that extends to every individual sentence in your copy.

The importance of connective tissue in copywriting

Ask any copywriter – we freaking love to start sentences with conjunctions. Conversational or more formal, educational or aspirational, conjunctions have a more important role to play in copy than perhaps any other part of speech.

Why? Because that’s how we lead readers through a journey. And that’s where a lot of AI-generated copy falls short.

When I read this kind of copy, I’m overwhelmingly seeing a series of individual sentences placed side by side. I know, I know – that’s what writing is. But there’s very little sense of guiding people through a structured journey, taking them from one idea to the next in a way that feels natural, human, and persuasive.

Why does this matter? Because:

• Cognitive overload happens fast and people only remember information when it’s fed in small, delicious pieces
• People continually prioritise information and copy can influence what’s seen as important and what feels more secondary
• Keeping people engaged (and reading) means leading them carefully from one sentence to the next, one paragraph to the next, and one idea to the next
• Our copy needs to sound like a person, because we find people talking to us naturally persuasive – think about my willpower when I’m reading a list of things to buy versus the mystical ability of the car salesman to make me overspend on whatever a ceramic coat is (I think about it a lot)

Taking your audiences on a journey through your copy

In part, copy that takes people on a journey is copy with good structure. But it’s also about the instinctive ability to know how that structure should be paced out.

Let’s say we’re using some sort of formula for high-performing copy – AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is always solid. Okay, great, but do I spend 100 words on Attention? 200? Is it just the headline? The significant challenge is understanding when to move on, not based on when other examples of copy from the internet move on, but your understanding of the audience you’re writing for and what they might be feeling at any given moment.

A sense of journey also comes out in the nitty-gritty of the writing. It’s things like:

• Overtly connective words like ‘But…’, ‘And…’, ‘So…’
• Words that indicate a structure and flow of time – ‘First…’, ‘Next…’, ‘Then…’
• Sentences that literally tell people where they are, introduce new ideas, and make sure everyone knows happening – like ‘Okay, let’s talk pricing.’
• Sentences that refer back to and anchor previous sentences in a smart way – like ‘And safety is just the start’ to move from a paragraph about safety to something new

They’re simple techniques, but they involve a distinctly human level of awareness and empathy with the reader. More than anything else, it’s this connective tissue that ties all your copy together, makes it significantly more persuasive and, ultimately, builds stronger connections with your readers.

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