Reasons A Photographer Might Want To Hire A Copywriter
Most people who land in my inbox tell me they are going through a rebrand so they want to hire a copywriter. But I don’t think most people have any idea what that entails. They think they just need some words to go on their site next to their pretty new logo and gorgeous images. But copy is so much more and copywriters should do so much more for you. On this episode of Rove The Podcast, I talked about some of the reasons you might want to hire a copywriter:
1. You want to make more money //
Copywriters should have one goal in mind: beating the control. The “control” is simply your current website. That’s just a word to describe what you’re starting with. When you hire a copywriter, they should analyze this starting point and the leads it’s bringing you so they can make it better. Beating the control means writing something that makes you more money than whatever you were using in the first place.
2. You want different clients //
Any client is not a good client. A lot of people don’t want or need to make more money, they simply want to enjoy their job and life more. I think the easiest way to enjoy something more is to change the people you do it with. A copywriter can change your messaging to help you attract more of the people you love to photograph. I believe there are enough clients to go around and you don’t have to settle for ones that aren’t a great fit for you.
3. A full rebrand isn’t in the budget //
I think a lot of people think copy is just icing on the cake of new visuals. But bring us your poor, tired old websites and we can work with them! We can give you attention-grabbing headlines that fight your less-than-stellar design. Most copywriters would argue that the words are more important than the visuals! (I would argue that they are both super important and should work in tandem, together.) But still. If you’re just looking to make one investment, it doesn’t matter how pretty your site is if the words aren’t getting people to your inbox.
But … You Can Write Copy, I Promise
Truly, I’m not trying to type myself out of a job. And yet …
There are so many reasons to hire a copywriter. And if it’s in the budget, I really think you should. But hiring a copywriter is absolutely NOT one of the first investments you should make as a new photographer.
A copywriter’s best work will come from lots of research material. Newer business owners don’t usually have that much information to work with. There are always exceptions to this rule and maybe you are one of those exceptions. If I’m making generalizations, I would say that you should have at least 30 solo weddings under your belt before making a big investment in a copywriter. But that doesn’t mean you can’t write your own (bangin’) copy!
Quick and dirty tips:
1. Write like you talk //
Literally talk your thoughts out, record yourself, and then pull some gems out for your copy.
2. Get clear about WHO you want to work with //
Call your favorite past clients and find out why they hired you and what you could have done better.
3. Stop looking at other people’s sites //
The worst thing you can do is create a brand that looks and sounds just like your competition. You can lose trust with your clients if the you that shows up to the shoot is different than the you that is displayed online.
If you want help DIY-ing your site, I’ve got a guide for that.
All The Details
To listen to this episode on your computer, go here.
You can also find it on the Apple Podcast App, on Spotify, and on Podbay.
What else you’ll learn:
– What “beating the control” means.
– Why I think photographers should get a new hat.
– What needs to be on your home page.
– Questions to ask yourself before hiring a copywriter.
Thank you April + Anna Claire! You were fantastic interviewers and I had so much fun chatting with you. We said it 100 times in the recording, but I really could have talked to you both all day. Thanks for having me!