Working with a professional copywriter can boost your marketing efforts… ultimately boosting your business sales. Just like any business relationship, there are things you can do up front to make the process flow smoothly and minimize the amount of time and money spent.

Do your planning homework.

Planning is the key to success for almost any endeavor. Working with a copywriter is no exception to the rule. There is quite a bit of upfront work that can be done on your part, which will save time and money over the course of the project. For example, if you or your marketing manager has already done the research on which keywords you want to focus on for your Web content marketing campaign, or you have a list of headlines or topics that you can hand over to the copywriter, this relieves the copywriter from having to do the research on their own — saving them time and you money.

Meetings cost money.

Does your copywriter really need to sit on a “status update” call between you (the company president) and the account executive? Unless you’re discussing a change in creative direction or brainstorming, the answer is most likely no. Keep your bill down significantly by involving your copywriter ONLY meetings and conference calls where their presence is necessary.

Try the “One Draft Only” policy.

Limit the amount of draft revisions you have the copywriter produce and you will also limit the total of the bill. If you’re veering into 2-revision territory, then you’re either working with the wrong copywriter or perhaps you’re the type who feels more comfortable being in control of their own communication. Find a new copywriter that meets your needs or take a step back and reorganize your priorities.

Provide all of the information up front.

The more information you can provide up front, the less time your copywriter must spend figuring it out. Explain what the project goals are. Describe the target customer. Cover the ad format (email, print ad, online or print article). Give an idea of the expected length. Mention any research that may be required — and list sources if you have them. Nine times out of ten, you or someone in your company has all of this information. You’ll reduce a lot of miscommunication and help your writer return a spot-on first draft if you take the time to prepare in advance.

Nail down the terms, conditions and direction prior to beginning the work.

Minds change and directions change, and that’s okay — but if you’re interested in keeping costs to a minimum, then try to plan ahead instead of backtracking halfway into the marketing project. Once you have established the terms, conditions, and needs with your copywriter, stick to the plan. If you are not behind a project 100% and don’t have all of the information together, then do not include a copywriter until you’re ready.

Work with someone who specializes in your field.

Specialization can save you a lot of time, money, and headaches. A copywriter that already understands your industry, your product, your service, etc., is already two steps ahead of a copywriter that has never written one word about anything to do with your industry. You’ll cut out a lot of the up-front explaining and overcome a great learning curve if you stick with someone who already knows what’s what.

These are just a few of the ways you can work with a copywriter and keep the cost of working with a professional under control. Stick to them and you are well on your way to a happy relationship with your copywriter — and your accountant, too!

Liked this article? Have more of the same emailed to your inbox each month. Sign up for the Copywriting and Marketing Ezine from Wordfeeder.com today.