Not nearly as boozy as Mad Men. 

Just wanted to get that out of the way. 

Apart from that big obvious misconception, there are a few other little myths out there floating around that we should probably address. Myths about a profession that's already misunderstood and viewed with a healthy dose of scepticism (is it an art? is it a science? is witchcraft involved?) work against both parties—the copywriter and client alike. So if you're looking to hire a copywriter, or you fancy becoming one, give the below a gander first. 

1.) It's easy, anyone can do it. 

Yeah, totally. 

Kind of like how "anyone" can sing opera, swallow a sword, or change the brake pads on their car all by themselves. Absolutely within the realm of possibility, but generally not a great idea for most. Not that any lives could be lost as a result of bad copywriting but... well... maybe...? 

Something that could most definitely, absolutely, positively be lost? 

Sales. 

If the nuts & bolts of the writing on your site is so bad that it makes people want to slam their laptop shut and hurl it like a discus straight out the window...then, yeah, they're probably not going to hit up that shiny new "contact me" button you worked so hard to add to your site. 

Nuts and bolts are important. Not the nuts and bolts that are made out of like peanuts and Shreddies and pretzels and whatever...although...those are pretty good too. The nuts and bolts of your writing, like the clarity of your message, your brand voice, spelling and typos, and your use or misuse of certain grammar rules that we all only kind of vaguely remember from grade school but like to pretend we know by heart so we can seem smart rather than...  you know... unsmart. ;)

2.) Hiring a freelancer would be more expensive than hiring an agency.

Au contraire mes amis. 

While good freelance writers don't come cheap, agencies are often their biggest employers. 

Think about that for a minute. 

Most agencies have a few in-house writers,  but anything over and above the usual workload gets shipped off to a team of ready and on-call freelancers—making the agency the middleman who's padding the bill. Now, don't get me wrong, agencies are fantastic, and they offer a valuable service. They streamline processes for you and handle all the terrible, painful work of having to find trustworthy freelancers, hire them, brief them, make sure they hit their deadlines, approve their work, deal with invoicing, etc. etc. And they can give you a big picture overview of your strategy, and lend you their expertise to make sure you get to where you want to go with your marketing. And that's worth something. 

Just know that when you hire an agency, they're not necessarily doing all the work in-house. But then, that's not why you're paying them anyway. You're paying them to save you time. So if you'd rather save money instead, go straight to the source and hire your own freelancers. They'll be happy to help, and the work will be just as good. 

3.) Copywriters are hucksters 

Excuse you? Well, okay, yeah, maybe some are. But how is that any different than some plumbers being hucksters? Or some mechanics? Or some ice cream truck drivers being weirdo serial killers? 

The problem isn't with copywriters, or plumbers, or mechanics, or ice cream truck drivers per se, it's with people. 

Some people are just walking, talking shit stains. That's just the way it is. Sorry to have to break it to you. 

Find yourself a good copywriter the same way you'd find yourself a good plumber. Ask around. Look at their website. Google them and stalk their socials until you feel like you've found someone who seems like they might actually be a real human and not a come-to-life cardboard cut-out of a con artist from a cheesy 80's crime film. 

4.) You don't need it. 

Do you have a website? Or a basic internet connection? Do you even own a computer at all? How are you reading this? What year is it? Where did I leave my peanut butter sandwhich? Where am I? 

Not being online is totally possible, but also totally disorienting for anyone looking for a new whatever-service-you-provide. Having a website, and having a lot of words on that website, is what helps your potential customers orient themselves. If all you have is a Yellow Pages listing with a phone number and no website, people won't know whether you're legit or not. They might even start to think that you're not really an ice-cream sandwich salesman at all, and will question whether or not you're just some anonymous creepy internet weirdo who wants to lock them up in an underground freezer or something. 

People like to, nay(!), need to be able to Google (or Bing? echo, echo, echo…?) your business. It helps them get to know you. And they do that by reading the words you put on your website. Then, if all goes according to your evil-marketing plan, they will like you, trust you, and feel really good about buying from you. But none of that can happen unless you give them the ability to read about you first. 

5.) All words are copy & any copywriter can do any type of copy

No. Well, maybe. Sometimes. But in general, no. 

There are many different categories of copy, each with slightly different skillsets required, and each with its own cohort of copywriters who specialize in just. that. thing. For example, take a look at this long but not totally exhaustive list of content types I have so lovingly compiled, but not alphabetized, for you:

• eBooks

• Articles (as opposed to blog posts, which are usually more conversational and opinion-based)

• Blog Posts, anything from the always popular "how-to" all the way over to the internet’s favourite child, listicles

• Email marketing copy 

• Transactional emails

• Internal communications

• Policies, Procedures, and Documentation

• Infographics

• Grant Writing

• Ad Copy

• Profiles, Bios, and About pages

• Web Page Copy

• Press Releases and PR campaigns

• SEO Copywriting

• Video and Podcast Scripts

• Speeches and Presentations

• Landing Pages

• Product Descriptions

• Social Media Writing

Et cetera, et cetera. For every type of content, there is a different goal. And those different goals, require different vocabulary and different techniques to achieve. Most freelance writers who have done some corporate copywriting will have dabbled in many of the different formats above—but for the most part, even they'd consider their own strengths to lay with a couple of these different content forms. 

Let's consider an example because examples are fun and they can help you see what I'm on and on about much quicker than... well...let's just take a look shall we?

For example, the difference between a Technical Writer who specializes in procedures and documentation and someone who writes ad copy for a hip new indie beauty company would be kind of like the difference between an balding, 40-year-old accountant and a high-school cheerleader on a perpetual sugar-high. They're probably not besties who hang out on the weekends and take selfies with each other's pet iguanas. And you shouldn't hire either of them to fix a broken toilet. 

The good news is that if you know what you want your business to sound like (the boring-old accountant vs. the TikTok obsessed teenager) then you can pretty easily discern which side of the coin a freelance writer falls on by reading the copy that's on their website (see, huh? huh? I told you #4 was important). Plus, usually, they just come right out and tell you. You might find something like, "I'm a freelance technical writer specializing in producing procedural texts in the medical-equipment industry. If you need a bed-pan tutorial, I'm your gal," right on their homepage. So would that type of writer be able to handle writing a roundup about the best vegan lip tints from indie-beauty companies? Maybe. But probably not your best bet. 

TLDR: Copywriting is a skill. There are many types of copywriting. Copywriters are service providers—so find the right one for the service you need. Hop online and shop around, like a normal person. Good luck!