10 Interview Questions for Freelance Copywriters
If you’re about to interview a freelance copywriter, this will be useful.
If you’re a copywriter preparing for an interview, this article will tell you what to expect.
Whichever seat you’re in, remember that an interview is a just a friendly conversation with purpose.
See it like networking; both parties have something to gain and nothing to lose.
In copywriting, every letter counts. A copywriter needs to consider the impact of every word.
They should also be able to zoom out, far above the copy, to see their work in strategic context.
The red thread here is evidence. A copywriter’s success is measured through engagement and conversion, not how clever they sound.
As copywriting legend David Olgivy once put it:
“If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.”
Be specific with your questions and answers. If you’re the one being interviewed, be prepared to demonstrate your value with data.
If you’re interviewing a copywriter, then your job is to help the applicant highlight their best work.
Remember that some writers are most comfortable in front of a keyboard; they might be nervous.
The questions below can be adapted to suit any industry. They cover the skills, methods and mindset that make a successful copywriter:
1. How do you approach research?
Why ask this question: A large part of copywriting is about research. Research skills are fundamental to good writing.
The digital landscape is full of unreliable sources. Academic level referencing will ensure that your copy is factually accurate and free from errors.
A good copywriter will want to learn about your commercial context. They will be keen to understand the benefits of your offer and the pain points for your prospect.
They’ll also research your competitors and analyse their tone of voice. This will give your copy a distinctive personality.
They’ll need to keep up with copywriting trends, tricks and technology. Research is the bedrock for good copy.
What to look for: A strong answer will stress the importance of research. It will also reference specific projects and outline the nature of the research required.
The copywriter will be able to describe their research process from initial brief to delivery.
They’ll also be able to highlight how they might compensate for gaps in their industry knowledge.
Their answer might include exactly where they look for data and how they verify third-party sources.
Journalistic experience (we’re talking rigorous journalism here, not personal blogging)
Formal training in communication or linguistics
An academic background in the humanities (English, history, politics etc.)
Warning signs:
No experience in referencing sources or the objective analysis of data.
2. Talk me through your writing process
Why this matters: The copywriting process is a journey not an adventure. A good copywriter will have a clear writing routine in place.
There will be creative diversions and moments of exploration, but copywriting requires an efficient method that is outcome driven.
As I said, in copywriting, there are only two real outcomes; engagement and conversion.
As an employer, you also need to know that your copywriter has a tested system to help them meet multiple project deadlines.
What to look for: A structured process. It should be clear in the copywriter’s mind and they should be able to describe it to you.
This process will include research, planning, writing, editing and gathering feedback.
Reference to planning tools and digital resources (e.g. Scrivener, Google Docs, Trello etc.)
Candidate eye movement up and to the left (your right). This is recall not improvisation.
Warning signs: A reliance on gut instinct and “brainstorming ideas”. Projects differ but the process should be repeatable and evidence based.
Instinct, innovation and creativity have a strong role to play in copywriting, but they should sit within a pragmatic framework.
“The copywriting process is a journey, not an adventure.”
3. Have you ever had to work as part of a team to deliver a project?
Why this matters: Freelance copywriters are often flying solo, even when they’re working on retainer.
However, they should be aware of how their work fits into the strategic goals of the organisation as well as the immediate project.
A good copywriter will be proactive in seeking and maintaining communication with all those involved.
“The majority of copywriting is done alone, but it doesn’t need to be lonely.”
It’s important that your copywriter can respond quickly and take feedback from your marketing team with grace and positivity.
What to look for: A good answer will include examples of the copywriter working closely with an account manager, graphic designer, creative director or web developer.
They should be able to articulate what they did and how that integrated into the timeline and vision for the project.
They should also be able to say how their work influenced or responded to the work of other team members.
For example, how they followed existing branding and tone of voice guidelines to ensure that the copy mirrored the brand’s values and points of difference.
The copywriter should be able to provide details on the project outcome. Was it successful? If not, why not?
Knowledge of team structure and the interdependence of roles
Professional modesty and the sense that they genuinely enjoy collaboration
Warning signs: Generic, hollow talk of being a “team player” or claiming to work better alone.
4. How do you adjust your writing to speak to different target audiences?
Why this matters: A good copywriter has many voices. They should be writing what the prospect wants to read, not what they want to write.
The copywriter’s job is to make your business sound appealing to your customer.
Each company has a different target audience and some companies will have very specific segmentation in place.
The copywriter needs to understand how to adapt their tone of voice to match a particular demographic and emotional tone.
This versatility needs to span different mediums and media.
For example, a corporate white paper will have a very different tone to a sales page, and an email campaign might require a different voice to a press release or job advert for the same company.
“A good copywriter has many voices.”
What to look for: A strong portfolio will show diversity in tone of voice.
Even if a copywriter only has experience in writing for one sector, they should be able to show examples of how they adjust their content to fit a different medium.
A well presented portfolio arranged by sector or medium
Any tone of voice documents or brand guides they’ve created
Warning signs: The same tone of voice being replicated across contexts.
For example, generic CTAs (calls to action) being used for several clients, or consistent examples of copy without a sense of tonal identity.
You should be able to hear an actual human voice when you read the copy:
In this example, the copy uses a strong dialect and clearly “incorrect” grammar, to surprise the reader and mirror Oatley’s informality and humour. I like the copy much more than Oatley’s, mainly because it’s not nearly as smug.
5. Can you provide an example of when you’ve had to work under pressure?
Why this matters: We all know the value of flexibility. Most of us work within a supply chain of some kind and deadlines are often changed at short notice.
You need a reactive copywriter who knows that sometimes the best work, is the work you deliver on time.
Any copywriter who can deliver good copy to a minimal brief is a useful asset.
What to look for: A good answer will demonstrate an ability to make use of process.
The candidate will be able to produce copy rather than conjure it.
They might reference examples from their portfolio where they had to write highly specialised content or work under challenging circumstances.
Warning signs: Candidates who don’t like to work under pressure because they require time to do their best work.
“Sometimes the best work is the work you deliver on time.”
6. How do you encourage readers to take action?
Why this matters: Copywriting is all about action. If your prospect isn’t motivated to do something, then the copy isn’t working.
This action might be turning a page, clicking a button or reading more, but effective copy needs to create some movement down the sales funnel.
Within each customer there’s an emotional world.
When the copywriter knows the prospect’s pain points and emotional barriers, they can better highlight the benefits of your product or service to create an emotional connection.
This emotion is the fuel of copywriting. An experienced writer will know how to use various persuasion techniques to encourage commercial action.
In this landing page example, Express VPN address a common customer pain point in relatable language. The tag-line and 30-day guarantee build trust and the CTA button tells you that you’re quickly going to get exactly what you need.
What to look for: At the very least, a good copywriter will be able to tell you about Cialdini’s six principles of persuasion. It should be easy for them, to explain how (and why) they employ these principles in their writing.
The writer might talk about:
narrative structure
copywriting formulas
headline structure
trust
urgency
social proof
unique selling points
emotional barriers and pain points
FOMO (fear of missing out)
Look out for candidates who have training in linguistics, communication or consumer psychology. These people will be approaching your copywriting projects with an evidence-based tool kit.
“Effective copy needs to create some kind of movement down the sales funnel.”
7. Tell us about your most successful copywriting project. Why did it work so well?
Why this matters: This question is asking the candidate to define success. Hopefully, their definition matches yours.
There could be a problem if their priority is quirky, funny copy when yours is a measurable increase in revenue. Creativity and conversion do not always run together.
What to look for: Each project will have its own metrics for success. A good answer will be positive and animated (this project was a success!) and will include evidence from detailed case studies in their portfolio.
The copywriter will be able to paint a clear picture of the before and after. They might talk about the KPIs (key performance indicators) or ROI (return on investment).
They candidate will enjoy describing how their work added value to the project.
“Delivering work that was popular with the client, doesn’t always mean it was popular with the prospect. Push for the data.”
In copywriting, attribution is not always easy but a strong candidate will be able to give you some figures.
These could be SERP rankings (Search Engine Results Pages), landing page sign-ups, Google Ads conversions or the numbers of qualified leads before and after the re-write.
Encourage them to share evidence
Look out for modesty and team spirit
Warning signs: A lack of detail on how they measure success.
8. What do you do if a client doesn’t like your copy?
Why this matters: Like graphic design, copywriting can be an iterative process. Accepting feedback and making revisions are part of the game.
Even when the copy is completely to brief, clients and third parties can request changes.
The way a copywriter responds to this feedback says a lot about their character and how they approach their work.
What to look for: A good answer will demonstrate the writer’s ability to remain objective about their craft.
The copywriter’s words are a bridge between the business and the prospect. Everybody wants that bridge to be as strong as possible.
The best candidate knows that they’re writing to satisfy the target audience, not themselves. They’ll be able to recount at least one occasion when they’ve been had to take difficult feedback with good grace and humility.
See if the candidate can listen and talk in equal measure
Do they take themselves too seriously?
Warning signs: If the candidate has never had a piece of writing sent back for revision, they’re either lying, or they haven’t been writing very long.
9. Which copywriting tools or resources do you use?
Why this matters: Although AI software can’t replace a human writer, there are many digital tools that can save time and energy.
These tools can check for grammatical errors, improve readability and provide insight into market trends.
An awareness of online resources shows that the writer is connected to the craft and dedicated to improving their practice.
If your candidate uses software to produce their copy, it’s likely that they’ll be writing more efficiently than someone who doesn’t.
BEFORE: The Readable App analysing a draft of this article. It’s a useful editor for the freelance copywriter.
AFTER: I tend to write the odd long sentence. The Readable App is a harsh but useful master. Shorter sentences mean that the reader doesn’t have to make too much effort. That’s good for business.
What to look for: Most digital copywriters will be familiar with some of the following tools:
The Hemingway App improves readability by helping writers to simplify their work thus reducing the cognitive load required to process long, verbose and overtly complex sentences like this one.
Warning signs: Beware of people who are too dismissive of modern tools. Yes, they may have had a career in print advertising, but good tools make the job easier and more efficient. They’re an advantage, not a threat.
At the very least, the copywriter should be able to tell you about their favourite books on copywriting. They might also mention the techniques they use to optimise their copy, like reading aloud.
10. How would you improve the copywriting on our website?
Why this matters: I’ve put this at number 10 but it would make a great opener. If a copywriter can answer this question, it means they’re well prepared.
A large portion of website copywriting is about avoiding linguistic mistakes. These errors are often invisible to most people but they create emotional or cognitive barriers for your visitors.
To a good writer, these flaws will jump out pretty quickly.
The best candidates might also be able to offer some thoughts on how to improve the connection between the copy and the visual design.
They’ll be interested in things like:
information architecture
heat maps
CTA (call to action)
image content and eye direction
A/B testing
the emotion of colour
I’m allergic to perfume, but I love these product descriptions from Lush. They’re strong, friendly and ultra-tight. Each one communicates the practical and emotional benefits of the product using only a few, well-chosen words.
What to look for: As an interviewer, you should also do some homework. Come to the table with a list of things that you feel need improving.
If you have any user data like bounce and conversion rates, time on page etc these will be useful talking points.
Why isn’t that form converting? Why are people leaving this page so quickly?
The answers may not all be related to the copy but getting the copy right is a big part of the puzzle.
The candidate should be mentioning things like tone of voice, persuasion techniques and page structure. Calls to action are also important.
“One of the most common flaws in website copy is when features override benefits.”
Companies tend to waffle on about the features of their product or service. Visitors want to know how these features solve their problems, and they want to know it now.
Warning signs: It will be obvious if the candidate hasn’t bothered to prepare. Look out for how a good candidate frames their feedback.
Are they harsh or hesitant? Perhaps they’re tactful and use the poop sandwich (positive-negative-positive)?
The delivery of their feedback (and their confidence in giving it) can tell you a lot about what they’re like to work with.
Good luck with the interview!
“The copywriter’s words are a bridge between your business and your prospect.”