Classified ad – looking for a copywriter

[SARubin]

OK sales writers, this next ad is something I copied from one of those online classified sites.

When I first saw it, I thought it was a satirical joke. But when I posted a comical reply to it, the guy got all indignant because he thought I was mocking him (in retrospect, I guess I was mocking him, but only because I didn’t think the ad was for real)

Anyway, I removed the personal contact info from the ad, but left the rest of it intact.

So, what do you think of it?



<beginning of ad>

I’m looking for a top copywriter to write a sales page for my website.
Only the very best copywriter need apply.

I want someone who can write a compelling sales letter that doesn’t sound salesy or hypey, but one that will cause the readers to take out their wallets and demand to buy my products.

I expect high conversion rates from your writing so only apply if you have a proven track record of high converting sales pages.

I am on a very tight deadline and I’m willing to pay good money for the best professional writer who can deliver high quality results ASAP.

The budget for this project is $50 but if you can deliver on this job within the next 24 hours I’ll add an additional $10 bonus out of my own pocket

If you are the best copywriter in the business here’s your chance to make up to $60 – which is good money compared to what you’ll make anywhere else.

<end of ad>



Opinions anyone?

I have my own opinion about what I think of this ad (and the guy who wrote it)… But what’s your take on it?

Is this guy for real? Delusional? A pecker-head trying to take advantage of someone?

Or, am I the insane one for thinking a quality copywriter who gets results, might be worth more than $60?

[Rhonda]

Due to the rise of low end freelance sites like freelancer.com and fivver.com, among others, too many people see writing as a commodity and they believe that $5 or $10 is an average cost for a writer.

Many of those bargain shoppers are the same people who complain about there not being any good quality writers available.

Perhaps they don’t recognize the correlation.

[AnnieJ]

$60 for one content is good price up to 3000 words. many writers only get 1 or 2 cents per word.

[SARubin]

$60 for one content is good price up to 3000 words. many writers only get 1 or 2 cents per word.

I guess if someone just wants basic content on their site, to fill some pages, then being paid a few cents per word is OK (although I still believe that 1 or 2 cents is a bit low for quality content)

But here’s where we come to the crux of this classified ad…


We’re talking about “sales copy” which is a whole different game from content writing.

Content writing needs to be clearly written, informative or entertaining (or info-taining) and usually SEO optimized to some degree.

Sales copy needs to be all of those things, and also needs to persuade the audience to buy what we’re selling.

It’s hard enough to get someone to give us their time and attention. And it’s exponentially harder to get them to give us their time… and their money.

That’s why anyone who wants good sales copy – the kind that brings in a lot of sales – needs to blow the dust off their wallet and be prepared to pay a bit more.

Also, when I see statements like…

“I want someone who can write a compelling sales letter that doesn’t sound salesy or hypey, but one that will cause the readers to take out their wallets and demand to buy my products.”

I instantly recognize that we’re dealing with someone who doesn’t really know what they’re talking about, and they’re just repeating hyped up claims they heard from some cheezy copywriter selling B.S.

I mean seriously… Unless you’re selling some urgent, life saving device ( like the last bottle of water in the middle of the desert) does anyone honestly believe people will ever demand that you take their money?

So he doesn’t want it to be hypey, but he’s asking for hype? (I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m getting mixed messages from this guy )

[Franklin]

Or, am I the insane one for thinking a quality copywriter who gets results, might be worth more than $60?

It depends on where you live. In some third world countries $60 could be a weeks wages, or a months rent. Where in most mature economies it’s only an hour or two wages, and only buys a weeks worth of Starbucks.

[SARubin]

It depends on where you live. In some third world countries $60 could be a weeks wages, or a months rent. Where in most mature economies it’s only an hour or two wages, and only buys a weeks worth of Starbucks.

Good point. I guess I was only looking at it from a Western culture point of view?

Although, on the flip side of that same token… if they’re that far removed from the 1st world economy (the people who have money to spend) … how good can they be at selling to us through the written word?