Have you found yourself wanting help in your business, but feeling unsure who to hire?
Choosing the right marketing support is crucial to your success.
It’s similar to how your clients must choose the right specialist for their health needs, which is hard to do if they don’t understand the differences.
Here’s the kicker too — in healthcare, terms are more clearly defined and regulated.
But in marketing, all bets are off.
There’s no regulatory body telling people what they can or can’t call themselves, leaving the water muddy and seemingly no quality control.
It’s vital for business owners like you to grasp some of this marketing lingo to effectively advocate for your needs and navigate your business to success.
Here's a peek at what we'll cover in this article:
Key differences between a copywriter and a marketing strategist
Insights into choosing the right support based on your business stage
How to align your choice with your business goals and marketing needs
Understanding the roles of different marketing professionals strengthens your strategy and ensures you're partnering with the right people to grow your health and wellness business.
Understanding the Role of a Copywriter
A copywriter is a professional writer.
They (should) write clear, compelling copy to promote products and services, inform the audience, and/or engage consumers.
Exactly what a copywriter writes depends on the specific marketing goals such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or converting sales. These goals may be set by a marketing director, CEO, or marketing strategist.
Typical scenarios where a copywriter is most beneficial include:
Website content:
Crafting the text for homepages, about us pages, and product descriptions that capture the essence of your brand and communicate to your target audience effectively.
Advertising campaigns:
Writing succinct and persuasive ad copy for both online and offline advertising channels. Most fliers, billboards, signs, and even TV ads were written by copywriters.
Email marketing:
Creating engaging and action-driving messages that encourage recipients to take a desired action, whether it's signing up for a webinar or making a purchase.
Social media or paid ad captions:
This area overlaps with social media managers at times, but often the captions for social media posts or ads are written by copywriters. (We’ll get into the role of social media managers later.)
The cost of hiring a copywriter…
Hiring a copywriter can be less expensive than bringing on a marketing strategist… but not always. Copywriters typically charge based on the scope of the project, the complexity of the work, and their experience level.
Copywriters charge anywhere from $20 to thousands of dollars for their work. Most often, the price range is a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Some highly experienced copywriters charge 20K or more for projects, but I’d argue that they’re providing strategy services with their writing at this level or they wouldn’t be able to charge that much. They may simply choose to keep the title copywriter as their career progresses. It’s personal choice.
Ironically, copywriters are a great choice for brand new businesses OR established businesses with marketing departments.
Let me explain...
>> If you’re in the early stages of building your business or have a limited budget, a copywriter can offer a flexible and cost-effective solution to meet your basic marketing needs.
>> On the other hand, if you have a marketing department with a CMO and an established team, bringing on an extra copywriter to help generate the content can make a lot of sense.
However, if you’re not sure what copy you need or how the different pieces of copy fit together to create a marketing ecosystem that will help you achieve your goals, a copywriter may not be the best choice.
A copywriter can write your sales page… but if nobody finds your sales page you’ll still be left with a sales and income problem. When clients book the VIP Sales Page Service offer, they have an existing sales funnel and traffic sources and are looking to increase conversions and sales. This is an example of a high-level copywriting service that does include strategy, but the strategy isn't the primary factor of the deliverable, the copy is.
Which leads us to a copywriter who understands and feels confident recommending specific, proven strategies… also known as a marketing strategist.
Understanding the Role of a Marketing Strategist
A marketing strategist is a professional who focuses on the big picture, developing comprehensive marketing plans that align with your overall business goals. They analyze market trends, identify target audiences, and create strategies that encompass various marketing channels to achieve long-term success.
Often, the marketing strategist also pulls in key players to implement the strategy, or they implement the strategy themselves.
What a marketing strategist does:
Market research and analysis:
They conduct thorough research to understand your market, competitors, and target audience. They provide valuable insights that shape your marketing strategy. Finding a marketing strategist who understands your industry is critical so they can leverage their existing knowledge and customize it to your needs.
Strategy development:
Based on their research, they create a holistic marketing plan that generally includes brand positioning, messaging, and multi-channel marketing. They can identify the most effective channels for YOUR needs rather than giving general recommendations.
Campaign execution and monitoring:
A strategist oversees the execution of marketing campaigns, monitors the effectiveness, and makes data-driven adjustments to optimize results.They often have a network of specialists who can provide consultation or implementation support as needed. You shouldn’t be left looking for 10 different people from 10 places to put your marketing strategy together.
Implement and adjust automations:
Setting up systems and automations streamlines your processes and ensures consistent engagement with your audience. Once these systems are set up, they take little work from you to maintain until it’s time to adjust your strategy.
The cost of hiring a marketing strategist…
Hiring a marketing strategist is often a more substantial investment than hiring a copywriter due to the broader scope of their work and the expertise required.
However, the right person can save you money in the long run when you’re not spending time searching, interviewing and hiring 10 people to complete a job. A good strategist also helps you avoid spending money in areas that won't drive positive change.
A strategist helps you create a comprehensive marketing strategy for sustainable growth. This investment is justified by the increased effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, leading to higher returns.
For example, I've write email sequences for clients, but I don't only deliver the copy. I look at where clients are initially, where we want them to be after they've learned about your brand, and create strategic stepping stones (marketing assets such as emails) to help them get from one point to the other. I write the copy, but this deliverable is heavy on the strategy to ensure the copy is most effective.
Before we discuss if a copywriter or marketing strategist is the right person for your business, I’d like to mention two other professionals that often overlap with marketing professionals — Social Media Managers and Virtual Assistants.
Social Media Managers
A social media manager (SMM) creates, manages, and grows your presence on social media platforms. Their goal is to engage with your audience, build your brand’s reputation, and drive traffic to your website or funnel from social media.
SMM’s create engaging content (images, videos, and captions) and schedule them on your social platforms. They can also interact with your followers and cultivate community depending on your agreement.
They should keep up with the latest trends and platform updates so they can keep your social media relevant and effective.
While a copywriter focuses on creating the copy, or words for content and a marketing strategist oversees the broader marketing plan, a social media manager is focused on managing and growing your presence on social media platforms.
Next up, the Jack (or Jane) of all trades, Virtual Assistants.
Virtual Assistants
A virtual assistant (VA) provides administrative support to businesses remotely, to support the day-to-day operation of your business. Their goal is often to handle routine tasks, freeing up your time to focus on more strategic activities.
Virtual assistants can do nearly any tasks in your business as long as they’ve been trained and you’re comfortable handing the task over to them.
They can manage your inbox, schedule appointments, organize your calendar, gather information, input data, manage technology, test systems, upload blogs/emails, or even support the copywriter/SMM.
Virtual Assistants can be hired for one specific task, such as an email system migration, or they can be part of your monthly business operations.
A virtual assistant was the second person I hired in my business so I could offload some tasks and buy back my time. (The first hire was a bookkeeper, I also highly recommend this!)
Now that you know a bit about copywriters, marketing strategists, social media managers, and virtual assistants, the question remains… who should YOU hire?
Who Should You Hire: Copywriter, Marketing Strategist, Social Media Manager, or Virtual Assistant?
Choosing between a copywriter, marketing strategist, social media manager, or virtual assistant depends on your business's specific needs and stage of development.
Here’s a comparison chart to help you decide:
Role | Primary Focus | Best Suited For | Cost Considerations |
Copywriter | Creating written content for marketing materials | You need written copy or content. You understand the strategy behind this written content or you have someone on your team directing the strategy. | Price varies drastically depending on experience and effectiveness. You’ll pay per project, per word written, or hourly. |
Marketing Strategist | Developing and overseeing comprehensive marketing strategies | You need a person to create, manage, and help implement marketing for your business. Even if you understand the strategy, you want a person to own this area so you can focus on higher-level tasks. | Price also varies drastically depending on the experience level and effectiveness. Generally more of an investment compared to copywriters. |
Social Media Manager | Managing and growing social media presence | You want social media to generate leads or sales, but you don’t want to create all the content for social media. You want someone to keep up with industry trends and keep your socials relevant. | Varies based on experience and scope of work. |
Virtual Assistant | Providing administrative and operational support | You want to delegate day-to-day or repetitive tasks to someone else so they take less of your time. You are willing to teach someone how to do tasks and then pass the reins over to them. | Cost-effective, flexible pricing models (hourly, task-based) However, if you find a VA that you love working with and who is effective, I’d work to keep them on your team and expand their role if possible! |
Copywriter or Marketing Strategist… Which is Most Effective?
There isn’t one clear-cut answer here other than it depends on your goals and business structure.
Copywriters are most effective when you need specific, high-quality content pieces. You need to know exactly what content pieces you need and how to put them into place with your strategy.
Copywriters are ideal for smaller or early-stage businesses looking to enhance their online presence with professional copy. They are ALSO ideal for larger businesses that have a marketing department looking for an extra keyboard warrior to help them meet their deadlines.
Marketing Strategists are best for established businesses ready to scale and optimize their marketing efforts holistically. They provide valuable insights and strategies to drive long-term growth.
Marketing strategists are also helpful for small businesses that aren’t sure where to start. In this scenario, I recommend bringing a marketing strategist in as a consultant who can guide you to create a solid plan for your marketing.
Questions to Ask Yourself to Get the Best Service Provider for Your Health and Wellness Business
First, assess your marketing challenges and goals. (If your answer is, “I have no idea!” I’d hire a marketing strategist.) Determine which role best addresses your immediate needs and fits your budget.
Then consider the long-term benefits and potential ROI for each role. If possible, outline some KPIs and look at which role best aligns with these KPIs. (KPI = key performance indicators)
Either way, I recommend a trial period of approximately 3 months with the option to end early if it’s not a good fit for either you or the service provider. It takes a few months to get on the same page with a new service provider, so expect some bumps in the road until you find your groove.
Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Business Needs:
What are my primary marketing goals?
What specific tasks do I need help with?
What is my budget for marketing support?
How quickly do I need to see results?
Do I have time to onboard someone and teach them?
Do I need someone who can create solutions and source answers, or do I need someone who simply completes tasks for me?
Questions to Ask the Marketer You're Interviewing:
Can you provide examples of similar projects you’ve worked on and the outcomes you achieved?
What is your approach to [specific task/role]? Do you have a process that you implement?
How do you measure and report success?
What is your pricing structure?
How soon are you available to start this project and what is your delivery timeframe?
No matter what service provider you hire, there will be an onboarding period or adjustment period.
If you hire a copywriter, SMM, or VA for a specific task, this onboarding should be fairly easy and they should have a process in place to get information from you and get the work done.
If you’re hiring someone for an ongoing partnership, outline how often you’ll communicate and what channels you prefer to use for communication. Also discuss the outcomes and results you're expecting to see and how soon you’d like to see them. (If it’s unreasonable, they should tell you and explain why.)
In my business, I have a very clear and specific onboarding process for all of my copywriting projects. It includes intake forms, a kick-off call, and often client interviews so I can gather the best “voice of customer” information possible… the words of your actual clients.
When I complete my Funnel Assessment & Tx Plan service, I have a system for gathering all of your funnel assets. Then I organize all my findings in an easy-to-navigate report that tells you the exact steps you can take to improve your funnel.
Having a process, systems, and a way to make YOUR life easier when you outsource is key. If you find your marketing professional makes more work for you, it’s probably time to find someone else.
You may wonder if I’m a copywriter or marketing strategist...
The answer is, I'm both.
I’m primarily a marketing strategist and I provide copywriting services as part of the implementation for that strategy.
As a marketing strategist, I look at the big picture of my client’s marketing. Then I identify where to focus to impact their business. Most of my services focus on the strategy for funnels and email marketing, but if a client needs support with their website or social media, I have people in my network to help with that.
I also offer copywriting services when clients have marketing teams in place. Sometimes, I write a sales page and launch emails, then pass the copy to a designer and the marketing team who will implement it. I’ve also written weekly emails that a VA then input and scheduled in the system.
Just like you provide individualized care for clients, even within your programs, I customize my offers to meet the needs of my clients.
Learn more on the website.
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