Copywriter Interview Questions That Are Actually Valuable 

There’s nothing worse than being fed a line of bullshit, having to swallow it, and then ask for seconds. When you’re hiring copywriters, it seems like this scenario becomes part of the landscape.

So how can we cut the crap, and know immediately who’s who and what’s what? The answer: knowing the right copywriter interview questions to ask to test the candidate’s knowledge level and basic skills required to excel and bring actual value to your business.

“Fake it ‘till you make it” isn’t going to fly, is it? Your business or project deserves better than that, it deserves the best.

In this guide, I’ll be slapping you with tips and tricks so you’ll be able to spot a phony copywriter from a mile away.

• Rule #1: Hire the right type of copywriter for your needs
  • What flavor of copywriter do you need?
• How to narrow down your candidate list
• Here’s what to dig up about your copywriter during the interview
  • Are they natural researchers?
  • Are they an expert in their niche?
  • Can they adapt to change?
  • How well do they know your audience?
  • Do they have a deep understanding of SEO?
  • What if SEO has nothing to do with your business?
  • Are they a hooker?
• Conclusion

Are you ready? Let’s go.

Rule #1: Hire the right type of copywriter for your needs

Are you picking up what I’m putting down? There are lots of different types of copywriters in the world that specialize in different facets of the industry. So, if you’re in need of a writer who specializes in emails, only consider copywriters with expertise in email copy — that makes sense, right?

You’d be asking for trouble if you hired an email copywriter to write long-form blog posts. It’s not their fault, every writer has their specialty. Your project or business shouldn’t be the guinea pig that helps broaden a writer’s skill set.

What flavor of copywriter do you need?

Again, there are many different sectors of copywriting, but the main categories are as follows:

• Marketing Copywriting – This is the most common form and is any type of written material that has the end goal of persuading a customer to purchase a product or service.
• Social Media Copywriting – Creating messages that are posted on various social media platforms that speak directly to the followers of the business.
• Brand Copywriting – Any type of copy that relays a brand’s values, vision, or mission such as a brand logo, a brand’s mantra, or even a theme song. 
• Direct Response Copywriting – Any type of copy that urges customers to take immediate action, these can be things like website pop-ups, limited-time offers, or even the copy on CTA buttons.
• Technical Copywriting – Content that provides an in-depth explanation of a technical product or service such as; how to use it, why it’s better than the competition, etc. It’s a way to give a customer all of the information they need so they can make an informed purchasing decision.
• Public Relations Copywriting – Written in a journalistic voice, it is copy that aims to inform media outlets of new or upcoming developments such as product releases, or company hires.
• Thought Leadership Copywriting – These are most often in the form of opinion pieces or white papers that give the reader deep insight into a specific subject. Normally these are written by someone well-known in the industry of the subject matter.
• SEO Copywriting – Copy that is optimized to ensure that the article or post is highly ranked on search engine results using the words and phrases that people are already using to find what they want. (All copywriters should have a fairly in-depth knowledge of how SEO works)
• Email Copywriting – One of the best ways to stay connected to your current or prospective customers is through email. An effective email will include a catchy subject line and clear, succinct, yet informative body text — It’s not as easy as it sounds.

How to narrow down your candidate list

If you have a massive list of candidates in front of you, it can be both intimidating and frustrating, but it’s a tell-tale sign that your company has a reputation for being a desirable place to work! So try to look on the bright side, okay?

To filter an applicant list, do the following:

1. What type of copywriter are you advertising the need to hire? For example, if you need a marketing copywriter, only accept those that list this as an area of expertise.
2. Are you looking for a full-time copywriter or a freelancer? 
3. Do you require a certain number of months or years of experience?
4. Do they fit within your budget?
5. If this is a remote position, do you require them to reside in the same country as your business? (Most of the time, this has to do with language barriers and cultural differences)

Once you’ve completed this process, you should have a much more manageable number of applicants.

Here’s what to dig up about your copywriter during the interview

Alright, you’ve filtered the list down to a handful of great candidates and you’re ready to start interviews.

The questions you ask and the way that these questions are answered will tell you everything you need to know to help make the best hiring decision possible.

What you’re trying to find out during a copywriter interview has nothing to do with a candidate’s back story or what he/she enjoys doing in their downtime. It has everything to do with how effectively they can perform the job. 

So don’t ask endless stupid questions like “What makes you mad?” or “If you could do anything you wanted, what would you do?” If you think about it, these questions don’t help you understand how proficient a copywriter may be. 

And another thing, there is no reason to ask 50 questions during a copywriter interview. This wastes valuable time and further confuses the situation. If you search the term “copywriter interview questions” you’ll inevitably stumble across more than a few articles that list over 40 questions — Ain’t nobody got time for that! 

You want to keep this process as simple and effective as possible, so here’s how you can do that.

Are they natural researchers?

No matter what type of copywriter you’re looking to hire, researching abilities are uber important. There are several ways to test a candidate’s research skills, but the best way is to ask something like:

• Tell me everything you know about [your company name].

Depending on how the candidate answers this question will tell you a couple of things:

1. They did their research about your business in preparation for the interview.
2. They care enough about your business to find out as much as possible before their foot is even through the door.

Make sure to listen to their answer carefully. Is there anything being said that requires some research to answer? Things like company-specific milestones or achievements are a great indicator that you’re speaking with a professional. 

Anyone can find out a company’s founding date, or the CEO’s name (I hate to burst your bubble here), but having that knowledge isn’t important in an interview situation.

Are they an expert in their niche?

In other words, do they stay up-to-date on what’s happening within their niche? To get to the bottom of this, you should ask something along the lines of:

• What are some changes that have occurred in the past 1-2 years in [industry name]?

The answer to this will display a few things:

1. The candidate’s willingness and ability to stay apprised of any changes within their area of expertise.
2. You can rest a little easier knowing that you don’t need to hold your copywriter’s hand through every project.

As an example, let’s say you’re looking for a writer who deals mainly in e-commerce and you ask this somewhat broad question. If they have any type of insightful answer relating to e-commerce, that’s a great sign!

The only bad answer is silence, or “I don’t know.”

This question builds on the candidate’s research abilities as well, if you say you’re an expert, you should be able to prove it.

Can they adapt to change?

The experienced copywriter should be scrappy, quick on their feet, and able to roll with the punches. The best way to have the candidate demonstrate their ability to adapt is to throw a scenario at them and see how they respond, something along the lines of:

• If we gave you a high-priority assignment, and then asked for numerous revisions at the last minute, how would you respond?

If the answer is anything other than, “That wouldn’t be a problem for me. I realize that things are constantly changing,” then it may be time to head back to the drawing board.

If you’re satisfied with the answer they give, it’s a good idea to follow it up with:

• Can you give an example of when you had to adapt to a situation like that?

The way that these questions are answered will tell you what the candidate’s priorities are, if they’re selfish, or if their main concern is ensuring that you’re satisfied with their work.

You don’t need to hire a writer who acts like a screaming crybaby who was told to clean their room — otherwise, you’d hire your cousin, little Johnny.

How well do they know your audience?

Read that again…

Does the candidate know who your target audience is? Generally speaking, this is another question that leans into their research abilities. If they don’t already know who your target audience is, I wouldn’t say this is an automatic disqualifier, but they should be able to tell you how they plan on finding that information. 

The question is fairly straightforward. Try asking something like:

• Who is our target audience?

Again, if the answer is a simple “I don’t know” or something vague, I wouldn’t call it quits just yet. If they don’t know, follow it up with:

• That’s okay, but what would be your process to find that information?

We both know that you have this data on hand and are more than willing to give it to your writer but see what they have to say.

Do they have a deep understanding of SEO?

While it’s true that knowledge of SEO isn’t necessary for all copywriting jobs, every copywriter should have a good grasp of the meaning, concepts, and best practices.

With most copywriting needs being web-based these days, sooner or later you’ll need someone who can get your content noticed by search engines and customers alike.

SEO isn’t rocket science, so don’t be fooled by writers that call themselves “SEO Experts,” because that is by definition – a crock of shit.

The question is pretty simple:

• What is SEO, and how do you implement it in your writing?

Honestly, if you’ve gotten to this point in the interview and they bomb this question, it would surprise me. But, it’s better to find out now than after your new turd-biscuit of a writer completely nukes your project, am I right?

If you’re not familiar with SEO, do yourself a favor and set aside an hour or so to research it. Trust me, that’s all it’s going to take to be able to spot someone who has no clue what they’re talking about.

As I said, it’s not a difficult concept as it applies to writing.

What if SEO has nothing to do with your business?

If your writing needs have nothing to do with SEO, then we need to learn more about the interviewee’s skills in triggering emotional responses.

It’s long been said that the words and phrases that trigger feelings of joy and anticipation can nudge readers toward making a purchase.

If your project falls into the category of non-SEO, ask this question:

• What are emotional triggers, and how do you use them to persuade readers to take a specific action?

If you’re satisfied with their answer, great. If you’d like them to elaborate a bit more, ask them to give an example of when they used these tactics successfully.

Are they a hooker?

Got you there, didn’t I?

What I’m referring to is the candidate’s ability to quickly grab the attention of the reader in your target audience.

The best writing in the world is worthless if nobody can make it past the first sentence.

So how can we successfully test a candidate’s hooking abilities in an interview setting?

You can accomplish this in a couple of different ways:

• Option A – (This is my personal favorite, and works best during an in-person or video interview) Choose any subject and have the candidate write a maximum of 4 sentences relating to it. When reading it, does it make you want to read more? (Note: This can be an incredibly nerve-racking task for the writer, so be as nice as possible. Give them a reasonable amount of time to complete this.)
• Option B – Have the candidate send you an excerpt of the intro of their favorite piece before the interview date and time. If you love it, excellent! Go over it with them near the end of the interview and give them some feedback. If it doesn’t move you at all, ask some follow-up questions. Sometimes businesses have very strict parameters that don’t allow the writer the freedom to let out their natural inner “hooker.”

Or, you could just take a page from The Wolf of Wall Street and say, “Sell me this pen.” — that was a joke, don’t do that…

Conclusion

Interviewing copywriters doesn’t need to feel hopeless or ridiculous. There’s no reason to pepper unqualified applicants with 48 questions that have nothing to do with their copywriting qualifications or ability to deliver quality work. You can get a better and faster result by asking fewer, but more relevant questions.

I’ll leave you with this last tidbit; do your best to make it fun, and keep it light and conversational.

You’re hiring a copywriter because you need one.

They’re interviewing with you because they can do the work. No one wants to collaborate with an angry, depressed, or emotionless robot, you feel me?

Sick and tired of searching for a great copywriter? Not to toot my own horn, but it just so happens that I fall into that category. Give me a shout today and let’s see if we’re meant to be!