I recently saw this post on LinkedIn about Toronto-based nonprofits.
Some people may have found it scathing or even insensitive.
But I found it to be accurate and timely.
The post was about how Toronto-based nonprofits are posting jobs with salaries under $50,000 and how that is a big mistake.
Well, why?
Because the minimum living wage right now has surpassed that number due to many factors, including inflation.
The poster Laura McPhie posed this question: If you are paying people below the living income line, does that decision align with the mission and values of your organization?
It’s a good question!
Imagine Canada just shared new infographics about the state of the nonprofit sector for each province. Unfortunately, in Ontario, the average salary of a community organization is under $45,000.
I want to apply the question to in-house and freelance copywriters, marketers, communications specialists and the like: If you invest in your communications team or person less than you probably should, does that decision align with your strategic goals and objectives?
The answer requires an analysis of how writers are generally treated: disposable.
Myths about copywriters
What does a copywriter do?
There’s this idea that copywriters (or writers in general) just put words together and make them look and sound pretty. To some people, copywriting is easy. Therefore, they don’t actually need copywriters, marketers or anyone who specializes in writing. They just need someone who is willing to do the work.
In the nonprofit sector, this is partially true. There are usually not enough staff on your team and everyone has to have two or three jobs to get through daily operations. However, I find that the writer often gets the short end of the stick.
When I look at job postings, there are usually about two or three jobs wrapped up in one. I find myself saying things like:
- “What you need is a social media marketer, not a digital content specialist.”
- “This is a PR job and a marketing job wrapped into one”
- “Many communication specialists don’t necessarily have graphic design skills”
- “Why is front-end development part of an online marketing position?”
For jobs like these, the pay is almost always under $50,000, unless it’s a senior position for which you need 7-10 years of experience.
The truth about copywriters
What does a copywriter really do?
Copywriters, even those who are tasked with doing it because of staff shortages, do more than just writing. We have to do a lot more, including:
- Synthesize information
- Analyze words, sentences, grammar, structure
- Align your target audience with your voice
- Research, research and more research
- Align your writing with your strategic goals
- Come up with ideas
- Edit and proofread
And this could all be for one line that’s going on your website.
What I’m getting at is that copywriters provide value in their thinking and their process of writing. That is not something you can teach because it’s a combination of experience and training. Everyone is going to approach writing differently. So what you’re looking for is not someone who just puts pretty words together. You’re looking for someone who can provide you with the most value for what you’re looking for.
But in order to do that, you have to recognize that copywriters do more than just write. You have to understand what they should be bringing to the table. Additionally, you have to know the value they will bring to your organization in the short and long terms.
If your strategic goals include:
- Reaching a wider audience
- Refining your messaging
- A total rebrand
- Raising more funds in a particular amount of time
- Attracting more donors
- Getting more partnerships
It’s a good idea to understand the value a copywriter can bring to your organization.
Over to you
I know that the nonprofit sector is short on resources on a consistent basis. It’s not easy trying to keep an organization running that serves so many people in a critical way. I’m definitely not suggesting that nonprofits should pull money out of thin air to get writers on their team!
With this quick tip, I’m suggesting that nonprofit workers should understand the value that copywriters, but writers in general, bring to their teams. The words that some people believe are easy to put together can be the difference between no donors and 10 donors or an unsuccessful and successful funding proposal. Even if your organization can’t afford a communications specialist, copywriter or the like, it’s worth understanding the value that they may bring and starting out small in terms of what you need. You’d be surprised at how many writers are willing to help!
I’ll leave you with this snippet of a blog post I wrote about marketing vs. communications vs PR a while back:
Great copywriters can analyze information, ask the right questions and bring your vision to life. They do not need constant oversight and consistent correcting of mistakes. If they’re good at what they do, they’re the ones asking more questions than you so that they can express your vision well.
Happy copywriting!