How to check a copywriter's copy has actually converted
Check if a copywriter's work actually converted: ask for performance data, verify paid campaigns, contact references with specific questions, and review case.
You've asked a copywriter for samples, read them, and they sound polished. But polished isn't the same as proven. Before you pay for ad copy or a sales page, you need to know whether what they've written actually made money for someone else. This isn't about asking them to claim they're great—it's about hunting for the specific, measurable traces that prove conversion work landed.
Ask for performance data tied to each sample
When a copywriter shows you past work, ask them outright: "What were the results?" A real conversion specialist will have numbers. Not always the click-through rate or the final revenue (clients often keep that private), but at minimum they should tell you whether the campaign lifted response, how long it ran, and what metric they were optimising for.
If they hand you a sales page or ad and say "this was very successful" with no further detail, that's a soft answer. Push harder. Ask whether the client saw a lift compared to what ran before, what the timeframe was, and whether they can point to any metric—cost per acquisition, form submissions, repeat purchase rate—that changed after the copy went live. A copywriter who has actually moved the needle will have this information ready or will be honest about what the client let them share.
Verify the samples came from real, paid campaigns
A beautiful sales page or witty ad can exist in a portfolio without ever having spent a pound or rand or been tested at scale. Ask directly: "Did this run as a paid ad, or was it a one-off piece?" If it was paid, ask what platform (Google Ads, Facebook, email), roughly how long it ran, and whether they have screenshots or analytics they can show you (with client names removed if needed).
If a copywriter shows you work they created speculatively or for a class, that's fine to see—but don't mistake it for proof of conversion. The difference is material. Real campaigns live and die by performance data. Spec work is a polished hypothesis.
Contact their references directly and ask the right questions
Most copywriters will give you client references if asked. This is where you separate talk from results. When you call or WhatsApp a reference, skip the softballs. Ask:
- Did this copywriter's work improve your conversion metric (sales, leads, clicks, sign-ups, whatever mattered to you)?
- How did you measure the improvement?
- Did the copy perform better than what you were running before, or better than other copywriters you've tried?
- Would you hire them again?
Listen for specificity. A reference who says "yes, the copy was great and we made more money" is less useful than one who says "they rewrote our product page and our add-to-cart rate went from 8% to 11% over three months." The second person is giving you a real trace. Ask for permission to follow up if their answer is vague.
Search for published case studies or results
Some conversion copywriters publish case studies—even anonymised ones—that show the before-and-after of their work, the brief they received, the copy changes they made, and the results. These are rare and valuable. If a copywriter has published one or more, read it carefully. Is it detailed enough that you understand the problem they solved? Does the result seem reasonable (not a wild claim), and is it tied to a measurable outcome?
You can also ask whether they've been featured in industry publications or contributed articles about conversion copywriting to reputable content platforms. This isn't a substitute for real client results, but it signals whether they're serious enough about their craft to stay current and share knowledge.
Look for the signs of work that didn't convert
One more test: ask a copywriter to show you work that didn't perform. If they say everything they've done has succeeded, they're either hiding failures or they've never tested at scale. Real conversion work involves iteration. A copywriter who can explain why a headline missed, what they learned, and how they'd approach it differently is one who understands that conversion is about evidence, not ego. This willingness to discuss failure often says more than the wins alone.
When you're ready to hire, verify on Strove that your copywriter is a registered professional, read detailed reviews from past clients, and ask for the exact proof checks outlined here. Conversion work is measurable—so make sure you see the measurement.
Common questions
- What should I ask a copywriter's reference to confirm their work converted?
- Ask the reference for specific metrics: Did the copy improve your conversion rate, click-through rate, or sales? By how much? How was the improvement measured? Did it outperform previous copy or other copywriters? Vague praise like "great copy" is less valuable than a concrete answer like "the email redesign lifted our open rate from 12% to 18%." Always ask if they'd hire the copywriter again.
- Can I trust portfolio samples if they don't have performance numbers attached?
- Portfolio samples are useful to assess writing style and approach, but they're not proof of conversion unless the copywriter tells you the campaign ran paid, for how long, and what the results were. Spec work or class assignments show capability but not real-world results. Always ask whether each sample was actually deployed and paid for before treating it as evidence of conversion skill.
- What's a red flag if a copywriter claims all their work converts?
- It's unrealistic. Every copywriter has tested headlines, emails, or ads that underperformed or needed iteration. If someone claims 100% success rate, they're either hiding failures or haven't tested at scale. A copywriter who can discuss what didn't work and what they learned is more credible than one who only talks about wins.
- Should I ask to see the actual conversion numbers (like exact sales or revenue)?
- Most clients keep final revenue private for competitive reasons, so don't expect that. Instead, ask for metrics the copywriter can share: conversion rate lifts, cost-per-acquisition changes, form submission increases, or email engagement improvements. These are sensitive enough that clients may not allow them to be shared, but a good copywriter will have discussed results with you and can explain what you can and can't see.
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