With 70% of people prefer getting their information about a company from blogs rather than ads, it’s no wonder that 90% of the companies are using blogs to market their products and services.
Some companies have even allocated more than 25% of their marketing budgets to content creation and distribution in line with this trend. (Source: Demand Metric)
All this leads to a demand for content writers who can create content that helps companies engage better with their audiences through their websites and social media channels.
To achieve this goal, I’ll be taking you through some of the best time-tested methods to hire a content writer.
What to do before you hire a content writer
Spend some time planning your requirements in detail. While this may seem tedious and cumbersome to some people, believe me, it helps. It’s better to spend a few hours detailing your specific requirements than regretting it weeks later.
All you need to do before hiring a content writer is ask yourself a few crucial work-related questions, such as;
- What is the type of content you want to create? Do you want it to be informative or entertaining?
- Will it be just for your website or include email campaigns, newsletters, e-books, etc.?
- Which are the pages that you would like to focus on specifically?
- What should be the tone and style of the content?
- Should it address only specific issues, or should it cover the industry as a whole?
- What will the frequency be if you plan to create and share blogs?
- Will you be updating your website regularly with content, i.e., every week, monthly, or just once a year?
- How much are you willing to invest in a content writer?
- Do you want someone who visits your office regularly, or will a remote writer do?
While this is not a comprehensive list, it will give you a fair idea of the type of content writer you should be looking for and whether you need one regularly or on a freelance basis.
Get your hiring right!
The best place to begin looking for a content writer is right close to you.
I’m referring to references from acquaintances within your network. For example, is there a website or social media page you have recently admired and found interesting? Why not give the owner a call and get the credentials of the person who has written/designed the website?
It will save you a lot of time and energy in the long run.
Hiring the perfect content writer for your website is all about finding someone who can relate to your brand and has experience writing for similar industries.
While content writers can usually write about any topic under the sun, it helps to hire one who has the technical know-how about how your industry works and the type of customers you are trying to attract and engage with.
Why do you need to hire a good Content Writer?
But, given the tough competition to capture a customer’s attention, just any content writer won’t do for your website. Your content not only needs to be well written and well researched but should also be informative and useful for the reader.
There has to be a wow factor for the reader so that he feels inclined to read it and know more about you and your brand. And in the end, it should prompt a positive action towards your business and brand.
That’s why only the best content writers will do!
Skills that you should look for while hiring a content writer
While every content writer has their own individual style and a way with words, some of the factors that you can look out for to see if they are best suited for your website content are:
Create Original Content
Your content writer should have adequate skills to research content related to your industry and present it in a new perspective without sounding repetitive or boring.
All the content generated should be plagiarism-free, with key statistics and quotes properly referenced to their original source.
Have a good grasp of the language
Not all content needs to be written in the Queen’s English.
The technical details should be explained in simple terms so that even a non-specialist can understand them. In addition, the sentences should be free-flowing and interconnected to each other so that they make sense to the reader and facilitate his understanding of your products or services.
However, it is worth noting that all the content created by the content writer should be free of grammatical and spelling errors. Nothing makes a bad impression on the reader, more than poorly written text, which has not been checked for even basic errors.
Be flexible while working on your project
While creating website content is a long-term project and needs adequate time and attention, your content writer should be flexible enough to work within the allocated timelines and improve upon them if required.
There may be specific pieces of content/information required on a priority basis; as such, they should be flexible enough to accommodate your requests to get them completed at the earliest and not be too rigid on the timelines.
Be open to feedback
Creating good content is a two-way street and requires effective communication on both ends, i.e., between you and the content writer. While the content writer may be a specialist in his field and have a way with words, no one knows your business better than you.
The content writer should be open to feedback and value your inputs enough to ensure they are incorporated as required.
How to Find the Best Writers and Hire Them
Once you’ve checked within your network for references, it’s time to explore other avenues for hiring a content writer for your website.
Some of the best places/ways to hire a content writer are;
The best small business networking website in the world is also one of the biggest talent platforms in the world. You can easily search through hundreds of profiles of content writers and communicate with them directly to understand more about their work, experience, rates, availability, etc.
If the entire process sounds a bit tedious, then you can hire a virtual assistant to do the same on your behalf and send you only the best, short-listed profiles.
Content Bookmarking/Distribution Sites
Many website content and blog writers share their articles/content on bookmarking sites to create awareness and increase views.
Sites such as Medium, Patreon, Tumblr, Woddal, Digg, etc., are some of the best places to read and review the work of prospective content writers before you hire them.
The best part about these content bookmarking sites is that you can look up writers for different genres and industries. That will help you identify the content writers best suited for your needs.
Content Writing Agencies
If you are not comfortable working with individuals or freelancers, then perhaps working with a content writing agency is the best solution you can look at. The most significant advantage of working with content writing agencies or companies that provide content writers is the reliability and flexibility you enjoy.
Not only do you have an organization you can trust to meet its commitments and deadlines, but some of them are also flexible enough to scale up or down your content requirements based on your specific needs.
If you are looking for better control and directly managing your team of writers, then you even hire a web writer from Wishup, a company that specializes in providing virtual assistants and remote content writers.
What to Do After You Hire Your Writer: Hiring a content writer is only half the job done
It’s still not time to relax and put your feet up, as managing a content writer requires the same effort and time as hiring one, at least in the initial days.
Ensure that you spend adequate time briefing the content writer on your specific needs, why the content is being written, and the audiences for whom it is meant.
You can also share the links to a few competitive websites with your content writer to give them a proper understanding of the content being used by the industry and how they can improve upon it.
Conclusion: Creating the best content for your website is a joint effort
As a business owner, you need to carefully consider all the points you would like to be covered in your website and the type of content you would like prospective customers to engage with before hiring a content writer.
While seeking references to the best content writers is an ideal option, feel free to look up social media channels or social bookmarking websites for content writers.
Working with a content writing agency or a company that specializes in providing remote content writers is also an option that you should explore, especially if you have bulk content requirements and don’t have adequate time or resources to dedicate to the content creation process.
Don’t just rely on the content writer to create outstanding content by just spending a few minutes briefing him. Getting the best content written for your website is a gradual process and requires you to work in partnership with your content writer till you achieve the desired results.
Given adequate time and patience, the rewards of good website content will be well worth it.
Suresh is a Social Media Manager with Wishup. As a content creator, he loves writing on digital marketing, lifestyle, and travel. An avid photographer, he is also the author of the book Mumbai Tales.
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