guide to hiring writers

Did you know? In today’s content marketing, 47% of all content creation is outsourced. This number has increased, year after year, but it’s never been as high as this year. It’s common now to have 99% of your brand content completely written by someone else. After all, we have to run our businesses, right? (Write?) Now that we’ve cleared up that you share a commonality with every other marketer, outsourcing to a marketing content writer, let’s talk about how to find that writer. THAT’S the big question. No matter what you’re selling, the most important thing is how you get your message across. Read on to learn more about why & how to hire your next best business rockstar: a great marketing content writer. Why Hire a Marketing Content Writer? Real talk for a second. Today, in our online world, you can’t just write your message in any old way. For example: “Come and get it! This is what you want! We have what you need!” Ugh. That doesn’t work anymore. If the copy isn’t well-written, none of the phrases you send your customers tell them anything about the product you’re selling. Come and get what? I bet if your potential customers were to keep reading, the content wouldn’t wow them with any real explanation. That is where a marketing content writer steps in. The goal of content writing should always be to promote interest in a brand or specific products. The best type of content marketing does not lay all the cards out on the table. These covert creative writers integrate SEO techniques while also producing high quality content that can organically stay on message. The content has the perfect mix of education, entertainment and product placement. You might dabble in writing yourself, but this is an entirely different ball game. Think of all of the written content that you incorporate into your business: blog posts, newsletters, social media posts, ad copy, email campaigns, holiday cards. If you’re running your own business, it’s nearly impossible to take care of everything alone. If you haven’t already considered content marketing, you’re in the minority. As of 2018, 91% of B2B organizations utilize content marketing strategies. Writing is no walk in the park, especially when it coincides with marketing. Marketing content writers have to think about even more than producing well written content. One major component of this type of online marketing is optimizing content for search engines. Writers have to integrate keywords, links, meta descriptions and headers into their content seamlessly. This requires an incredible amount of research and skill. Writers also have to edit, proofread, publish and distribute the content so that it reaches the widest audience. This all has to be done while keeping the content easy to read, relatable and engaging. Is this something you have time for? I’m guessing your answer is a swift no. In short, the best decision for every business is to hire an expert marketing content writer. 5 Steps To Help You Find a Quality Marketing Content Writer If you’ve ever searched the depths of Craigslist, Facebook or LinkedIn, you can easily see that writers are plentiful. The problem is that not all of these writers may be perfect for your business. In fact, not all of these writers may even be able to write. Anyone can call themselves a writer – the trick is finding one that can actually write. Also, for you as the client, hiring a content writer is a process. You need to have a strategy and expectations before you start. For example, you should know the answers to: How do you want to position and sell your brand online? What type of content do you need in order to match your content marketing goals? These are questions you need to ask yourself before hiring anyone. Beyond the specifics of marketing your brand, you also have to figure out what type of person you want to work with. Do you need someone to be constantly on call or can they work on their own schedule? Are they able to meet deadlines? If you’re hiring a writer to work remotely, you’ll need someone who can effectively communicate. Remember that marketing content writers are more than just writers. Yes, writing is their main job but they are also strategists. They need to be familiar with SEO and marketing just as much as they need to write high quality content. Take time with the hiring process. Utilize these tips to help you find the perfect writer. 1. Set Clear Expectations The right writer will be able to help you create a strategy for your content, but you also need to consider this on your own. Do you want someone who can edit themselves? How many blog posts do you need? Are you looking for more than web content? Setting expectations ahead of time will give applicants a sense of the workload and help you organize your tasks. 2. Include Requirements in Your Job Posting Have you ever read a job posting that asks you to include your favorite band in your email response? These potential employers aren’t just messing around. By asking a random question or including specific instructions, they are ensuring that applicants pay attention and read thoroughly. When hiring a writer, you always want to ask for at least three writing samples, a resume and a link to their portfolio or published work. You can take it to the next level by requiring a specific email subject line or another detailed instruction at the end of the post. 3. Test Your Applicants You can choose to include a paid or unpaid test to ensure you can work with potential applicants. One effective test strategy is asking for a new example of a blog post that incorporates a specific keyword. You can also make this relatable to your company. Many content writing jobs ask for this, like this one from Texas Monthly posted on Craigslist: We have a very specific writer … Read more