professional blog writers

There are writers, and then there are writers. Or, let’s put the distinction this way: There are cheap writers, and there are pro writers. What’s the difference? Cheap writers are cheap. That’s all they bring to the table. Professional blog writers have experience, talent, skill, and style. There’s more, though. Writing is a field of expertise, just like any other industry, and these people know it inside-out. They read widely and absorb different writing techniques. They know how to conduct thorough research. They understand the basics of constructing a solid article, whether short or long. They’re creative and dedicated to their craft. Should I keep going? Proficient pro writers need to have all of these skills, plus more. (Via Learn How to Become) And yet, despite the obvious benefits of hiring a professional writer for their content marketing, lots of brands and businesses still aren’t doing it. Instead, they think they can cut corners. Something’s gotta give somewhere, and, a lot of the time, that something is the writing. You may be guilty of this, too. If you are, I’m here to set you straight. You have to understand exactly why professional writers are worth it. You need to know what cheap content mills are doing to your content marketing. You need to understand the value of good, professional writing. Why Professional Blog Writers Are Worth Every Last Cent of Investment There are reams of blogs out there that try to tell you the secrets of professional writers. Even more explain the basic elements that make up good content. You’re supposed to learn these and then apply them to your content marketing and copywriting. Articles like these are all over the ‘net. They try to give you a lesson in skills which pro writers already have. (Via Quick Sprout) Guess what? Professional writers have an entire arsenal of writing “secrets.” You’ll never learn them all, or understand them in the same way, because writing isn’t your bread-and-butter. You haven’t been reading and writing for years upon years – for fun. You probably didn’t major in English, journalism, or communications in college. You most likely never attempted to write a hefty fantasy or detective novel when you were 12. (Seriously, ask any pro writer – they’ll tell you all about their ridiculous first novel, short story collection, etc., that they wrote when they were young and foolish.) Of course, not every writer has professional training or education. However, every single pro writer has passion and experience. Let’s get more basic. If you’re a marketer, marketing is what you do. If you’re a business owner, running your company is what you do, and all that it entails. If you’re a pro writer, writing is what you do. If these still aren’t good enough arguments for you, here’s more about what good writers can do for your content marketing. These key factors set them apart. 1. Professional Blog Writers Treat Your Content with Care Cheap writers are not concerned about quality – they only care about quantity. That’s because they sell their services for the cheapest price possible, then get as much volume as they can to make up the difference. As such, the work they do has no craft behind it. They are focused on getting the words out as fast as possible to make a dime. Pro writers, on the other hand, are concerned with quality and quantity in balance. They’re trying to make money, too, but they’re also worried about producing good work. Because this balance is number one, that means… 2. They Spend the Necessary Time Getting the Writing Right Any pro writer will tell you straight out: Good writing takes time. You cannot dash out a page of text in 10 minutes and expect it to be worth anything, let alone readable. Writing for content marketing requires even more diligence. It needs to mirror the brand’s voice, use the right keywords in the right places, address the target audience effectively, and be readable and useful. If it’s really good, the content will also pull the reader into the text. It will encourage them to keep reading aaaaall the way down to the end of the page. Interlude: Case Study Time You want a good idea of what focusing on quantity over quality looks like (versus a focus on balancing quantity + quality)? Let’s take a gander at the difference using a fantastic example from this real-life case study by Startup Grind. They readily admit that they fell for the lure of cheap content. As such, they hired five writers offering ridiculously inexpensive rates to do a paid test assignment. What they got back made them balk, to say the least. Here’s one example from the test. This piece was titled “Quantity Is the King in B2B Lead Generation”. (The phrasing of this headline alone is worth a long pause of concern. What follows is not all that surprising.) If you can read this without wanting to bash your head against a wall, I sincerely applaud your effort. What’s wrong with it? Everything, for starters. It’s not engaging – it’s repetitive and wordy. The overuse of determiners also makes me suspect the writer’s first language isn’t English. This is supposed to draw in leads? I don’t think so. Naturally, Startup Grind abandoned this approach and tried a different tack. They did the research, came up with the blog title, and provided points to cover. They hired two test writers from cheap agencies who could fill in the blanks. Easy-peasy. Well, actually… Neither writer could deliver. One handed in an article that had nothing to do with the outline. (After two more revisions, the resulting article was still incoherent and messy.) The other writer included points from the outline but loaded it with filler and meaningless sentences in the gaps. Yep, it turns out the old saying is true. You get what you pay for. To drive this point home, let’s compare the example of cheap writing, above, to … Read more