Not all content writers are right for your business. Content writing is such a broad field of writing that encapsulates several areas. It can be produced for websites, magazines, newsletters, emails, company brochures, and profiles. Choosing content writers for your business makes things even more complicated for any of the above can be for vastly different industries like hospitality, finance, real estate or medical industries.
For this reason, it is important to know a bit more about the content writer you want to hire before you hire them. This article will shed some light on how to choose the right content writer for your business.
Business to Business
When approaching a company that offers content writing services, you need to be able to specify which type of content you will need to be written. Follow these points when approaching a writing company.
Skills and Knowledge
Specify your exact needs, for example,
Compile a list of skills or knowledge the content writer will need to be able to be familiar with. Ask for examples of the content writer’s previous work that is similar to yours.
Look out for these skills and characteristics in your content writers for the most effective writing work:
- Fast typing skills;
- Good planning and organization skills;
- Focused and disciplined in their field;
- Can work well under pressure and manage stress;
- Good spelling and grammar;
- Ability to proofread and edit own work;
- Can do good research;
- Know about tone and style;
- Always aims to improve their skills.
Educational Level of Content Writers
Depending on your needs you might need someone that has a university degree or some companies only need basic writing from someone with a high school or college degree. Depending on the industry content writers might need to be qualified in a specific field like business, economics or science. Therefore, it is important to specify the educational level your content writer needs to have. Request a CV or certificate of qualification when looking for a content writer to suit your company’s needs and niche. It is also important to choose someone that has a qualification in content writing and marketing or something similar to make sure you get the most professional work for your company.
Information about Your Company
Before you can locate the perfect writer for your business, you need to explain what your brand is all about. At this point, you need to do some writing of your own. Make the description attractive, in a way that will inspire many writers with great skills to compete for your offer.
- Write a brief summary of what your company does and also provide access to your website if you have one. If you don’t have a website and you’re hiring a writer who will help you develop the content for it, make sure to specify the task.
- Once you choose the writer, you’ll need to get into more details. Try to introduce the company’s culture and explain its main goals. You also need to provide detailed information about the target audience. That will prepare the writer to write relevant content that will convey the purpose and strengths of your business.
- If there is a specific book that the company’s policies are based on, give a copy of it to the content writer you choose to familiarize him/her with the company’s goals and personality.
Deadlines
When choosing a content writer or a content writing company always make sure that they can reach your deadline criteria. Are you the type of person that needs work urgently and on short notice or do you plan months ahead leaving plenty of time? Specify whether you will need someone to write on a daily, monthly or irregular basis.
For good deadline management the content writer you choose needs to be:
- Reliable and self-disciplined;
- Focused;
- Do not become anxious;
- Does not procrastinate;
- Able to ask for help from the company if needed;
- Knows exactly what the brief is;
- Willing to ask questions and learn more.
Information about the Content Company
Before approaching a new content company, do research about the company to find out if they specialize in what you are looking for
Also, look for reviews or other references from people who have used the company to make sure they provide quality work on time.
Checking the company registration is also an important factor when looking for a reliable and trustworthy company. Is the company a legally registered company? Knowing the company registration number gives you the security of being able to track the company.
Referrals
It is always better to approach a company that you have been referred to. You surely have business contacts within your industry. It’s time to use them. To find the right type of content writer for your business, ask other companies similar to yours if they know of a content writer that is good in your field.
Have you noticed a particularly exceptional blog or article written for a certain business? Check the author and ask the company’s owner if they can recommend you as a client. Then, contact the writer and make your offer. If they don’t accept, maybe you can get a recommendation for another writer with similar skills and expertise.
Portfolios
A writing portfolio is the best way to see which content writer will be right for your company. If using a company, request the portfolios of their writers or samples of their writing assignments. It helps you choose one that has experience in your field and has flawless writing that is on time. This way you can also see their educational level and areas they excel in.
The Success of Your Marketing Campaign Depends Upon the Writer
You may have great ideas for the way you will promote your business through a successful content marketing campaign, but you need to find the writer who will execute your plan.
Keeping all the above in mind when choosing a content writer for your business will help you find the right one for you. Once you have selected a candidate you will be able to see if they live up to your business standard and whether the work they produce is good. Make sure to monitor the work of your writer and motivate them with new topics and different types of tasks. Once you realize that you’ve hired an exceptional writer, you’ll have to make an effort to keep them in your team.
Images: ”Vintage inscription made by old typewriter, Time for new content /Shutterstock.com“
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