Tag Archives: Freelance Content Writer

Looking for a content writer who can work remotely?

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Content writer working remotely

A content writer who can work remotely can be of great advantage. If you’re looking for one, it means you want to avail great talent at minimal cost and with greatest efficiency. Why is it so?

For a big business it makes sense to have in-house content writers because, to be frank, many of the resources in big businesses are simply wasted. People are hired for no obvious reason. Salaries are paid without knowing why they are being paid. New software is purchased at the drop of a hat. Even when good software is available in the market, they get their own software developed. What I’m trying to say is, when it comes to big business, they’re not very much concerned with using their resources efficiently.

Small businesses on the other hand need to be very careful. If they are not careful, they’re going to lose their business. As a small business you don’t want to employ an in-house content writer. Looking for a content writer who can work remotely would be the best option for you.

Why look for a content writer who can work remotely rather than employing a full-time content writer for your small business?

Saving money is just one of the many reasons. Personally, why I would recommend a content writer who can work remotely is because you don’t get stuck with the content writer you have hired. Let’s accept that – human beings are unpredictable, and so are their talents. Maybe the person who appeared for the interview seemed awesome at that time, but now, he or she just cannot come up with the sort of high-quality content you need for your business. Even if occasionally he or she can come up with great content, the persistency is lacking.

As a business owner you also know that hiring someone can be a pretty expensive affair. You have to place an advertisement. You may have to go through an HR agency and then pay that agency. You will need extra space. You will need extra computer or laptop. You will need extra software. You will need extra resources like electricity and Internet connection and telephone and furniture. There will be many hidden costs that won’t be apparent immediately but will leave quite a significant impact on your account books. If you need to hire multiple content writers, then you can multiply these expenses.

There are no such problems if you hire a content writer who can work remotely. You don’t need to pay an HR agency. You don’t need to invest in infrastructure such as furniture, computers and software, electricity, office space, employee benefits and risks of litigation. You simply tell your content writer (who works remotely using his or her own resources) what you need and he or she delivers. That’s it. Don’t like the work? You can simply move onto another content writer. Isn’t it simple?

Another big advantage of working with a content writer who can work remotely is that you can negotiate the compensation. I’m not suggesting you pay peanuts for the quality content you need for your business, but if competitive rates are available, why not avail them? This is not the case when you hire someone full-time. Whether you can afford or not, you have to pay industry rates. You can surely negotiate, but some of the expenses are simply non-negotiable.

When you look for a content writer who can work remotely, global talent suddenly becomes available to you

As a realistic person, a business savvy worldly wise person, you know that the talent you require isn’t just confined to your geographic region. I’m a content writer based in India, but most of my work comes from English-speaking countries like USA, Britain and Australia. Why don’t they work with native English speaking writers? Aside from the sort of fee that they charge, it isn’t always necessary that they’re going to be better than someone placed elsewhere. An ability to write well is totally different from an ability to speak a language. Being a native English speaker doesn’t mean you’re also a good writer, but you can certainly be a good writer even if you’re not a native English speaker (I’m using English just an example, you can apply this logic to any other language).

So when you work with a content writer who can work remotely, you can access global talent. You don’t need to depend on the writers available in your city.

Even the difference of time zones can work to your advantage. Many clients send my work when it’s night on their side and on my side it’s already day. I work on the document and send it and by the time their day starts, they already have the needed content with them.

So are you looking for a content writer who can work remotely? If yes, do contact me to carry this conversation forward. Who knows? You may decide to work with me. Although, yours is the ultimate decision.

How to find the killer content writer for your website or blog

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Killer content writer

Once you have decided to create quality content for your website or blog it is very important that you find a killer content writer for the job. I know I’m using a clichéd phrase, but what I mean is, you need a person who understands your business, understands your audience, knows what language to use, and then communicates your message convincingly, preferably, repeatedly, using the appropriate language, to your audience. I know, a long sentence, but you get the point, right?

So how do you find such a content writer?

You first have to decide whether you want to hire someone full-time, part-time or you would rather outsource the content writing job. Since I am a content writer, I’m going to write this from the perspective of someone who is looking to outsource the job. So with this settled, how do you find a content writer who can really deliver with a punch and build you a formidable business asset? Here are a few things you can do

Recognize, acknowledge and accept the importance of content writing for your business

What the heck does that mean? you must be wondering. Aren’t you looking for a content writer because you know that your website needs content writing? Many business owners think that way but still they don’t understand content writing and therefore, they expect their content writer to charge as low as $ 5 (just a ballpark figure to explain the trend) for “quality” webpage content or blog post. Just as you have to pay a premium for a quality computer, quality smart phone, quality software, quality web design, quality food in a quality restaurant, and a quality four-wheeler, you also have to pay good money for a quality content writer. If you don’t think that, you’re either not serious about getting content written for your website, or you have a different perception of the real world.

Acknowledge that the content writer you’re planning to hire is running a serious business just like you

Considering the amount of money some people want to pay to their content writer (for example, $ 5) they think that the content writer is just a good-for-nothing, out-of-job fellow who has somehow gotten hold of a computer and an Internet connection and is now trying to make a living off the Internet without having spent any money. I’m not saying such people don’t exist, but if you want to hobnob with such people, then maybe you also have the same sort of attitude and running the same sort of business in your basement, mostly surviving on freebies abundantly available on the Internet.

If you’re doing serious business, then you have to collaborate with a serious person. If you need business class services, then you need to get a person who is running a business. If you want professional content for your website or blog, you need a professional content writer who provides his or her services as a business rather than as a hobby or an in-between-jobs activity.

But how do you know that the content writer you’re contemplating working with is a serious business owner or at least a professional content provider? Here are a few things to consider:

  • He (or she) has a website with all relevant sections (homepage, services, about section, FAQs, contact form, etc.)
  • His website shouldn’t look as if it was designed back in 2003
  • He has clearly and convincingly described how he works and what procedures he follows in order to deliver effective content
  • He has good command over the language (the language in which the content is to be written)
  • He has a visible presence on the web – since there is a great possibility that you will be looking for a content writer on the Internet, you should be easily able to find him.
  • He should have a blog that is regularly updated. Being a content writer he should have lots of content on his own website so that you can get a fair idea of how he communicates
  • His fees and rates should be there on the website
  • He shouldn’t be one of those “professionals” who would go to any length vis-à-vis the pricing in order to get your work. If he is too eager to please you it’s an indication that he is not very confident and if he is not confident he won’t be able to apply his skills with confidence to your writing too.
  • He should reply to your email messages or phone calls or Skype messages within a decent time span. It doesn’t mean his replies should reach you within minutes because he is supposed to be working and not constantly monitoring the messages people send him, but a time gap of, let us say if it is not very urgent, should be at least eight hours.

Remember that these are basic traits and there might be many more characteristics that you may look for in order to find the right content writer for your business.

Have a clearly laid out plan for your content marketing campaign

There is a reason it is called “content marketing”. Hiring a content writer doesn’t mean your job is done and now it is up to him to do your content marketing. Have a plan. You should know what you’re trying to achieve by getting content written for your website or blog. You should know what topics need to be covered and why and what sort of effect they should have on your traffic as well as the people who decide to stick around your website for awhile. Remember that you are the one running your business. You know it’s nitty-gritty. You know more about your customers and clients than the content writer. You know there are various triggers (if you don’t, you need to do your research you need to hire someone who can do it for you) that motivate your customers and clients.

Once you have a plan you will know exactly what your content writer needs to do.

Decide what you want: a content writer, a content marketer, or both

A perfect solution would be a content writer who knows a bit or two about marketing too. This is because effective content writing has less to do with impeccable writing and more to do with convincing writing. How do you convince people? If you can market your idea in a compelling language. Remember that it shouldn’t be perfect language. It should be able to persuade people into doing business with you. A knack for marketing makes your content writer confident and lucid. He knows how to communicate the strengths of what you’re offering in an effective manner (to streamline your sales funnel).

Be ready to let your content writer do what he does best

In order to let the killer content writer create killer content for your website or blog, you will have to let him do his job the way he likes to do it (as long as he is delivering something that helps you grow your business). Once you’re convinced that he understands your audience and he is able to create content accordingly, don’t meddle too much. Don’t force him into writing something he is uncomfortable with. Don’t impose your ideas about how to write because it’s he who is in the business of writing content and not you. You might be a legal eagle but writing is not your calling (unless you are John Grisham, of course), so stick to your expertise and let the content writer do his job.