How to vet and select the right content writer.
During the times of Covid-19 many businesses are consolidating their online presence through publishing engaging content for their customers and clients. For this, they are looking for talented content writers.
Want to spruce up your content marketing? You definitely need a talented and experienced content writer.
Now, it is one thing if a content writer tells you how awesome he or she is, but it is another thing how you vet and select a content writer for your particular content marketing needs.
You may like to read: Looking for a content writer? 8 things to consider.
The Search Engine Land has published a video on how different people select their content writers. Here is the video.
Although, in the video people share their own methodologies of selecting their content writers, I think one of the first steps you can take is, and this is a psychological step rather than a managerial step: accept the fact that you are going to have to pay a good writer, and not just pay the minimum possible amount of money, but the amount of money that you pay to any other professional like a web designer or a programmer or a graphic designer or an engineer or an architect or a consultant.
You see, your entire content marketing strategy rests on the quality of your content. It is suicidal to do all cost-cutting with your writer. As I have written in another blog post, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys (with due respect to our simian brothers and sisters).
Other than that, some of the pointers mentioned in the above-embedded video include…
Places where you can find talented content writers
Get some referrals from your peers
Getting referrals is a very good way of coming across good content writers. These writers have already been tested by people you trust.
A word of caution is, if you are looking for a different voice, you may like to hire a different content writer than being used by a wide range of people within your circle.
Look them up on social networking websites like LinkedIn
Most of the content writers, especially freelancers, promote themselves on websites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Again, an advantage of looking for a content writer on LinkedIn is that you can look for a specific content writer by narrowing down the search. Also, people you know may already be connected with that content writer.
Look in the industry publications and blogs
Many content writers are regularly writing for major publications and magazines. If they are not full-time employees, you can contact them. Most of them have their LinkedIn and Twitter links published beneath their names so you can use these social networking websites to touch base with them.
Evaluating content writers once you have found them
Ask for a sample
I often offer a sample to new clients especially when they are not satisfied with the links I have shared with them. I don’t submit the complete document. I just give them around 300 words which gives them a fair idea of how I write.
Have a chat with your content writer
People are fast getting used to video conferencing. I have had more video meets with clients in the past three months than I have had my entire life.
Your content writer must be able to adapt to your organizational needs. Every business has unique requirements. Someone may be a good writer and a good communicator, but is he or she ready to learn the nuances of your business? This is very important.
These, and many more points are discussed in the above-embedded video on how to select the right content writer for your business.