“Approximately 2.75 million blogs are posted every day on WordPress alone.”
The digital spectrum is bombarded with content at the rate of hundreds and thousands of posts per second. And, to be a part of this infinite digital space, you need a team of expert and experienced content writers to help your content stand apart from the competition. So here’s a guide that we’ve curated to help you hire the best of the best talent in the writing domain.
The Ultimate Guide for Hiring Rockstar Content Writers
● Intention is Everything
Entering the age of digital media blindly in unarguably one of the worst things you could do. So before anything else, determine exactly do what goal do you intend to achieve from the content. What is the nature of the content you looking for? If it’s to curate blogs, what is the niche? What is the objective of the content? What is the volume of content you are looking to churn up every month, etc.?
Answering these questions is the first step to hiring not only good but ideal writers suited to your niche.
● “Quality and Experience” but if Given the Choice, “Quality over Experience”
With a dearth of writers in the market, there are many who are seasoned while many who are new to the game. Now it’s not a given that the experienced writers produce good quality content. You’ll be surprised to see the number of writers with years to their credit but no quality in their work. A valuable suggestion would be to evaluate the writer’s work samples rather than his/her resume.
● Inhouse Vs. Freelancers
This is a question that troubles many. While hiring inhouse writers is often a popular choice, it may not be a wise decision, economically. Salaried employees turn out to be a costly affair when you consider the rise in salary demands, training costs, employee benefits, etc. Outsourcing to freelancer content writers is a more pocket-friendly option as you pay only for the work outsourced. So when the volume is low, you pay low.
● Freelancers Vs. Content Marketing Firms
In addendum to the previous point, individual freelance writers come with their fair share of drawbacks. Catering to multiple clients, timely delivery and low volume of deliverables per month is a common one. And if you hire multiple freelancers, liaising with each one becomes a task. This is where content marketing firms come into play. If the volume of work to outsource is in bulk, lookout for companies that offer a turnkey solution to your content requirements. In such a case, you only have to liaise with a single point of contact (probably the content manager) and get your content curated by professional writers in the industry.
86% of businesses that outsource content to professional firms are ranked as “highly effective” by Google.
● Lookout for Category Experts
Once you’ve made up your mind on the medium (inhouse vs. freelance vs. content firm), the next step is to look out for category experts. Whether hiring or outsourcing, checkout work samples related to your domain. In case the writer/company do not have work samples in your niche to showcase, get a fresh one written. Some writers may not offer a free sample. In that case, don’t hesitate to pay for a sample. Consider it an investment for hiring good industry-specific talent.
● Don’t Forget to Sign an NDA
Now usually when hiring quality writers, this is not a concern. But nevertheless, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Draft out a non-disclosure agreement and have it signed by the writer/company before you proceed with work. The agreement must state that the sole authority of the content lies with you (the client) and the writer cannot share it on any other digital platform.
Hiring quality content writers may seem daunting at first, but the effort that you put in surely pays off in the long run. With the help of this guide, we hope you source a team of rockstar content writers for your business. For any further assistance, reach out to us at info@contentualize.com. We would be happy to address any of your concerns.