7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Content Writer
One way to raise brand awareness and boost online exposure is to run a blog campaign or engage in content marketing. And one essential element in content marketing is to have a content writer who is able to meet your business’ demands and the needs of your content marketing strategy.
Hiring a virtual assistant or a content writer is a good business strategy if you don’t have time to think up and write new content on a regular basis for your business’ blog or website. However, just like any other business decision, it’s best to sit back and think about it first before deciding to hire a content writer.
To help you decide, here are 7 questions to ask before you hire a content writer.
How will you run your content marketing?
Before hiring a content writer for your business, you must first determine and lay the groundwork on how you want to run your content marketing or blog campaign. You’ll need to know if it’s going to be long-term or short-term. From here, you can map out your budget, specific marketing plans, and business plans. You’ll also be able to provide your content writer the information they need before they get hired including the budget, targets, expectations and tasks you’re going to assign them.
Do you really need to hire one?
If you feel that you’re understaffed and overworked, then this is a no-brainer. Mapping out tasks and seeing if they’re doable without being overwhelmed or exhausted is important. You want everyone to feel comfortable in doing their jobs. Doing it by yourself means that you have to put time and attention in writing, you need to have the skillset to provide fresh materials, and you need to be equipped with the ability to multi-task. If you feel that you need help, then it’s best to hire a content writer who can focus and put all their attention to writing and ensuring quality posts in your blog or website.
Can you afford it?
After reviewing your business and content marketing plan, you’ll be able to determine if you can afford to hire a content writer. You can decide if it’s going to be a full-time writer or a freelance writer. You can also weigh if you’re going to hire an office staff or a virtual assistant who can write for you. It’s common for businesses to hire virtual assistants or virtual secretaries since this is usually cheaper and saves you time and effort in the hiring process. You just need to contact virtual assistant companies and provide them with the skillset you need, and they’ll present you with a pool of professionals ready and competent to help you run your blog campaign. In the long run, you get to save time, effort and finances and still get the quality material you would need.
Who will oversee the campaign?
Are you going to be the one to oversee and supervise the project? Or is there anyone from your office staff who will be able to do that for you? You will need a person to manage and monitor your content before and after they get published. This is to prevent mistakes and issues.
What kind of material would you need?
Determining the kind of blog or material you would need will also determine what kind of content writer you’re going to hire. You can set the conditions, skill sets and parameters so that both parties know what to expect and what content will be published.
Will the writing style match the business’ character?
It’s good practice to ask for samples of work from aspiring content writers. This is to match your company’s tone or voice. You don’t want to sound unprofessional when your target audiences are businessmen and professionals. This is one way to screen and find a perfect match for someone who will provide content for your website.
What will the SEO strategy be?
Before any tasks or project begins, keywords need to be established first. Your content writer should have knowledge on what keywords should be used and how he or she can incorporate this in their blog or article. It’s crucial for a writer to be aligned with the content marketing’s SEO strategy so that your site can generate enough traffic to boost awareness and increase sales.
Once you have answered the 7 questions above, then you can decide if your business needs to hire a writer and how you can go about it. This is important as your business’ reputation and future may depend on it. Your content writers will have a huge impact on how your business grows and how it will move forward. This is why understanding the advantages and recognizing the options to take is essential.
