High-quality article writers blend skills that distinguish their work. They grasp brand identity, ensuring each piece aligns with your company's voice and objectives. Their proficiency in SEO, audience targeting, and consistent brand voice makes them invaluable assets for any content strategy.
Defining Characteristics of a High-Quality Writer
First, they understand your brand. They immerse themselves in your company's voice and goals. This knowledge ensures each piece aligns with your brand identity. They don't just write; they write for your brand, infusing your essence into every word.
Second, their SEO skills are robust. Effective writers structure content for SEO, using keywords naturally, optimizing headers, and incorporating alt tags. They know well-optimized articles attract organic traffic, translating to more leads.
Next, audience targeting is their strength. They write with your audience in mind, crafting content that resonates, informs, and engages. This means understanding not only who your audience is but what they want to read. It's about providing value with each article, addressing their interests and pain points.
Great writers adapt their tone to match your existing content, ensuring seamless brand voice consistency. This consistency builds trust and a cohesive brand experience for readers.
Furthermore, they're skilled in lead-generating copy. High-quality writers create articles that inform and persuade. They use compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) and persuasive language to convert readers into customers. Each piece serves a purpose beyond filling space on your site.
Effective article writers are also exceptional researchers. They back up claims with credible sources, providing accurate and reliable information. This builds authority and trust with your audience, making your brand a go-to resource.
Another characteristic is meeting deadlines without compromising quality. They manage their time well, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality content. This reliability means you can count on a full content calendar and engaged audience.
Lastly, top-notch writers are open to feedback. They understand constructive criticism's value and use it to improve. This adaptability means they can refine their approach to better meet your needs and enhance their content continuously.
Explore Hiring Platforms
When considering platforms to hire article writers, understand each platform's unique offerings. Each has pros and cons, influencing how you source and collaborate with writers.
LinkedIn is powerful for finding exceptional talent. It's not just social; it's a professional hub where writers showcase work, engage in industry conversations, and connect with clients. A significant advantage is detailed profiles. You can see a writer's experience, endorsements, and work samples. This transparency helps gauge reliability and fit. However, LinkedIn lacks a built-in system for managing proposals, contracts, or payments, requiring more legwork.
Next, platforms like nDash cater explicitly to content marketing and writing services. nDash partners with experienced writers with a proven track record. This ensures a higher quality of candidates. Additionally, nDash offers a streamlined process for posting assignments, receiving proposals, and managing payments. The platform vets writers rigorously, saving time in the hiring process. However, costs can be higher, reflecting the premium talent pool.
Traditional job boards, such as ProBlogger and Freelance Writing Gigs, remain popular. These sites allow you to reach a broad audience of writers actively searching for work. Posting here can lead to a high volume of applications, offering a wide selection of talent. Furthermore, job boards can be more budget-friendly for limited resources. But the sheer volume can be overwhelming, and you'll need to filter numerous applicants to find the right fit, which can be time-consuming.
On platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, you'll find writers with varying levels of expertise. Upwork offers a range of freelancers— from beginners to seasoned professionals. One advantage is built-in project management tools, including milestone payments and time tracking. However, the market is saturated, and distinguishing skilled writers from novices can be challenging. Fiverr, known for its gig-based offerings, is another affordable option. But remember, at lower price points, the risk of receiving subpar work increases.
Consider niche-specific platforms tailored to particular fields, like Scripted for tech, business, and healthcare writing. The specialized nature ensures writers have the necessary domain expertise. They also offer editorial support, ensuring a higher quality end product. The drawback? These specialized platforms can be costly, and there may be a smaller writer pool compared to general platforms.
When hiring from any platform, keep certain criteria in mind to ensure quality writers:
- Look for a well-maintained and updated profile or portfolio.
- Genuine testimonials and endorsements indicate credibility.
- Always review their writing samples for clarity, tone, and SEO practice adherence.
- Consider conducting brief interviews via video calls to gauge communication skills and professionalism.
Evaluating Writing Proficiency vs. Subject Expertise
When evaluating potential writers, consider the balance between writing proficiency and subject expertise. These two factors significantly impact the quality and effectiveness of the content produced, but knowing which to prioritize can be challenging.
A proficient writer with limited subject knowledge can craft engaging, well-structured articles but may lack the depth and accuracy desired in highly technical or specialized content. They might miss industry nuances, leading to shallow or generic content. However, such writers excel at adapting to different tones, maintaining readability, and implementing SEO best practices, ensuring accessible and search-engine-friendly content.
Conversely, a subject matter expert (SME) who is not a seasoned writer brings a wealth of knowledge and insight. Their content is rich with detail and authoritative, appealing to an audience seeking in-depth, accurate information. Yet, their writing might be dense, jargon-heavy, or lacking polish needed for broader appeal. Such pieces risk alienating readers if not well-written and might perform poorly in engagement and search engine rankings.
To determine which factor—writing proficiency or domain expertise—is more critical, consider your content strategy's primary goals. If establishing thought leadership within a niche industry is a priority, an SME's detailed insights might outweigh impeccable writing style. Conversely, if attracting a broad audience and driving traffic is the goal, a proficient writer with strong SEO skills might be more valuable.
A practical approach involves pairing proficient writers with subject matter experts. This collaboration merges the best of both worlds: the writer ensures engaging, readable, and SEO-optimized content, while the SME provides depth, accuracy, and technical know-how. For example, the SME can provide detailed outlines, key points, and technical explanations, which the writer then transforms into a coherent and compelling article. Regular feedback and iterative revisions ensure the final content meets quality and expertise standards.
This synergistic workflow benefits both parties: writers learn more about the industry, improving their future work, while SMEs see their complex ideas communicated clearly and effectively to a broader audience. Moreover, involving SMEs in the review process guarantees the final output aligns with industry standards and expectations, enhancing credibility and authority.
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Onboarding and Managing Writers
Successful collaboration with article writers begins with an effective onboarding process. The onboarding phase sets the tone for your working relationship and ensures the writer understands your brand, expectations, and workflow. A streamlined onboarding process transforms even the most skilled writer into an essential team member.
First, provide substantial information relevant to your brand and objectives. This includes sharing your brand's background, voice guidelines, target audience insights, and prior content exemplifying your desired style and tone. Highlight brand values and KPIs, giving the writer a comprehensive business understanding and metrics against which their content will be measured.
For instance, creating a detailed onboarding document or writer's handbook can be extremely beneficial. This document should include:
- Brand Voice and Style Guide: Descriptions and examples of tone, voice, style, preferred language, grammar rules, and formatting preferences.
- Audience Personas: Detailed profiles of your target audience, including demographics, interests, pain points, and preferred content types.
- Content Goals: Clear explanations of what you aim to achieve with your content, whether increasing site traffic, boosting lead generation, or enhancing customer engagement.
- SEO Guidelines: Tips and best practices for SEO, including keyword usage, meta descriptions, internal linking, and other optimization strategies.
Next, setting clear expectations is key. Communicate workflow specifics, such as deadlines, submission formats, word count expectations, and the approval process. Ensure the writer knows who they will work with regularly, whether you, a content manager, or other team members. If using project management tools like Asana, Trello, or Notion, ensure they are comfortable with these platforms to streamline your workflow.
Maintaining effective communication is also vital. Establish regular check-ins, whether through email, video calls, or chat platforms like Slack. This keeps everyone aligned and allows addressing issues or questions promptly. Encourage open communication to build mutual trust and ensure the writer feels comfortable raising concerns or seeking clarification.
Giving constructive feedback helps writers grow and align more closely with your vision. Be specific, balanced, timely, and collaborative when providing feedback. Highlight what the writer did well alongside areas for improvement, frame feedback as a conversation, and provide it soon after receiving the draft.
Tracking performance is another critical aspect of managing writers. Use analytics tools to measure content's impact on your KPIs, such as traffic, engagement, and conversions. Share these metrics with writers to provide context on how their work contributes to overall goals. This demonstrates the value of their work and informs areas for improvement.
For continuous improvement, consider implementing a structured review process. Regular performance reviews provide a formal framework for discussing progress, setting new goals, and addressing ongoing challenges. This ensures the writer's development aligns with your evolving content strategy.
Refining Your Search through Networking and Referrals
Leveraging personal and professional networks can be a game-changer for finding high-quality article writers. Networking and referrals yield skilled candidates who are often a better cultural fit for your organization. By tapping into these networks, you can find highly recommended writers with a proven track record.
Begin by reaching out to existing connections, such as colleagues, industry peers, and professional organization members. Share your need for a writer and specify the skills and expertise you seek. People in your network are likely to recommend professionals they trust and have worked with successfully. Their direct experience provides valuable insights you won't get from a résumé alone.
Additionally, engage in online communities and forums related to your industry. Platforms like LinkedIn groups, industry-specific forums, and local business groups can be fertile grounds for finding top-tier writing talent. By participating actively, you can build relationships and solicit recommendations from individuals with firsthand knowledge of effective writers.
Attend industry events, whether virtual or in-person. Conferences, webinars, and workshops can introduce you to potential writers and other industry professionals who can offer referrals. Networking at these events allows more personalized interactions, where you can gauge a writer's expertise and brand fit on the spot.
Consider implementing a referral program within your organization, where team members are rewarded for recommending hired writers. This can motivate your team to think actively about their extended network, casting a wider net and increasing the likelihood of finding top-quality talent.
Use social media platforms to follow industry leaders, content creators, and popular writers. Engage with their content by commenting, sharing, and starting conversations. This increases visibility within the writer community and establishes rapport, making it easier to reach out with job opportunities.
When evaluating referrals, conduct due diligence. While a recommendation carries significant weight, it should not replace a thorough vetting process. Always review the referred writer's portfolio, conduct interviews, and assess proficiency and subject matter expertise as with any candidate. This ensures alignment with your content goals.
Establishing a reliable network of writers doesn't happen overnight. It requires ongoing effort to nurture relationships and stay connected within your industry. Regularly update your network about your content needs and be open to new connections. The more visible and active you are, the more likely you'll attract high-quality referrals.
References
- Handley A. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley; 2016.
- Soat JA. The Writer's Guide to Corporate Content. New York, NY: Routledge; 2018.
- Pulizzi J. Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2015.
- Graham A. Content Machine: Use Content Marketing to Build a 7-Figure Business With Zero Advertising. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2020.
- Sager N. Hire Better Writers: A Comprehensive Guide for Content Marketers. New York, NY: Sager Media Group; 2019.
