How to Find Effective and Experienced Business Writers to Suit Your Brand
Sarah
Picture this: Your phone is ringing off the hook, your employees are working overtime, and you’ve got upcoming deadlines you can’t miss. Meanwhile, your website is growing dust, and the last time you published any content was six months ago. Sound familiar? If so, it’s time to hire a few experienced business writers.
While your business may be booming, that doesn’t mean you can afford to set your content marketing efforts aside. Your competitors are always looking for a way to get an edge on you. If they see you’re not staying active online, they’ll try to outrank you in the search engine results pages with fresh content.
Of course, handing over your content needs to an outsourced service provider can be tricky. You want to ensure you choose business writers who align well with your company’s tone and prior content. Here are a few tips to know when looking for experienced business writers.
People with Professional Writing Skills
Everyone learns to write the standard five-paragraph essay in school. Some may go on to write comprehensive papers in college or at university or even publish the occasional column in their local newspaper.
However, when you choose a writer, this typical writing experience will not likely make the grade. Instead, you want someone with an aptitude for professional writing. They should understand the difference between passive and active voice, the intricacies of comma usage, and the type of language that will appeal to your readers.
It’s pretty easy to distinguish between a professional and an amateur writer. An amateur writer will turn in shoddy work full of misspellings and errors. You may find distracting keyword usage that degrades the quality of the content.
When you find a genuine writing professional, your articles flow well. You’ll enjoy reading them. In fact, you may find you learned something new.
Look for Prior Experience
Some writers are naturally talented. The written word flows easily from their fingertips. However, a naturally gifted writer without any prior experience is rare. Even if they didn’t major in English or journalism, good writers have spent time perfecting their craft.
If you want to ensure your blog content needs fall into the hands of someone who can properly handle it, look for a professional business writer with a verifiable portfolio. They should be happy to show it to you.
If your writer doesn’t have a portfolio, that doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t support your needs. However, the odds are lower. At a minimum, ask them to provide a few writing samples. You might even give them a minor initial assignment to assess their skills and determine whether they’re a good fit for you.
Interview Multiple Providers
You will likely need ongoing content from your experienced business writers. While you can consider outsourcing the work to one or two writers you find through a freelancing website, the best option is usually working with a professional business writing service provider.
Content writing agencies typically have a team of qualified professionals to task with writing assignments. That means if someone calls out sick (or, worse, quits), another writer can pick up the load. You’ll always get your content on time, which isn’t something you can count on when you rely on an independent freelancer.
However, you don’t want to pick the first writing agency you come across. Instead, do your research and schedule a consultation with your top picks. A conversation with an agency representative often provides more information about the company than you can find through its website.
After you finish your interviews, you’ll probably have a good idea of who is the best fit for your organization.
Ensure Your Provider Has Expertise in Your Business Area
Ideally, you’ll find a content provider with experience in your industry, particularly if you are in a highly technical area. For instance, if you offer legal services, having a writer who has worked as a lawyer or paralegal can help. But even if they lack this experience, a writer who regularly covers those topics is likely knowledgeable about the field.
Before hiring an agency that offers small business writing services, ask about its writing team. What are the main topics its writers cover? Do they specialize in any specific areas? If the agency’s writing team has experience in your market sector, it may be the right fit for you.
If you hire a writer who lacks expertise in your industry, it will be very evident in their content. You’ll find yourself editing their mistakes or filling in gaps where their knowledge is lacking. That doesn’t mean they’re a lousy writer, but it is a sign that they aren’t suitable for your content needs.
Ability to Scale with Your Organization
Some companies, like digital marketing agencies, must increase the number of articles they create over time. Professional business writing services will work with you to meet your needs. They’ll hire additional staff as your business grows, ensuring there are no gaps when it comes time to increase your weekly word count.
Outsourcing your writing needs is often more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team or even a couple of solo freelancers. You won’t need to worry about the headaches of managing employees or paying for benefits. You’ll also gain access to a pool of talented workers who produce content full-time.
Experienced Business Writers Can Fuel Your Content Needs
Keeping up with content on top of managing an organization is often too much for small businesses to handle. Instead, consider partnering with a professional writing agency to ensure you get quality blogs, articles, and e-books that align with your company’s needs.
Looking for experienced business writers to provide quality content for your website? Explore Write Collective’s content writing for business options today!