Choosing a content writer for your project

So you need a writer?

If you haven’t got the skills, time or motivation to write your own content for your website, blog or other media, you might be thinking of turning to a professional content writer to produce some top quality content for your project. However, unless you already know someone that you trust, finding a good content writer can be a little like the needle in the haystack scenario.

Just a quick Google search will throw up hundreds, if not thousands, of results of companies, individuals and consultants claiming to have the edge when it comes to putting together top content. With a great deal of pressure on the UK economy and a growing number of people determined to work for themselves, many people have taken up content writing as a ‘hobby’, second income or even as their main business – but does this mean they are any good?

Unfortunately the short answer is ‘no’. Recent personal experience on a popular freelancing site has shown me that actually the majority of ‘writers’ are actually rather mediocre, or in some cases downright BAD. Your job as a business owner is to locate and extract those little gems of talent from the great pool of half-baked wordsmiths so you too can enjoy the benefits that a great content writer can bring to your project. Here are some top tips to get you started:

1.  Pay peanuts… get a hairy, banana eating content writer

Before you start anything, set your budget for the job. Consider how long it would take you to produce 500 or 1000 words of well researched, well thought out content, and how much this time is worth to you in terms of your own business. Set your budget fairly, as truly talented content writers will be experienced, educated and should be justly rewarded for their skills.

A brief web search will reveal the range of pricing structures in the world of content writing. Some agencies charge £50 or more for one short article, whereas others will offer a set of 10 for the same price. Think about hourly rate, and what you would want to be paid if you were doing this as a profession. Don’t be tempted by offers of articles for pennies, as many content companies will use spinning software or writers with a very poor level of English, and what you will be left with will be at best uninspiring and bland, or at worst completely incomprehensible drivel.

2. Use your networks

You use Facebook. You use LinkedIn. No doubt you have friends and associates who have websites of their own. Make the most of these valuable connections and find out how they produced the content for their sites and blogs. Nothing in the world of business is as powerful as the recommendations of a colleague or friend, and if they are willing to give you a name or a web address, you at least have some reassurance that the person is up to the job.

You’ll find the vast majority of truly talented content writers survive in the most part on personal recommendations alone, preferring to spend their time pouring their energy into projects for their clients rather than developing snazzy websites and captivating blogs of their own (that’s my excuse anyway!).

3. Get samples, ask for test pieces and remember – not all content writers are the same

On your journey to finding the perfect content writer for your needs, you will come to realise that not all writers are the same. Some are great at the punchy, sales copy that you need for your flyers and mailshots, whereas others write in a more conversational, friendly tone, which is perfect for blogs and newsletters. The content writer who is the perfect match for your project will depend very much on your own preferences and requirements.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a test piece to be written, rather than just basing your decision on their previously produced work. Give them a title and ask for 300 or 400 words on the subject, to give you an idea not only of their style and tone but also to give you an insight into their punctuality and organisational skills. And don’t forget to pay them for their time, even if, at the end of the process, they aren’t the one for you.