How to Hire a Writer to Boost Your Content Marketing Efforts

IBS and KBIS are here! As I mentioned before, this is my Super Bowl and I’m excited to meet many of you. If you haven’t already booked some time to chat with me next week, here’s my calendar. Just grab a time that works best for you and bring any content marketing or editorial questions you have.

I’ll also be posting on Instagram from the show, so please connect with me @builderplaybook.

Since we’re talking about editorial, a question that always pops up is “How do I find a good writer?”. You may have your content strategy and calendar all ready to go, but who do you have to write your articles, thought leadership pieces, and blog posts? Not everyone is blessed with the skill of storytelling, but you might be surprised to find out that Jenn in accounting has a journalism degree and Chris your flooring sub has a popular DIY blog.

Start by Asking Around

It’s always best to find writers with your organization who are intimately familiar with your company, culture, and market. They will understand how to lean into your expertise and create content that is authentic and will resonate with customers in your area.

Ask around the office and jobsite if anyone has the time and interest to contribute to your content marketing efforts and if someone raises their hand, then give them clear objectives and time frames on when you need work completed. It doesn’t hurt to hire an editor to polish their work (ahem…I available ;-), but don’t worry about getting everything perfect. What’s more important is just getting started.

If you can’t find anyone with your direct network, be sure to ask for recommendations for trusted colleagues and co-workers. This is the next best thing as they might not work with or for you, but you’ll have a personal recommendation of someone to connect with. There are many gifted writers around, and most of them work in roles where writing may not be their primary job but they are excellent storytellers because of their careers in marketing or public relations or communications.

Local Colleges and Universities

There are many students who are seeking opportunities to test their writing skills and build bylines wherever they can get it. Journalism, English, and Marketing departments could list your opportunity on a message board or forum.

Your Agency

Do you already employ a marketing or social media agency to promote your business? They will probably have writers on staff who are familiar with your industry and business and by expanding your budget a bit you may be able to get some high-quality content from them with minimal time and effort.

The drawback here is the cost. By paying the middleman (your agency), you’ll pay for the convenience of not having to manage the writer, but there will be a premium for this service. You can also seek out content development agencies that specialize in writing assignments.

Post a Job

Job boards can be an effective way to find and hire a writer, but be prepared to be inundated with tons of resumes, many of which just aren’t the right fit. The big job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn are expensive. Connect within your community and post in a local forum or newspaper.

Use Fiverr or Upwork

Fiverr and Upwork are two of the most popular online communities for contract job seekers and employers. It’s an international platform and you may find the perfect writer who lives in Malaysia or Des Moines. I’ve had mixed results working with these platforms, but if you can wade through the thousands of profiles, you may find the perfect fit. Writers on this platform would work best for blog posts or standard articles, but you may want to save thought leadership or ghost written pieces for someone local that you connect with in person.

Do you have a preferred method of hiring writers and content creators that has worked for you? Please let me know as I’m always seeking new ways to find great writers.

In addition to content marketing I am taking on a select few writing gigs, so keep me in mind if you are seeking a great storyteller :-)

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See you at the Builders’ Show! Vegas is going to be warm!!!

Best regards,
Timothy Dahl
Founder, Builder Playbook