How To Hire A Writer

Do you want to know how to hire a writer? Chances are you do need help in one or two areas with this, and that is what we are here for.

Are you in need of someone to help you develop content on your website or help you develop blog articles?

Or perhaps you want content for marketing projects aimed at conversion?

You surely need a writer to help you achieve one of these.

We will make the process of getting the right one easy and simple for you, as we give you just what you need to get it done right.

Get writers from Fiverr, the world’s largest marketplace for freelancers

Who is a Writer?

A writer can be described as a person who writes. Well, if you are to keep it very simple.

In this blog post, when reference is made to the word ‘Writer,’ it stands for one who transmits his/her ideas to particular audiences using written words.

There are quite a number of genres of writing open to a writer.

Genres such as poetry, essays, screenplay, plays, novels, stories, scriptwriting e.t.c.

Additionally, in the business sphere, you also have content writers.

These are more focused on conveying ideas and concepts to help support or grow a business in a written form.

So, depending on what you are looking to achieve, there are writers with different experience and specialization levels that you can choose from.

What a Writer can do for your Business

Chances are you already know what you want to use a writer for.

Hence the reason you want to hire a writer.

Notwithstanding, it is important to closely examine all the possible functions that a writer can perform for you and your business.

Here are some functions/responsibilities of a writer:

Research is unarguably the most important responsibility of a writer.

Whatever the writer’s niche is, be its editorials, articles, publications, e.t.c, it is necessary to get enough information about the subject they are writing about.

This will ensure facts, and only facts are presented, and the information provided is accurate.

Another important responsibility of a writer is writing online content or blog articles on a company’s products and services and/or articles on customer support.
When it comes to digital marketing, especially if you are interested in marketing videos for your products and/or services, a writer can help in scriptwriting.
You would also need a writer to properly document your business plan, systems, procedures, and structure; they do it better.
If you plan to write and forward proposals for business partnerships or relationships with other firms, who else to get the job done but a writer.

They understand the proper use of words and how to make smooth transitions from one point to another and give that extra edge needed to get the contract.

Other Responsibilities

Writers who are in the editorial and publishing fields also write books, novels, articles in newspapers, e.t.c. for the consumption of a target group.
Good writers are also great editors.

As such, even if circumstances warrant you having to come up with content, you can always pass it on to a writer to proofread and edit.

Additionally, writers’ responsibility is to write sales copy such as marketing emails or text for landing pages.

This is known as copywriting.

People who need to review thesis, write projects, or edit CVs can most often do with a good writer’s services.
Also, writers who are more technically inclined in their content can create instruction manuals for a business into equipment or machinery production.
In a similar vein, a financial writer can go to great lengths in helping you organize and prepare account statements for clients and investors.

Truth be told, there are tons of functions and responsibilities impacting your business’s growth and development, which a writer can handle comfortably.

Aside from that, when you also get a writer to perform all or some of these responsibilities enumerated, it comes at a great advantage for your business.

Benefits of Hiring a Writer

Did you read all the responsibilities and duties of a writer above, and the first thing that came to your mind is, “I can do all these by myself?”

You would need to have a re-think.

Hiring a writer to perform the necessary duties they are skilled and probably trained for is a wise decision for your business.

Here are some of the advantages of hiring a writer:

Get More Productivity

Having to carry out writing by yourself can be time-consuming and distracting.

This is especially so if you are not an expert in this field.

So you will have to spend more time trying to get it right.

However, when you hire a writer, you can focus on other things.

That means you can worry less about generating content and focus on important things; things relating to customer service, marketing, and team growth.

Wider Reach

Usually, a professional content writer writes with SEO guidelines and requirements in mind.

Therefore, they are more likely to get you closer to your marketing goals.

You also get more visibility online than you would yourself.

It is worth remembering that they spend a lot of time researching keywords, articles and gathering facts to know what to target.

Finally, when they finally dish out this content, it would increase your website’s visibility and traffic.

This will then get you more conversions.

Increase Website Visits and Lower Bounce Rate

It is only natural that people keep coming back to a source of information if they find it beneficial.

Note that the only reason a visitor on your website or blog will keep coming back is if they feel they are getting good information.

Otherwise, they might never come back again.

Also, the bounce rate on your website will increase.

When people bounce off your website, it means that they came there but didn’t engage with it but went off instantly.

Having a good writer on board to help dish out quality content to keep them engaged and glued to the screen is very important.

A wealth of Knowledge and Experience for your Business

This is especially true when you are getting a writer to work for you on a freelance basis.

With that, you are hiring seasoned professionals who have worked with different companies and agencies.

Therefore, they have lots of experience and have diverse knowledge in different fields.

Their perspectives on different topics and approach would be more effective in helping you achieve your business goals.

It Saves Cost

You are probably familiar with the popular saying that it usually costs more to fix a problem than it is to get it right at first.

This is also true when you fail to hire a writer to take care of your content creating needs.

By the time you do it yourself or put this on the shoulder of inexperienced employees in the bid of saving money, the results are disastrous.

Hire a good writer and get it right immediately.

Faster Turnaround Time

It could be very frustrating when your business goals and action plan are hinged on completing the content.

Let’s say you need to put a product or service into full gear.

However, you need to send our emails and develop blog content to begin.

If you do not have a professional at arm’s length to get it done in little to no time, it will invariably affect many other things.

With a writer on your team, one who knows his onus, you get these done in quick time, and the other projects can get moving.

Important Qualities to Look out for When Hiring A Writer

Hiring a poor writer is just as terrible as having no writer at all, if not worse.

Yes, your business indeed needs a writer to keep afloat, and the importance of that is non-negotiable.

However, you would not settle for just anyone as you go about hiring a writer.

You want to make sure you are not compromising on quality, and you are going for the very best for the job.

Take a look at some of the qualities the best writers possess:

Discipline

It takes discipline to be a great writer.

Whether you are getting a freelance writer or an in-house writer, if he/she is going to meet up deadlines, they must be disciplined.

It is not uncommon to have to go through the rigorous process of re-writing, editing, adjustments, and improvements in writing.

The best writers do not get frustrated over these but always continue improving their crafts and getting better.

A Good Reader

Truth be told, if you are not a good reader, it isn’t easy to be a great writer.

The reason for this being that you cannot give what you do not have.

Most times, writers are required to develop content outside their favorite niche or genre.

It takes good writers to fit in seamlessly in the new genre.

Passion

Why be a writer in the first place if you do not have a passion for writing?

Watch out; many self-acclaimed writers are in the content industry to make money.

That is the end goal, but it is important to work with those who write because they love writing.

Only then can you get good content that is soulful and expresses ideas and concepts in the best possible way.

Flexibility

More often than not, you will need to change your writer’s requirements and probably the style of writing for some particular areas.

A rigid person or one who is not comfortable with taking corrections will not make a great writer.

Getting results and making improvements should be more important to a writer than a bruised ego.

Such one should be open-minded enough to allow others to criticize his work and improve in necessary areas.

Creativity

One of the most important and easily noticed qualities of great writers is their creativity.

Since they will likely be working on different topics, subjects and areas, it is important that they can think outside the box.

With that, there is a guarantee that the contents generated are always organic and unique.

Patience

Trust us on this.

You will have to reject some of the write-ups submitted by your writer, especially at the beginning.

This is not necessarily because they are not good writers.

However, it takes time to align a writer’s thought and style with yours and your company’s.

When writers experience a mental block, the inspiration to write is hard to come by.

It takes patience to push through and get back on track.

Great Attention to Detail

The best writers are not just passive observers but very keenly interested in even the minutest of details.

During this process, they get to see little changes around them and are prepared mentally.

This skill or quality helps them be great editors, as they do not let any mistakes in writing or errors slide by.

Perfectionist

Who would have thought that being a perfectionist would have its own advantages?

Can you get a perfect writer? No, you can’t.

Perfection is far-fetched.

However, when you get a writer who strives for perfection, you get one who achieves excellence.

Hence, that is exactly what you should be aiming for as you take the steps on hiring a writer.

Where to Check to Hire a Writer

Hiring a writer in itself is not a difficult endeavor.

It becomes difficult when you need to hire a great writer, which of course, is what every business owner wants to do.

One of the reasons why it is not a simple task to hire a good writer is that you, the employer, do not even have good background knowledge.

Imagine you want to buy a car but know next to nothing about cars?

You would agree that deciding which car to purchase is not easy for such a person.

Similarly, hundreds or thousands of writers roam the market, many available as freelancers and some for full-time employment.

It is only natural to know where to get the best one(s) among the rest.

Some of the options to consider in getting the best writers to hire:

Let us begin with an option that would cost you the least, and by the least, we mean cost you nothing.

That is asking writers for recommendations.

Recommendations can work wonders for you when it comes to getting the best writers to hire.

The chances are high that you already know of a business or group of businesses with renowned writers working for them.

All you have to do is ask these writers for recommendations on other individuals they know to write great content.

This is a cheap way to get a writer.

This is because it doesn’t really cost you anything like other platforms that do not guarantee results.

Additionally, you can also review bylines as another means of getting and hiring the best writers out there.

This entails shortlisting some of the best websites, blogs, and publications, e.t.c. that you have come to love, and reviewing them to see who wrote them.

Once you get these, you can then contact them and give them your offer.

Even if they are not interested in working for you, they are more likely to know other writers that can get similar results to link you with.

Other Options

Also, you can get some of the well-seasoned writers in writing communities.

The advantage of this is that you are not just casting your net in the uncertain waters of public space, which might catch the good, bad and ugly.

Rather, you are casting your net where you know that the big fishes are where most creative writers hang out.

For many years, LinkedIn has also been a valuable platform for connecting professionals to businesses that need their services.

You can send direct messages to these professionals on the platform or connect with them via email or their website.

In addition, you can source for writers using job boards.

You can also check platforms like Fiverr, the world’s largest marketplace for freelancers

With this, you get many applications from interested candidates, and your job is to sift through and get the right one for the job.

Steps to Take on How to Hire a Writer

As stated earlier, there are many writers available for immediate hiring.

If you are to make the right selection, there are certain procedures you must follow.

Find below some of the necessary steps to take on how to hire a writer:

Decide if you Need an In-House Writer or Remote Freelance Writer.

This is the first thing your management needs to consider before hiring a writer.

Whichever option you decide to go with has its pros and cons, and it is good to consider it carefully.

For instance, if you hire an in-house full-time employee as a writer, you are sure of getting focus and dedication.

Also, they are always on hand to get the work done.

However, this decision also has its demerits, as the cost of acquiring a writer on a full-time basis is on the high side when you factor in other benefits.

Having a full-time writer in-house could be counterproductive if your business does not need to generate content regularly.

They might become redundant.

On the other hand, should you decide to employ a freelancer as your writer, you are getting the service at a significantly cheaper cost and paying for projects done.

Also, there are labor costs or employee benefits.

It is also easier and faster to recruit freelancers, as their experience and history speak for them.

Although hiring a writer on a freelance basis also comes with its own disadvantages.

One of them is a communication gap between you and them.

Some of the best freelance writers do not come for cheap and might even be more expensive than getting one in-house.

All in all, it is important that you carefully consider your company’s content needs and objectives, as this will dictate which option to take.

Be Clear on What you Want

Once you are done making the big decision on what style will work best for your company, either freelancing remotely or in-house, setting clear goals is the next thing.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not understanding what your business’ content needs are.

You need to understand that writing is a broad and diverse field and that a writer is good doesn’t mean he/she fits into all fields.

First, to do this, understand all the kinds of content that can be created, ranging from social media, blog articles, ebooks, video scripts, ad copy, emails, landing pages e.t.c.

Therefore, look through all these various kinds and determine what you want the writer you hire to do for you.

It is easy to get the strength of potential writers by looking up their past work or portfolio.

This will give you the needed insight into their strengths and what content they can do for you.

Create your Project Guidelines

Make sure you leave no space for doubt in the writers’ minds reviewing your quest for a writer by providing a clear outline of the job requirements.

It would help if you made the job brief and expect the writer to be as simple and clear as possible.

Thankfully, many job boards provide spaces for formatting your job description and clearly setting out the requirements.

Every great writer wants to know what you expect from them, things to avoid when writing for you, and your choice of style so they can deliver right.

When you make all these clear from the onset, it makes your selection process a lot easier.

Define your Budget for Content Writing

When it comes to defining your budget for the content job, the first thing you need to do is determine what value the writer is giving your business.

As soon as you can define the value you want to get from them, you can now set the content budget.

When defining your budget for writing, it is important also to consider;

How many articles you need to be written.
How long they are going to be(the word count).
What the return on investment is on each of them.
Lastly, how much money you can afford to spend on it.

Once you’ve considered these important points, you can now set your budget for the work and then set out to look for writers who fit in.

Shortlist Potential Writers to Hire

The next step is to get as many as possible writers who have the potential of being your next recruit.

All the other steps that we have considered above will help you in making this shortlist.

Remember that you would have defined your business’s needs and what kind of writer you need to meet those needs.

You will also have to set out a clear job description and responsibilities expected of your next writer.

All of these combined with the project’s budget will guide you as you chose the writers to hire

As discussed above, you can get these through LinkedIn, job boards, writing communities, recommendations, and other groups.

Remember to review the portfolio of applicants and their Job experience before making your final list.

Set an Interview for the Writers

Now, you have received a lot of applications for the role of a writer in your organization.

In a way, that is a good problem to have, as it shows that job seekers find your business interesting.

The next thing you need to do is schedule an interview for those you’ve shortlisted.

During this interview, you can ask them certain pertinent questions that will reveal just how much they know and if you can work with them.

Here are some of the questions you can ask while interviewing for a writer role:

Tell us what kind of content you specialize in or you like to create?
Can you mention some specific industries you’ve written on?
Describe your work schedule.
Do you know about SEO, and what kind of SEO and keyword research do you conduct?
How many articles can you write per day? And for how many words per article?
Can you give us a content idea for our business?
How do you approach articles that are outside your area of specialization?
Would you love to get assistance with conducting research?
What are your rates?

You must pay close attention to the answers given to these questions, as therein lies all you need to know about your next writer.

Discuss the Pay

At this point, you are using the budget you’ve already set for your content needs to discuss how much you are willing to pay the writer.

It is often better to state this clearly in your vacancy advert if you can.

This would ensure that only those who are okay with it will apply.

When discussing pay with the writer, it is good to be flexible, as you might discover that getting a good writer is a little bit above your budget.

Nevertheless, do not offer too much such that it is way out of your budget.

Also, do not offer too little, so you don’t only attract low-quality writers.

It is usually beneficial to ask the writer how much he/she charges and the mode of charge, whether it’s per word, per hour, per article e.t.c.

Finalize on Mode of Communication

This step is needed, especially when hiring a writer working remotely as a freelancer and not in-house.

You need to have a system that allows you to easily contact him/her to discuss new ideas, ask for revisions, and get progress reports.

In a similar vein, your writer should be able to connect with you easily, too, should they have questions or need clarifications.

Available options for this are phone calls, emails, skype, or instant messaging.

Discuss with your new writer to see what works.

Get your Writer Onboard

The next thing is to onboard the new hire.

If you get the best write-ups from your writer, you need to keep them informed and abreast with your system and processes.

Even if the writer is not a full-time employee, avoid the temptation of hoarding important information about the business that will help them work better.

Introduce them to your products and services, bring them up to speed on your company’s core values, discuss customers’ concerns and tell them your style.

It is also important to introduce them to the other team members, as that is the only way they can work together as a team towards the same goal.

Therefore, hiring the writer is not the end.

He/she needs to be fully integrated into your firm.

Managing your Hired Writer

Hiring the writer is just the beginning; you also have to define a structure to manage them to get consistent results and avoid burnout.

It is worth noting that writing takes time, from the research process to execution to revisions.

Create a standard structure that enables your writer to operate to full capacity.

Also, invest the time needed to provide needed templates so that all the projects come with the style and direction you want.

Be generous with your commendation and offer your writers feedback, using the right words and being specific on what you want.

Apply these suggestions, and you will be getting an engaged writer that will work with you efficiently for many years.

Conclusion on How to Hire a Writer

Do you now have a clear idea of how to hire a writer?