Hiring a content writer is one of the best choices you can make for small business marketing. It can be a challenge, though. A writer who gets your business and audience is critical, but so is finding a writer who understands how search engine algorithms assess written content.
Content Matters for Small Business Marketing
Content writing isn’t a nice extra. It’s a critical part of any digital marketing campaign. Paid ads provide temporary boosts, but written content keeps working indefinitely to build your credibility and attract potential customers. Even if you plan to emphasize some other type of content, like videos, you’ll still need to include well-written supporting content. Search-friendly descriptions, tweets to draw attention to your videos, and numerous other “small” writing tasks all require more skill than many people realize. Especially for small businesses, good writers can be high-ROI investments.
What Makes a Content Writer Great?
Even a good writer won’t be right for every type of project. Business content writing requires a particular set of skills. You can’t assume that somebody can do it simply because they have expertise in creative or academic writing. Small businesses get the best ROI from writers who produce easy-to-understand pieces that hold the attention of humans while meeting the demands of search engine algorithms. A high-quality writer should also be able to utilize your unique brand voice while keeping your target audience in mind. Here are some questions to ask when selecting a writer:
- Do you have any samples of writing you’ve done for other small businesses?
- How do you handle keyword research and implement it for strong search engine optimization?
- How do you integrate a brand’s voice into your writing?
- What is your revision process?
- Have you written about this industry in the past?
- How do you research new topics?
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Looking for a good writer involves more than investigating a writer’s merits. You also need to watch out for red flags, and knowing what to avoid is a necessary piece of that puzzle. Not all warning signs are obvious if you’re in a hurry, so pay close attention to the following problems:
- Makes too-good-to-be-true promises about immediate results or top SEO rankings
- Lacks writing samples
- Extremely low cost, which can sometimes indicate that a writer relies completely on AI to make enough money
- No discussion of scope
- Unwilling to provide or sign a contract
- Lack of interest in your business and audience
- Fails to communicate
Preparing for Consistent Content Creation
No matter how skilled the writer, they can’t create top-notch content without the right tools. Develop a clear brief to help writers understand precisely what you need. Discuss your content goals. Pick a reasonable publishing schedule, and talk to prospective writers about what they can handle. This is a team effort. As a small business owner, you bring insight, feedback, and key information to the table. Searching for the best writer for your needs is a challenge, but it’s more than worth it to expand your online presence and attract the right customers.
