Hire Content Writer: How To Choose The Best One (2023)
Now, you need to have a presence here, there, and everywhere, which means staff often don’t have the time to carry out everything that goes into creating epic content; things like keyword research, coming up with idea, fleshing out those ideas, content strategy and actually writing the content.
When it comes to creating content, many marketers struggle to consistently publish quality, engaging stuff.
Hiring a professional content writer frees up the time spent creating the content which means you can dedicate more time to other areas of your business.
Why You Should Hire a Content Writer and What They Can Do For Your Business
Having good quality content on your site and linked to your brand doesn’t just help you stand out against your competitors, it can also help:
1. Raise Brand Awareness
One of the biggest challenges marketers face is generating more traffic and leads. To do that, people have to know about your brand and be aware of what you can offer.
Good news! Content can help boost awareness of your brand.
The more content you have out there, the more chance you have of people stumbling across it, whether that’s via social media, search engines, or another method.
2. Improve Search Engine Visibility
Quality content is one of the key factors in Google’s ranking algorithm.Source
The search engine giant uses content to determine whether a website will be relevant and useful for a searcher, so the more informative, engaging content you have, the more likely you are to claw your way up to the much-coveted top spot.
Today, people are turning to search more and more to make purchasing decisions. Think about it:
When you find yourself needing a product or service where do you go?
Search engines, right?
You type it into Google or whatever you use and browse the results. By generating really great content around the major topics in your industry, you increase your chances of ranking higher.
Source
When you rank higher on search engines, you automatically boost your authority because searchers tend to give more clout to brands that appear higher in the results.
3. Turn the Right Visitors into Customers
Generating oodles of traffic is great, but if you’re not getting the right kind of traffic, you’re going to struggle to turn it into sales.
This is where great quality, engaging content comes in.
If you’re consistently publishing useful content on a specific topic (that’s related to your brand), you’re going to attract people who are interested in that topic – and guess what? It’s so much easier to sell to someone who’s already interested than someone who isn’t.
4. Create Customer Advocacy and Retention
If you’re constantly pumping out the good stuff, people will keep coming back for more.
Think about it:
There’s probably a brand or two that you get excited about when an email from them lands in your inbox announcing a new blog post.
With great content, you can be that brand for people.
Imagine someone who eagerly awaits your email, is ready to click the link to your latest post, devours it with baited breath, leaves a thoughtful comment, and then shares it with their friends.
These are the kind of followers you want; they’re the people that will shout about your brand from the rooftops and recommend you to all their friends and family.
How to Hire the Best Content Writer For the Job
Now you know why hiring a content writer can do wonders for your business, let’s take a look at the steps you can take to make sure you hire the right person.
Step 1: Determine Your Budget
Like with anything, you get what you pay for. 
This chart from Upwork provides some guidelines to what you can expect to pay for a range of different content writing needs.
When thinking about your budget, there are a few things you need to consider:
- Do you want to pay by hour, per word, per project, or via a different method? Most content writers will have their preferred method, so you simply need to see if your expectations align
- What kind of content writing services are you looking for? Are you looking for detailed white papers, a short ebook, or a series of blog posts? The price will vary wildly depending on the type of content you want
For some inspiration, these are the kinds of content writing projects you can hire a content writer for:
- White papers
- Ebooks
- Blog posts and articles
- Email newsletters
- Landing pages
- Web pages
- Social media content
- Research papers
- Print collateral (like books, flyers etc)
Interactive infographic: https://www.clearvoice.com/blog/how-much-to-pay-a-freelance-writer/
Average Price for a Blog Post
As you can see from the infographic above, pricing varies wildly depending on the experience of the writer your hire, their expertise, whether they charge per word, per hour, or per project, and what kind of writing they do.
But to give you some indication, you can expect to pay anywhere between $100 and $1,500 on a blog post, with the lower end reserved for short, basic posts by relatively new content writers, and the higher end for long-form pieces filled with research and written by industry experts.
Step 2: Determine Exactly What You Want and Create a Job Posting
Know that I’m not exaggerating when I say that there are thousands of content writers for hire out there.
To sort the wheat from the chaff it’s important that you know exactly what you’re looking for so you can make the hiring process as easy as possible.
If you post a generic listing without really saying what it is you want, you run the risk of attracting any and every content writer, which means you’ll give yourself the hard task of whittling it down from potentially hundreds to one.
When writing your listing, you need to include:
- A brief overview of the project
- An introduction to your business
- Any deadlines you have in mind
- What type of content you need creating
- The level of content writer you’re looking for (do you need an expert? Does the writer need specialist knowledge?)
- The budget you have for the project (or at the very least a budget range)
By writing a detailed listing, you don’t waste your own time or the time of the content writers who are submitting proposals. It also ensures you and the writers are on the same page and have a clear understanding of the goals of the project.
Step 3a: Post Your Listing in the Best Places
Now it’s time to get your job listing out there for the world to see.
You can post your listing on generic job sites, but if you want to get it in front of the right kind of eyeballs, you kind of want to be posting it where you can find all the best writers for hire online. These places include (but aren’t limited to):
1. CopyHackers
Pros: this is a niche site run by mega-blog CopyBlogger so you can be sure that all the content writers that respond to your listing will be well-versed in the content writing world. Even better, the tool takes you through a quiz and matches you with the most relevant and appropriate writer on file.
Cons: the pool of content writers available here may well be of high quality, but it might not be as big as the pool of writers on the other listings sites.
2. Upwork
Pros: there are literally thousands of content writers on Upwork. The platform lets you invite writers to apply for your job, or lets them come to you. You can also filter your preferences for the kind of writer you want and the level of expertise you require.
It’s really easy to pay through Upwork because everything goes into Escrow, keeping the money safe for you and your freelancer.
Cons: there are literally thousands of content writers on Upwork. This can make it difficult to narrow your options down, and you’ll often get tons of responses from content writers that haven’t read your listing in detail or don’t have the skills and expertise you require.
3. Fiverr
Pros: you can find decent content writers on Fiverr for relatively cheap prices, but you have to do some digging around. There are loads of people to choose from and you can filter your search to find the very best.
Cons: the quality of writers on Fiverr can vary. Just remember: you get what you pay for.
4. ProBlogger
Pros: this is a job site specifically geared towards content writing opportunities (and even more specifically, blog post writing projects). You’ll find thousands of writers here who are actively looking for blogging jobs, and there are tons of high-quality, experienced content writers among the crowds.
Cons: because this is one of the most well-known sites for content writers to find work, you might find yourself with hundreds and hundreds of applications which, let’s face it, can be overwhelming.
Step 3b: Reach Out to Relevant Writers
Posting a listing on a designated content writing website isn’t the only way you can find the best writer for the job.
If you have a specific project in mind that requires a certain kind of talent, you can use Google and social media to find the right writer and actively reach out to them rather than waiting for them to come to you.
For example, if you’re looking for an experienced social media marketing writing, just search for “experience social media marketing writer for hire” in Google.
Alternatively, you can search for “social media marketing writer” in the search bar on Twitter or LinkedIn and click the “People” tab to filter your results.
Once you’ve found a writer you want to reach out to, you can send them a simple email asking them whether they have any availability to work on your content.
Keep it short and to the point (these writers are busy!):
Hey [Writer’s Name],
I have a content writing project coming up that I’d love to have your help with!
[Insert a couple of sentences about the key points of your project here].
Let me know if you’d be interested in working on this and whether you have any availability. Looking forward to chatting more about the project!
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwWTJcpuSqs
What to Expect Once You’ve Hired a Content Writer
So now you’ve found the perfect content writer (let’s open the champagne, shall we?), it’s time to get that working relationship off to a great start.
Here are some key things to keep in mind:
Every Content Writer Works in a Different Way
These content writers are running their own businesses.
They have other clients to work with and other projects that are taking up their time. What’s more, they will likely have figured out a process that works well for them, whether that’s a specific tool they use to track their progress or a timeline they work to with every client.
The best way to learn more about how your content writer works best is to simply ask them.
Sounds too easy, right?
But that’s literally all it takes! Open communication is so important when working with freelancers so both of your expectations are at the same level.
Trial Tasks
You won’t know if you work well with a content writer until, well, you start working together.
So, before you go ahead and commit to a retainer or sign a contract, it’s worth working on a trial piece of content together to see if you like their style and their working process.
This is a low-risk way for you both to get to know each other and leaves you both with an easy exit route should the relationship not work out.
Empathy With the Writer
Remember, you’re both working towards a goal together.
It’s a two-way street so it’s important that you make sure you’re both pulling your weight to reach that goal.
Keeping an open line of communication with your content writer is so important, and keeping them up-to-date on everything that’s happening with the project.
It’s also worth remembering that the content writer will have other clients and other deadlines that they’ll be working towards, so it’s important that you respect their time and schedule. For example, you probably don’t want to hit them up at 6pm asking if they can get a piece together by the next morning.
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Go Stress-Free With a Content Writer
If you’re struggling to produce enough quality content on a consistent basis, it’s time to look at other options.
By hiring a content writer, you’re freeing up the time you spend writing blog posts so you can work on other important parts of business.
And, when you find the right content writer, you’ll start to see the glaringly obvious benefits. More brand awareness, anyone? How about more awesome customers that keep coming back for more?
Let the search begin.
