How to Hire a Content Writer

Hiring a content writer is challenging. Generally universities do not teach Internet writing and English, journalism and technical writing courses often actually teach writing styles opposite of what is required for Internet writing. So just because someone has a degree and knows how to write, does not mean that they know how to write for the Internet.

Define What Kind of Writer You Need
First task is to define what you need in a writer. Do you need someone to write "junk SEO" pages that will never be seen? Do you need a writer that can write high exposure landing pages, White Papers, product brochures and other marketing materials? Do you need a technical writer to write product manuals and help pages? Or do you need someone to write quality, researched articles?

Require A Timed Writing Sample
When looking for a content writer the number one thing you should require of applicants is a timed writing test. Most writers have a portfolio of their work, but what is not included in the portfolio is how long it took for them to write the samples or how many edits they went through to get the finished product.

The writing test should be typical of what would be required of them on the job and should include style guidelines and keyword requirements. Have your current writing staff look over the writing samples (without names of course) or have at least several people look at the writing samples. Evaluate whether they followed the style guide and perform a keyword analysis. Also look for subtle clues, like word usage, opinion and logic to determine how the writer thinks. For example, in one company I worked with we could tell a writer would not work out for us because the writers idea of who their audience was was too restricted, this was picked up by how he presented the topic and the logic of his "argument".

Look for someone that is not just a writer but a thinker. If you have a demanding writing position to fill you need someone that can think. I always tell those looking for me to train a writer that "I can teach someone how to write, but I cannot teach them how to think."

How Much Do You Have to Pay a Content Writer?
What you pay a content writer depends on what you need. Some people are willing to do freelance content writing for basically nothing. But remember that you get what you pay for. If you need an experienced content writer with a broad scope of abilities from marketing writing to press releases to technical writing, you will have to pay more. Salary varies by industry and state, but you will have more success if you can come to a salary arrangement that the writer can happily agree to.

Author: Pamela S. Stevens, SEO Jive