For small businesses, agencies, publications, or anything in between, I’m sure outsourcing the writing for your blog has crossed your mind. But hiring the right blog writer can be a challenge.
Outsourcing is a great option as it’s a cost-efficient solution that will leave you with more time and a better-finished product.
Many mistakes can be made when hiring blog article writers that can end up costing you big time!
As an established professional writing agency, we’ve gotten hiring the proper copywriters down to a science and know what red flags to avoid.
Here are 7 mistakes that people make when hiring blog article writers.
Vague Job Description
There is a subcategory of blog writers for everything you could imagine: health and beauty, finance, digital marketing, writing, animals, relationships and so on.
While many blog article writers have more than one niche or at least feel comfortable stepping into another niche for a client, other writers don’t.
Be very specific when describing the position to find the perfect candidate for your job posting. It should be abundantly clear the subject you need to be written about and the expectations you have for the writer.
Instead of:
blog Article Writers Needed
Try:
Investing and Finance Blog Article Writers Needed
Then, describe the position further in your job listing.
Not Looking at the CV
The last thing you look at (if you look at it at all) when hiring blog article writers is probably their CV.
Big mistake.
A writer’s CV will provide the listed capabilities you’re looking for when making a choice, whereas a sample may not.
Though samples are excellent gauges for the writing abilities and style of the applicant, they don’t lay out their achievements and capabilities.
You should request a CV in your job posting and make it a requirement for the final round of applicants.
Not Taking Experience into Account
What experience your blog article writers have matters…a lot!
Writers are writers for a reason; they are fantastic with words which means a lot of times, they’ll have a perfectly worded CV, resume, cover letter, and application.
That’s great! But, what should garner your attention is their experience.
Look for quantity and quality when looking at a blog writer’s experience.
You want someone that has worked on content within your industry and the more of that they have, the better.
Not Having a Contract
It’s a writer, not a lawyer. Why would you need a contract, right?
Well, let us tell you…
A contract sets the tone for a professional relationship and describes all the job expectations.
This will ensure no gray area of understanding of the job itself, the writer’s responsibility, your responsibility, and the agreed-upon pay rate.
Save yourself a huge headache and only work with writers that are willing to sign a contract.
Not Setting an Interview
Remote work should not mean fewer requirements, if anything, it means more.
A writer may look fantastic on paper–a million great samples, reviews from their other clients, a friendly freelance website, but this doesn’t mean that they are right for YOUR position.
Your list of expectations may be greater or different than those of their other clients, and it’s important to ask targeted questions to measure the fit between you and your writer.
Interviews can be conducted via phone, Skype, or email. All you need are those targeted questions and an expectation of the type of answers you are looking for.
This is also a fantastic way to gauge your work chemistry. You may spend a lot of time communicating with your writer so it’s essential not only that they be a stellar writer but that you work well together.
Would you hire an accountant for your company solely based on their application and resume?
Heck no you wouldn’t!
Don’t make an exception for your blog article writers because your blog may suffer for it.
Weak Communication
Try not to gag when I give you this cliché piece of advice: Communication is key.
I’m only saying it because it’s true!
You must communicate your expectations to your writer and stay connected throughout the process to get the best content you can.
Blog article writers are a great many things, but psychic isn’t one of them.
If you don’t like the tone they’re taking, the style of their writing, their sentence structure, their sources or anything else, you have to tell them concisely so that the issue can be resolved.
This will save you from resentment towards your unknowing writer, your writer from ignorant bliss, and your blog from lackluster content.
Going for the Cheapest Option
The amount of money a writer is willing to get paid, says a lot about the quality of work they may provide your company.
Any job bidding site can often result in a race to the bottom.
You may be thinking, “Yay! What a killer rate!”
Get that thought out of your head and replace it with, “Why are they willing to go so low, what gives?”
Sure, by going with the cheapest option you may save 5 or 10 bucks, but you’re significantly knocking the quality of the work down for every penny less your writer is willing to take.
Let Article-Writing.co do the work for you
We are an experienced company with a writing team that has been the antithesis of these mistakes.
Finding talented, reliable writers that do extensive research and provide the best content is difficult, but by avoiding the mistakes above, we’ve done it!
Outsource your blog writing needs to us, and you’ll get access to our skilled team of writers and editors without you having to go through the rigorous hiring process. Contact us today for a free SEO audit or book a call to discuss how to grow your business with content marketing.
David is the Founder and Director of article-writing.co, the fastest-growing content creation agency in North America. He has transformed companies by offering high-quality content that has impacted their SEO ranking, revitalized websites with engaging and industry-relevant blogs and website copy, and championed successful email campaign copy.
