Do you really need a Content Writer?

How to get better web content in 2020

It’s now a well-worn cliche: content is king. Like many cliches, it’s true. If you want to do more with your marketing but don’t have a giant budget, content marketing is one of the most effective tools at your disposal. It works.

More leads? More website traffic? More conversions? These are all achievable through the power of content. But only if you do it right. And that means sharing content that’s genuinely valuable.

Sound time consuming? It is. That’s where a website content writer comes in. They know how to write content that gets results. Gets the reader’s attention. Gets shared. 

Whether you’re a business owner or a marketer, here’s why you should be working with a content writer—and how to spot a good one.

But we love it anyway.

How do I know I need a Content Writer?

Your need for a website content writer might present itself as niggling thoughts that you can’t shake off. Creeping, cloying thoughts that you should be doing a lot more with your website, your blog, or your social media marketing. You put those items on the to-do list, but they never happen. Because you simply don’t have the capacity. You might be snowed under with client work, managing a team, or completing an important proposal.

Whatever you’re working on, it doesn’t leave room in your schedule for the hours needed to research, write and edit a good piece of content. And the reality is, if you want it to be effective, your content doesn’t just need to be good, it needs to be fantastic. 

Long-form content that’s packed with valuable information tends to perform best in the search engines. According to this study of a million Google searches, the average content length for page 1 results was around 1,900 words. Google’s webmaster blog also states that a “substantial, complete or comprehensive description of the topic” is key to appeasing the algorithms. 

Unless you’re covering a basic topic, it’s very difficult to meet Google's quality criteria within the confines of say, a 500-word limit. Take the time to write those juicy 1000-words-and-up pieces of content though, and you’re increasing your chances of SEO success.

How much time are we talking, exactly? According to this data from Orbit media, the time taken to write a blog post has trended up every year since 2014. In 2019 the average time was almost four hours—half a day’s work. Those who spent even longer (six hours or more), reported “strong results”. Keep in mind this data came from a survey of professional bloggers, so expect the process to take you even longer than that if you do it yourself. Do you have spare days in your schedule to devote to content writing? Didn’t think so.

The benefits of a professional website writer. Where’s the value?

So, what benefits can a website content writer bring you? Amongst others:

• SEO skills
  Professional content writers know how to optimise content for search engines, and they keep up to date with Google’s algorithm updates. That’s another thing you don’t have time for. Your content writer should be willing and able to weave in the SEO optimisations that’ll help your content climb the ladder. Maybe even get the featured snippet on Google—the fabled ‘position zero’ at the top of the results page.

Google’s algorithms continue to prioritise mobile-friendly content that provides deep value. Go beyond the obvious!

• Quality
  It’s one of Google’s content ranking factors, and should be one of your priorities. This is where you’ll most easily see the benefits of a professional writer. The difficulty in creating a high quality piece of content isn’t finding enough information to fill the page, it’s taking that information and making it into a cohesive story. That might mean taking something pretty dry, like an annual report, and transforming it into something special. If you’re a Spotify user, you’ve likely experienced their amazing personalised user reviews that reflect on the year that was. Spotify use their massive banks of data to create a crazy level of personalisation that isn’t within reach of most businesses, but we can aspire to the same levels of quality and creativity.

• Authority
  Good writing oozes knowledge and authority. Good writing is direct. And it sure isn’t littered with grammatical errors or rudderless sentences that go nowhere. These pitfalls quickly creep into hurried or half-cooked writing. And it only takes one slip up to lose all credibility in your readers’ eyes. 

Think of it like this:

Your website is your online shop window. You wouldn't throw a brick through your shop window in real life, so don't do it online. Hire a professional writer.

Remember, good content saves mobile devices from this kind of mistreatment.

What to look for when hiring a Content Writer

So, we know that you do indeed need a writer. And we know you need a writer who isn’t just good, they’re outstanding. Next, you need to find one. I won’t list the many places online where you can do that, instead I’ll cover the bigger challenge; the skills to look for in your candidates. Good signals include:

• Data-driven
  There’s no excuse to not use data to inform your decisions in 2020. You want a writer who’s using tools to research the right topics and keywords—the ones that drive traffic to your site—and checking analytics to see which topics are hitting the mark with your audience.

• An insatiable thirst for knowledge
  A good writer never assumes they know everything about a given topic. They should be hungry for knowledge and full of questions. 

• Basic project management skills
  If you’re hiring a freelance writer, project management is a fundamental part of their daily business life. There are many stages of the content writing process, from ideation to research to drafting to deadline. This makes each piece of content a project of its own. You might find that a writer who’s confident talking about their process is a great fit.

Your ideal content writer should embrace data at every turn.

Other tips for working with freelance writers

1. Post great job ads
   Don’t worry if the idea of writing an ad puts you into a cold sweat—you can use a template if you’re not confident DIYing it. CoSchedule have a convenient one which you can download here; it’s basic but should set you on the right track. Once your ad is live, be prepared for a flood of applications from writers who occupy every notch on the suitability scale. Posting a good job ad will ensure you attract quality writers, but it probably won’t deter others who aren’t a good fit. Having a process in place for grading your applicants should reveal your ideal candidates.

2. Be prepared to discuss different pricing models
   Freelance writers have a variety of ways in which they choose to charge their services—some may charge by the hour, some by the project, while others may want to work on a per-word basis. 

3. Once you decide on your content writer, be the well of information that they need
   The more information you give your content writer—or access to subject matter experts—the more convincing they’ll be when it comes time to write. You’re probably not hiring this person full-time, so remember they don’t know the ins and outs of your business like you do.

What could you be doing more of?

In Summary

And that’s it, you now know why, and how, you should be working with a content writer this year. Remember, good content marketing gets results, but it takes time and dedication to do it well.

Your content should exist to solve a problem or satisfy a reader need, not to meet an arbitrary word count. Focus on quality and the rest will fall into place.

The good news is, it’s 2020 (!), and you can work with a great content writer more easily than ever. You just need to connect with them. How about starting a conversation with one right here?

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