{"id":14879,"date":"2022-07-18T14:51:26","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T14:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/how-to-find-content-writers-content-creation\/457251\/"},"modified":"2022-07-18T14:51:26","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T14:51:26","slug":"how-to-find-talented-writers-to-fuel-top-quality-content-creation-via-sejournal-gregjarboe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=14879","title":{"rendered":"How To Find Talented Writers To Fuel Top Quality Content Creation via @sejournal, @gregjarboe"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

For content marketers, it is the best of times, it is the worst of times.<\/p>\n

They know that creating top-quality content will fuel their success, but finding talented writers seems to be getting harder.<\/p>\n

With more people than ever spending time online due to lockdowns and work-from-home mandates, many organizations discovered last year that content marketing presented a prime opportunity to get and stay in front of their target audiences.<\/p>\n

But, about two-thirds<\/a> of B2B marketers have been asked to do more with the same resources over the last year, according to research by Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs.<\/p>\n

In small organizations, the content marketing staff is typically just one person.<\/p>\n

Even at medium- and large-sized companies, the content marketing team is often in the two to five-employee range.<\/p>\n

This explains why 50%<\/a> of content marketers say their organizations outsource some content marketing activities even though their organizations value creativity and craft in content creation and production.<\/p>\n

So, How Do You Find Talented Writers To Fuel Top-Quality Content Creation?<\/h2>\n

I asked a couple of content marketing pioneers and thought leaders to tackle this question.<\/p>\n

This dynamic duo has an extraordinary amount of Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The first is Rebecca Lieb<\/a>, who wrote \u201cContent Marketing (Que Publishing, 2011)\u201d, one of the first books on that topic.<\/p>\n

As a high profile and well respected analyst, educator, practitioner, strategist, advisor, author and speaker, Rebecca<\/a> has been at the forefront of digital advertising and media since the beginning.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s also published a significant body of original research, including a large body of work on the topics of content marketing, content strategy and converged media.<\/p>\n

The second was Robert Rose<\/a>, the Chief Strategy Advisor for the Content Marketing Institute (CMI).<\/p>\n

Robert<\/a> is a sought-after consultant, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and one of the world\u2019s most recognized digital content strategy and marketing experts.<\/p>\n

He is the author of three best-selling books including \u201cKilling Marketing (McGraw Hill, 2017)\u201d, \u201cExperiences: The 7th Era of Marketing (CMI, 2015)\u201d, and \u201cManaging Content Marketing (CMI, 2011).\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are my questions and their answers.<\/p>\n

Who really needs top-quality content creation<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rebecca Lieb<\/strong>: \u201cIt\u2019s hard to think of a brand, product, or service that doesn\u2019t need excellent content \u2013 and search is only the beginning.<\/p>\n

Content can help customers decide that they need you, it can establish thought leadership and authority in your industry, or it can simply be so fun, amusing, and delightful that it makes customers and prospects like you more.<\/p>\n

Perhaps they\u2019ll even share it, amplifying your brand, reach, and message.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert Rose<\/strong>: \u201cIn a word: Everyone. It matters not how big your business is, every business that seeks to create value for customers is as much a media company as they are in whatever business they started as.<\/p>\n

But this is no secret of course, and so as I\u2019ve said before, not every company will have a great content strategy \u2013 but every successful company will.<\/p>\n

What should they look for in talented writers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lieb<\/strong>: \u201cThe ability to write in the style and tone of voice of the brand, as well as some subject matter knowledge and experience.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t have to be PhDs on your subject matter \u2013 a good writer is adaptable \u2013 but by the same token, you probably wouldn\u2019t hire a science writer to sell soft drinks, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose<\/strong>: \u201cAnswering this question with \u201cwriters that are talented\u201d seems both unhelpful and circular, so I\u2019ll perhaps answer the question [of] what you should prioritize.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a firm believer in talent over subject matter expertise.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an old saying (I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s true) that UPS didn\u2019t hire drivers and teach them how to provide customer service. They hired great customer service representatives and taught them how to drive.<\/p>\n

The same is true with writing.<\/p>\n

In my business, I\u2019ve always had much better success with hiring talented content creators and teaching them the business.\u201d<\/p>\n

How should they evaluate a writing portfolio?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lieb<\/strong>: \u201cDo you like the style and tone? Is it clean and professional? Is it broadly aligned with your subject matter, voice, and tone?<\/p>\n

For example, if you\u2019re a tech company, have they had other tech clients? If they mainly do CPG work, it might not be the right fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose<\/strong>: \u201cTo me, a great writing portfolio is when I\u2019m interested in reading, even when I don\u2019t care about the topic. When I look at a writing portfolio, I want great stories, compelling world-building, and solid characters \u2013 not just a neatly formatted view of the \u201cfacts.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is why I always recommend against someone reviewing a portfolio, and then saying, \u201cOkay, now write me a sample for my<\/strong> industry.\u201d Nope.<\/p>\n

If they\u2019re good at what they do, then they\u2019ll only be good once they can do the same level of research for your business. And for that, they should be paid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you have any tips for interviewing writers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lieb<\/strong>: \u201cAsk about their work: was research required, how did they go about it? How many rounds of edits are included in their price? Can they turn the project around on your deadline?<\/p>\n

Ask deeper questions about samples of their work that you\u2019ve read. Do they seem professional? Are they asking you<\/strong> questions? (They should!).\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose<\/strong>: \u201cYes, my favorite question is to ask writers to tell me their origin story. I find great writers have thought about their own story and can tell it well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Would you share a few places to find top writers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lieb<\/strong>: \u201cTo find freelance writers, start by asking: What are the sources of written information on your topic? Trade publications? Scholarly or academic journals? Blogs on the subject matter?<\/p>\n

Go where the experts are and get in touch with them. If they won\u2019t or can\u2019t write for you, it\u2019s likely they can make good recommendations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose<\/strong>: \u201cThere are plenty of great content marketing agencies \u2013 especially those that have been formed within (or adjacent to) traditional publishers that have top writers available.<\/p>\n

CMI actually has a directory of them here<\/a>. Otherwise, my favorite thing to do is to identify the writers at magazines, newspapers, or other publications that I really enjoy, make a list, and contact them directly.<\/p>\n

Many of them offer up freelancing services \u2013 or are freelancers themselves. This is usually a more expensive investment \u2013 but well worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

5 Must-Read Articles About Content Creation<\/h3>\n

In addition to the great advice above, you should also read five articles about content creation by my colleagues at Search Engine Journal, who also have an amazing amount of E-A-T:<\/p>\n

10 Specific Places To Find Top Writers<\/h3>\n

What can I add to all of this advice? Well, you can always check out freelancing platforms and writer job boards like:<\/p>\n