How to Find a Writer for Your Small Business (And Get Results)
It sounds straightforward enough: find a writer for your small business. The next thing you know, you've sunk hundreds of dollars, and all you have to show for it is bland content that doesn't drive traffic to your site or engage your audience.
Finding a small business writer is straightforward. Finding a writer who gets results is the challenge.
Get some action for your website. Drive traffic and connect with your customers. A great writer can help grow your business. You just have to know how to look.
Let's talk about working with a writer for your small business. I'll give you some good places where to find a writer. Then, I'll share what to look for and questions you should ask.
And we'll chat about what you can do to get results with your writer. But before all that good stuff, we have to discuss, "What do you need?"
Your Needs and Your Goals
Figure out your goals before you look for a writer. Once you figure out what you want to accomplish, finding a writer who can help you with those goals gets easier. Here's how different content can help you crush your business goals:
Tell your brand story with website content that's clear, concise, and written in your unique voice. Get your value proposition across in a way that's easy to understand so your customers know exactly what's in it for them.
Drive traffic to your website with blog articles optimized for search. Show customers you're there to help and make their lives better. Improve brand awareness with organic traffic and push customers through your sales funnel.
Build brand awareness with social media captions that connect with your customers, and show off your sparkling personality.
Increase sales with product or service descriptions that relay customer benefits and trigger them to click the buy button. Lead with benefits that clarify why they should buy from you and not your competitors.
Make the most of your ads with landing page copy written and built to make conversions.
Capture leads and nurture relationships with email content to remind customers that you're here and amazing.
The content you hire someone to write should align with your business goals. You know your business best. Develop the goals, and you'll have an easier time finding the right wordsmith. Once you have your objectives, then you can start your search.
So, where should you look for a writer for your small business?
You can browse profiles, portfolios and reviews using online platforms and marketplaces like Upwork, Fiverr or Freelancer. Or you can meet your writer IRL by attending networking events and talking to people.
You can also ask friends and fellow small business owners for recommendations. While you're at it, put it out on social media that you're looking for a writer for your small business.
Then, there's always Google. Look for someone local if you prefer. There's no shortage of ways to find a writer. But now we have to discuss how you can find the right writer.
8 Questions You Need to Ask Your Writer
Online platforms like the ones we mentioned earlier make it easy to assess skills and experience. But there's much more to finding a suitable writer for your small business. Here are eight questions to ask to see if you and the writer fit like peanut butter and jelly.
1 - May I see your portfolio? - Review their past work to assess quality. Get a feel for their writing style and see if it's the tone you want for your content. If it's not, ask for other samples that will fit better with what you're looking for.
2 - Do you have experience in my industry? - Not every writer has experience in everything. It helps when they have specific experience in your industry. They'll know about terminology and your audience. But don't let it deter you. If they show versatility in their portfolio and you like their work, give them a shot.
3 - Do you know SEO principles and best practices? - Optimizing your content for search engines can drive traffic to your website even while you sleep. Ensure a writer for your website or blog content has understanding and experience applying SEO techniques to get you content that increases your website traffic.
4 - What's your research method for writing projects? - Research is crucial for long-form content made for sophisticated audiences. Ask about their research process and make sure it's thorough and reliable. It can distinguish between superficial and in-depth content that achieves your business goals.
5 - What's your method for communication and collaboration? - Ask how often and through which channels they prefer to communicate. Does the writer prefer email or Slack? Can they hop on phone calls once a month? Do they use project management tools like Asana or Monday? Clarify the communications expectations, and you'll have a successful working relationship.
6 - How do revisions and feedback work? Discuss how they accommodate revisions and handle feedback to ensure the final content meets your standards. And if they don't? Keep looking for a writer who will.
7 - May I see references or testimonials? - The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. Ask for references or testimonials from past clients. Looking at feedback from past clients can help you gauge the writer's professionalism, reliability, and quality of work.
8 - What other projects are you working on right now? - Freelancers are notorious for biting off more than they can chew. Determine if they have the time and capacity to take on your project. You want the writer to have the bandwidth to dedicate time and attention to deliver high-quality content for your project.
A thorough search and selection process increases the chances of finding a small business writer who will deliver the goods. But there's one more question you should consider: cost.
How much does a (good) small business writer cost?
It depends on many factors, like the writer's experience, the complexity of your project, and the time it will take to complete.
Pricing structure varies between writers too. Some writers charge an hourly rate ranging from $30 to $100 per hour. Per-word rates can range from $0.10 to $0.50 or more per word. Other writers will quote a project-based fee and offer packages (or even discounted rates) for long-term projects.
Figure out your budget and work it out from there. Think of what it means for your business.
What does a blog article that brings in 500 unique visitors a month worth to your business?
What does a more engaging website with tight messaging mean for growth?
How will emails that nurture leads and create repeat customers improve your sales?
How many more sales will you generate with better product descriptions and landing page copy?
Clarify your business goals and form a budget for your writing project. Be thorough and ask the right questions. And you'll get a great writer for your small business.
Finding a writer sounds simple. Some parts of it are, and others not so much. But you've got this. You've built a business. Now it's time to watch it grow.
