Did You Know That Hiring a Content Writer Is Like Getting Married?

Want Quality Content? Then Remember the Relationship

Great Content and CopywritingWhat are the defining characteristics of robust, reciprocal, fully functioning relationships? Generally, they include at least these three: 1) they form over time, 2) they require effort on both sides, and 3) they are never static. And this applies no less when it comes to quality content and the writer-client relationship.

Time

As we all know from our own experience, any working relationship doesn’t come into being spontaneously. Even though it may sometimes seem that way in the beginning, it is, nevertheless, usually an illusion engendered by infatuation or enthusiasm. Real relationships take time.

In retrospect, we realize that what seemed to be love at first sight or the sudden serendipitous finding of the one-and-only best friend was only a mere seeming after all. It all seemed so sudden because at some point along the relationship continuum, we suddenly became aware of the already forming relationship. And from there it goes on and builds for years, maybe even decades. But the point is that relationships always form, develop, grow, mature, and alter over a considerable period of time.

So, when, as website owner and content buyer, you’re seeking a good marketing content writer, keep in mind that you aren’t really. That is, you’re not just trying to find a writer, but you are, rather, trying to find a writer with whom you can form and sustain a relationship. And for the following reasons:

  • In the beginning, there will be much trial and error and back and forth on both sides. You will be getting to know each other – abilities, expectations, communication styles, and so on.
  • You will be finding out whether you want to continue the incipient relationship. Sometimes they just don’t work out.
  • You will need to determine whether this writing relationship fully and satisfactorily meets your business needs.
  • And, as is always key, you will be on the lookout to see whether your partner in the relationship is capable of unwavering fidelity.

Effort

Now if you’re married, you know all about this one, which is implicit in the above. Relationships have to be worked at – fed, maintained, supported, adjusted. Otherwise, they shrivel and weaken at best, and fester and become diseased at worst. And these same requirements obtain in the writer-client relationship – that ongoing partnership between content producer and consumer.

Here are just a few of the many tasks involved in sustaining a healthy, productive content and copywriting partnership/relationship.

  • Communicating clearly – both early on and throughout – expectations and desired outcomes.
  • Stating tactfully but unequivocally areas of disappointment and working together, sometimes compromising, to achieve desired results.
  • Remaining willing to work through the rough spots so you don’t have to go through the whole arduous process again.
  • Staying committed to the relationship so that you don’t bail at the first sign of difficulty or hardship.
  • Being always prepared for and ready to adapt to the inevitable permutations in the relationship throughout the course of its lifetime.

And this last one brings us to the third characteristic.

Change

Glibly expecting relationships to remain forever the same can be disastrous. At the very least, it’s unhealthy and usually counterproductive. The thing to keep in mind, then, is that the writer-client relationship you form in the beginning isn’t what will exist a year hence.

A writer’s writing style, for example, often changes over time. Your content needs as an online business owner are likely to change as your business grows and branches out. And, of course, what Google does will affect your SEO content tactics and strategies. Plato was right about most things, but Heraclitus had it right when it comes to content writing and the relationship between writer and client: Given enough time, you can’t step into the same content river twice.

Finally, the good news is that a good content writer realizes all this. This kind of writer not only writes well, but also knows that he is entering into a relationship when you hire him. And this could save you loads of work and make you more money in the long run.

Two Crucial Considerations for Getting the Best Content Possible – Target Audience and Expected Results

content-is-king-1132259__340I taught Freshman Composition for a bunch of years. During those years, I spent countless hours hammering away at trying to impress on my students the importance of audience and purpose as the two foremost considerations before ever setting pen to paper or finger to keyboard. We are, of course, talking about content writing here (website articles, blog posts, press releases, and so on), but writing is writing – and the fundamentals never change.

 

A Carefully Delineated Audience for Great Content

Above all, you’ve got to know whom you’re speaking to, the audience you’re trying to reach. If you don’t, you’ll wind up with something like the 1040A instruction booklet – bland, vapid, boring, and aimed at no one in particular because it’s aimed at everyone in general. Just how much fun is it to read that thing?

Maybe the best way to think about this is in terms of letter writing. Back in the days when we used to write letters on paper to, say, family members and friends, we would first sit down and think about the person to whom the letter would be sent (the audience). Then, while holding that person before our mind, we would custom craft a letter for that particular person, keeping in mind all the while her likes and dislikes, education level, favorite topics, and all the rest of what made the person unique. And so it should be with content writing.

It’s your responsibility, then (in part), as a content buyer, to provide as much information as possible about the target audience for your online content, including:

  • Age range
  • Education
  • Income
  • Marital status
  • Ethnic background
  • Social stratum
  • Interests
  • Concerns
  • Geographic location
  • Web browsing habits
  • Etc.

 

You simply cannot have too much information about your audience. And the more audience information you provide your writer, the better – more fully custom tailored and thus more effective – the content will be. So, the very first step is to draw up a detailed audience profile.

A Clear Statement of Expected Results for Great Content

Once you’re clear about exactly whom you’re addressing, you need to figure out precisely what you want to accomplish with the content, that is, the expected results. Usually, that means asking this question: “After they read the website article or blog post, what do I want them to do?” When you can state that clearly, you’re good to go.

Keep in mind, though, it’s not always as obvious as it seems prima facie. Your ultimate goal may be to get readers to buy your Deluxe Blue Widgets, but that may not be the immediate goal and the expected result for the content. The expected goal for the content may be simply to position yourself as an authority on Widgets in general. And if you can do this, the reader, who of course has an unquenchable interest in Widgets, will keep coming back to your site to read more about widgets, after a while opt in to your list, and eventually purchase a very high-dollar Deluxe Blue Widget. Think long and hard about this.

Then, having determined exactly what results you expect from the content, you need to communicate that clearly to your writer.

Both Sides of the SEO-Content Coin

Now, to really increase your odds of getting great content, you need to be aware through this whole process that there are two sides to the coin, a reciprocal writer-client relationship. Maybe, after considerable research and thought, you simply can’t pin down your audience or determine what result to expect. A good writer will help you with this.

A good writer will work with you to delineate the audience and define the purpose. That is, after all, one of the things that make a good writer stand out above the rest. But you do need to come to the table with some idea of what you want to accomplish and with whom. The better you understand these two crucial considerations, the likelier you’ll be to get the kind of content you want and need.