Hiring writers to create content to promote your business is a no-brainer: it puts someone whose talent set aligns perfectly with your needs. And it frees you up to concentrate on the core functions of your business; writers write so that you don’t have to worry about that aspect of your marketing. But, for this sort of outsourcing to be truly effective, you need a healthy relationship with your content writers. Remember, business relationships are relationships; when everyone is reasonably content, work goes more smoothly and you get better results. Read on to learn a few tips that can keep things smooth and secure.
Clear, Detailed Instructions
As any relationship professional would tell you, communication is key. When you hire writers, try to include as much information as possible about what you need. Provide links to your site and also links to posts that you feel capture the style and feel that you want. The more that writers have to work with, the better the chances that you will get the results you want.
Be Open to Questions
Often, writers will have questions about an assignment or need some clarification. Sometimes, it can take a bit of back and forth to get everyone on the same page. This is completely normal. And, as you cultivate relationships with writers whose work you like, you will find that each new assignment goes more smoothly and takes less time on your end.
Praise Is Great
I’ll let you in on a secret: writers are constantly hungry for praise. Send positive comments and high ratings and they’ll love you. Happy writers tend to snap your assignments up more quickly, go at the job with more enthusiasm, and produce the best work. You will find that writers are quite often willing to go above and beyond for clients who they consider friendly and easy to work with.
But Revisions Aren’t the End of the World
If something in an assignment isn’t quite what you wanted, do not be afraid to send it back with revision notes. Writers aren’t mind readers and it can sometimes take a try or two to get down the form, tone, and details that you want. It’s far better to have a writer do a bit more work than for you to have work that you are unhappy with. Writers know that happy clients come back; good ones do what they can to nourish healthy working relationships.
It can take time and effort on both the writer and client sides (with occasional mediation from account reps) to understand one another’s needs. But, by keeping up communication and working with writers whose work exceeds your expectations, you can, over time, make this part of your marketing efforts feel effort-free.
Lara S is a content writer and blogger. She’s written professionally since 1998 and specializes in creating reader-friendly posts for complex industries like healthcare, law, and insurance. On the weekends, you’re likely to find her out on her sailboat or ensconced in bed with a book.
