It could be that your blog is, well, blah, or maybe your website content is just way too stiff or just not professional enough to make you happy. You know you need to change something up to make it more effective, so maybe it’s time to find freelance writers to work on it. The problem is, you don’t want to lose that awesome local flavor and marketing that’s such an advantage to a small business. After all, small- and medium-sized independent businesses create a financial multiplier in the community 3-3.5 times that of big box stores! Here are four ideas about the local flavors a professional freelance writer can include in their writing while giving you awesome content for your website or blog:
- Incorporating local festivals, sports teams or happenings into their blog post by researching local news. Your local newspapers have a ton of information about the local apple festival, the girl’s basketball team going to state or the record-breaking bass that was caught up at the lake last weekend, and freelance writers can incorporate that into your blog posts. After all, the apple festival needing printing services from your shop, health insurance from your agency can cover sports injuries or your sporting goods store’s awesome celebratory sale on fishing tackle can all make great localized blog posts.
- Customizing their writing for your region. They won’t write about fishing in Arizona or outdoor tropical plants options in Maine, because it doesn’t make sense. A good freelance writer gives some thought to your region and what it’s known for, incorporating what works and leaving out what doesn’t.
- Using trends to determine what the hot new thing may be in your area. The latest snowmobile Polaris may not be that awesome in California, but it’s a serious topic in Michigan. There are a variety of resources available for tracking local trends in your area, including Trendsmap and local trend tracking services from Twitter that a smart freelancer will put to use for your business’ benefit.
- Using a tone or voice that appeals to local politics, customs and culture—county-fair-winning cornbread recipes just isn’t as hot a topic in Minnesota as it is in Georgia. Is your city liberal or conservative? Mentioning that in your directions can give your freelance writer a good heads-up about which stance to take on abortion, gun rights, healthcare and a variety of other conversational potholes in your community.
How do you convey to a freelance writer what you’d like included? When you send instructions in for your order, be sure to mention any particular happenings you’d like covered, if you want them to check local trends or if there are particular topics you’d like avoided or handled gently. As an example, you may live in an area with very liberal politics, but you have a military base full of conservatives you’re trying to market to, creating a situation that you may want handled delicately.
Cathleen V is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
