Honesty. It’s something that seems to be lacking in today’s digitally driven world. We are far from honest on our dating profiles. We stretch professional attributes as far as possible so that at those pesky reunions we can retain our status as “most successful.” Come to think of it, we even have a tendency to take white lies and turn them on their heads.
Why?
The digital era promotes an acceptance of stretching the truth. Brands do it on a daily basis and fake news seems to be here to stay. Consumers in return dish it right back out to their followers. So, it should come as no surprise that we need to shake things up as we end 2019 and enter 2020. While I can’t change how people look on their dating profiles, or what professional attributes have been borrowed from a colleague and placed on your mantle, I can help when it comes to professional relationships between clients and writers.
Let’s Talk Writer Selection.
If writers were to be perfectly honest, they are tired of running the gamut in the hopes that maybe they can be placed on a list of hundreds of other hopefuls, only to be disappointed when their Internet isn’t fast enough to beat a 5G smartphone. Run-on sentence aside, the point is that writers want to work with clients who are honest about the selection process. From a writer’s standpoint, “why jump through hoops when time is money, and we don’t know what hoops really matter?”
To combat the hooping jumping phenomenon here are a few ground rules for clients that want to find and work with the best writers.
1. Give writers a list of three brief items that they should include in their application.
2. Tell writers if you are going to look at their carefully crafted profiles, or if you prefer to learn about them in their application.
3. Be transparent with pricing. If you ask for a custom price, don’t be upset when the top writers are worth far more than you expected.
4. Set a timeline, so that writers know if they are going to be in limbo for weeks or months waiting to hear back from you.
5. Be honest in the type of writer that you want to work with. For example, some writers over communicate, while others only send messages if they have a pertinent question or comment. Other writers are marketing geniuses who aren’t afraid to tell you when your campaign has some serious flaws. The point is simple, if you want a positive working relationship then you need to be upfront and honest about the type of writer that you want to work with.
Transparency … It’s A Real Thing When Relaying Content Goals.
Writers aren’t mind readers. Clients aren’t palm readers. Slight sarcasm aside, transparency is key when it comes to relaying content goals. If you take away nothing else from reading this post, then it should be the following point: BE PERFECTLY TRANSPARENT WITH YOUR GOALS.
Yes, I know the caps are a bit much, but they are entirely necessary.
Writers, if you have created something with a specific goal in mind, then you should relay that to your client in the comments section. How are clients supposed to know that you added in extra SEO keywords, purposefully linked to the top performing blog post on their site, or recognized that their number one client would prefer a tongue-in-cheek approach, if you don’t tell them?
Conversely, clients, how are writers supposed to know what you want to achieve with the article, web page, blog post, white paper, etc. if you don’t tell them? In short, content goals need to be transparent unless, of course, you are in the market for a mundane piece that could just as easily be about your competitor. If you are in that market, then you might have come to the wrong place.
Discovering Content That Delights Is Only Possible With Honesty.
WriterAccess has a long-standing policy and slogan about content that delights. Sadly, content can’t delight if writers and clients aren’t honest. A lack of honesty breeds resentment. Dishonesty in a professional setting is the equivalent of swiping on a dating profile, agreeing to meet, and discovering that the photos you swiped on were from 10 years ago when your date looked different, actually had a personality, and hadn’t resorted to extreme Kardashian-inspired Photoshop tactics.
Content can only delight if both writers and clients are honest. This honesty begins with setting realistic expectations during the writer selection process. It continues when both parties relay their understanding of the content goals. Finally, it comes full circle when writers strive to improve with each keystroke and, in return, clients recognize that a little honest praise can go a long way to encouraging writers to continue to try their hardest to exceed expectations.
I can honestly say that bread and butter might go hand-in-hand, but if you want to metaphorically have your cake and eat it too, then when it comes to writer / client relationships, honesty is key. Discover how it all works when you give WriterAccess a try.
Laura P. has a passion for learning different languages. She has a peaked curiosity for understanding marketing trends throughout the globe, specifically in the American, European, Asian, and Australian markets. Laura is an avid equestrian who has competed under the US flag both domestically and internationally. Her other passions include trying new cuisines, traveling, blogging, and exploring nature’s beauty.
