Hiring content writers for your company blog is a huge step in the right direction for your content marketing. Professional writers not only drive traffic to your website, they can help to clarify your business’s vision. That can add immense value to your company’s online marketing. The number of writers you choose to hire or work with regularly can make a big difference in the overall quality of your blog.
It may seem tempting to hire a single content writer. Having one person handle your entire company blog (or even all your search engine copywriting or email marketing copywriting) has its advantages: most obviously, you only have to bring one person up to speed on the particular facets and assets that make your company special. It involves the least work on your part.
But working with just one content writer is rarely the best choice. First off, it can make finding a top notch freelancer somewhat harder. Hiring someone who understands your business and works well with your schedule is much easier if you try out several writers at the same time.
Let’s say you do try out a few writers right out the gate. Try to find a few, not just one, who meet your needs, and use all of them on a regular basis. That gives you more flexibility—some writers may do better at certain topics than others, and even writers go on vacation now and then. And it’s easier to scale up the size of your operation if you’re working with several writers; you don’t have to worry about a single writer’s availability or capacity.
The other problem with having a single writer also exists if you have too many writers: style and tone. Your website and blog will benefit from a unified, shared voice. All your writers should be on the same page with your business and with each other. But if you use just one writer, it will become obvious to regular readers—the kind most likely to become, or already be, customers—that everything is being written by the same person. Even the most talented ghostwriter isn’t a total chameleon. And that can make your blog feel flat. More writers means more variety and new perspectives.
On the other hand, the more writers you have, the harder it will be for you to keep them all on similar wavelengths. They’ll take too much time to manage, and the tone may vary widely. Your blog could feel like an aggregated mess, and that benefits no one.
So if you run a small or medium business that’s hiring content writers, a small handful of freelancers is usually best. Four or five writers don’t take much of your time, once you vet them. They don’t cost you any more money, since freelancers are usually paid on a per article basis. And they give your website or blog a diversity in tone and content a single writer can’t give you. That can only be a good thing.
Adam P is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
