When you find freelance writers online, it can sometimes be hard to decide how involved in the writing process you should be. You want content that you feel reflects your business, but micromanaging the process can be counterproductive.
Know What You Want
When you are new to online content marketing, it can be difficult to know exactly what you want to appear on your site. Take some time to read blog posts, articles, and ebooks from others in your industry. Think about the most common questions that your customers have. Once you have a better idea of what the best content for your industry looks like, you are in a better place to communicate that to writers. This clear communication will result in writers being able to better fulfill your needs while you are free to concentrate on other areas of your business.
Signs You Can Trust a Writer with Your Message
Take a bit of time to snoop around a writer’s profile to see whether she’s a good match for you. There will be spaces where she talks about her expertise and samples of her writing in that area. If you like what you see, chances are good that she’ll create great content for you, too.
If you still have some jitters, take things slow. Assign one blog post at a time instead of an entire ten-part series. That way, you can learn with only a small bit of risk whether you and the writers you have chosen are compatible.
A Different Point of View
You’re familiar with your business. It’s what you do every day. And, while that familiarity and expertise makes you good at what you do, it can sometimes limit you when it comes to creating content that attracts clients.
A writer looking at your organization from the outside can come up with novel viewpoints. Giving writers the freedom to generate their own topics can allow you to have unique content that truly appeals to curious clientele.
Not comfortable just posting something open-ended? There are a few tools in place that can give you a little more control of the process. Idea Orders allow you to throw open the doors and let blog post ideas roll in. If you would rather work with a pre-selected group of writers on assignments within a certain topic, use the Pitch function. This way, you clear a story idea before the writer runs with it.
There Will Always Be Times When More Supervision is Better
While writers generally do better with more freedom, there will also be times and places where you should keep a tighter rein to get the results that you want. For instance, if you are doing slideshow-based lists, you’ll have strict formatting guides to stick to. Use the document set-up tools to make it clear what goes where.
It all comes down to balance. With the right mix of trust and communication, you can leave your writers free to create quality content while you are free to focus on the parts of your business that you do best.
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.
