Finding A Great Writer For Your Content

 

 

In a previous article, we discussed the need for good written content that works well with the design, form, and function of the website you created. But, as a designer, what’s the best way to find a good, qualified writer to produce the content you need? Do you know where to look? Do you know how to choose a qualified writer? Let’s discuss some ideas of how to secure the services of a good, qualified writer.

Content is king. Everyone agrees that content is what keeps a site visitor in place and coming back time after time. So, how do you find a writer to create the content that will “establish dominion over the domain” that you have designed? One of my first recommendations is to ask for referrals. Ask a fellow designer that you admire who he/she uses to write their content.  Another thing I recommend is to try and use someone locally. If you can find a writer locally that you can work well with, it will be advantageous to you in the long run. Having the ability to meet face to face if needed, easily, can be a big plus on larger, more detailed projects. It’s not a completely critical component when searching for a writer…just an added bonus if you can find one locally.

Where’s the best place to look? Beyond word of mouth referrals, one of the best places to search out good content writers is by using several good websites: Craigslist, Elance, Guru, and Online-Writing-Jobs.com. These three are at the top of my list for find good writers. There are a lot of freelance writers who use Craigslist to advertise their services (it’s a free ad for most of them, why not use it!).

While you’re looking for a writer, do you know what type of content you need to have written? Make sure you have defined exactly what you need. Make sure you know what makes up good web content. In a nutshell, it’s written content that does four things:

• Grabs the readers attention
• Builds their interest in the topic being discussed
• Creates a desire for the reader to engage
• Motivates the reader (call to action)

The content on any webpage (primarily the home page) only has seconds to implement those four components!

Once you have found a writer that is of interest to you, ask for samples of their writing. When reviewing their previous work, look at it with those four aspects in mind. It’s okay to ask for samples and links to articles or websites where their work can be viewed. If they don’t have a way for you to read their previous work and you want to give them a chance, ask them to write a sample article for you. BUT, make sure you pay them for it. It’s rude to ask someone to work for free. You wouldn’t design two or three web pages for free would you? Just ask them to write a sample article for you and offer to pay them a flat rate for it.

Make sure that the writer in question can deliver your desired content in the proper time frame too. Keep in mind that most freelance writers have multiple clients and other projects they are working on simultaneously. Generally speaking, the more time you allow a writer for a project, the better it will fit into your budget.

Outline what you want written and accomplished, be specific in your details, be clear with your deadline, and ask for a specific price. It’s also a wise idea to ask the writer to include at least one round of revision in their pricing too. This allows you to be able to modify and adjust the content once the writer has delivered it to you without incurring additional costs. Once your price is set and agreed to, it’s not uncommon for a new writer to ask for a 50% deposit. It’s a safety net for the writer since he/she hasn’t done work for you previously. If things go well and you start using the same writer over and over for multiple projects, this shouldn’t necessarily have to occur each time. But, for the first project, it’s not an unreasonable request.

Following these recommendations will set you on a good course for procuring the services of a good content writer. We’ll delve into this subject more over time in future articles. There are certain pitfalls and dangers that need to be avoided when using sites like Guru and Elance. We’ll discuss those as well as define in detail what makes up good web content. If you have other recommendations, as always, please let me know and we’ll discuss them!

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