Online marketing becoming a necessity for local businesses to stay in the game and compete with the big players, and when it comes to online marketing, content is king. From blogs to web copy, the need for good, clear and relevant content is crucial to attract a target audience, and often more importantly, to keep readers coming back for more. You also need your content to be seen by as many people as possible to build leads and attract more sales, which means getting current readers to forward your online content to others.
But if you’re like many local business owners, you either struggle with:
- Ideas for new content, or
- The time to consistently create new content, or
- Both.
One solution? Hire a ghostwriter to create your content for you. A strong ghostwriter will be able to help you source new content and ideas while posting them for you consistently. And if you think it’s cheating, it’s not. After you all, you hire experts to handle other aspects of your business, right? You hire an accountant to handle the numbers, an I.T. person to handle your technology concerns, etc., so why not hire a writer to handle your content needs? By doing so, you can focus on what you do best: your base business.
To identify the right ghostwriter for you, keep the following tips in mind:
Conduct a Thorough Interview
Interview a content writer as you would any consultant or employee for your local business. Be sure to ask about their research and writing process. You want to work with someone who meets your expectations in terms of communication style and turnaround time. For example, do you want regular updates, or do you simply want to see the final product? You also want to know they’ll do what it takes to understand your style and voice so it comes through in the content they provide for you. Job fit is extremely important in any position, and hiring a writer to support your business is no different.
Look at Resumes and Credentials
Look for someone who has provided a lot of content for a variety of clients, as this is a good indicator of their ability to research and be versatile, in addition to the fact that several other individuals or businesses have trusted them to provide content. If you find someone who understands English grammar well, and can conduct the research required, then even if they don’t know your industry well, they are still worth a shot. Many ghostwriters come up to speed quickly on various topics and industries, so focus on their ability to do the research required to quickly ramp-up their knowledge base about your business.
Check References
As with any new consultant, employee or business you are considering working with, look for testimonials online and ask for a list of references.
Content Review and Samples
Coupled with their resume and credentials, ask to see 3 to 5 samples of their work that’s similar to the type of content they’ll be providing for your business (i.e. blogs, articles, eBooks, presentations, etc.).
Have a Confidentiality Agreement
A ghostwriter should always be comfortable with your name being attached to all the content they provide to you, and this should be outlined in a confidentiality agreement. If they’re not OK with this, then they’re not a true ghostwriter.
Many local business owners have gotten smart and realize the benefits of hiring a writer to assist with all of their content needs; or maybe it’s only a portion of them. Whatever the case may be for your business, use these tips to hire the best ghostwriter to support your business needs.
You can find freelance writers on sites such as Guru.com, Elance.com, Craigslist, or by conducting a simple Google search. Also, most ghostwriters provide virtual service (all they need is Internet and a cell phone), so expand your search and be open about their location. Good luck!
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