Can’t Find a Good Writer? Here are 4 Tips from a Former English Teacher
I have some news that will be tough to hear. If you want a blog, social media post or article to sound like your voice - unquestionably - then you need to write it yourself.
But the reality is that you probably don’t have the time or energy to write what you want. If that’s the case, you should reach out to a content writer. However, you should also be aware of what those limits entail. All good writers expect feedback. And receiving constructive criticism from a client is a part of the job. It’s what we’re used to. However, when we hear, “It doesn’t sound like me,” without any other feedback, it’s time for some level-setting.
TIP #1: Prep your writer for success
In the classroom, students are given a writing assignment with expectations from the teacher. If you do X, you’ll earn an “A” if you do Y, you’ll earn a “B,” etc. Unless it’s a creative writing course (where anything goes), most structured writing should meet specific requirements. If you have a specific topic for the writer and a topic that is deeply relevant to your industry, the writer needs to know what you expect from the content and how your business specifically relates to that topic. Anyone can Google a broad topic, but what makes you stand out? What makes you different from your competitors? If your writer doesn’t set up an “onboarding” call at the start of your agreement, suggest one. They should be a sponge.
TIP #2: Read the content like your audience would
When asking for a specific type of writing, you should know what the audience will expect. For example, you expect that a memoir will read differently than a research paper. Your content writer will (or should) write for that medium. People spend an average of 100 seconds on a blog and way (way) less on a social media post. If this is what you have hired your writer to produce, then know what to expect. Read the content like your audience would: skim. The content should be intelligent but readable and it should create a sense of curiosity in your reader to want to know more. This will keep them interacting with your website or social media page or - better yet - picking up the phone.
TIP #3: Place a time limit on your investment
The more you look at a piece of writing, the more you’ll find things you want to change. That goes for the content you write and especially for the content someone else writes. I used to have a rule with students that I would only meet with them two times to discuss a final paper. After that, they needed to let Jesus take the wheel (so to speak). You should have confidence that what you have written is accurate, readable and ready for an audience. If you are spinning your wheels on one sentence where you think there’s a better word to use versus another - when both words are synonymous - it’s time to step away from the laptop.
TIP #4: Put down the red pen (metaphorically speaking)
Do you remember turning in a paper (literally, printed or typed on paper) to your teacher? Do you remember how you felt when it was returned with gruesome, unholy red marks all over it? There have actually been studies on the psychology of using red ink and what it means for the student and the teacher. According to NPR, “the European Journal of Social Psychology suggests that teachers who use red ink to grade papers tend to give students lower grades than those who use a different color of ink.” What’s the lesson? If you are looking to trash a piece of content, you’re going to find plenty of reasons to do so.
The bottom line is, if you had the time and energy to write the content, you wouldn’t have hired a writer, correct? So don’t use your valuable time and energy trying to change a writer into you - because that’s never going to happen. If you are realistic - and smart - with how you approach their work, then you’ll get exactly what you had hoped: good content.