The New Year is finally upon us and with that: new resolutions, new budgets and new plans, both personal and professional. As you begin to plan for 2015, there is a good chance you will be looking to expand your content marketing strategies.Content marketing has both proven itself and increased in frequency every year, and 2015 should be no different.
Growing a content plan takes time, effort and skill; and will no doubt result in searching for new writers and editors. Whether they are in house or freelance, all great writers should share some common characteristics. These are some things you should look for when considering new writers for a content marketing program.
Of course there are the “givens” – traits that you would expect any writer to have. Intelligent, an excellent grasp on spelling and grammar, deadline driven, etc. It is much easier to know what makes a great writer, than what makes agreat content marketing writer. If you don’t understand what makes a good writer, you better go figure that out first, like, immediately.
Great content marketing writers need to be:
Flexible
Make sure all of your writers regularly practice yoga. Wait, no, that’s not it. I mean make sure your writers are flexible in tone and voice. When writing corporate content, it is important to understand which styles of writing are appropriate at which times. Sometimes funny and light hearted is applicable, but other times a more serious and informational tone is required. A great writer will be able to seamlessly flow from voice to voice as the occasion calls for it.
Adaptable
Content marketing is constantly evolving and changing. A great content writer needs to understand and embrace the fact that they will need to learn on the fly, evolve their writing styles and experiment with new techniques constantly in order to maximize their effectiveness as a writer. This is even more important if you are an agency that provides content for different clients. Then your writersneed to be able to adapt and learn a new topic, brand and industry very quickly in order to onboard with a new client as efficiently as possible.
Trendy
Nope. I don’t mean dressing fancy and up to date with the year’s top fashion tips. (I’m not saying a great content writer can’t or shouldn’t be this type of trendy, but it’s certainly not a prerequisite). A great content writer must be in tune with current events and trending topics. Appropriately utilizing popular topics of discussion and incorporating it organically into writing is a talent that becomes extremely beneficial in the world of SEO.
These basic elements, combined with the standard criteria for a good writer, should provide you with a pretty good candidate pool of potential writers. Of course there are countless other things to look at when considering new writers, or just new employees in general. What are some of the desirable traits you look for in a new hire? Be sure to share!
About the author: Jonathon Mahon
Jon is a marketer, copywriter, graphic designer and social media enthusiast dedicated to creating brand awareness and organizing brand messaging via digital strategies. He has created everything from infographics to whitepapers and is passionate about finding new professional adventures. Feel free to reach out!
