5 Questions that Prove You Need to Hire a Content Writer ASAP!
Maybe you can’t draw a portrait as beautiful and enchanting as Michelangelo’s Pieta or plant an entire forest like Jadav Payeng once did.
But you can sure as heck write your own marketing copy. Original, mesmerizing, quality content that leaves your target audience licking their lips yearning for more?
Right?
Not so fast.
We’re not suggesting you’re not a ‘good writer’. Much content creation—marketing-oriented or otherwise—is perfectly competent. It’s ‘workhorse’ writing: communicative and technically correct.
But ask yourself these four questions before going all out on your own:
Q1: Do You Have a Perspective?
When it comes to their own content creation needs, even people who write well have a tendency to fail.
Some start in the middle—and then spin rapidly into outer space.
Others throw in the kitchen sink altogether.
It’s hard to choose what type of content to specialize in…how to scheme it all onto an editorial calendar…how to write for search engines (it’s an endless list, really).
And so you wind up choosing everything—and leaving the reader to sort it all out. Sorry to say: they won’t bother.
A content writer worth their weight in gold doesn’t just give your content marketing strategy a unique, saucy, razor-sharp perspective, they also blow your content goals out of the pack every time they sit down to write.
Q2: Can You Take the Intangible, and Make it Ring Clear and Real?
Every business has intangibles.
The trick is to interpret them in a way your target audience can see, touch, smell, and desire.
A related skill is to take what’s earthbound (read: literal, tedious)—and set it to flight. Position it to ignite the reader’s imagination—and make him or her want it.
An exceptional content writer can do both of these things, and a whole lot more. In other words, they’ll give your content marketing strategy a real and lasting facelift. Granted.
Q3: Do You Know What Makes You Different? Truly Different?
Many businesses think they do…but haven’t gotten to the bottom of it.
This is your content writer’s main agendas, so rest assured that they’ll explore the depths of your content marketing plan to uncover any and all hoo-hum pieces of content—perhaps a white paper that speaks to everyone and no one at all, or maybe a 2019 blog that barely scratches the surface of “compelling content.” Then they’ll ditch those pieces and start from scratch all over again (trust us, it’s always worth it).
From there, they’ll investigate, probe, and immerse your content marketing strategy to make sure it paints your business in the best possible light.
Here at Zoey, for example, we do not put a single word to paper until and unless we have captured—not just a story—but an angle on a story. As with all compelling stories, your angle has a poniard edge. And it deserves to be heard.
Here's our cheatsheet to creating exceptional copies.
Q4: Do You Know (and Appreciate) the Value of Artwork for Content Creation?
It’s a fact: readers love graphics and photos.
Studies have shown that directions provided with both text and illustrations are understood 323% better than directions provided in text only.
Meanwhile, 63.2% of businesses rely heavily on visual content as part of their content marketing strategy.
A content writer’s main job is to try to pair at least one of the following with each piece of content they whip up:
- Infographic
- Video
- Animated GIF
- Survey
- Quiz
It’s part of their job description, and it’s one they can gladly take off of your hands.
Q5: Are You Capable of Inciting Action? In as Little as 37 Seconds?
That’s all the time you get before a reader makes a value judgement on whether to engage with your brand or not.
If your answer to one or more of the above questions is no, then please email [email protected] or check out our copywriting services to find out how Zoey Writers can help.
All the best!
Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash: Thanks Thom: )
