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The real skills you should look for in a content writer



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The real skills you should look for in a content writer

Content writing isn't the easiest thing to do, so you'll need to either study how to do it and practice for months, or you'll do what the majority of website owners do and outsource the work to a credible writer.  There's no shame in outsourcing your own content, hundreds of thousands of companies do it every single day, and they all benefit from the great content they're purchasing.  Content writers have been around for while, and have been writing for anyone that is willing to pay their prices, which means there are a lot of people out there that are bad writers and need to be weeded out prior to making your final selection.

To make the best decision and get the perfect content writer for your website, you will need to select them strategically.  Every writer will tell you they're the best for your company, but that's because they're looking for their next paycheck, and you'll need to look between the lines to figure out exactly who is the best for your money.  The following skills are what you should target if you want to hire the best writer for your company, and they are:


They should speak your native language
This is a biggie, and that's why it's the first on the list, because you don't want a language barrier when working with a content writer.  A language barrier isn't good if you're hiring someone to write in your native language, because you already know they won't be able to produce content that is best for your readers.  I'm sure there are plenty of great writers out there that can produce content for their own native language, but if you're trying to hire someone to write content in English and they're from Bangladesh, your content will suffer.

Think about it, if there is a language barrier, your content will take longer to produce and you won't really be able to portray what you want written and how you want it written.  If you're needing English content, you're going to need a writer who's first language is English, mainly because there is so much slang.  Hiring someone from the UK to write US English works most of the time, but there are little triggers that will show since each country has a slightly different way of saying things, but it's usually good enough.


Cheaper isn't always better
I run into this problem all the time as a content writer.  I sell 500 word articles for $25 here on seocheckout.com and I'm fighting with people from India selling 500 word articles for $5.  Why would people pay 5x as much for my content?  Well that's simple, it's because I'm a professional and I've been doing this for 15+ years with the majority of my clients being happy ones The real skills you should look for in a content writer  I have the experience, I've put in my time, and I'm not going to settle for anything less than my normal rates.

Sure, I lose a decent amount of sales from people wanting to pay $5 for a 500 word article, but they usually have to go through the content and edit it for a while, or they have to open up a dispute because the content is garbage.  This is why cheaper isn't always better and people like me get sales on our services that cost a little more The real skills you should look for in a content writer


They should be experienced
Experience is a big thing in this industry, if you don't have it, you need to obtain it over time.  The same thing goes for content writers, if they haven't been writing for a while and have a lot of clients under their belts, they likely won't be as good as someone that has been writing for years and getting paid for it.  There are some exceptions, if a writer is just starting out and has an English degree (or similar), they can usually write content with the top authorities out there.  Now, even these guys and girls will have to build up their experience and portfolio before they get the bigger clients, but they will be a little more sought after compared to a newbie writer with no degree in English or journalism.


They should have samples ready for your to look over
This is one thing that every content writer should have on hand, no matter the niche, because it's easy to write up a sample of something if you don't have it.  A content writer should be able to write up a quick article, if they don't have an example for you, to show you what they can do for you.  Sure, some content writers are worried about you taking their content and just publishing it on your website, but they are just going to lose a sale from bigger clients if they withhold examples or are unwilling to do a quick example for them.

I would highly urge you to not work with a writer that refuses to show you some examples of their work, because they're already starting off on an unprofessional foot.  I write plenty of content myself, and I still ask writers for examples before I think of them as good enough for some of my bigger sites that I can't write all the content myself The real skills you should look for in a content writer  I've been shut down plenty of times after asking for examples, and my response is usually "Well that's too bad.  I intended to hire you for dozens, or hundreds, or articles for my website (domain name here)" and they usually send me some examples after that.  I won't hire them because they were already showing me their real personality, and that's not something I like, so I move on and hire someone else The real skills you should look for in a content writer


They should be able to produce quality content, no matter the niche
A good writer won't turn down a difficult niche, they will tell you they can get the work done after they research your topic and the content will still be top notch.  I can't tell you how many times I've had clients purchase from me and I didn't know what they hell they were having me write, but I did the research and understood what it was all about, then spun an article in my own words and the client loved it The real skills you should look for in a content writer

If your writer can't write about your content, it should be a red flag, because it usually means they're only niche focused and won't broaden their horizons.  It could also means they're outsourcing the work to someone that doesn't want to write on different niches than ones they specified.  So only go with the content writers that agree to write up on your niche, no matter what it is.


They should have their own website or service page with reviews
A lot of content writers will have their own personal websites, where they post their own content, and even sell their own services.  Putting up services on websites like seocheckout.com is great to bring in clients, but a lot of writers started off selling from their own websites, so they will tend to have one up and running.  I understand that it's against the TOS of most platforms to share personal websites, but if you're savvy you can figure out what the writers website is and see what they're doing on there The real skills you should look for in a content writer

Professional writers will have their own websites, branding their own names and skills, which will be used to bring in bigger clients from around the world.  Look for the writers personal website and see what kind of content they're posting for themselves, usually it's the best they can do, and that will be a good guage on what you'll be getting in return for your money.



In conclusion
There are a massive amount of writers out there, but there aren't actually that many great writers in the bunch, so you'll need to filter out the scruff and find the best writers for your money.  You don't want to fight through a language barrier, so be sure your content writer can produce articles in the language you're targeting, and you'll be happy you didn't go with someone that didn't know your language.  You'll also want to work with someone that has the experience and plenty of clients under their belt, so you know you're paying for someone that has done plenty of similar work already The real skills you should look for in a content writer



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Razzy

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flyinwashi682
I think Content writing is very easy to be honest.



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Judas2018
I prefer the term 'contributor,' when it comes to hiring a content writer. I think in order to make it worth your audiences while, your contributors should be people interested in your blogs topic, and who can contribute good, quality content. While also relishing the opportunity to get their name out there to people. Don't just swing by a writing website and buy or retain, a few writers. Try and contact people who follow you and your topics on social media, and then see if they'd be interested in having some of their work displayed on your site. The synergy between them you and your audience is much better that way.



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JoeMilford
I think that you make a really good point here in terms of a "contributor", to use your word, having a REAL interest in your blog's content. This will come across in the contributor's writing, and it is always better to have someone genuinely interested in what you are doing than to have someone just going through the motions or "faking it" just to get paid for content. I know that as freelancers a lot of us write about topics, for income, that are not really things we are into, but I also know that when I care about the subject matter my content is about 100 times better!



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Corzhens
I had been a blog contributor before even if I was not really a writer of articles. It so happened that the invitation was tempting because I could showcase my passion and not exactly my writing skills. It was actually one factor that helped me improved my written English. But the term contributor means you are not a regular in the publication. Later on I was appointed co-blogger which has a higher level in meaning than contributor.



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Martinsx1
Content writing is an interesting thing especially when you are versed well in the topic or niche you are writing on. This comes in form of experience in the field, and there nothing more powerful than the advantages of already being a master in what you are doing. Looking for experienced content writers ensures one thing which is the higher probability of getting a better job done unlike when you make use of newbies in the field.



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iamawriter
I would any day prefer to be on the other side of the fence and that is to write for others. I do not understand why would any one who is good at writing want to purchase content. The day that is done that will be the end of their ability to write. The only thing that I do is to read what others have written so that I can improve my writing ability further. Your post did that to me



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Judas2018
Some people just feel it's easier and a lot less stressful to outsource content while they sit back and collect on the traffic or manage the sites revenue. Overall, I think starting up a website is pointless if you're just going to outsource every bit of hard or vital work to someone else.



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iamawriter
It is like a water spring The more water you remove from that spring more will gather there. So is writing for others. The more you write the more sharpened will be your capability to write. I believe in this and will never ask anyone else to write for me



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Adesuwa08
Sometimes you will need help from a content writer some day, no one is a jack and busy schedules can call for desperate times, no one knows when those activities pops keeping us away from the system.



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Judas2018
Understood. But I'd put off writing a piece if I had to hire a content writer. If I personally have an idea for an article then I will pen it myself. Even if it takes awhile for me to find the time to do so. I wouldn't hire someone else to pen a piece based on an idea that I conceived.



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vinaya
Cheaper is not always the best. However, if you hire a writer based in India instead of a writer from the US, you can get the same thing written for half of the price. This is because the living cost in India is cheaper than in the US. I write an ebook for $300, however, if the client wants to hire a writer from the US, the writer may not easily work for $300. For someone like me who is from developing country, $300 is a lot of money, however, for the US resident, $300 is a little money.



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Judas2018
You can get good work out of India and other similar countries but for writing jobs, you really should hire someone who fits your countries audience. If you're based out of America, might be best to go with an American born writer. At most a European born writer. If you are in need of an article covering foreign cinema, particularly out of the middle east or arab nations, then bringing in someone from India might suffice.



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vinaya
Contrarily, I believe as long as the writer has language and writing skills, the location of the writer does not matter. I can hire an English language and literature graduate from India for a small payment, however, in order to have similar skills in an American writer you need to pay more. Furthermore, just being in the US does not mean the writer has better writing and language skills.



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centurion
For work purpose- I have been taking help from a co worker who is a good content writer in this world. She take the rate of 10$ for per 100 words and her writings have a great quality. The main things i have over looked with her writings or with her articles are that- she made every time a brief keyword research about the niche she had been selected to write. On this way her articles are always favorable to the client for getting huge traffic.

Keyword based content or keyword based article is mostly necessary for any website because on a research- good keyword generates 70% traffic for a website.

Thanks
Centurion



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Adesuwa08
I like the ideal of filing for the services of content writers, I won't like the usual cheap schemes help for one, a qualified one is needed and it will save you money if you think about the troubles it keeps you out of. When the service is needed employ a good content writer with these qualities listed about, so to be on the safe side.



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Corzhens
There is a saying that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. That also applies to content writers. You actually don’t need the resume when looking for a content writer. The published work is the best proof of his skills. Having read 5 articles is enough to ascertain if the content writer fits the bill. And for the final step, request a short write up of the niche you desire. No need for a long one, just half a page of word document will do. For me, a good content is something that is easy to read.



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jaymish2
The world is so unfair! Everyone is looking for experience. When do the new people learn or get a chance? Samples are a good idea but could be written by someone else. Experience is also overrated. I Belive in working with someone who is open to learning. The person learns how you like your content written and makes your work easier. An experienced person already has their own ideas about how things should be done and can be frustrating to work with.



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DenisP
While I myself am not looking for content writers, I want to be the content writer that potential clients are looking for! I suppose that in some ways this can also be viewed as a list of things that aspiring content writers should be presenting to potential clients.

One field that I'm seriously lacking in is the fact that I still don't have my own website. Admittedly, it does look quite unprofessional to have to work through another party's website, so I really should get to establishing my own online site/portfolio.



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treecko142
Always look for projects they have done in the past before picking content writers. I'd say 3 quality works which are not copy-pasted from other sites is a good basis to decide of the appropriate paygrade that the writer should receive based on the specifications of your website/blog.



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Barida
Awesome article on things that we should look at when we want to work with a content writer. The first as we all know is the writer being able to speak the language we speak as well for that is a better way or communication. The thing also with getting through most of the contents that they show as sample is the need to be sure that they are the one that wrote it.

It is necessary that we look at their history to be sure that they are really experienced to handle different cars scenarios that will give us that confidence that they can always find a way to deliver orignial quality contents for us.



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flyinwashi682
i dont get how you can so bee so good in ciontenct writing



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