As your company grows, you might wonder when the right time is to hire a writer. There are problems if you bring in a writer too early or too late – so how are you supposed to know when to hire a writer? I’m here to answer your questions and explain the timing of bringing in a writer.
Why Would You Hire a Writer?
A writer’s main job is to bring more money to your company. Hiring a writer for your company can establish your authority and knowledge within your industry.
People who visit your site will assume that your company wrote all the content on your website. Little do they know you might have a writer working behind the scenes, masterfully putting together content.
Finding the perfect writer means finding one that knows about your industry, you’ll come across as the experts all thanks to your website.
In my experience, companies hire a writer because they want to see better results through their website. Well-written content on your site will get you more views each month, raise your conversion rate, and ultimately boost your revenue.
Things You Need Before Hiring a Writer
Let’s talk about what you need before reaching out to a writer.
If I’m being honest, there aren’t many physical constraints. The bare essentials that you need are:
- A means of communication (email, phone, or smoke signals)
- Money and a way to pay a writer (typically PayPal)
- A way to receive work from them (email or Google Drive)
Beyond that, it’s all up to personal preference. Now, if you’re wondering about what you should do ahead of time, that depends on what you’re looking for.
Do You Need to Have Article Ideas Ready to Go?
This is the beauty of picking the right writer – you don’t need to do any thinking ahead of time. A good writer knows how to put together great ideas for blogs, articles, or website content.
You don’t need to give them a list of ideas if you don’t want to.
Does Your Company Need A Functioning Website?
It always helps to have a website ready, but it’s not required. The work you get from a writer doesn’t have an expiration date. You can sit with the content until you have a site that’s ready to go.
Keep in mind, most writers won’t know how to build a site for you – that falls under “website development” which is another category of freelancer.
If you already have a website, you can immediately copy and paste the work you get from a writer upon receipt.
How Much Research Do You Need to Do Before Hiring A Writer?
The only research you need to worry about is what goes into finding the perfect writer. You don’t have to worry about doing market research, seeing what other people are doing, and researching the perfect way to present content on your site.
A writer with experience will know first-hand what works. Beyond that, part of their job is to do the research as they put together content for you.
Hiring a writer should be pretty hands-off. Don’t spend too much time getting ready for a writer by doing research.
What You Do and Don’t Like About Your Current Site
I always ask my clients when I start working with them what they like and dislike about their site. Many of them haven’t really thought about it.
This helps your writer determine the “voice” for your site. Your voice is how your company presents itself.
Are you the serious, straightforward, industry experts? Or are you more fun and present entertaining content? This is what your voice will reflect.
Knowing what you like about your site also ensures your writer doesn’t undo the parts that you like.
The Problems with Hiring a Writer at the Wrong Time
After getting everything in order, you might wonder if you’re ready for a writer. There is a bit of a timing issue. Let’s talk about what happens if you bring a writer in too soon or late.
Hiring a Writer Too Soon
If you hire a writer too soon, your company might start to suffer. Here are the top ways I’ve experienced this throughout my writing career:
Make Sure You Have the Money
Getting a freelance writer for your operation takes money – if you don’t have the spare cash to justify a writer, you’re in trouble.
You might be hurting the growth of your operation if you spend money on a writer. Make sure that you have a business plan that justifies a writer, or that you have enough free cash to give it a try.
Seeing a return on your investment in a writer might take months – so don’t assume it will be an overnight jackpot.
It’s possible to take out a loan or use a credit card to bring in a writer. Make sure you’re ready for this decision before taking on debt.
Is Your Company Ready for the Demand?
With that said, once the money starts coming you need to make sure your company is ready to keep up. If your company isn’t ready to see a massive spike in demand within 12 months, you might want to hold off.
There’s nothing wrong with putting a writer on the back burner while you prepare your company.
Alternatively, get ready to turn away business when customers start knocking down your door.
Make Sure You Have a Product/Service
This is a point that I can’t stress enough – a writer can’t sell your company if you don’t have one. If you don’t have products or services ready to go, you’ll be attracting customers to a hole in the ground.
Before bringing on a writer you should have your business ready to go.
Having a concrete product or service also makes it easier for a writer to sell what you have to offer. They’ll be able to better describe the product, the need, and what makes you special.
You Need Some Free Time to Step Away from Business Needs
The process of finding a writer and doing the initial consultation takes some time. Make sure you can free up time in the beginning and you’re able to step away from your daily business needs.
This might just be a few hours. The initial consultation with a writer fills in the blanks for them. It’s important to start with a good amount of information and a direction.
Hiring a Writer Too Late
There are also a few problems that come with hiring a writer too late. Keep in mind, a good writer will help you catch up even if you start too late, so it’s not the end of the world.
Your Competition Already Beat You
As you drag your feet, your competition might be beating you. They could already have a writer on their team that’s updating all of their online content.
Your competitors will steal even more business away from you and they’ll dominate the online scene within your industry.
You’ll Have Even More to Redo
The other problem is a matter of redoing the content you have. The longer you wait, the more content your writer will need to re-write and repurpose.
This means you’re spending even more money on a writer and waiting longer for your site to be a top-notch site.
When Should You Hire a Writer?
The best time to hire a writer is when you’re financially ready to and you have a company that’s ready for growth. As I mentioned earlier, hiring a writer for your company is a great way to boost your sales and connect you with more customers.
Doing it too early or too late can be a problem. Even so, a good writer can adjust and correct the writing plan to match where your company is at. That means that bringing on a good writer too early or late won’t make a difference in the long run.
Why Choose CTB Writing?
As a copywriting expert, I’ve been offering my writing services for a while. I’ve helped my clients catch up to their competitors, boost their revenue, and attract loyal, life-long customers.
I can help you understand if the time is right for a writer. Contact me today and let’s start the conversation. Now might be the perfect time to start dominating your industry, and CTB Writing is here to help.
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