What To Look for When Hiring Content Writing Services

Why is Content so Important?

Content on the internet is like fish in the sea, there is just so much out there that it’s hard not to get lost in the waters, floating by unnoticed.

Sadly, having a website or social media handle is not enough to get noticed in today’s cut throat, competitive market. In order to drive relevant traffic and generate interest in your business, you need to have an active online presence with content that is not only consistently updated, but also relevant, interesting, and engaging.

Good content can help you compete with the big fish in the sea. But that’s not all; here are two solid reasons why you should pay attention to content creation.

Content Helps You Get Noticed

Before you start converting website visitors into customers, you need to capture their interest first. Smart, SEO optimized content writing will get you noticed by Google’s algorithm and will make you more likely to appear higher up in search results when people search for things that relate to your business.

Statistics show that 81% of shoppers research online before making a purchase. Imagine the business potential if you were to show up among the first few in their search engine results!

Content Generates Buyer Interest

Posting about your products and services is great, but blogs give you the chance to dig deeper. You have the potential to get people interested and invested in your vision. Blogs personalize the way you interact with your consumers and can be a very effective means to convert them into loyal customers.

In fact, research shows 57% of marketers attribute their customer acquisition to blogging. If that doesn’t show you the importance of blogging, what will?

You can choose to create your blog presence in house, however, this will be tricky. This is why the best option you have to get your business noticed online is to hire professional content writing services.

Should You Hire a Content Writing Service?

The Upside to Hiring Content Writers

1.      They Know Their SEO

Successful blogging is not just about putting out content day in and day out; it requires advanced knowledge of SEO and techniques that boost visibility. Instead of getting yourself tied up with understanding everything that makes blogging important such as internal linking, back linking, keyword placement, and on page/off page SEO methods, you can leave it up to the professionals to optimize your content for you.

This will ensure that you are getting content that isn’t going to sink into the depths of the internet – it will actually rank higher in search engine results and ensure you get views.

2.      You Will Save Valuable Time and Energy

Content creation takes time, effort, and a whole lot of creativity. If you are a small business that’s just starting out, you probably don’t have the resources to afford spending hours in front of a screen trying to string words together. A content writing service can save you from that headache.

3.      Faster Results

Consistency is key when it comes to a successful online presence. That means you’re going to need a steady stream of content to keep pumping into your blog.

Most content writing services will work with you to deliver your content within a specific timeframe. Our blog management service, for example, even offers to post the content directly to your blog for you.

Not only does that save you heaps of time that you can spend on more demanding tasks, but it also means that your blog will stay consistently up to date with relevant posts tailored to your needs.

4.      Variety of Writing Styles and Formats

Let’s face it; even the most creative people are limited by their imagination. The way blog posts and web pages should be written will be different from the style of social media posts or eBooks. Speeches, letters, and professional biographies are a different ballgame altogether. Each of these formats has their own respective jargon, their own requirements, and their own tone and style.

If you want innovative content that follows different styles and formats, you might find it difficult to rely solely on an in-house team or individual.

With a content writing service, you will have professional writers working with you to give you content that is tailored to the platform you want to use.

5.      You Will Own the Rights to Your Work

Hiring a professional service does not mean that you are forfeiting your right to own the content on your blog. In fact, most good services give you full ownership of the content they produce, which means that you can publish it as part of your own brand without any need to give credit to a third party.

The Downside to Hiring Professionals

1.      There will be a Knowledge Gap

Professional writers will not know your business as well as you or someone working in your business. This may lead to some hiccups when it comes to getting a good grasp of your company’s vision.

However, it can be overcome by choosing services that give you the chance to help them understand your business and expectations before they begin work.

2.      You Might Not Like Their Writing

No matter how well written it is, sometimes you may not like the final product you get. Writing is a lot of trial and error, and it may take a few tries before you get a piece you’re happy with.

3.      It Will Cost You Some Money

Naturally, a content writing service will charge for the content they are providing you. Initially, this may seem like an expense you don’t want to make.

But content writing is something that is going to give you a better return on investment over time as your website starts ranking higher and you get a better influx of visitors. It’s an expense worth investing in!

What to Look for When Hiring a Content Writing Service

Now that you’ve decided that you want to hire a service, the question of which service to hire is an important one. There are a number of US content writing agencies out there, but it’s important to bear in mind that not all agencies are created equally.

When you’re looking for services that can help your business grow, you want to ensure that they come equipped with the technical knowledge of how to format your content specifically for SEO optimization. You don’t want to end up paying for the kind of content you could have written yourself!

So, how do you find an agency that fits the bill? Well, we’ve compiled a list of important factors to consider before you choose to outsource your work.

1.     Look for the Right Skills

The ability to write content itself is not enough to merit selection for an agency. You need to ensure that they have the correct set of skills that will help you achieve your goals. These skills should, at the very least, include the ability to write easily readable and creative content that fits the tone and image of your brand.

This should be further supplemented by sound knowledge of SEO optimization techniques, keyword research ability, and knowledge of how to drive and convert traffic on your website and pages.

2.     Find Out What Customers are Saying on 3^rd Party Sites

Look up what kind of reviews the service you’re considering has on credible sites like UpCity and Clutch. Great content writing services also receive awards for the work that they deliver.

It’s one thing to check out testimonials that they’ve shared on their website. It’s third party reviews that actually paint a clearer picture of how good or bad the service is.

3.     Check their Revisions Policy

No matter how great the writers you hire are, it’s inevitable that you will have different opinions on certain pieces. This is why it is important to consider the corrections policy different services offer before you commit to one.

In case you want to change the tact on a project halfway through or tweak the subject matter a bit, will your service provider charge for a rewrite or corrections? If you’re someone who likes flexibility with their ideas, a service with heavily charged correction policies may not be the best bet.

Look for services that offer reasonable or unlimited corrections to your work to make sure you’re getting the most out of your money.

4.     Evaluate Delivery Timeframes

Some agencies can take forever to deliver on the simplest blog posts. You’ll want to carefully study the timeframe they require to deliver your order in order to make sure you are both on the same page.

If you work on short deadlines or are incredibly bogged down with work, some content writing services offer you the ability to save even more time by offering to post the content directly to your blogs.

5.     Compare Costs

This goes without saying. In order to make sure you are getting the best possible deal for your money, you’ll want to compare costs across different services. Services that offer you packages instead of charging for each individual piece may be a better option if you’re looking for multiple posts.

Go Ahead and Get Started

Choosing a content writing service can be one of the best business decisions you’ve taken, it’s also has the potential to be a nightmare.

The result you get depends largely on due diligence, your ability to give clear directions, and your choice of service provider.

Get in touch with us if you’re looking for content writers because we’d love to work with you on a long term basis. We want to help your business grow because after all, we never will unless we’re able to help you get more traffic and conversions.