4 Ways to Increase ROI When Hiring a Freelance Ghost Writer

You may have heard the saying, “Content is King,” and it is (I naturally prefer the term “Content is Queen” because at Colibri Digital Marketing, our team of copywriters and social media specialists is mostly women). Now more than ever, male or female, having a strong writer on your team can help launch your business to the top of the search rankings, expand your brand’s online presence, and help establish you as a thought leader in your industry.

If you’re anything like many business owners we know, you’re not a writer. And even if you are a decent wordsmith, you may not have the time or inclination to fit yet another task into your already busy schedule. On top of that, most writers — let alone business owners — don’t know much about search engine optimization (SEO) (If you’re scratching your head and asking yourself, what is SEO? then I’m talking about you).

At the end of the day, if the copy you put on your website isn’t helping your website get found by potential customers, what’s the point? Where’s the return on investment (ROI)? Whether you need help with blogging, web copy, email marketing, social media content, or even traditional print material, a talented freelance ghost writer could be your knight in shining armor — or winged goddess.

That said, if you’ve ever looked for a writer online, you’ve just as quickly realized that you have an abundance of options — from all over the world. The key is to find a writer who makes sense for your company and for your content needs. This can be a challenging task if you don’t know what to look for — and just as importantly — what to avoid.

4 Ways to Increase ROI When Hiring a Freelance Ghost Writer

Read on to find out how to build a great relationship with your freelance ghost writer, build your brand and your business, and increase the ROI of your marketing dollar:

1. Lay the Groundwork

Getting the best ROI from your ghost writer begins with you. By providing the necessary background information, you set your writer on a clear path to deliver what’s expected. Jump on a quick call to discuss things like:

• The purpose of the piece
  
• The target audience
  
• Short and long-term goals
  
• Tone and feel (to match the brand)
  
• And specs like word-count and deadline

If you have a keyword plan, share it with your writer early on, along with your editorial calendar, style guide, and marketing plan.

2. Get Out What You Put In

Don’t treat a ghost writer like a ghost. Treat them like a business partner—like a valued member of your team—because that’s what they are. As the trust in your freelance relationship grows, and as the writer evolves becoming more familiar with his assignments, you’ll find yourself spending less time prepping and more time collaborating on bigger issues, like the entire content marketing process. The more you put into building a long-lasting relationship with your writer, the better your ROI. Period.

3. Choose a Writer with a Diverse Background

There are pros and cons to hiring a generalist over a niche writer. That said, when you’re hiring a new freelance writer, consider choosing someone who has diverse experience. Hiring a writer with experience in just one area limits what they can do for you down the road. Working with a generalist means you can continue to assign new work to the writer with whom you’ve already built a rapport. Plus, it allows the writer to explore new opportunities and perhaps uncover hidden talents that could benefit you both.

4. You Get What You Pay For

There are countless cheap writing services out there. Throw a stone in any direction and you’ll hit one. Tempting as it may be to hire the cheapest writer you can find, don’t do it! You will regret it, guaranteed.

Writing is a skill, one not everyone comes by naturally. If you hire a “cheap writer,” you will get “cheap results.” That means no return on your investment. Worse than that, low-quality content can give your business a bad reputation. Just say no to bad writing! Would you hire the cheapest cosmetic surgeon to rebuild your broken nose? How about the cheapest contractor to build your house? Then don’t hire the cheapest writer to build your business.

Working with a qualified content strategist will cost more in the beginning, but the benefits are priceless. When you hire the right freelance writer, you can rest assured you’re getting quality content from a professional you won’t have to micro-manage. They’ll take direction well and get the job done right the first time and on time.

As the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, you need a marketing team that can keep up with the pace. No marketing team is complete without a talented, professional writer. So get back to what you do best and leave the writing to your newfound freelance ghost writer.

This post was first published on colibridigitalmarketing.com. The original post can be read here.

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