Every brand has a certain personality—a voice, if you will. When it comes to your web content, you want to make sure the pages and blogs you post have the same voice as your business. In the beginning, that can be an overwhelming task, but people do it everyday. You just have to know what you’re looking for and how to find the folks who speak the narrative your customers want to hear. Once you have the “what” and “how” down, the “who” will be sure to follow!
1. Make a List
As you start working with writers, add those with whom you mesh well to Love Lists. Bear in mind, writers are content chameleons; they write for an assortment of industries, points of view, and products every day. Most writers are quite adaptable, offering an assortment of styles and voices. A Love List of ten writers might provide you with 100 unique styles. In other words, finding writers you like may just be the beginning; they’ll probably still need some direction.
Writers are content chameleons; they write for an assortment of industries, points of view, and products every day. Tweet This!
2. Provide Feedback
Did a submitted piece particularly tickle your fancy? Reach out to the writer and let them know why that page or post worked so well for you. Was it the way they used unique words? Did you feel they did a great job researching your existing content? Did they use a specific sentence or phrase that genuinely grabbed your attention?
When you find a writer who’s really nailing your voice, feedback is an essential ingredient to ensuring the next submissions stick with the same style.
3. Supply Samples
It’s pretty hard for a writer to nail an anticipated tone without any reference to what the client is looking for. It’s not impossible for writers to knock it out of the park on a whim, but a brief without samples is often setting the client and writer up for extra back and forth that could have been prevented up front.
When it comes to samples, there can be a fine line between ‘just right’ and ‘link overload’. Be careful not to provide so many samples the writer won’t be able to wade through them to find the voice you’re hoping to achieve. Usually, a link to your site and one or two sample articles is sufficient. Feel free to explain why you like the sample pieces you’re providing. What is it about them that stood out? Why did you choose those pieces as items you’d like your own brand’s voice to mimic?
4. Peruse Writers’ Profiles
Writers are constantly pumping up their profiles, which means a plethora of samples are available at all times. Writers’ profiles can tell you a lot about what styles they can bring to the table. Remember, a single writer’s profile may have an abundance of voices and tones. If you see someone who strikes you, read through a few of their available samples.
Pro tip: Most writers aren’t likely to provide free samples beyond what’s on their profiles, but many will be happy to accept a paid test Solo assignment as a means of gauging compatibility. Consider reaching out to a writer you’re interested in working with to see if a sample-via-Solo would be a possibility.
5. Leave it to Technology
We understand our clients are busy people who may not have time to dig through writers’ profiles or populate Love Lists. StyleMetrics Matcher is an automated way to let our algorithms do the dirty work for you. You drop in some sample text, and the platform takes care of the rest. With a couple clicks of a button, StyleMetrics Matcher scans writers’ profiles for you, identifying those whose narratives match your sample text. From there, your assignment makes its way to a list of compatible writers and you simply wait for the submission to get turned in.
No matter what industry you’re in or who your audience is, there’s a content writer who will happily nail down the narrative you’re trying to deliver. At WriterAccess, you have thousands of content writers at your fingertips, ready to help you find your voice!
Kristin B is a niche cable nerd by day and content creator by night. She spends her time in Denver meandering from coffee shop to coffee shop, hoping to contribute to every small business in town, one cup at a time as she creates blogs, web pages, and marketing collateral for her clients.
