“There is nothing to blogging. All you do is sit down at the computer and bleed” – Ernest Hemingway
Okay, Ernest Hemingway didn’t really say this, although his original statement makes a good point about writing – it is ridiculously hard. The act of putting words to print was challenging in the 20th century and it remains difficult today. In fact, modern day bloggers may find it even tougher to reach the target audience for their business or organization because blogging requires knowledge of SEO best practices, short- and long-tail keywords and phrases, and places to find fresh, relevant topics. In addition to being tedious, researching and writing a blog is also incredibly time-consuming.
So what’s a business owner or administrator to do? Hire a blogger, of course!
Hiring a blogger is easier than you think: simply hire a writer and pay for the blog he or she produces. There are millions of bloggers on the internet and thousands more writers join the ranks every day. In fact, Statistica says 28.3 million users updated their blogs at least once a month in 2015, and that there will be 31.7 million bloggers in the United States by the year 2020. Not all of these bloggers are professionals, of course, and only a handful of them will have enough experience in your particular industry to write a great blog.
Tips for Hiring a Blogger
Know where to find bloggers in your industry
You might find a terrific blogger on your mailing list, social media group or within your own company. Heck, you might even hire your mom if she shows interest in blogging.
For best results, though, consider hiring a professional blogger from a content marketing site (like WriterAccess). Professional bloggers already know their way around SEO practices, keywords and content management.
Decide on a budget
You can find a blogger to fit nearly every budget, but be forewarned – you often get what you pay for when it comes to quality, consistency and amenability towards revisions. Expect to pay more for blogs that require research, for example, and for bloggers with solid SEO skills that get your blog noticed.
Add the cost of your blogger to your marketing budget. Marketing budgets can vary according to industry and needs. The average marketing budget is about 11 percent of the total company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some industries pay more for marketing than do others. Consumer packaged goods companies allocate nearly one-quarter of their budgets for marketing, for example, while energy companies earmark only 4 percent of their total budgets for marketing.
If your organization is relatively new, you may want to increase your blogging budget to help your marketing efforts gain speed.
The secret to successful blogging is to keep the information fresh – people want to see a new blog every time they visit your website. Hire a blogger than can produce quality content quickly and without a lot of revisions. Look for a blogger capable of producing a mountain of content while meeting tight deadlines.
Provide your newly hired blogger with information
One of the biggest tricks to handing off blogging responsibilities to a new person is making the transition seamless. The new blogger must use the same “voice” as your previous blogger, provide the same information in the blogs, and reach the same target audience.
For best results, provide your blogger with a company description, information about your target audience, and several examples of previous blogs.
Don’t make your blogger bleed
While Ernest Hemingway makes being a writer sound like a lot of fun, very few bloggers enjoy bleeding. Help your blogger create great content by providing great topic ideas, informative project and company descriptions, and by paying him or her well.
For more information on blogging, avoid advice from mid-century novelists and talk to a content marketing professional. Your new blogger can help drive sales and improve your bottom line without losing a drop of blood.
Lynn H has been a professional writer, providing exceptional content online and offline, for nearly 20 years. In that time, she has penned thousands of articles for doctors, universities, researchers, small businesses, nursing organizations, sole proprietors and more. She writes everything from blogs to white papers; her specialty is putting complex scientific concepts in simple terms. She specializes in medical writing, creating informative and engaging content for professionals in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, medical manufacturing, chiropractics, optometry, emergency care, plastic surgery and others.
