Quality content writing is the secret to your blog’s success. It’s the mystery ingredient that makes or breaks your marketing strategy. Websites without it don’t attract their ideal clients or convert leads into customers. The result? They generate far less revenue. When a blog doesn’t seem to gain traction or a website struggles to attract visitors, the quality of the written content is often to blame.

But constantly creating exceptional content takes a lot of work and effort. And that’s on top of what’s already required to run a profitable business!

There may be times, despite your best efforts, when you feel burned out or can’t find inspiration. Or you need a break to focus on other aspects of your growing business.

Maybe you’ve noticed blog traffic declining, or you want to gain new visitors. Suppose you’d like to add new products or services but haven’t come up with the right angle for presenting them to your potential market in the best light.

Or maybe you simply don’t want to devote all your time to writing content for your website!

Whatever the reason, keeping up with the demand for a steady flow of superior material to entice your ideal clients is sometimes more than you can handle alone.

You know that to support a thriving website, you must first generate targeted traffic. Then you have to consistently demonstrate your expertise and share your knowledge. Gaining visitor trust is only the starting point for developing solid relationships. Maintaining satisfied customers requires that you also offer solutions before, during and after the sale.

But if your content is driving your audience away instead of helping them solve their pressing concerns, it’s time to explore additional resources.

Consider Hiring a Content Creator

Subcontract some or even all your content writing to free yourself from the responsibility of constantly producing new material. Think of all the blog posts, articles, product descriptions, landing pages, and other digital assets required to sustain your online business. You certainly might need professional help sometimes!

Outsourcing content creation can earn you a loyal following of readers ready to do business with you — if it’s done properly. Here’s some insight into hiring exceptional content writers so you’ll know what to look for and where to find it.

Quality Content Writing Defined

Google rewards sites that deliver quality content by moving them higher in their search results. The key to unlocking that level is “quality content.” But what exactly is “quality content” and how can you recognize it?

Google’s mission is to always guide their users to the best material available. According to their guidelines, “A high-quality page should have a beneficial purpose and serve that purpose well.” So they ask that you “Create a useful, information-rich site, and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content.”

In other words, all you need to do is provide helpful solutions that connect with your target audience. Help them take positive action to address their problems. Educate and entertain those you want to attract. Deliver valuable data to your users. Search engines will then deliver valuable visitors to your website!

Become a reliable resource for advice and solutions. It’s an online marketing best practice that not only gains the attention of your ideal clients but Google as well.

Where to Find Reliable Content Writers

There are plenty of places to find quality content creators willing to assist. Ask your business group or contacts who have successful blogs for recommendations. You’ll be surprised to learn that people you think are doing it all by themselves actually take advantage of the services of skilled ghostwriters!

Ask for suggestions on Quora or Facebook. These venues host solid writing communities full of talented creators ready to take on freelance assignments that illustrate their skills.

Here are a few more ideas:

ProBlogger is a community that nurtures writers by teaching bloggers how to create great content and monetize their skills. Register for a free account to post a job description on their ProBlogger Job Board.

Search keywords related to freelance writing on social channels and job sites. View profiles of Web Content Writers at LinkedIn. Find Ghostwriters at Upwork.

You may submit your job to over 100 job boards for free with Zip Recruiter, or sign up to post on Indeed at no cost. Both are highly rated although not strictly focused on content writers.

What Should You Expect to Pay?

Sorry to break the bad news, but superior content creators neither grow on trees nor work for pennies. Be prepared to pay, but not exorbitantly.

Your research will locate writers who charge as little as a few cents per word to those who are asking $100 per page and up. Keeping in mind that the average number of pages for 1500 words is three when single-spaced and six when double-spaced, you could pay anywhere from less than $60 to $600 or more for one blog post.

That price disparity makes it even more important to do your due diligence before outsourcing content creation. It’s crucial that you connect with freelancers who will be able to provide the level of authority you need to support your audience.

Newcomers to the field often charge less while honing their skills and developing their marketing presence. Sometimes rates are lower if the writer is working in a second or third language.

But paying more doesn’t automatically guarantee better quality. Just because a freelancer charges higher rates doesn’t mean they will be able to present your message to your liking.

It’s vital that you thoroughly research all potential contributors. Locate testimonials about the writers you’re vetting. Review their experience and portfolios. Narrow down your candidates to no more than three at a time. Start small, assigning an article or two to each finalist.

Once you begin subcontracting, keep up with the engagement and metrics generated by your ghostwriters to make sure they’re growing and stimulating your audience.

You’ll find that paying someone else to create content can save you money in the long run. Yes, it’s going to cost you, but it’s well worth the investment if it frees you up to concentrate on other revenue-generating sources.

Helpful Hiring Hints

• Decide on the skills required to get the goals of your project/s. Then interview and screen your prospects as you would any employee.

• Look for a ghostwriter who is interested enough to ask detailed questions about your project/s and goal/s.

• By the same token, give complete instructions to any contractor you hire. Make sure you both have a clear understanding of the project, when it must be completed, and the price you’ll pay.

• Don’t confine yourself to one resource. Have relationships with at least two content creators at any time so you’re never caught short if someone is unavailable.

• On the other hand, don’t work with so many different subcontractors that none is able to get a handle on your specific requirements.

• Have a contract! This point is not negotiable. NEVER work with any freelancer (or client, for that matter) without having a signed contract in place.

• Consider a confidentiality agreement to discourage revealing assignments for you or your blog if you prefer not to publicize that detail.

It’s not necessary to hire a full-time ghostwriter for your entire content marketing strategy unless you want to. If you are capable of handling any part of the responsibility, simply delegate tasks when needed.

Say you write a terrific blog post but want to enhance its impact with an infographic. You have a great idea for a series but don’t know the best way to organize and present the information you’ve researched. Or you need to work on a different campaign but must continue posting on schedule.

Once you connect with a skilled content creator or two, you’ll have no problem assigning the production of that infographic. Have your ghostwriter prepare a summary outline of the data you collected for your series. Delegate the writing of several articles and have them ready for publishing during your break.

Outsourcing some or all of your content creation can mean the difference between success and failure for your website. Plus, it feels great having a couple of competent, quality content writers to share the responsibility of writing for your business!

And the benefits you receive will be invaluable.

Summing Up

Keeping your website successful includes monitoring the results of your content writer’s efforts as you would if you were producing it yourself. Publishing quality content on a regular basis is what attracts your ideal clients and establishes you as a good resource for your target market.

Recruiting freelance writers to help your marketing efforts is a powerful way to enhance your business. Communicate effectively and detail the specifics of your projects. This helps your contractors produce quality content writing and optimize your website.