Really Good Writing Freaking Matters
In our evolving digital world, businesses are hanging more and more marketing dollars on content strategy and creation. While tons of processes move toward automation, it’s becoming increasingly necessary to hire people who can put pen to paper (or finger to key) and turn out quality words that will reach and impact your customers. You need really good writers.
I’m one of those weird people who actually likes to write — a sentiment not shared by many.
I don’t think I ever had a teacher through grade school who didn’t at one point tell me, “you’re such a good writer.” (ego boost much?) My parents pressed me to study English in college and despite the fact that I went against their wishes and studied art instead, I always got excited when a class was labeled “writing intensive” and I signed up for more literature courses than I should have.
I devour books, treat my Instagram captions with Thoreau-level scrutiny, and will interrupt a conversation to correct your grammar mistakes (sorry, not sorry). Answering the “what do you do?” question with “I’m a writer,” is wildly fulfilling (and I know my parents are doing the “we-told-you-so” smirk when I say it and smile).
You get the picture.
I’m obsessed with words and their power to make you feel something.
The new concept of “content marketing” was hitting the web-waves just as I graduated from college. My passion realized, I capitalized on the businesses who needed kids who didn’t adopt T9-word as their primary language.
It’s led me to a career creating content for a variety of businesses – filling that role of “writer” when so many others would rather not. Window manufacturers, ISO consultants, wedding planners, realtors, retail businesses. They’re diverse and random and widespread, but they all echo the same…“We need people to feel something.”
And that’s what you [should] want from your content. For your audience to feel something.
The content marketing movement has forced businesses to consider the words that hold their brands together. From web copy to email marketing campaigns, blogs, whitepapers, social media presence — it’s all contributing to the overwhelming online word-space that increases, exponentially, by the second. And you need your content to stand out in order to build trust, increase sales, and grow your brand.
So how do you make your content impactful? You hire a really good writer.
But finding the writer who will best serve your business well is no small feat. With nothing more than an internet connection, anyone can jump into the freelance space, so the pipeline is clogged with aspiring wordsmiths in widely-varying degrees of experience, style, professionalism, and ability.
We all want better content. Siphoning through the hordes of freelancers to find true talent…it’s a task not meant for the weak of heart.
So we’re helping you out. Our Really Good Writing series will feature three (or more!) posts to help you understand how to find the writer who will best serve your business. We’ll dig into the characteristics that define a good writer, and explore the things really good writers do to continually learn and hone their craft. We’ll dig into what YOU need from a writer and help you understand exactly what kind of content will be most effective for your business. And we’ll explore the recruitment process, outlining the skills and qualifications you should look for when you’re ready to bring someone on board.
Ultimately, I just want to read more, better content. I’m selfishly judgmental when I’m consuming content, and I don’t get more than three sentences in if I’m not immediately engaged by the writing. I don’t want people leaving your content after just three sentences unless those three sentences are so perfectly crafted they’re all it takes to hook that customer.
I want better writing. For me. For you. For your customers. I want words that seep feeling and attitude, build trust and create understanding.
And you should too.
