As a B2B SaaS content writer, my other job apart from writing is searching for the next job.
Of course, this doesn’t imply that I’m desperate.
But with freelancing, you must be on the hunting ground to keep your client base full all year round.
This means having a robust marketing strategy and networking skills that bring you an inch closer to prospects.
But still, the good ol’ method of lurking on job boards, slack channels, and Facebook groups is the most promising way of getting hired,
So I’ve applied to many jobs at content marketing agencies, SaaS companies, and even affiliate marketers.
While I’ve had success with most of my applications, I began to imagine how hectic it is to hire writers.
A couple of months ago, I posted a job ad on a Facebook group to outsource some extra work. It didn’t take more than five hours before getting overwhelmed with proposals in my inbox. I got to experience what recruits feel first-hand.
I’ve realized three main challenges recruiters face in my short experience hiring writers and applying for B2B SaaS content writing roles.
I’ll discuss this briefly before we go to the meat of this piece.
The Challenge With Hiring Writers
✅ Style and Tone
Most content writers try to do better at essential things like improving grammar, writing clearly, reducing fluff, etc.
But to get a writer that can share your mission, they must drop their voice/style and embrace yours.
That’s easier said than done.
I had similar challenges when starting. I’d do a test article and get feedback like the one below.
It took me a long time to understand how to shift to my client’s style and tone.
To check if a writer can write in your style, send them a test article with detailed instructions and a few examples.
✅Lack of Expert Knowledge
Let’s assume you’re selling an accounting software targeting experienced accountants and finance managers in big tech companies.
These are people who’ve spent decades in accounting practice. They know everything about accounting tools and can sniff mediocre options from afar.
Then you hire a writer on Fiverr to do a 1000-word article for $10 targeting them.
Typically, this is the approach your writer will take.
- Spend 30 minutes on Google looking for articles written on the topic.
- Pretend to be an expert by writing a “catchy” intro.
- Spend another hour spinning and rewriting what they read from their “research.”
- Add a few internal links for “SEO.”
- Add a feature photo from a free stock photo site like Pexels.
- Pass through Grammarly and follow the suggestions religiously.
- Send it to you with an invoiced attached.
Of course, you won’t get any eyes on your piece, leave alone conversions.
Getting writers who are experts on what they do is a tough battle. And to rub salt in the wound, readers are becoming wary of low-quality content.
Stay tuned to see how these content managers get expert writers who know their stuff.
✅Writers that can go deep in research
Research isn’t opening ten articles on the same topic and picking one tip from each piece.
I believe you need something better if you’re willing to pay upwards of $200 for a 1000-word article,
In your job post, ask writers how they do their research. Consider writers who can dive deep into the farthest corners of the internet, conduct expert interviews, and scour through case studies and surveys to extract fleshy details.
For example, when planning for this article, I could’ve simply Googled X tips to hire freelance writers. And there are a lot of results on that topic.
But my article could’ve been another boring piece adding nothing valuable to my target audience.
My unique research process was to create a Google form and send it to content managers I’ve met on Linkedin. Plus, I reached out to past clients to get their thoughts.
That’s a deep research that taps into valuable first-hand tips not available anywhere on the internet.
With that said, my guests today are experts who’ve hired and worked with writers for years. They have led successful content teams that sky-rocketed their company’s blogs in traffic and leads.
The tips they’re about to share are valuable, so have a notebook by your side.
1. Raw Talent Above All Else
It depends! (Ugh, I know.)
I’ve hired freelance journalists when I worked at a magazine, I’ve hired full-time, entry-level content writers when I worked at an agency, and I’ve hired experienced writers at a B2B SaaS company.
At the magazine, I might have looked for a musician to write the monthly music column … whereas a musical background wouldn’t matter at the agency or the B2B SaaS company.
At the agency, I had a small budget for salary, so I looked for raw talent and drive, and then I trained them up.
At the B2B Saas company, I had a bigger budget and less time to train, so I looked for more experienced writers who could hit the ground running.
However, the common thread is raw talent. If you don’t have some natural writing ability, nothing else matters.
Martin here: Few recruiters look for talent, yet it is a crucial trait to consider. It’s one thing to be a trained writer but another thing to have it in you.
2. Simple Grammars Mistakes Are a Big Deal
As we’re a B2B SaaS brand, I want to see examples written for similar types of clients, or at least written on a technical subject.
You can tell quite quickly from writing samples if a writer has a good grasp, knowledge, and expertise of the subject – something that’s very important.
It also gives me an idea of the person’s writing style. When I read someone’s work, I want to have confidence in what they’re saying and understand that they are writing as an expert. If I don’t get this feeling when reading samples, I won’t work with them.
I don’t ask writers to write samples if they already have relevant published work or pieces written for previous clients. However, if that’s not the case, I would appreciate some samples written for us.
I notice instantly if there is a grammar or spelling error, so proofreading everything is essential.
That goes not only for writing samples. But for LinkedIn messages and exchanges over email, you would be surprised how many people misspell my name in an email or LinkedIn when it’s written very clearly.
One typo in an email gives me a bad impression of the writer and makes me reluctant to work with them, even if their samples are strong.
It indicates that the writer doesn’t have good attention to detail, meaning there will be more work for me in the editing stage.
3. Portfolio! Portfolio! Portfolio!
When I hire writers, the #1 element I check out is the writer’s portfolio. If the portfolio is good enough, I’ll hire a writer.
If the portfolio isn’t solid and I instinctively know that the writer could improve in the future, I save their details and request their current work when next I have a suitable project. If it’s good, we can work on a project to see how it goes.
4. I Look for Scientists, Not writers
When hiring writers, I look for someone who (in order of importance) is:
- Smart, clear thinker, and present an argument logically
Because of this, I look for people from the STEM fields. No English majors, economists, social scientists, artists, or nutritionists.
I’d want Mathematicians, Physicists, and Engineers.
So why’s my approach quite different?
Clear thinking is a rare skill, and I couldn’t care less if I get a writer with such a skill. These people can learn anything and hence are automatically problem solvers.
- Agreeable
Look for a writer who’s afraid that they’ll let you down. These writers will work hard to make sure the next piece they write is better than the previous one.
- Polite and orderly
Polite people are typically more agreeable and are easy to work with. On the other hand, orderly writers score higher on conscientiousness.
Determining the two traits isn’t harder. You can clearly see who’s orderly and polite from their writing and formatting.
- Not “Creative”
Yeah, that’s right.
Creative writers are a pain to deal with. They always want to do things their way, which is a nuisance.
In general, people are either “visionaries” or “integrators.” As a content manager, you’re visionary, so you need an integrator to ruthlessly execute your ideas and work with the systems you create.
You’re looking for someone to execute and be efficient while doing it.
When it comes to interviewing, first, I don’t listen to what they have to say.
Every writer is an “expert” when you meet for the first time. They’ll give you links to bylines and tell you the awesome clients they’ve worked with.
All I’m concerned with is their inputs. This is called “Garbage in – Garbage out,” a principle in computer science.
It means that no matter how good your algorithms are, if you feed it crap, it will give you crap.
Therefore, you should have questions like:
- What are your favorite books on writing/copywriting /HR/ Business, etc
- What’s the last book you’ve read?
- What did you learn from it?
- Which people do you look up to in content marketing?
- What is your take on (your company’s industry)?
- How do you spend your free time?
- How do you spend your vacations?
The trick is to figure these answers from a small talk. If the writer feels like you’re interviewing them, you’ll get skewed results.
Martin here: I’ve worked with Mihael before, and his approach to content marketing is quite intricate. He creates a content strategy the way a mathematician would approach a complex math question.
Applying such complexities in your hiring process scares away mediocre writers and gives you the ones pumped for your project.
5. I Look For Readers who are Curious and Ready To Learn
First and foremost, I ask many questions because you have to get past the portfolio and into the person’s character.
- Are they Readers?
One of my favorites is whether someone reads.
In my experience, many aspiring writers spend a lot of time cranking out content, which is excellent. We all need a portfolio. We all need to practice the craft, but they’re not actually reading.
You can learn a lot by reading someone else’s work that you’re not going to learn by just writing. Someone who’s actively reading is typically going to be a better writer.
- Are they curious?
Marketing is always changing. Even if someone is just a copywriter, there are different clients, industries, and products. e.t.c.
As a result, learning and research are integral parts of the writing process. If someone isn’t curious and doesn’t naturally enjoy the learning process, they’re probably not going to excel as a writer.
- Are they well-versed in skills complementary to content writing?
I tend to prefer writers that bring more than writing to the table.
This is someone who understands basic SEO, UX, reader comprehension, branding, e.t.c.
Even if they do not actively have to write about these things, it will give them a more robust understanding of what high-calibre content looks like.
Martin here: I got Melissa’s quotes from a podcast with the High EQ Marketer. I reached out to her and she gladly accepted I used her tips for this article. Feel free to listen to the full interview. It’s full of valuable tips in all things content marketing.
My Final Take
There’s a lot that goes into hiring writers.
On the other hand, writers have to make a lot of applications to get the perfect client.
Both parties don’t want to land in the wrong hands. As a client, you’re looking for someone that can blend with your goals and create result-oriented content for your brand.
Writers are looking for clients who can give them enough jobs, pay them what they deserve, and help grow their clients’ businesses.
It’s a tit-for-tat kind of affair. But it all starts with getting the right man for the job. I hope these tips will help you get your next perfect writer.
wow bro, I loved this piece. As a writer, it was an eye opener for me. Thank you.
WOW! This felt like an actual lesson in a class. Thanks, Martin.
That was something I needed to learn before diving into content creation. I have always thought there must be a way to add a soul to your content but wasn’t sure how till I read this. Thank you so much.
Welcome Miriam. My pleasure.