It’s become obvious you need to establish a company blog and you want to hire a company blogger, you need to hire a blogger. Of course, great content is a critical given. Your blogger has to be able to write significant, compelling content that turns readers into clients.
Here’s how to make sure you get the most bang for your buck when choosing who will write for you and your company:
Voice. Is their voice in line with your company’s values, brand, and image? Does she know anything about what you do and why you do it? Someone who truly “gets” what you’re all about will be more passionate and loyal.
Social media savvy. A deep understanding of how a blog fits within the overall company social media strategy is going to make your blogger a multitasking team player – she can venture into the land of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn to get visibility for the blog post and your company website.
SEO know how. For a company blog to be effective, your blogger must pay attention to the less-sexy side of social media and blogging. That is, she needs to understand what anchor text is and do keyword research (know what tools to use and how to use them), and understand SEO, PageRank, analytics, link building, anchor text.
Research ability. Yes, the blogger you hire should already know something about your industry, but it’s not necessary they be an expert. What’s important is that she be able to conduct research into any given topic and put together a well-written piece that’s targeted to your intended audience.
Versatility. You get more bang for your buck when your blogger can also write copy for your static site, send out an effective press release, create a conversation around a blog post, write articles to submit to online publishing sites, and even maybe write a Wikipedia entry for you. She must be able to tailor her writing style and voice to your needs.
You and I know that great content is number one, and a writer who is a professional and respects deadlines, doesn’t mind wearing multiple hats, and is willing to write her tail off to get the best blogs done is going to be a valuable member of your team. To do some of my own horn-tooting, here’s why I’m the one you’re looking for: Jessicability – Jessica Tuck, Freelance Blogger, Social Media Consultant