You’ve been thinking about hiring a content creator for awhile, but you’re just not sure what to look for in one.

Or, you’ve had a bad experience and you’re hesitant to try it again because you’re not sure what good service actually looks like.

If either of these describe you, don’t worry!

What follows will help you select and work with the content creator that you deserve.  If you choose wisely, they’ll be someone that you truly enjoy working with that has the potential to become a trusted business partner.

The Golden Rule

We’ve all heard it before — do unto others as you would have others do unto you.  It’s more than a religious teaching — it’s a way to understand the world.  It’s about being respectful and putting the goodness out there that you want to attract into your life.

This saying is one of my credos for doing business, for serving clients.  I continually ponder – if I were hiring someone to write content for me, what would I expect of them?

I then expect no less from myself when I serve my clients.

As I’ve built my business and reflected on this idea, I have come up with six main things that I expect of myself.  I’m sure this list will evolve as I do, but I think it’s a good start.  I hope you agree!

If you’re evaluating a content creator for your business, be sure that they’re:

• Consultative
• Honest
• Clear
• Proven
• Committed
• Available

Let’s look at each in turn.

Consultative

Your content creator is going to take on an important function for your business.

As such, they should spend the time needed to understand your enterprise and your needs.  They should work with you to internalize your company’s mission, goals, products, services, processes, policies, etc.

If they’ve done their job, the content that they create should look/feel/sound like it came from you and should perfectly represent your brand at its best.  If it doesn’t, they should ask you for feedback and refine the message until it fulfills its intended purpose.

Honest

Your content creator needs to tell the truth — all of the time.

They need to be honest in the content that they create about your business.  And, they must be 100% transparent in all business dealings with you.

An honest content creator will admit when they don’t know something or don’t have the means to figure it out.  They won’t overestimate their capabilities just to make a sale.

As an example, my written copy and my live sales presentations make it abundantly clear that I don’t specialize in the technical aspects of online content creation such as website building.  I’ll write solid copy for the page — but the page needs to exist.

Clear

Clarity goes beyond transparency here.

Yes, your content creator needs to be honest.  But they also need to make sure that you understand what you’re getting out of the business relationship.

They should provide an easy to understand description of the service(s) you’ve chosen with the bottom line price you will have to pay.  This information should be agreed upon verbally and then given to you in writing.  This keeps the relationship well-defined and prevents confusion.

Your content creator should also be an effective communicator and respond to your questions and concerns in an easy to understand way.

Proven

Your content creator should be able to demonstrate their skill before you give them any money.  I encourage you to ask them for work samples and testimonials so you can see for yourself.

Committed

You need someone who sees you as more than an invoice.

Of course, your content creator wants to make a good living.  But they should also deeply want you to succeed.  They should be committed to creating content to the best of their abilities to support your business efforts.

They should deliver on what they promise and they should ensure your satisfaction.

While there are no guarantees that their work will net you a certain amount of revenue, new followers, or leads, they should be motivated to create content that you believe to be a good fit for your business.

Available

Your content creator should make time for your questions and concerns.

Of course, reasonable boundaries are important for everyone’s sanity.  However, you should receive timely replies to your inquiries.  You should be treated as the important client that you are — and not as a nuisance.

Final Thoughts

Although it’s one of my intentions (transparency for the win!), this post isn’t just some blog-mercial for my services.

I know that I can’t work with everyone so I want to make sure everyone hears this message:

Good content creation services don’t come cheap.  Since you’re making a significant investment in your business, shouldn’t you at least get to work with someone who is a skilled creator and that actually cares about you and your business?

I think so.

No, I know so!

The bottom line: Be sure whoever you hire is someone you can trust and build a long term business relationship with.

Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Tell me: What are your “must-haves” when considering a content creator for hire?