I will start off with a short mention that has nothing to do with the topic of today’s article – no, I haven’t died, no, the blog hasn’t either, no one died...yet. My health problems struck me even more than the usual 1 EURO work offers...but I’m still here, filled with venom, as usual, ready to debate a new and interesting subject with you guys. If you missed me (fat chance), I’m here once again to talk about my letters, your letters and everyone’s letters.
Today we are going to discover how to work with a Romanian Content Writer (or any content writer, for that matter), whether we’re independent individuals, agencies or business owners, what we should know before collaborating and how to ensure that a project runs smoothly, with as little drama as possible on both ends...
Without further ado, let’s begin.
How to work with a Romanian Content Writer without making him want to jump out a window
#1 Tell him what you want
Exactly – it’s as simple as that. The first and most important step to ensure that neither you nor the content writer scatter your brains on the first nearby wall out of sheer frustration is to tell him what you want, in clear and precise terms. At the beginning of the collaboration, it’s good idea to go over the important details together such as the type of material needed (article, review etc.), expectations, delivery dates, price negotiation.
If you’re a client reading these lines and you maybe need a blog article, here’s what info you should give your content writer:
- The aim of the article – in short, what you want that specific piece of writing to accomplish. I’m not just talking about measurable things, statistically or mathematically (engagement, conversions etc.) but also its purpose per se – you want to educate, inform, complain, recommend a product or a travel destination, create a connection with your target audience etc.
- Approximate article length in words – if you know it, if not, the content writer can come up with a few suggestions depending on your niche. If we talk about articles, most frequently they fit the 500-700 words interval, with few exceptions.
- Details about the target audience – who will the content writer speak to (at least some main guidelines – e.g.: technology enthusiasts and/or people with higher education) and how (formal or informal language)
- Expectations regarding writing style – these are subjective criteria, of course, but every client has them and it’s perfectly normal. The problem stems from not letting them be known from the get-go. If you maintain adequate communication with the service provider, the chances for you to be dissatisfied decrease and the collaboration will be easier for him, too – the content writer will know, from the get-go, what tone to go for – descriptive, commercial, informative.
On this note, I am going to stress again that it is very important to communicate all of these details BEFORE he starts writing. What all professional writers hate is when you ask them to redact a material and then you ask for changes, can’t make up your mind or, even worse, you „reinvent” your expectations as you go along. All you do, in this case, is annoy the hell out of him and make him work twice when all of that could be easily avoided and it’s not even needed.
Even worse if you ask him to make all of these changes in his free time, with no extra money or even an excuse for your behavior. Least give the guy an Advil if you intend on causing an unnecessary headache...he’ll most definitely (at least halfway) forgive you. :)
#2 Give him information about your niche
I know the article is mostly aimed at the Romanian Content writer, aka the tormented one who still writes for 2 lei (or less than 1 dollar), but this is a general principle that applies if you decide to work with a foreign freelance writer, too...maybe even more. Foreigners have even less tolerance to this aspect, to the ridiculous, unfounded expectations to write everything for...absolutely nothing. What am I talking about, exactly?
The content writer is not just a tormented species to whom I am desperately asking you guys to show a little more sympathy because he deserves it, or at least buy him a bucket to collect his tears...but he is also tormented unnecessarily, for the most part.
What most clients fail to understand is that none of us are human encyclopedias and we shouldn’t be. Certainly, after a few years in the industry, you do gather a significant amount of knowledge from different fields such as engineering or medicine that make you look cool when you go out for the only monthly coffee that you can afford but, overall, it shouldn’t be your responsibility to be proficient in all niches of the world.
Therefore, if you’re an independent professional or a legal entity, no matter if you choose a Romanian Content Writer or a foreign one, least give him some basic, relevant information about your field of activity. Do not neglect this aspect, whether you need an informative piece, a product description or some text for your „About Us” website section.
For clients – if you want to be professionals yourselves and have a successful collaboration, never ask the content writer to improvise or copy from others but „change up a few words here and there, what’s the big deal?”or, worse, deliver very technical content without giving him any semblance of assistance.
Not only does that not help you either because the end result will be mediocre at best but if you don’t offer anything, not even a minimum amount of information, you can’t expect us to be Hemingway.
That and you become...a content writer’s living nightmare.
#3 Be patient...
I understand – businesses are chaotic, most people want things to be done yesterday and we are always on the run. It’s not a reality of the content writing industry exclusively, it’s a reality of our day-to-day lives. However, unfortunately, when it comes to writing, rushing it makes it worse, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Don’t ask a content writer to come up with 7000 words a second because we’re not competing in a marathon. And Google is currently smart enough to detect and sanction sub-par, stuffing content that looks and reads like it was done on a conveyor belt. It doesn’t help you and it doesn’t help us either, believe me.
Instead, have faith that, if you’ve chosen a professional, he knows what he’s doing, even if it takes a little more time than you expected. Communicate permanently to ensure that your expectations are met and remember that writing is just one part of the process – content writers can spend minutes, maybe even hours on end researching, doing SEO optimization (if needed) or asking for further clarification from the client...and all of that is separate from the text of the article itself.
#4 Give him feedback
Whether you’re a Romanian Content writer or a foreign one, you most definitely know how important it is to be given an opinion, some swear words, an insult, anything. And, as a client, it’s good to offer any feedback. However, here’s the kicker – it also matters how you do it in order to have successful collaborations.
If you’re unhappy with an article, explain to the writer what wasn’t okay, with solid arguments, without subjectivity (as best as you can, I know it’s an industry where subjectivity is bound to occur but at least try), give him suggestions for improvement and constantly communicate.
I repeat – under no shape or form should you reprimand him for making a mistake WITHOUT providing arguments, even more so if you haven’t accurately communicated your expectations to the content writer beforehand. Feedback helps us tremendously – if a content writer doesn’t want to receive it at all, then that’s a problem, too and it’s on him.
I believe that no one is born an expert and there is always room for improvement, which is why I invite you to leave a comment, some swear words or any other suggestion down below.
May your letters always be inspired, if you’re a Romanian Content writer and good luck finding the best collaborations if you decide to work with one! Keep on kicking on!
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