Updated November 2023: Working with an external content marketing writer can save you time (and your sanity), especially when you’re overloaded with projects and demands. And it’s a common solution, with the Content Marketing Institute finding that 47% of B2B content marketers plan to hire or contract their work to a content producer, such as an external content writer.
In this video, learn how to find a content marketing writer who will be a great fit for your team. Then get answers to the following questions:
- What is a content marketing writer?
- Why hire a content marketing writer?
- What skills should a content marketing writer have?
- How to find a content marketing writer?
This is the third post in a 7-part series on how to find your next B2B SaaS writer and work with them successfully.
Want to hire an agency?
Check out our list of 11 top content marketing agencies for tech companies in 2023.
What is a content marketing writer?
A content marketing writer is a professional and experienced writer who produces engaging and relevant content to help brands showcase their products. To accomplish this, a content writer needs to conduct research to understand the target audience for the content, and also figure out a unique angle for each piece of content, ensuring it’s on-brand and aligns with marketing messages.
Content can come in many forms, including:
- Blog posts
- White papers
- Email marketing
- Web pages
- Guides
- eBooks
- Social media posts
Check out the top 7 boutique SaaS content marketing agencies
Take a peek at our list of the top 7 boutique SaaS content marketing agencies.
Why hire a content marketing writer?
Hiring a professional content marketing writer lets you make a positive first impression on potential customers and helps you get noticed online.
Bad content that misleads readers or doesn’t match the intended user’s search intent increases your bounce rate and hurts SEO.
A content writer will produce highly engaging content that helps you attract more visitors, keep them on your site and ultimately get more clients.
What skills should a content marketing writer have?
You shouldn’t just hire any writer. The best content marketing writers are skilled at producing valuable content that generates leads and sales.
Here are the skills and characteristics to look for when hiring a content writer for your company:
1. Writing skills
A great content marketing writer should have a good command of language and must be able to convey complex ideas using simple words. They should be able to write clearly and concisely to best communicate with their audience.
Besides foundational writing skills, content writers need to be able to write engaging headlines and compelling calls to action that inspire readers to take action.
2. Experience
B2B content writing is a specialized skill that differs from other forms of writing. Unlike traditional writing, B2B content must be clear, solution-based and speak to a professional audience with a higher degree of business acumen.
When vetting content marketing writers, check their work history to ensure they have industry-specific experience, as writers should have some background knowledge of your niche.
3. Understanding of your brand and audience
Successful content takes an audience-centric approach. It’s important that your content marketing writer understands the pain points of your target audience so that they can produce content that resonates with them. That allows writers to create compelling content that offers solutions to alleviate those issues.
Also, your content is a reflection of your brand. Your content writer must be able to write in your brand’s tone and style, which helps maintain consistency across all marketing communications.
4. Technical knowledge
If your brand focuses on highly technical topics, you should look for a writer with subject matter expertise. Their technical knowledge, combined with writing skills, will allow them to write content from an authoritative position.
This comes in handy, especially when writing specialized content formats like white papers and ebooks. For B2B SaaS companies, a content marketing writer should clearly understand your product. Ultimately, they should be able to turn complex technical concepts into digestible content that resonates with readers.
5. SEO knowledge
It doesn’t matter if you’ve produced the best piece of content in the world if nobody reads it. A content marketing writer can write content that is optimized for the search engines so that your page climbs the ladder of Google rankings. They must have a strong understanding of SEO principles to ensure the content outranks competitors and generates organic traffic.
How to find a content marketing writer (transcript from the video)
Hi SaaS marketers! Emily Amos here from Uplift Content.
Finding an external B2B content marketing writer doesn’t have to be a chore. In this video, we’ll walk through a few of the key places to start your search.
#1: Word of mouth
The benefit of looking for a B2B marketing writer through word of mouth is that it’s personal. You can ask current and former colleagues for referrals, as well as any of your professional networking groups. They’ll likely give you an honest, reliable recommendation, and you can find out about their experience with the writer.
The drawback here? Well, it’s personal. If your experience with the B2B content marketing writer isn’t as positive as your colleague’s was, you may not want to ask for their recommendation a second time.
#2: LinkedIn
You may be able to find a B2B content marketing writer through LinkedIn by simply posting that you’re looking for one. You can join groups for freelance writers and marketers—and share your requirements there. LinkedIn also allows you to find out more about a writer’s experience by viewing their profile.
The disadvantage of LinkedIn is that not all of its features are free to use, so unless you pay for a premium membership, you’ll miss out on detailed profile insights, and the ability to send In-Mails to other LinkedIn members who aren’t in your network.
#3: Facebook or Slack groups for writers
If you want to find the best content marketing writers, you’ll want to spend time where they hang out online. Lots of writers belong to copywriting and digital marketing groups to get support from each other, ask questions and look for projects to take on.
It’s a good idea to network with freelancers even if you’re not ready to hire. That way, you’ll have multiple people in your back pocket should a new project arise.
The downside is that you may receive a lot of inexperienced applicants applying for the job, so be very careful in your job posting about the kind of writer and experience you’re looking for.
Here are some Facebook groups to check out:
And here are some Slack groups to explore:
#4: Google search
One of the simplest ways to find a content marketing writer is through a quick Google search. The writers you’ll want to work with know their way around SEO and the mystical Google algorithm. As such, they should be showing up on the first couple of pages of the search results.
Think about it: if a content writer appears among your top search results, you can bet they know how to get themselves found. That means they’ll know how to help you get found, too.
#5: Freelance writing platforms
There are lots of places online to post job opportunities or to search for a content marketing writer who’s accepting new work. A few examples include
One upside to looking for a content writer this way is that many of the platforms are free or low-cost, and some offer multiple pricing options. Using these websites also allows you to find writers who may not be on LinkedIn.
The downside here? Some of these websites have pricey subscription fees, such as Contently. On other sites, like Indeed, where anyone can apply for your job posting, the quality of the applicants may be lower than what you’re looking for.
These websites also don’t give you the benefit of a trustworthy personal recommendation. Be sure to ask any writers that you connect with for writing samples. Also interview them and call a few of their references.
Find out what questions to ask in the interview
Hiring the best in-house writer or freelancer comes down to a successful interview. Find out EXACTLY which questions you need to ask.
Our B2B content marketing writers have you covered
If you need a hand with your SaaS content, check out our experienced B2B content marketing writers.
