What should I look for when hiring a professional blogging company?
I would like to understand if the company can offer subscription services and other support towards maintaining a company blog
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May 15, 2014
You should look for a blogging company which has a command over English. They should write high quality content which is written by keeping users and search engines in mind. They should make your blog post readable. You should also look that will they provide SEO and SMM services. If they provide SEO ask them about their back-linking strategies and how they promote your website in various mediums. You can also ask for reference of their previous work and links of their companies blogs. Do use websites like SEMRush to know how many keywords they are ranking well in major search engines.
May 1, 2014
Happy to report that I was able to identify a few really good blogging companies that have specific expertise in the areas of the business promotion I was interested in.
Thankful for all the feedback from this wonderful business community that was instrumental in making the right choices
Feb 18, 2014
I agree, picking your niche and knowing your target market is key. You want to look for a company who is creative in their writing rather than posts the same content over and over again.
I'd talk to them about their current clients. Do they have someone who is in the same vein as your business? Do they have experience in your niche? How well can they adapt and learn the nuances of your business and what your specific needs are? What type of content do they generate? Is it all business? Or is it a mix of different types of content?
Feb 14, 2014
There are many things you should be looking for:
- How do they gather information about your company?
-Do they understand your business? If not, how do they plan to learn?
- Can they write well? Seems obvious, but a lot of so-called writers couldn't diagram a sentence you put a gun to their head.
-How to they track results?
-Do they understand how to use key words to increase search results?
-Do they know Google's rules for search? That's key because one the aims of a blog should be to increase search rankings.
-Who are their other clients?
-How to they determine success?
That should get your started.
Feb 13, 2014
What type of blogging company are you looking for, and/or have ? My name is Kyle Wilson and I run a blog on Facebook. i also am apart of a social media marketing platform called RWJ Marketing. check me out and visit my blog UR VOICE MATTERS. An outlet where you can be yourself and speak how you feel on the issues that affect us today.
Check out RWJ Marketing: www.lifestyle77.com/George1
Feb 13, 2014
The best way to handle content development is not to hire a company, but hire an individual ghostwriter. Unless you have complex needs, a good ghostwriter can help you better manage thought leadership and your voice.
Not sure where to start? Trying looking for talent in the trade magazines and online sources that you read frequently. They'll understand your business and offer perspectives as needed.
Feb 13, 2014
Two criteria comes to mind aside from the normal business stuff.
1. How do they write for the audience of Google AND the audience of the individual visitor? There are two agendas that need to be dealt with there.
2. Can they write to an outcome? Meaning, if leads are what you are looking for, can they speak to that? If building a brand of expertise, can they speak to that?
My conviction is that content marketing has become quite strategic, and your blog company needs to address this as a business rather than populating web pages with text, which is what you can get on Odesk or Text Broker.
Because of that, strategy, marketing acumen and and understanding of your audience/business objectives are key.
Hope this helps.
Check out www.contentandblog.com. They are excellent.
Feb 13, 2014
Hi Suresh ~
While I agree with everyone who considers quality writing as well as branding/marketing/SEO strategy to be key, I know from experience that a seasoned content creator can succeed beyond their own verticals. To help you gauge what I mean: my principal niches include health/wellness, aging, personal growth/spirituality and entrepreneurship/small business topics.
Over the past several years I've been blogging for clients in the reverse mortgage, spill containment, signage and conversion rate optimization fields, boosting readership and business, with no prior knowledge in these industries. I've read and studied extensively, and my clients have provided links and support to help me get up to speed initially. My content in some of the more complex areas (e.g. reverse mortgage) has improved over time, as with any learning curve, although the writing itself has been top-tier from day one.
I'm also known for extreme timeliness and accountability, going the extra mile, building relationships across networks, and re-purposing content for new channels. And I imagine that as an independent contractor, I'm providing all of these services at a far lower price point than a blogging company.
Hope this is useful to you!
Feb 13, 2014
Hi Suresh,
I would offer up the following suggestions for your consideration.
A freelancer versus a company might provide more flexibility at a more efficient cost. During the interview I would recommend focusing on:
Accountability. Ask the freelancers to provide case studies that show the results of their work. Do they have a media marketing plan to illustrate or arise how to integrate and optimize your social media channels?
Writing ability. Look for compelling and concise copy, whether posting to social networks or writing a blog. Is their tone and style one that represents your brand?
Sensitivity. Can the freelancer balance the social nature of the copy with the business's entrepreneurial interest and still maintain credibility and build trust with your readers.
Contact me directly and I will send you a FREE e-paper I have on blogging.
Velma
Knowles Consulting Service, LLC
Feb 12, 2014
I prefer to ask for references within the industry I'm looking. I chat with those companies to see if the service they are using meets their standards, has a great ROI and how well their company blog is being written, reviewed and followed. I like to chat to 4 referrals and often look at the company brag list and call them on my own - as an interview survey so they will gladly chat openly and help me to get a great insight into the company I want to hire.
Why would aghost writer be necessary ? What is the benefit of hiring one for a blog company?