By Flavia
In terms of digital writing, it seems that lately you have thought a lot about who, what, when, where, why and how. That’s great, you believe you have started on your right foot. I have been thinking a lot about the matter too, but (on the other hand), I have to tell that a concern that often comes to my mind is WITH WHOM. Yes, with whom! Usually, companies (or eventually the all-by-myself kind of business (too) do not have any clue about who will be the lucky one that will take care of all that mambo-jambo-social-media-I-do-not-know-what. . . “you know, we must do something on Facebook, our competitor is also there…” Most of the time, the first choice for a digital writer consists on just) picking up someone from your own staff (even if the poor one is completely out of this league). Of course this person, (who takes over the task in a kind of “it will be fun to be on Facebook!”) spirit, quickly realizes that writing contents for social media can be a totally different thing; being forced to deal with tools that are not friendly at all if you don’t know exactly what you are doing and where you want to go. Check out for examples like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Nike and other big companies that have shot their own foot – even with big bucks on their pockets. Well, that’s the reason why WITH WHOM should definitely be included on the W list: because a digital writer must have some qualities that proved to be essential for your company when trying to strike a pose on the Social Media.
A starting point to find a great digital writer could be thinking about what kind of person or company could be helpful to develop your project. Let’s face it: maybe your internal staff is not prepared to be on charge. So your first step might consist in identifying the strong points that you are looking for in your ideal candidate. What is your strategy? Will you invest in training this people, or would be more efficient to reach outside?
In case you decide to /take an external person or agency onboard, you must be sure that they know how to create specific contents for your specific target and how to attract its attention. They must have the right vision of your product cycle and marketing mix; having clear strategies, being able to explain you exactly how they are acting to build your community/fans/followers, designing solutions that are fit for your needs and goals….(and not just trying actions because someone else tried them and they worked for their business). They must also be able to track their actions and understand the value of your money and how to efficiently invest your company’s resources in order to get tangible results. Keep on mind that an agency (or consultant) should be very collaborative both with your internal marketing and your external resources. Of course they also must understand how to integrate digital content with your actual platforms and mobile resources. This person or agency must also have a “campaign-based mentality”, being able to analyze results, proving to be sharp and clear about setting goals and strategies, and bringing outcomes for each effort through “content KPIs”.
Michael Brenner, a Content Marketing Strategist, said that writing digital content must be more than community management; it needs a deep understanding of “ the channels your audience is using”, as well as of the context and resources available to generate impact. And that is precisely the reason why choosing an experienced digital writer is the best investment for your company.
BRENNER, Michael. 7 Skills to Look for When Hiring A Content Marketing Strategist. http://www.b2bmarketinginsider.com/content-marketing/hiring-content-marketing-strategist
#CBUS111: Content Creation 