Why Your Business Must Hire Professional Writers

For most companies, the written word is the primary means of communicating with their audience. It’s an essential part of a company’s identity, and thus worth investing in.

Despite this fact, a lot of content on the internet lacks clarity and concision. This leaves readers confused and frustrated and makes companies look unprofessional.

It's also clear that many companies are hiring writers who are not experts in the topics they're writing about. This really damages a company's image and makes it difficult for readers and customers to trust them.

Hiring professional writers can save your business from these problems and help you to build trust with your audience.

Below, we’ll look at some of the principal reasons why professional writing is a worthwhile investment for any company looking to grow or maintain business, and why businesses that fail to do so are being left behind.

1. Consumers care about good writing

When it comes to writing, quality is more important than quantity. The internet comprises hundreds of billions of pages of written content, much of which is dedicated to convincing people to buy something. It should come as no surprise, then, that people are becoming more and more discerning, and less and less tolerant of poor writing.

In fact, one study found that 74% of readers notice poor spelling and grammar on websites, and 59% said they wouldn’t trust a company with spelling or grammar mistakes.

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But even if a company’s message doesn’t suffer from glaring grammatical oversights, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s engaging, easy to understand, and persuasive. According to another study from Forbes.com, 38% of business professionals feel their writing isn’t compelling, while many others cited problems with clarity and concision.

In the great literary dessert that is the internet, people gravitate towards oases of good writing.

2. Compelling, clear and concise communication drives conversion

Interestingly enough, the three things that people struggle with the most are also three of the most important factors for driving customer conversion.

Just why is compelling, clear and concise writing so important? It has to do with how long people are willing to listen to what you have to say. It may surprise you to know that you only have about 15 seconds to get your message across and keep your audience engaged, before they go off in search of something more convincing or interesting.

Unfortunately, balancing these three elements is no easy task. The shorter the sentence, the harder it is to deliver a clear and persuasive message. People have shorter attention spans than ever and, thanks to search engines like Google that prioritise quality content, are less willing to settle for the mundane or irrelevant.

Professional level writers spend years perfecting this balance. Natural talent helps, but more important is the amount and quality of experience a writer has had to nurture their skills. When you hire a professional writer, you can be sure to get the most out of your 15 seconds, and that gives you a real competitive edge.

3. Professional writers are proficient in current SEO methods

The principles of page ranking and SEO are complex, everchanging, and can be highly technical. Professional content writers Higher quality writers are familiar with these digital marketing concepts and can help ensure that Google finds you quickly and easily. But you also get something far more valuable: satisfaction of user intent.

The algorithms that Google and other search engines use today are varied and highly secretive, but they all share one common goal: delivering high-quality, relevant information to the user.

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To do this, they look at how long people spend on a page, what pages they visited before finding what they were looking for, and whether they continue to explore and interact with a site. In other words, Google knows how people are spending their 15 seconds.

Basically, this means that what search engines care most about today is high-grade content; the kind that makes people stick around and say — in under 15 seconds — ’Finally… this is what I’ve been looking for’. Expert writers will know how to organise content and structure your message so that people (and search engines) recognise the value of what you have to say.

4. Professional writers are experts in your field

At Eleven, for example, we have combined work experience and graduate qualifications in the topics we specialise in, such as finance, computer science, ancient history, psychology, cybersecurity, video games, and many more.

By hiring a professional writer that specialises in your niche, you ensure:

1. In all articles, an accessible approach based on reliable, factual information that offers true value to readers. This increases shareability and time spent on page, and encourages visitors to explore your brand and its products, all of which drives conversion and boosts search engine performance.
2. With sales copy, the writer understands your product and the solution it provides to challenges in the industry, and can help you effectively communicate these things to your audience. This is vital in converting your visitors into customers and gaining traction.

5. Content marketing is no longer optional

Content marketing refers to written content in the form of articles, blog posts, and newsletters that help consumers connect with brands and learn more about their products. Compared to traditional ads, studies show that people respond much better to this kind of marking, due to a growing desire to know more about companies before engaging with them.

High quality, professional written content has been shown to increase the quantity and quality of leads, reinforce consumer trust, and boost conversion. Leading brands like Coca Cola, Disney and Virgin have all understood this, and are producing fresh, engaging, persuasive content at a steady rate.

The quality of this written content is paramount: it has to be interesting, easy to read, and most of all, it has to tell a brand story. A strong narrative draws people in and builds their trust, but isn’t easy to create. Professional writers are expert story-tellers and understand how to use themes—common threads that bind a narrative and direct an audience—to guide readers from interested party to loyal customer.

6. You can focus on what you love and excel at

Best business practices today call for ongoing content creation, to open new markets and connect with new audiences, show readers that you’re up-to-date and knowledgeable, and maintain search engine ranking and website traffic.

However, it’s not always easy for teams to meet that demand, especially if writing isn’t their forté. By hiring a professional writing agency, you benefit not only from years of writing experience, but the flexibility of having an entire workforce at your disposal. Plus, because writers are usually paid per word or article, you can easily set a monthly budget for writing, and scale it as necessary.

In addition to providing you with flexibility and peace of mind, this will also allow you to focus on what you love and excel at. As we’ve already seen, many people find writing compelling, clear and concise content to be difficult and tedious. At the same time, consumers crave it, loath poor writing, and are quick to look elsewhere for a clear answer.

Specialisation is the key to cost-effective growth. You have a web developer to run your website, an accountant to manage your finances, and you ought to have a qualified writer to communicate effectively with your customers.

7. A consistent message drives corporate longevity

Corporate longevity refers to a business’ lifespan, and studies have shown that average longevity is decreasing. And it’s not just older companies that are in trouble: the trend is primarily driven by the fact that new businesses are more likely to fail than in previous years. In other words, the competition is getting fiercer.

One way to ensure longevity is to continuously attract new customers, while keeping the ones you have. The key to this, as any marketing professional will tell you, is brand consistency.

Brand consistency builds trust among consumers, helps even a small business stand out, and lets you say more in less time and for less money. In fact, one study found that a consistent, “journey-based approach” to content increased conversion (that is, turning readers into customers) by 32%.

A quality writer can help a business to organise its online presence and ensure that its message is being delivered consistently, so that each and every interaction with the public, regardless of platform or product, reinforces an understanding of and trust in what it’s selling.

8. It’s a worthwhile investment, with proven returns

If you’re not wholly convinced that a professional writer is worth your money, you’re not alone. After all, a team of lawyers on retainer or a crack team of marketing gurus both have indisputable value—but are they right for your situation? Probably not.

But when it comes to return on investment, professional, high-quality written content has proven profitable.

Websites with first-class content and frequent updates rank better on search engines, making businesses easier to find, while persuasive and accessible writing with a strong narrative and consistent message attracts new customers and builds trust. Plus, per-word and per-article payment plans make it easy to set and maintain a budget, increasing or reducing output as necessary.

The statistics cited in this article have all come from real market research, and help demonstrate that from start to finish, solid writing is one of the pillars of successful growth. In fact, high-quality writing and good storytelling are ranked by experts as two of the most important practices in successful marketing.

Bottom line

The business-consumer relationship has changed. Today, consumers are spoiled for high-quality, engaging content that grabs their attention, is easy to understand, and successfully guides them from interested reader to loyal customer.

Whatever your field and target audience, the quality of your written content, be it website copy, blog posts, newsletters, or product descriptions, is a reflection of your values, especially in the eyes of your customers. It sets the tone for the kind of quality and care they can expect from your services and products.

If you would like to increase your visibility online, generate trust among your customers, and share your story in a way that drives sales and promotes growth, then working with a professional writer will prove fundamental to your game plan.

To get started, drop us a line or read more about Eleven.