Wanna Pitch Me Your Content Writing Project? Read This First, Please.

Each week, well-intentioned ideas pop into my inbox. Ambitious business owners and content-needing marketers reach out to ask about my writing services. My usual follow-up includes asking for more details about their specific project, insight into their overall marketing plan and their process to collaborate with a freelance writer.

Often, my response is glossed over.

Um, we just need you to write something, they’ll say. Sure, but I need a little background on your audience, goals and why we are creating content, I mention.

Ahhh, makes sense, they reply.

Then, I explain the core documents that should be shared with a writer and workflow tips to get the best ROI for their content-creating dollars. And, now I’m sharing this basic information here too.

If you want to get on a professional writer’s busy calendar, be ready to collaborate.

In this blog post I’ll explore:

• What is a Content Plan?
• What Other Information Do I Need to Share With a Writer?
• How Can I Best Collaborate with a Freelance Writer?

What is a Content Plan?

In a recent blog post penned for ClearVoice, I define a content plan as, “all the marketing assets and data-gathering functions needed to achieve the goals set forth in your content strategy. Everything from SEO research and engagement tracking, to blogging and white paper writing, are included in a content plan. Your content plan will both align with your content levels and scale as you increase your content marketing budget.”

In simplest terms, it’s the groundwork and content you plan to tackle. Before hiring a writer, know what you want to produce. Is it blog posts? Video scripts? Social messaging? Newsletter content? Or, letters from the CEO? Whatever the content is, it’s likely the first question a freelance writer will ask you about, followed by a few more basics such as:

• What type of content do you need?
• What’s the word count?
• Do you have an assignment brief to review?