{"id":11192,"date":"2024-04-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contentwriters.com\/blog\/?p=11192"},"modified":"2024-04-16T18:21:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T22:21:25","slug":"how-to-onboard-external-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/contentwriters.com\/blog\/how-to-onboard-external-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices for Successfully Onboarding an External Writer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve successfully hired a new writer<\/a> or content writing service to create content for your business. However, before they can dive in, an external writer needs to understand your company\u2019s goals and audience to write impactful content. That’s where writer onboarding comes in. In this blog, we\u2019ll discuss how to onboard external writers in a way that ensures the long-term success of your content strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Importance of Proper Onboarding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Successful onboarding is needed for a new employee to understand how their work fits into your company\u2019s objectives. There are numerous benefits of successful onboarding<\/a>, including increased productivity, quicker turnarounds, and reduced editing time. When you onboard external writers, you want to ensure they can jump in and support marketing right away, particularly when you’re scaling content creation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Steps to Onboard External Writers<\/strong> Strategically<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you onboard external writers, consider how you can set them up for success from day one. This entails communicating effectively, sharing strategies, and providing tools and resources. Successfully introducing external writers to your content strategy, procedures, and policies is critical for creating impactful content. Let\u2019s explore our top recommendations for setting up your new team member for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Select the Right Tools for the Job<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since this new writer will be remote, you\u2019ll want to give them the tools to answer any questions they have. These tools may include anything from a digital version of the style guide (more on that later) to links to content examples. If your product is software, you could provide them with their own account. An introduction video can also be valuable to set the tone for your company\u2019s content and help the new writer feel welcome while giving you a chance to explain the resources you’re providing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you work with a content writing service, such as ContentWriters, you may have access to certain templates and resources to support this step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Choose the Most Effective Sharing and Communication Channels<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to an overview of your company, consider the best way to communicate. Email is a tried and true method, but if you have an ongoing partnership with multiple pieces of content, you may want to add your external writer to your internal communication channels, such as Slack or your project board. Content writing platforms like ContentWriters typically have built-in writer communication channels and may have established file-sharing protocols to help make this seamless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Create a Writer-Focused Version of Your Content Strategy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your writers must understand your content marketing strategy<\/u><\/a> to meet your objectives and align their writing to your goals. While your internal content strategy may include a wide variety of content types, marketing initiatives, and big-picture goals, the version you share externally can be pared down. Consider including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n