As a career copywriter and agency owner, I’ve been both a writer and the person who’s hiring writers. If you’re hiring a content writer for web or print work, this article is for you. In it, I’ll share six tips I’ve learned over 20 years of experience in dental marketing and copywriting. This is invaluable information that could save you significant time, money, and frustration.
If you don’t want to write content yourself, call my company, Identiwrite Creative, for a no-cost, no-obligation discussion about your writing needs. I have a staff of writers trained in dental and medical content writing, as well as search engine optimization (SEO). You can ring Riese at 972-679-6885 and avoid the hassle of hiring a content writer for your practice’s marketing content. We’d love to help you, just like we’ve helped dentists for the past decade.
Terms to Know When Hiring a Content Writer
Did you know that copywrite and copyright are two completely different terms, with different meanings? Do you know what a technical writer does, or what a ghost writer is? Here are some terms you should know before interviewing and hiring a content writer for your business.
Professional Copywriter: One whose career is writing text for any publication, online or in print. A copywriter does not take credit for his work, so copywriting is a form of ghost writing.
Content Writer: Synonymous with “professional copywriter.”
Ghost Writer: A professional writer who composes content, usually but not necessarily for a book that will be published under someone else’s name. No credit is given to the author.
Writer: All people can write, but not all can write well. A writer is not necessarily a professional but may simply enjoy writing as a hobby or talent. While all professional copywriters are writers, not all writers are professionals.
Technical Writer: A technical writer composes copy for instruction manuals by breaking complex information into layman’s terms. A technical writer may also compose teaching materials for use online or in print,as well as how-to manuals, journal articles, etc.
Copyright: A copyright proves ownership of a piece of writing, music, or art. I like Wikipedia’s definition of copyright, “A type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time.” A copyright is owned by the writer until he sells or gives it to another person or entity. There are types of copyright, like all rights, web rights, print rights, and first print rights, print rights for a specific area (North American, European, etc.), among others.
SEO: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is a set of tactics that copywriters and web technicians apply to a web page so that Google Search ranks the page high in results. There is not a hard-set standard for SEO. While some tactics are used by all, others are based on the SEO tech’s experience and opinion. Without SEO, a dentist’s website may never reach the first page of Google Search results.
On-page SEO: The strategy of making a page enticing to Google Search’s indexing robots. On-page SEO involves both the text and code on a page.
Off-page SEO: Optimizing a website or web page by implementing a strategy that involves tactics outside of the website. Off-page SEO includes things like backlinks, guest blog posts, and NAP (name, address, phone) listings.
Original Content: Text that is not found online or in print. Original content is literal.
Duplicate Content: Text that is published online or in print. Publishing duplicate content on your website may infringe on copyright laws.
Six Tips for Hiring a Copywriter
- Ask about the writer’s experience writing the copy you need: Dentists and physicians don’t need a technical writer, even though dentistry involves many complex topics. Instead, you should look for a writer with experience writing dental or medical content with SEO. You simply need a professional dental copywriter. Ask to see two or three samples of dental-specific articles currently in publication.
- Ask if the writer has a thorough understanding of on-page SEO: An SEO copywriter should know where he will find keywords for your project. He should be able to present you with keywords prior to writing the content if you ask. In addition to keywords, you can ask about the linking strategy, heading tags, and metadata. An experienced SEO copywriter can answer these questions confidently and without hesitation.
- Ask if the writer is familiar with ADA and state board marketing regulations for content: The American Dental Association and state dental boards have guidelines for marketing, and if you do not adhere to the guidelines, your license could be at risk. I’ve witnessed dentists who receive notification from their state dental board demanding they immediately remove content for infringing on their marketing regulations. Some of these guidelines include: do not compare yourself to other dentists, do not guarantee or promise favorable outcomes, and in some states, you cannot use testimonials (TX) or use the term “state-of-the-art” (CA, OH).
- Review at least three articles specific to your industry: When hiring a copywriter, be sure to ask for at least a few sample articles about dentistry and read them through a few times. Look at grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Also, ask yourself, What would the reader (non-dentist) learn from this article? Is the information organized and easy to follow, or did you stumble over the sentences or paragraph structure? And, Does this article accurately represent my practice and treatment philosophy? Lastly, Will this article appeal to my target market?
- Run the sample articles through Copyscape: For a few dollars, you can find out if a copywriter’s work is plagiarized by submitting it to Copyscape. With the advent of ChatGPT, anyone can generate an article on any topic, but AI articles are not original content. Google does not give as much SEO credit to duplicate content.
- Ask where the writer is located: Coordinating copy edits and revisions with a writer on the other side of the globe can prove tedious due to time differences. Your copywriter should ideally live within a few hours of your time zone, for convenience’s sake.
Call on Identiwrite Instead of Hiring a Content Writer
Avoid the hassle of interviewing and hiring a content writer compentent enough to handle your copywriting projects. We already found him! Trust your reputation and online image to Identiwrite Creative’s copywriting team. We will create original, optimized, professional dental content for your website. Let’s discuss your practice’s online marketing strategy. Call Riese Duty at 972-679-6885.
