Hiring a healthcare content writer? 5 questions to ask so you don’t get burned

by Julie Revelant | Jan 25, 2016 | Content Marketing

There’s one word that I’ve noticed comes up over and over again when I speak to prospective clients: trust.

Trust that the freelance healthcare writer they hire will understand their business, write amazing copy and make their deadlines. Trust that they won’t drop the ball or screw up the project. A potential client recently told me that she was hesitant about working with a freelance writer. It turns out that the public relations agency she had hired to write their healthcare content wasn’t writing in the company’s voice.

She needed to make sure that if she hired me (she did), that I not only spoke her language, but I could write the content as though their CEO wrote it. Perhaps you’ve been burned in the past too. Sure, it stinks. But the problem still remains: you need content. Compelling content that’s created on a consistent basis to help potential customers find you.

The good news is that you can hire an amazing freelance writer who understands your business if you do your homework and know the right questions to ask.

Here, read on for 5 questions to ask potential candidates.

1. What do you need?

True, you’re the one with the problem or challenge, but if you work together with the writer from the get-go, it’s a win-win for both sides.

Instead of looking to that person as just a consultant, think of him or her as your creative partner and a member of your team. You’ll want to provide a creative brief which outlines things like the objectives of the project, who your competitors are, what has worked for you in the past and how success will be measured. You’ll also need to have buyer personas and your content marketing strategy handy.

2. What industry (or industries) do you specialize in?

It’s important that the writer you choose specializes in the healthcare industry. It’s OK if they specialize in more than one industry, but take a look at their portfolio to get an idea of what they write. Hiring a writer who speaks your language and knows the difference between probiotics and prebiotics for example, will cut down on several rounds of edits and a ton of frustration.

3. Can I see your work?

One of the first writing samples you’ll ever see is the writer’s website and it’s one of the best ways to weed out potential candidates.

Typos? Grammatical errors? Dead links? Move on.

Most writers have their portfolios on their websites but feel free to ask about other clips they may have. You’re not only looking for the quality of their work, but also the range of their work.

Keep in mind that although you might be looking for someone just to write your case studies now, later on you might also need blogs, website copy and white papers. So you’ll want to make sure the writer you hire is versatile.

4. What’s your availability?

The key to a successful partnership is being clear about what you need from the get-go. So if you already know that you’ll need someone to turn around your press releases in 2 days for example, make sure the writer can write quickly, is accustomed to quick deadlines and has the time to get it done.

You may also want to consider working on a retainer basis, which will allow the writer to block out a certain amount of time each week just for you.

5. Do you require a contract?

A proposal which outlines exactly what services are included for the project is important, but a signed agreement is necessary too. Without it, either side can make assumptions and it can turn into a he-said-she-said situation.

The agreement can be a simple letter or a more formal document, but it should explain the services the writer will provide, how many revisions are included, who owns the rights, as well as the fees and deadlines.

5 Reasons Physicians Should Never Write or Approve Content

by Julie Revelant | Jan 25, 2016 | Content Marketing

Make no mistake. If you’re a hospital, a private practice, concierge medicine network or a digital health brand, your healthcare organization needs consistent content creation.

There’s no better way to build trust, create brand awareness and close more deals. And if you have physicians, they too should be a part of the process.

Yet doctors should never write content. Here’s why, and what you should be doing instead.

1. Doctors don’t know content.

Even if your doctors have published New York Times best sellers, are contributors for the Huffington Post and have been published in medical journals, they’re probably not experts in content marketing.

It’s unlikely that’ll know how to write stories, attention-grabbing headlines or how to optimize content.

2. They may have an agenda.

Despite having an editorial calendar, your physicians may have their own ideas about what makes for a great blog post or which client should be featured in a case study.

They may disagree with the story that’s been approved and suggest what the real story should be. Although their story might be just as amazing, you see the bigger picture—your content marketing strategy.

3. They won’t like it.

I once conducted an interview with a physician that lasted for nearly an hour and gave me enough information to write about 6 blog posts. Yet after he read them, he said they weren’t something he wanted his name on despite essentially being the author.

So although your team may allow physicians to make edits or even require that they approve content, the less time they have their hands on it, the better.

4. They’re too busy.

Doctors are short on time so expecting them to write content isn’t reasonable. Do your own research, set up interviews with them and then write the content yourself. Or hire a freelance healthcare writer to save you time and a lot of headache.

5. Your project won’t get done.

Even if you handle the content, once you share it with your physicians it’s bound to get delayed, regardless of where you are in the process.

You may need them to review it for accuracy, but they may go overboard with input and revisions and may even take the project in a completely different direction. And when there are too many cooks in the kitchen, the project can drag on for months. And your customers? They’ve already moved on to your competitors.