How to Hire a Freelance Food Content Writer for Your Blog
/Learn what a freelance writer is, why you should consider hiring one, what to expect when working with one, and how food writers can help accelerate your blog and grow your income while taking tasks off your already overflowing plate!
Over the years of my career, the way I’ve gone about describing what I do has undergone many changes. But no matter how I describe my role as a freelance food writer, the one thing that remains the same is the blank stare I often receive after answering the inevitable, “So, what do you do for work?”
If you don’t know what a food writer is, don’t worry. You’re not alone. However, I’m guessing that since you’re on this post, you know or at least have some understanding of what freelance food content writers are and are curious to learn more.
Whether you’re ready to hire someone to take all the SEO research and writing off your plate or are just curious about the role of a food writer and how you can go about finding one, you’re in the right spot!
What Is a Food Writer, Anyway?
First things first, let’s define what a food writer actually is …and what they are not.
To be clear, food writers are not VAs (virtual assistants). They do not do social media management, community engagement, or manage comments on your site. (Although some, like me, may offer these services separately.)
Instead, food writers are a form of copywriter or ghostwriter. They write content in the voice and under the name of the blog’s owner. Depending on the writer, this service can include:
Editorial/Content Planning
SEO Research
Blog Writing and Revisions
Uploading to and Optimization for Your Website
Newsletter Writing
Social Media Captions
The Benefits of Hiring a Food Content Writer
Aside from the obvious benefit of no longer being required to write every piece of copy (text) on your site, hiring a freelance food writer can also give you better insight into SEO trends, allow you to stay organized and more consistent with your content, outrank competitors and boost ad revenue, and free up more of your time to do the tasks you love or just take a nap. You deserve it! Running a food blog is tough.
Sounds pretty great, right?
Now, you’re probably wondering…
How Do I Find a Freelance Food Writer?
Glad you asked! The truth is that food content writers aren’t that hard to find.
After all, you’re reading this post, which means you found me! If you’re interested in working together, please fill out a quick survey to see if we might be a good fit.
Or, you could go more traditional routes by searching for writers on platforms like:
Facebook (I love groups like Food Bloggers Central and Raptive Community)
Simply type in related terms such as “food writer,” “food content writer,” and “writer for food blogs,” and a whole list of qualified candidates should pop up.
Qualities to Look for When Hiring a Food Content Writer
Once you’ve found a few promising candidates, it’s time to narrow down the qualities that will make them an excellent fit for your blog. When it comes to food writers, you want someone who is:
Well-versed in SEO
Knowledgeable about food and cooking
Passionate about the industry
Able to pick up your style and tone
Creative and able to set your blog apart from the competition
Within your price range
Pleasant to work with
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Freelance Food Writer
Admittedly, I’m a little biased, but I believe the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to hiring a freelance food content writer for your blog. But the decision is ultimately up to you!
Pros
You get your time back.
You can put out more content, more consistently.
You do not have to stay on top of SEO trends if you don’t want to.
You can repurpose their work across a variety of platforms.
You can boost your page views and ad revenue with little to no work on your part.
You can land brand deals.
Cons
The best writers may be outside your price range.
It can be difficult to find someone who matches your blog’s voice.
It can be hard to relinquish control of something you’ve built.
What Content Can I Expect a Freelance Food Content Writer to Offer?
As mentioned, food writers offer a variety of services, and no two writers are the same. However, a list of the most common services includes:
Blog posts
Informative articles
Email broadcasts
Social media captions
Recipes (Although this often falls under the services of a recipe developer)
Product descriptions
Webpages (You won’t typically find food writers who offer sales pages. Instead, they’re typically more versed in website landing pages, bios, etc.)
How to Hire a Freelance Food Writer
Now that you know what a food writer is, where to find one, and what to expect, it’s time to start hiring! Due to the nature of their work, most writers will have a pretty seamless process already in place that requires very little from you.
In general, this involves:
Finding a writer, and inquiring about work.
Determining what type of content you need.
Look at samples of their work.
Sending them a test post to see if working with them will be a good fit.
Moving forward or continuing your search.
All in all, I’m a huge advocate for hiring a freelance food writer (obviously). In my experience, doing so is one of the fastest ways to offload a ton of work from your plate while boosting your blog will very little effort on your part. It’s a win-win!
Have questions? Leave them down in the comments below!
-Shyanne