The How to Hire a Professional Blogger For Your Business session at Blog World Expo this past weekend in Las Vegas was incredible. It featured Jim Turner of One By One Media Social Media and Professional Blogging Consultants, Gregory Go of About.com Guide to Online Business, Will Chen, editor of Wise Bread | Personal Finance and Frugal Living Forums, and Darren Rowse of Problogger.
These expert bloggers are also business managers, managing the bloggers on their network and blogs. They have to hire, fire, put out fires, negotiate, guide, instruct, hunt, and deal with bloggers of all skill levels on a daily basis.
Blogging as an industry is still new. Blogging with hired-gun bloggers is also still new and a mine field for both employers and potential employees. There isn’t a lot of concrete information out there. There is a lot of guessing and little history to help both sides understand how this works.
The group conceded quickly that hiring bloggers isn’t the same as hiring writers for a magazine or website. Bloggers are a new group of employees and freelancers requiring special needs and attention as well as guidance.
Over the next few articles, I’m going to break down what they said to complement other articles I’ve written here on the subject of getting paid as a blogger. These include:
- What is Your Ideal Dream Blog Job?
- Blogger Jobs: What Are They Looking For?
- Blogger Jobs: How to Apply For a Blogger Job?
- Blogging Jobs: How Much Are Bloggers Paid to Blog?
- Blogging Jobs: How Much is Blogging Worth?
I also recommend you check out the following articles as they apply to the discussion on making your blog valuable as a resume, which is essential to getting hired as a blogger.
- How to Buy or Sell a Blog
- Can You Sell Your Blog?
- Selling Your Blog: What Are Blog Buyers Looking For?
- Selling Your Blog: What Goes Into The Selling Price?
Getting Hired as a Blogger and Hiring a Blogger
Getting hired as a blogger and hiring a blogger begins no differently than any job: Keep it professional.
The speakers were very clear that professionalism is the only path to success in getting hired as a blogger and hiring a blogger.
Clean, neat, concise, specific communication is essential. Don’t waste their time with clutter and nonsense. Remember, you’re being hired as a communicator, or hiring someone to communicate for you. If either side isn’t communicating well, you’re not setting a prime example towards clear communication in the future.
Read the instructions and follow them exactly. Don’t think you are above the rules. By not following the instructions you are telling your future employer that you won’t work well with them nor follow their instructions. You aren’t good employment material.
If you are hiring bloggers and don’t follow your own instructions or commitments, you are also sending a clear message that you can’t be trusted. Bloggers live in a tiny world where everyone is their neighbor and they practice virtual picket fence gossip very well. If you treat a blogger wrong, a thousand people will know in just a few minutes.
Darren Rowse of Problogger told the attendees to remember, “You are hiring bloggers because they are bloggers.” This means they know how to blog and they know how to blog about YOU. Make sure they have only good things to say from their experience whether they are hired or not.
Set an example at all times. If you want to be hired as a blogger, your blog must speak well of you and your skills and abilities. If you are hiring a blogger, your blog must speak well of your business and potential to interest the blogger.
All online and offline communication should set the tone of the type of business you are as well as the type of blogger you want to attract. Like attracts. Set an example that encourages others to want what you do and have.
If you are looking to hire bloggers, or want to be hired, keep it professional at all times.
