by Alan O’Doherty
Blogs are the meat and potatoes of the online world. Twitter and Facebook are the perfect venue for headlines while Flickr and Youtube are the ideal platforms for a visual hook. But, whatever your business, you will always need a space for discussion, analysis and good quality writing.
Written articles are where we head for the details on an event or a business – where it came from, what it does, what kind of people they are. They’re where you go to hear an opinion and offer your own in return.
Producing an effective piece of online copy is not necessarily easy. If you didn’t have ADHD before, you probably will after ten minutes online – in a world of distractions written articles have to be striking and concise enough to cut through the clutter without sacrificing content. There’s no point in putting out a piece of writing if no one reads it, and there’s no point having readers if you aren’t saying what you set out to say.
Hiring someone with training and experience to write for you is a lot like the difference between hiring a professional to renovate your home or trying your hand at DIY. If the standard of work is important to you and it’s a not a field you have experience in, it’s up to you to make a decision about how much time and energy you’re willing to put into producing something yourself that will meet a professional standard.
Clearly I’m not Shakespeare (I’m not dead yet for one thing) but I do have a strong background in writing both on and offline. I have a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Exeter and a Masters degree in Journalism from City University London. I’ve written content for ABC News, BBC London & Openfile.ca as well as lifestyle and review articles for a range of online publications. I maintain and promote my own blog covering the beer industry and regularly produce content for Zook-IT.com
Hiring professional writers can be expensive so I aim to offer a service that is affordable to small businesses while still providing polished and professional content. I am in a position to produce articles quickly and easily at your direction, leaving you free to spend time running your business. Working this way allows your online profile to respond rapidly to a constantly changing business environment.
I will work with your or your clients to produce written content that reflects the tone and style of your brand and helps you communicate and engage with your customers and followers. If there is a topic or event you are already aware of that you want to blog on I can produce a post for $25 – either as a one-off or as part of a regular series of updates for your website. For posts where I research new developments in your industry or field of interest to produce totally unique or original content I charge $50 per article.
Email alan@zook-it.com for more info.
