How to hire a content creator – the easy way

In this era of technology and social media, businesses understand the importance of rising through Google rankings, establishing a strong company brand and content strategy, and increasing customer engagement online. 

One of the most reliable ways to do that is by consistently posting relevant and captivating content. This is why businesses worldwide are looking to hire content creators. 

So what do content creators do? And why are businesses looking to hire content creators? Does your organization need one? 

In this article, we’ll give you the answer to these questions and more.

What does a content creator do?

Content creators create entertaining or educational material. This job title usually refers to digital content creators, but content can be created through any medium. 

Content creators’ work has been a part of our everyday lives for a long time now. We see the products of their labor in the Instagram reels we watch every morning, the blog post we dug up on that topic we’re currently researching, and the news snippets we catch glimpses of while we’re having our morning coffee. 

Content for businesses comes in the form of newsletters, articles, blog posts, social media content, graphs, brochures, annual reports, editorials, and much more. 

Organizations are starting to understand the value of working with content creators. High-quality content inspires people to interact with your brand and build communities that stay loyal to it. 

In 2023, there will be more than 50 million content creators globally. The creator economy is estimated to be worth more than $104bn. 

Top 3 reasons to hire a content creator

Content creation is one of the most powerful marketing tools. Does your company need a dedicated content creator to help you strengthen your brand and reach more customers? 

If the three statements below resonate with you, hiring a content creator might be beneficial for your business.

1. You have important things to share but can’t find the right words

A business that doesn’t have any cohesive branding won’t stay in people’s minds for long, as reported by the influential business magazine Forbes. To build a strong brand, you have to make your organization’s values and mission known to the public. What do you stand for? What is your purpose? What kind of change do you want to bring into people’s lives? 

Usually, the answers to these questions can’t be summed up in a sentence or two. And it’s hard to convey the message if you don’t have a way with words and can’t fully focus on it. 

This is where content creators step in. These professionals not only know how to word a statement well but are also familiar with the specific features of the platforms they’re using and can wield their full potential to meet your objectives.

It’s not just about what you want to say – it’s also about how you say it. Hiring someone with experience in the area will improve your company’s brand. 

2. Your business lacks a captivating online presence

Statista reports that social media advertisement spending amounted to around $230bn in 2022. Organizations aren’t getting off the social media train – and for a good reason. The number of global internet users has climbed up to 4.95 billion, and people spend an average of seven hours online daily.

Simply, the internet is the best place to reach potential customers.

But building an online presence isn’t an easy task. There’s a ton of competition, and you need to stand out and be consistent. This is where content creators step in. Creating engaging content that’s relevant to your business and designing captivating visuals is their specialty.

Building a strong social media presence also requires a solid knowledge of social trends and the platform’s features, so it’s not something you can do successfully if you’re not dedicated.

3. You want to reach more potential customers

Content creation differs from other ways of reaching potential clients in that it doesn’t just focus on reach. It’s about building a relationship with your target audience.

By posting consistently and engaging with user reviews and comments, you build your credibility and establish a bond of trust. For example, hiring someone with experience in your area of work to write in-depth posts that help people understand your products or services will encourage them to engage more with your organization.

Hiring a content creator can also help with your company’s SEO strategy, increasing your visibility for new clients and boosting your traffic.

How to hire a content creator

There are five simple steps you need to follow if you want to build an efficient strategy for hiring a content creator. There is always more you can improve in your hiring process, but the following steps will equip you with the essentials for hiring a content creator.

1. Define your ideal content creator

To find the right content creator for your business, you need to ask yourself the following questions: 

What type of content do you need?

Before you start looking for a content creator, outline what you want them to do. Some content creators are jacks-of-all-trades and can produce multiple types of content, but it’s best to find one who excels at the type of content your organization needs the most. 

Most content creators focus on one or more of these types of content: 

• Text. These are blog posts, articles, social media posts, email copy, and any other form of written content. Most content writers specialize in a particular type of text content, so you must be specific about your needs when you’re looking for one.

• Video. Campaign promotions, event coverage, YouTube vlogs, and social media videos all fall under this category of content. Instagram reels have 35% higher engagement than any other content type. Video content is continually gaining popularity and is a great way to increase engagement. 

• Photos. This type of content includes social media photos, photo blogging, event photography, product shots, and more. Visual content is quite appealing and can send a clear message about the products or services you’re offering.

• Graphics. These include infographics, graphs, blog post banners, logos, website graphics, and more. A good graphic designer can create visually stimulating and engaging content for your business and represent it effectively.

What skills does a high-quality content creator have?

Experience and qualifications are important, but you should prioritize finding someone who has the right skills for a content creator. 

You know best what specific skills to look for in a content creator for your company, but here are some general skills to look out for in your candidates: 

• SEO knowledge. A search-optimized online presence can quickly boost your business and profits. Good content creators are familiar with various search behaviors and know how to use keywords to make you more visible online.

• Research skills. No matter how much expertise a content creator may have in your area of work, they will still have to collect and analyze new information for each project. Knowing how to find the right sources and conduct extensive research is crucial when you’re trying to entertain and engage an audience. 

• Technical skills. Depending on the medium of expression your organization is using, you may have to look for writing, filming, editing, or graphic design skills.

• Critical thinking. Analytical thinking helps content creators build effective ways to communicate your message to the public. How do you target a specific audience? What do they want to see? How will this affect their engagement? These are all questions that content creators must know the answer to, and critical thinking is essential for finding the right answers. 

• Speed typing. If you’re looking to hire a content creator who’ll work mostly with text, you also need to assess their speed typing skills. TestGorilla is developing the following tests to evaluate candidates’ speed typing abilities:

  • Speed Typing (Lowercase Only) test

  • Speed Typing (Capitalization and Punctuation) test

  • Speed Typing (Numbers Only) test

2. Write a descriptive job posting

After you clarify what you’re looking for, it’s time to ensure the world knows it, too. Writing a descriptive and accurate job posting helps you hire the right content creator.

Make sure to include the following:

• The content creator’s title and responsibilities

• The duties they will be expected to perform

• The skills and qualifications required for the role

• The compensation and benefits offered by your organization

• A brief description of your company’s values and purpose

3. Find effective recruitment sources

To find suitable content creators, check out the following platforms:

• Upwork. There are many freelancers on this platform, and you can find creators from any background, in any location, and with any specialization. 

• Contently. This is a content marketing platform designed to help you scale content creation. It’s particularly helpful for large companies that have large content demands with complex requirements.

• ClearVoice. This talent network platform enables you to hire professionals who collaborate to achieve your marketing goals. The process is overseen by an account manager who makes sure everything is running smoothly. Hire on ClearVoice for a diverse team that provides a wide variety of content.  

4. Implement a pre-employment skills assessment

Resumes can give you information about a candidate’s experience and education, but they can’t reliably evaluate their skills and predict job success. 

If you want your applicants to show you their skill level rather than tell you, building a pre-employment skills assessment is the way to go. 

Implementing skills assessments in your hiring strategy:

• Gives an equal opportunity to all of your candidates to show you their skills

• Enables you to evaluate their skills without bias

• Provides scientific data to back up your hiring decision

• Supplies you with insight into your future employees’ strengths and weaknesses

The following are some tests you can use to assess a content creator:

• The SEO Copywriting test evaluates candidates’ knowledge of best practices for SEO and their ability to use keywords and optimize your traffic. 

• The Culture Add test is important when it comes to hiring a content creator. The person you hire will convey your organization’s values and goals to the world. You need to look for someone who is aligned with your company culture and understands your brand. 

• The Motivation test will help you find out if your candidates’ expectations align with the job role and if your professional relationship would be mutually beneficial. This test shows how motivated applicants are to work for you based on a customized survey you both fill out. 

• The Communication test enables you to evaluate your candidates’ ability to communicate clearly and effectively. It assesses both written and verbal communication skills. To hire a content creator, you need to make sure they know how to convey a message effectively while using professional etiquette. 

• The Critical Thinking test evaluates applicants’ ability to solve inductive and deductive reasoning problems through analysis. Can your candidate evaluate information accurately? Are they able to make sound judgments and recognize assumptions? This assessment will answer your questions objectively.

• Last but not least, speed typing tests enable you to assess a range of speed typing skills. You can choose from the following speed typing tests offered by TestGorilla:

  • Speed Typing (Lowercase Only) test

  • Speed Typing (Capitalization and Punctuation) test

  • Speed Typing (Numbers Only) test

5. Interview the shortlisted candidates

After your candidates complete skills assessments, giving you a detailed overview of their strengths and weaknesses, you can ask more personalized questions in an interview. Are there any notable gaps in their skills you want to learn more about? 

Interviews are also a great opportunity to determine whether the candidate’s personality may clash with those of their teammates and if they are willing to work on their weaknesses. 

Hire the best content creator without stress 

Use TestGorilla to simplify and improve the reliability of your hiring process. Being clear about what you need from your content creator and implementing skills assessments will help you fill the vacancy and find the right person without stress or bias. 

Create a free account to get started with skills testing right away, or sign up for a free demo to learn more about how our platform can help you hire top talent.