I invested HUNDREDS of hours giving feedback to writers so I could save thousands of hours in the long run.
Here's why.
SCENARIO A: I fix a draft all by myself
👉 The writer turns in a piece
👉 I review and don't give them feedback + time to try fixing things
👉 So I spend hours rewriting, deleting, and rearranging ideas myself
👉 The writer keeps making the same mistakes
👉 The writer and I are always frustrated with each other
👉 And the inefficient cycle repeats...
In doing so I've cheated both myself and the writer out of all kinds of growth and making the best use of my time.
SCENARIO B: I give feedback and space for writers to develop
👉 The writer turns in a piece.
👉 I identify areas for improvement
👉 Except now I add heaps of context/guidance and ask them to revise
👉 The writer begins to pick up on things and not repeat mistakes
👉 The writer's product + audience education improves too!
👉 The writer eventually works a bit faster too
👉 I become a better guide and win back time to reinvest
👉 The writer and I like each other and refer writers and business to each other
👉 And the harmonious cycle repeats
Great writers are NOT mind readers.
When you find a good one pour your knowledge into them. A writer is as good as you empower them to be through the time, respect, and value you give them.
What takes 2 hours today might take 45 minutes a month or two from now. From my experience, great content is the product of the long term relationships you build with the strongest writers you find along the way.
Only time + feedback can move some content mountains.
Even the best writer isn't going to be the sharpest tool for your blog in their first-ever attempt for your company. But chances are their 2nd, 5th, and 17th blog for you will be sharper and sharper.
And if you're constantly recycling writers or depriving them of the feedback they need to grow it's just a matter of time before you trip and fall in your content hamster wheel.
But that's okay.
Get back up and realize...it's okay to take your time.
In a world where people are so eager to just post and quickly break things investing time to create quality is a key differentiator that speaks volumes of your brand of content.
