As a health and science writer, I create health articles for print and web publications, as well as for health-related businesses, yoga and meditation teachers, and other clients.
This is all work that I get paid for, so I should be the first to recommend that you hire a professional writer, right?
Well … not quite.
I also have a degree in education and spent many years doing project management at universities. So I’m all for helping people learn how to do things on their own — even it means sitting back and doing almost nothing, except for the occasional editing or nudge in the right direction.
But today I’d like to talk about five situations where you’ll want to bring in a professional writer to create your health content.
1. Writing Is Not Your Thing
If you run your own business, you have many skills that enable you to succeed. But that may not be writing. And that’s fine. Even though I could write all day about the benefits of yoga and mindfulness, I’m terrible at marketing my yoga classes.
So if writing — especially health-related writing — isn’t one of your strengths, you either have to set aside time to get up to speed or hand that part of your business over to someone who writes for a living.
These two options, though, are not mutually exclusive. I’ve worked with many clients — as well as doctors and researchers — who preferred to do the initial writing themselves, but then asked me to edit and proofread their content.
While you may balk at paying a professional writer to spend time writing health articles for your website, it will probably take them a fraction of the time that you would need to get the job done.
2. The Science is Over Your Head
You may have an easy time creating great health content for your website, but sometimes you need someone with more scientific expertise to make sure the content is not just interesting, but also accurate.
Any time you want to refer to a medical or scientific study to back up a point, you might want to consider hiring a professional health writer. This is especially true if your eyes glaze over whenever you look at the actual published study.
While sometimes you can glean enough information about a recent study from a news story on another website, science is more complicated than social media headlines suggest.
There may be nuances to the study that don’t fit with what you’re trying to say in your health article. Or a newer study may have come along that supports — or contradicts — the study that you found. Or maybe that study doesn’t live up to the hype.
Of course, you’ll pay more for a professional writer than a general copywriter, but the last thing you want to do when writing about science is to get the facts wrong.
3. You Don’t Have Time to Get It Right
Even if you write a lot of your own health content, there’s only so much writing that you can fit into your day, especially if you are also in charge of marketing, website design, and accounting.
Wearing multiple hats at your business likely means that solid blocks of writing time are rare during your week. I find that my writing takes much less time if I can sit down and focus. If you don’t have that focused time, you’ll find yourself spending most of your time trying to get back into the groove of writing.
So ask yourself, “Can I set aside time each week to create regular health articles?” If the answer is no, then you might want to consider hiring a professional writer.
This doesn’t mean you have to give up control of your health content. I routinely take direction from my clients — they provide me with their content ideas, or sometimes a rough draft of their thoughts, and I turn it into shareable content.
4. You Are Too Invested in the Project
If I’ve been working on a health article for a long time, it’s hard for me to do my own editing right away. So I often take a break and come back to it with a fresh set of eyes.
If you’ve poured your energy into a piece of content — especially one that’s taken days or weeks to create — you might have trouble viewing it objectively.
A professional health writer can give you the kind of outside perspective that you need to ensure your content is going to connect with your audience.
This “step back” can often help refine the content into something that is more likely to gain traction on social media or your website.
5. You Need a Big Win
If you are launching a new site or program, there’s usually very little room to start over. So why not save time and avoid rework by hiring a professional who can get the job done quickly and with minimal need for revision.
An experienced health writer can create content that fits the goals of your business and your big launch or website, as well as ensure that the content meets your audience where they are.
Professional health writers also have a scientific background, so they are perfectionists about language and the facts. They also have experience turning scientific data into content that catches the eyes of your audience.
Professional Writers Can Help … But You Are Still In Control
Hiring a professional health writer doesn’t mean you have to give up control of your project or settle for something that doesn’t match your goals.
A professional can write top-notch health articles that help your website shine, but as the business owner, you ultimately decide what works for your business and what doesn’t.
