How do you train your in-house web content writing team?

1. Create a brief of the requirement 2. Speak with the freelancers involved and explain the scope of work 3. Describe the tonality, messaging, voice of the platform they want to be in 4. Create a brief document and calendar for them to assess the timeline 5. Offer help with ideas, research and thinking differently if they get stuck. 6. Edit ruthlessly At the end you are in it together You have to make it work

Training an in-house web content writing team, especially within the Arabic digital realm, begins with foundational workshops on the linguistic intricacies and regional nuances of the Arabic language. I emphasize understanding target audiences, accentuating the importance of cultural relevance in content creation. Regular hands-on sessions cover best practices in SEO, keyword optimization, and narrative structures. Collaborative exercises focus on real-time feedback, promoting peer learning. I introduce them to tools and platforms that streamline the writing process. Periodic reviews ensure adherence to brand voice and guidelines.

Make sure you share your goals and needs with your writers' team clearly- - Create a detailed guideline document for them. Include all the crucial aspects of writing in it— goals, content quality guidelines, technical guidelines, do's and don'ts (if any), detailed buyer's persona or dummy TA profile.

Create a comprehensive content brief for your writers. Make sure to add the topic, subtopics, target audience, technical specifics, SEO requirements, and business goal. You can also add sample articles that you'd want them to emulate. Advanced Tip: Create an acceptance criteria that the content should or must meet. You can use this to test if your content outline hits your business goals.

Including a “[Brand Name-specific Things/Notes] section in the style guide that details the particular “way we do/say/write things” can increase consistency and branded language across many web pages and content creators. For example, noting how you list educational degrees and credentials in staff bios or showing specialized punctuation and abbreviations [or none] of technical specs in product descriptions increases uniformity PLUS saves time and money on editing across different pages and platforms. Updating this “brand-specific” section every time a wording, punctuation, or terms” issue is resolved or updated by editors ensures decisions are documented and knowledge transfer across individuals and teams actually happens.

One technique I rely on is taking a socratic approach when reviewing my team's work. If I spot a style error, or simply copy that could be stronger, I'll use the comment function in MS Word to ask leading questions ("Is this the best term...?" or "What's our rule about...?"), which help the writers arrive at the fix without my having to state it outright. This helps them develop their editorial muscle memory and anticipate suggested revisions.

Schedule a one-on-one weekly or bi-weekly chat with your writers. Make sure they know it's a safe space for them to express their thoughts and feelings. Offer a workaround plan if they're struggling. Don't forget to celebrate their successes, no matter how small they think they are.

You can schedule a monthly session where the writers are all free to share the latest trends, ideas, and news in content creation. Use whiteboard tools like Miro, FigJam, or Canva to make it easier for everyone add their thoughts in sticky notes. After everyone finishes adding their stickies, look for emerging themes. Let everyone vote which idea should you try in an experiment in the following weeks. By doing this kind of activity, you'll encourage writers to be more proactive and upskill on their own.

Don't hesitate to hire freelancers if you're looking for fresh perspectives and top-quality writers who are specialized in specific domains. Working with them on a retainer basis can help you train them to adapt better, and pay only for the WORK THEY DO.

The first and foremost thing to consider is the right kind of deadline. Improper deadlines with huge work pressure impacts quality of a content. Secondly, providing the in-house content team with the necessary tools for the best results. Thirdly, setting the right strategies like the target audience, sample reference for the type of content a client is looking for.