How does writing content for Blogging Bistro work?

We contract with businesses that want to build or enhance their online presence through social media. Our clients include small businesses, large corporations, franchises, non-profits, and trade shows.

Most business owners don’t have the time, energy, or know-how to launch a top-notch blog. That’s where Blogging Bistro comes in.

• We work with our client’s Webmaster or with one of our freelance graphic designers/developers to create a custom blog that mirrors the look and feel of the client’s Web site.
• We work with our client to create a detailed list of categories and topics for their blog.
• We hire experienced freelance writers to create and post blog content so our client is assured of having fresh, industry-specific articles on their blog several times per week.
• We provide ongoing training and support for our bloggers.
• We closely monitor each blog’s content.
• We check in regularly with our clients and are committed to keeping them happy.

Since your clients’ blogs are meant to promote their business, do the blog posts sound like one long advertisement?

Definitely not! Our goal is to entertain and educate blog readers. If our client sells patio furniture, a blog post won’t read like an ad for a particular brand of furniture; the article will offer advice on whether aluminum, wrought iron, or wood furniture is best for the climate in your area.

Sure, we want blog readers to patronize our clients — and this often happens — so while our clients’ blog posts do feature their products and services, over 80 percent of the blog’s content focuses on practical and entertaining info.

Do you hire writers who have no prior blogging experience?

Rarely. We prefer to hire writers with blogging experience. We match each of our clients with a professional writer who already has an interest in the client’s business category and is ready to dive in and start blogging, with minimal hand-holding.

If you’re a newbie blogger, we’ll consider working with you if:

• You have freelance writing experience (aka, you’ve been published in a magazine, newspaper, book, or Web site…or you write for a living — technical writing, academic writing, public relations, etc.).
• You are adept at mastering new genres.
• You’re good at writing tight and sticking to a word count.
• You know how to format articles for skimmers and scanners.
• You’re confident that you can master the blog interface without having a panic attack.

When I blog for one of your clients, will I be a ghost blogger? Will I use a pseudonym? Will I use my own name?

That depends on the client’s wishes. Several of our clients request ghost bloggers — that is, bloggers who become invisible and take on an entirely new persona. You might “become” the company CEO…or a sales associate…or a happy customer…or an invented persona. Or you might get to be yourself.

If you hope to be part of our team, you must be willing to relinquish the “it’s all about me” attitude and to selflessly blog from behind the scenes.

How many posts per week are required?

Most of our clients request two-to-three posts per week. Blog posts generally average 200-300 words.

Several of our clients also request a social media component. In addition to writing their blog, you might manage their Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn account.

Are there opportunities to blog for more than one client?

Yes. As we gain confidence in your writing and your dependability, we’ll likely offer you “first dibs” at additional blogging jobs for which we think you’d be a good fit.

What is an interim blogger?

An interim blogger fills in on short notice for a blogger who is ill, has a family emergency, needs a break, or (heaven forbid) disappears into cyberspace without giving us notice.

If you’re looking for a temporary job or you want to test professional business blogging before making a long-term commitment, we invite you to apply for an interim blogger position.

What blogging platforms do you use?

We recommend self-hosted WordPress sites to our clients; we also use Typepad and Blogger.

Do I need to know HTML?

Nope. While it helps to be familiar with HTML and to know how to copy and paste code into your blog posts and sidebars, we know from experience that you can create an attractive, highly-readable blog without knowing a lick of HTML.

Do you provide medical benefits and paid vacations to your team members?

No. All our designers, developers, SEO experts, and bloggers are independent contractors. When we negotiate your contract with you, we will discuss blogging breaks. We don’t want you to burn out after three months! One of the great things about business blogging is that you can write posts in advance and time-stamp them to go “live” on whatever day you want. So you can take a vacation and no one will know!

How much do you pay per post?

We know you’ve been dying to learn the answer to this question. Our bloggers are paid according to several criteria:

1. Our client’s budget
2. Our blogger’s experience
3. Average length of posts
4. Amount of posts per week

In other words, each case is unique. We do pay our bloggers higher than the industry average.

When do I get paid?

Gee, we haven’t even hired you yet and you’re wondering when you get paid!

Our bloggers invoice us at the end of each month, and are paid near the 15th of the following month.

What qualities are you looking for in your bloggers?

We seek dependable, creative writers who can catch the client’s vision and communicate it enthusiastically and effectively to readers.

Take this little quiz to see whether you’re qualified:

1. Am I a story-teller?
2. Do I get a kick out of sharing tips and information?
3. Am I skilled at writing in a conversational tone?
4. Am I reliable?
5. Am I self-motivated?
6. Am I a problem-solver?
7. Do I love learning about new topics?
8. Am I passionate about helping others?

If you answered “Yes” to all eight questions, what are you waiting for? Download the application and send it to us!

I’m a designer and/or developer. How do I apply?

Download  the application form below.

The form has two sections:

• Section A – Blogger application
• Section B – Designer/developer application

Fill out the section that applies to you, save the file as instructed, and e-mail it to us. We’re always looking for talented graphic designers and coders to add to our team.