How to hire a B2B content writer: what to actually ask before you brief one
Written by Aggée Kimpiab
8+ years of SEO experience. Started out machining steel on the factory floor before moving into SEO. Now works with manufacturers, ecommerce brands, and B2B companies on organic growth. Case studies: Lawton Tubes and a DTC ecommerce brand.
Table of Contents
Most hiring advice for a b2b content writer stops at “check their portfolio.” A portfolio tells you someone can write a sentence. It doesn’t tell you whether they’ve ever planned a keyword, understood a buying cycle longer than a single click, or written something a technical buyer wouldn’t dismiss in the first paragraph. Here’s what actually predicts whether the work holds up.
Why a portfolio alone isn’t enough #
A writing sample shows you the finished piece, not the thinking behind it. It can’t show you whether the writer chose that topic because it maps to real search demand, or because it sounded good to write. It can’t show you whether they understood the buyer’s actual objections, or just paraphrased the brief back nicely. The checklist below covers what a portfolio review misses.
The checklist #
Fourteen questions, grouped by what they actually test. Check them off as you go through a hiring conversation, your progress is saved in your browser.
Practical tool
0 / 14 done
Their process
Their samples
Fit for your industry
Red flags
Writing without strategy is just typing. I plan the keyword, the angle, and the funnel stage before I write a word, the same process behind every piece I deliver, and I’ll walk you through exactly how on a first call.
See B2B content writer for how I work, or content writing services for the full scope of what’s included.
Related reading: B2B SaaS content writer · Ecommerce content writer · Website copywriting services · SEO copywriting services · Pricing