Guest article by Greg Danford, marketing writer and content strategist.

I’ve been thinking a lot about small businesses lately. Partly because I own one, but partly because I spend a lot of my day working with them. Small businesses, or growing businesses — since no business that I know of aspires to be small forever — all have one thing in common: One person or a few people all wearing a lot of hats. That’s just the nature of the beast. Because most entrepreneurs can’t afford appointment secretaries, full-time bookkeepers, a director of sales and marketing, or many of the other jobs found in large organizations, these people find themselves doing just about everything, usually out of necessity.

So when it comes to marketing their businesses, which is really just a fancy way of explaining to potential customers what they do, “going it alone” comes naturally. Some business owners believe that access to a pencil and paper and an English degree means they can write their own content. The truth is, it does look easy, and for a handful of business owners it is. But for most, nothing is more intimidating than staring at a blank computer screen.

This is the point where a writer is usually brought in, albeit reluctantly. While these companies know they need to hire someone to write their content, they also hate giving up control. The key is to give your writer the best chance for success, which starts with striking a balance between you maintaining some control without handcuffing your writer’s creativity. Here’s something else to consider: No one is going to know your business better than you, and any writer who tells you that he or she does is probably someone to be avoided. What you’re really looking for is someone willing to tap into what you know, then put it in a voice that existing and potential customers will find compelling. Creative writing is one thing. Good marketing copy is something else altogether — it accomplishes a clear objective, and it puts your passion for your business into words. When you read it, you’ll instantly recognize it.

This is the first guest article on the Two Octobers blog. On this blog we seek to provide actionable advice to local business on how to market online, but we have much to learn ourselves, so from time to time we will be asking our friends to contribute their insights. If you have perspectives or ideas you’d like to share, please let us know.

Greg Danford helps small businesses and major brands craft messaging and create engaging web content. He works from his studio in Burlington, Vermont. Visit www.danfordinc.com for examples of his work.