Local entrepreneurs connect companies and writers

Content and Connections

Local entrepreneurs connect companies and creators

By Michelle Talsma Everson

When you’re a freelance writer, it can be hard to find a steady source of work with clients who pay decently and on time. On the flip side, if you’re a business, large or small, in need of content creators for your website, ad campaign, marketing materials, etc., it can be hard to connect with decent writers who will do the job to your specifications.

That’s where Valley startup ClearVoice comes in.

“ClearVoice is a content marketing platform designed to help brands, publishers, and writers collaborate and create great content,” says Jay Swansson, co-founder and CEO. “The platform contains a marketplace, project management system, and free tools to allow teams of in-house experts and freelancers to interact in an insightful and intuitive way.”

In simple terms, it’s like an intuitive matchmaking service for freelance writers and companies that need content written. Companies post projects they need completed and writers select the projects that work best for their skill set, pay rate, and availability. Payment is done through ClearVoice, which saves the writers from having to hunt down clients for late or missed payments. Companies also benefit from being able to see content creators’ ratings and expertise. It’s a win-win for the gig economy.

“Content marketing is the best way to communicate a company’s values, offerings, personality, and point-of-view through their blog, eBooks, whitepapers, email, and social media. We provide a smart, scalable, and transparent way for businesses to create a content marketing empire,” Swansson explains.

Along with Swansson, local entrepreneur Joe Griffin also founded ClearVoice and serves as the company’s CEO. Both Swansson and Griffin have extensive business backgrounds in Arizona and are proud to have launched ClearVoice locally.

“We love Arizona and its bright and flourishing business ecosystem,” Griffin says. “We believe that Arizona is still highly underrated as a strong center of entrepreneurialism and opportunity. We’re excited to see groups like the Arizona Commerce Authority and local business leaders like Mario Martinez stepping up to provide resources and guidance for Arizona’s entrepreneurs. We’re proud to call Arizona our home.”

While experienced entrepreneurs, there were still some challenges to launching the innovative online startup.

“One of the challenges in the early stages was finding the right advisors and potential investors but we were very fortunate to have local Arizona business leaders in Dan Tyre (HubSpot), Paul Winandy (WebPT) and Darin Brannan (ClearDATA) join our team and give us great advice,” Griffin says. “There’s a huge swell of momentum in the Arizona investment community––there are some incredibly smart and motivated people driving a ton of interest and innovation in the online investment community in Phoenix and Arizona generally. It’s because of their efforts you’ll see Phoenix become a leader in the online space in the coming years.”

While off to a great start—ClearVoice has indexed hundreds of thousands of content creators—Griffin and Swansson have high hopes for even more success.

“We aim to be the leading content marketing platform for teams of two to 50 members,” Griffin says. “Through our marketplace, we are driving significant and sustainable revenue to freelancers and turning ClearVoice into the premier destination for brands and publishers to hire the top talent and create the best content.”

With giving back in mind, ClearVoice plans to help nonprofits in a unique way.

“We believe that great content can inspire and help change the world. With that in mind, we’re currently offering our platform to nonprofits and charities for free,” Swansson says. (Normally, businesses pay for the service.)

“We also work with local charitable groups to help tell their stories through our online magazine and their publications,” he adds.

To learn more about ClearVoice, visit clearvoice.com.