When you hire the right freelance writer, you just know. This person becomes an integral part of your team right from the start, helping to move your content strategy forward. However, no two freelance writers are the same. The same attention paid to hiring the right vendor or permanent employee needs to be used when contracting a freelance writer. Following are three must do's before you say “I do” to the next (contract) member of your team.
The Three Must Do’s
Research
Inquire
Inventory
Research: Do Your Homework
It is important to follow the same review process before hiring a freelance writer as when hiring a permanent employee. In addition to asking for a resume, references and work samples, review their online profiles:
Do they manage a blog or professional website? How would you describe their writing style? Did you notice any grammar and punctuation errors?
Can you access some of the work they’ve produced online? What is their writing range?
What kinds of content have they produced (e.g., blogs, articles, white papers, presentations, video scripts, speeches, social media posts)?
Do they have additional skills that might prove useful, such as page layout, graphic design or video editing?
What is their level of technical knowledge? Have they worked in a content management system before?
Are they a niche writer? Has their work concentrated on different industries or only one?
Are they familiar with your company’s baseline editorial standards, such as those in the AP Stylebook or Chicago Manual of Style?
What types of writing assignments and industries have their work concentrated on recently?
Inquire: Ask the Right Questions
Once you’ve learned as much as you can about your potential new team member, it’s time to write down the questions you’ll ask to determine whether this person will be a good fit. You’re probably thinking, "Does it really matter for this person to be a good fit if the work will be performed remotely?" The answer is a resounding yes.
The person(s) you hire will be entrusted to write content on behalf of your organization. Whatever they write is an extension of your company’s brand. In addition, you will have to work with them throughout the life cycle of the project. Assigning the project to a new writer half-way through its life cycle costs money, not to mention time. Therefore, you want to hire the right person from the outset.
Questions to consider asking include:
Will you be available to communicate with us during our core business hours?
How far in advance do we need to contact you for a new assignment?
How do you prepare for a new assignment on a subject you’ve never written about before?
Are you comfortable interviewing subject-matter experts or reaching out to individuals you don’t know for an interview?
Have you worked on assignments with clients from beginning to end (i.e., are you part of the project’s planning stages or are assignments typically given to you)?
Are you comfortable writing about highly technical topics with little to no knowledge on the subject?
How do you prefer to receive feedback — via phone, email or both?
What is your fee? Is it per project (highly recommended), an hourly rate, per page or per word?
How many rounds of revisions are included with your rate/fee? (I recommend that freelance writers include at least two rounds of major revisions as part of the rate/fee.)
Are you currently working for any of our competitors?
Are you comfortable accepting feedback from different reviewers? How do you handle conflicting opinions from multiple reviewers?
Inventory: Perform a Needs Assessment
As important as it is to understand a freelancer’s writing range and skill level, it is also important to identify the types of content you need. If the potential candidate is an award-winning magazine writer, they may not be too thrilled in writing tweets or how-to listicles to feed your daily content pipeline. Similarly, if their work consists mostly of writing technical manuals, they may have a hard time writing highly engaging lifestyle pieces or blog posts on the latest fashion trends.
In other words, it is important to understand what your writing needs and content gaps are before you begin searching for a freelance writer. This will help you identify the right candidate before you interview them.
Once you know the types of content (articles, white papers, blogs, etc.) you need and the frequency of these assignments, you must be upfront during the interview process. Finally, if you decide to contract several freelance writers, it is always a good idea to match each writing assignment with the best writer based on their likes, expertise on the subject or industry, and research aptitude.
Bottom Line
Freelance writers can become great additions to your team. Not only can they help you fill much-needed content gaps, they can do so without the added costs of a full-time employee. And if the relationship doesn’t work out, you can always end it once a project is done. With that said, it is important to hire the right person for the job. The right freelance writer is not just someone who can produce great content but is also the right fit for you and your team.
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