Content writers add incredible value to a business because they will elevate every aspect of your content. Whether it’s your website, an advert, or social media, content (together with branding) is the best chance to make an impressive first impression. But how do you know if you need a content writer? And if you do, how do you find the best content writer for your business?
Do you need a content writer?
Firstly, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you need content? This can include articles, blogs, website pages, newsletters, case studies and social media posts.
- Do you need content created regularly, or as a one-off project?
- Do you feel confident and comfortable enough to research and write the content yourself?
- Can you create enough topics and sub-topics to ensure any ongoing content is relevant and consistent?
- Can you write the content in a way that engages your target audience?
- If it’s digital content, do you have the SEO knowledge of best practices to maximise the impact of the content on your website and online visibility?
- Do you know how to repurpose content to get the most out of it?
These questions might’ve resulted in the realisation that you can create content yourself – if so, that’s great! If not, you probably need the help of a content writer. This might mean hiring someone to join your team permanently as a full-time or part-time employee if there’s a high demand for ongoing specific content. Alternatively, hiring a freelancer might be more appealing if you want flexibility and expertise.
How to find a freelance content writer
Search engine
Simply search for a freelancer writer, or content writing websites, using a search engine such as Google.
Freelance job sites
Many job sites feature freelancers for hire. Some are better than others, so it’s worth researching the site best suited to your needs. One aspect to be aware of with these sites is that sometimes the prices are too cheap to ensure high-quality work (the age-old saying applies here: “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is!”)
Word-of-mouth recommendations
Connect with your professional network, especially other business owners or marketing managers. Ask who they’ve worked with in the past and whether they’d recommend them.
Post on social media
LinkedIn is an excellent tool to ask for professional recommendations. You might be amazed by how many comments tagging brilliant writers you end up with!
Search on social media
Alternatively, you could also use social media as a search engine and look for freelance writers by using the search bar. Sticking with LinkedIn, as an example, if you search for “content writer” the results include your existing connections, suggested people and people who talk about “content writer” as a subject (in the #contentwriter hashtag).
Here’s my LinkedIn profile below as an example. This shows that I’m a published author and creative content writer. I’m based in Cumbria, UK, and am self-employed, with links to my website. It also displays my content writing services, such as writing, blogging, ghostwriting, SEO and content marketing.
What to look for in a freelance content writer
Experience
Check out their career background, their writing roles, and how long they’ve been freelancing.
References or reviews
Some freelancers might feature their reviews or testimonials on their website (take a look at my testimonials as an example of my happy clients). If they don’t include reviews, you could contact them and ask for any references.
Portfolio
Writers might have this on their website, or you could ask them for writing samples. This will give you a good idea of their experience. It’ll also be a good marker of how much they might charge, depending on their experience level.
Similar projects
If a freelance writer has worked on similar projects or with clients in a similar industry, that’s a great foundation to start.
How you can get the best out of working with a freelance content writer
Be clear about deliverables
Set out exactly what the project consists of, whether it’s a 300-word technical blog post, a 600-word magazine editorial or a bank of ideas for TikTok. The clearer you can be about what you need in terms of deliverables, the smoother your working relationship will be.
Set deadlines
This is for your benefit and the freelancer’s benefit. Setting clear deadlines ensure that everyone knows an end date they’re working towards. It leaves no room (or excuse) for freelancers to miss a deadline, helping them manage their workload. It also means you can tick the task off your list, knowing the exact date the work will be delivered.
Give feedback
Most freelancers will be open to feedback about what you did and didn’t like – especially if it’s the start of a working relationship and you might continue collaborating on future projects together.
Take feedback
On the other hand, be sure to take on board any feedback a freelancer offers. It might even help strengthen your communication or improve your processes. A freelancer is someone from the outside looking in; they might have valuable insights about your organisation from an objective perspective.
Thanks for reading, and I hope this blog helps your search for a content writer. If this blog has made you realise that perhaps I’m the freelance content writer you’re looking for, then I’d love to chat with you! Book a consultation or get in touch with me and find out more about how an experienced content writer can add value to your business.
