First time hiring a freelance writer? Look for these 5 things...

Are you thinking of hiring a freelance writer to help lighten the workload? Excellent decision, my friend. You won’t regret it!

In the interest of helping you a) find the perfect writer for the job and b) make the process quick and smooth, I thought I’d throw down some guidelines. Here’s everything you’ll need before you start looking, and 5 key things to factor into your search.

Let’s get into it…

What you’ll need before you start

Budget
Before you start trawling the web for a freelance writer, it's handy for you to have a firm grasp on your numbers. How much budget do you have to spend on the work, and what's the top-end fee you'd be willing to pay?

Brief
Your prospective freelancer will almost certainly ask you about the job's particulars during your chemistry call (we can't quote for the work without details!). Any client missing this key info will likely be asked to return when they have a brief and are ready to start work.

Info on the target customer
“We’re targeting Millennial women who like sports” isn’t enough info, baby girl. We need actual data on your actual customers! This includes their fave products, buying habits, other brands they like, how they prefer to engage with you, what their major pain points are and what they like about you.

Brand guidelines
Your writer will want a copy of your brand guidelines before they start work. It’s essential for slipping into the brand voice, targeting the customer, and creating something that aligns with your values and proposition.

What to look for when hiring a freelance writer

1) Specialism
Freelance writers come in all flavours, so use that to your advantage! Are you happy to work with a generalist (someone who writes for all sectors/formats/industries), or do you want a specialist?

If you see a writer online and like the cut of their jib, drop by their site and check whether or not they actually work with clients in your field before you reach out. It’s a fab way to show attention to detail and exercise due diligence — your freelancer is assessing you, too, ya know!

2) Browse their portfolio
Found a freelancer you kinda like? Fab. Pop over to their portfolio and browse their work before you reach out. Look for examples of past work that mirrors what you’ll be briefing.

It’s also worth noting that much of a freelance writer’s work will be under NDA or not shared publicly. If you’d like examples outside of those on display, pop ‘em a quick email and ask!

3) Mooch their ‘About’ page
You can get the measure of a freelance writer based on their website’s ‘about’ page. Many writers will use it to dish deets on their qualifications, ethos, experience, and values, which makes it a hell of a lot easier to tell whether they’re a fit for you/your team.

4) Check for listed rates, packages, or prices
Are you building a shortlist of writers to present to a marketing manager or higher-up? Check for a rates page, pal! Many freelancers publish ballpark example rates online to help potential clients qualify us for a job.

5) Are their terms and processes a match?
This is kinda rare, but it's worth looking for! Some freelance writers include details on their process or their T&Cs on their site. Much like the rates page, it’s a fab way for writers like moi to set expectations for potential clients.

Hope that helped, chief! Go forth and approach your freelance writer with all the confidence of someone with expert guidance up their sleeve.

Been romanced by the quality of my writing? You wouldn’t be the first, hun 😉
Drop me a message, and let’s see if I’m the writer for you!

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