When your website demands content but your payroll demands relief, the quickest solution is to hire a freelance writer. The trick is finding the expertise to match your brand voice to your budget.

1. Set expectations

The best way to hire a writer is to know what kind of content you need. Looking for weekly or monthly blogs to help your website’s SEO? Do you need multiple white papers created over the next year? Maybe you want someone to help you rewrite your company’s HR manuals?

Defining the scope of your project will help determine the skills you are looking for when hiring a freelance writer.

2. You get what you pay for

Do your research to make sure you’re paying the market value for your content. Expert freelance writers who produce well-written blogs won’t do it for $0.03 per word. At the same time, you don’t want to overpay and max out your first month budget.

Decide if you pay by the hour or by the word. If you pay by the hour, know that you will pay between $30 and $90 per hour for the work. Per word, you could start at $0.15 to $0.50 per word.

If you advertise $50 for a 1,500 word blog, you will definitely find someone willing to write it, but it may not be quality content.

3. Interview multiple authors

It’s deceptively easy to hire the first copywriter who responds to your job posting. However, your most eager candidate is not always your best. Wait until you have enough applications to interview several authors, and ask lots of questions:

• What do they like to write about?
• How much time can they dedicate?
• What is their knowledge of SEO/social networks?
• What ideas do they have of your brand?

4. Ask for references and a portfolio

If you need a health insurance writer, you hope they understand the difference between PPO insurance and HMO insurance. Similarly, a technology company needs a copywriter with knowledge of software or hardware components.

When you’re looking for an expert freelance writer, you’re already asking about their expertise and background. Go through each portfolio and remember that often freelance writers provide a lot of phantom writing, so their signatures may not appear on every article they write. This is where benchmarks allow you to ask questions about their ability to:

• Meet deadlines
• Do your own research
• Accept edit notes

5. Setting Expectations Part II

Now that you’ve hired a copywriter, set your expectations for communication, deadlines, payment, etc. Consider developing an onboarding program to help them understand your company’s products or services.

Clearly define whether you expect writers to pitch ideas or provide them with sketches. Will writers conduct interviews or receive research? Understand their preferred method of communication and set up weekly or monthly meetings to ensure you can quickly deal with any questions or issues that arise.

Hiring a freelancer can make your life easier and allow your content to sing. Set up your content writing for success with an organized process to hire the right writer.

Media Contact
Company Name: power publication
Contact person: Dan Curran
E-mail: Send an email
City: Saint Louis
State: MO
Country: United States
Website: https://powerpublish.io/