Content is the lifeblood of the internet, and without good content, it’s pretty much impossible to succeed. However, many newcomers end up making crucial mistakes when it comes to hiring a freelance writer or content provider. In this article, we’re going to give you a few essential tips that will allow you to find the perfect content provider for your needs.
Know Your Expectations
Before you even start searching for a content provider, it’s essential that you have a clear set of expectations in place. You have to understand the scope of your project and be able to convey it to your writer. You have to convey things like time for completion, total word count, which keywords have to be used and with what frequency, the use of images, so on and so forth.
You also have to establish the tone you would prefer for the article. Some people prefer a lighthearted, friendly style over a more clinical one with references and statistics.
Once your writer gets the full picture, he will be able to establish a time frame for completion, come up with a variety of topics, choose the right approach for the content and come up with a price quote.
Look at the Writer’s Published Content
This is one of the best ways to know what to expect from a writer or content provider as far as quality goes. If you’re dealing with a single writer, ask for samples and examples of published work. If you’re working with an agency, ask for work from their best writers. You’ll be able to check out their style and the tone used and make your pick amongst the writers on their team.
Also, if you find a freelance writer that you like who doesn’t have experience in your particular field, don’t cross them out. They might be able to provide stellar work even if it’s their first time writing on the subject.
Also, if you see a particular piece of content that you like, you can always contact the writer and see if they would be interested in working for you. In most cases, writers will be more than happy to write for new clients as long as they’re ready to meet their requirements.
Check Social Proof
Another thing you have to look at is the writer’s reputation. Most writers will provide a way to check their reputation, whether it’s their rating on a freelance site, testimonials on their webpage, or comments on their Facebook page. Either way, make sure that you check what other people had to say about them and don’t be afraid to ask for references.
Try to Get Around High Ghostwriter Fees with Bylines
Ghostwriters allow you to take the content they write for you, and put your name on it. In other words, they are the ones building your brand and establishing your name as an authority. And for their services, they like to be rewarded. However, by allowing writers to include their bylines in the article, you might be able to haggle for a lower price.
Understand Exactly What a Freelance Writer is
Surprisingly, many business owners still don’t understand fully what a freelancer is. Many people confuse freelance writers with copywriters and think that any freelance writers can devise a slogan, advertising campaign or sales page for them. But most freelance writers stick to what they do best, and that is writing content that will be published. The same goes with content writers. Many freelance writers do not write web content for websites and stick to articles only. Some will provide web content, but for a higher fee, so you’ll have to watch out for that.
Establish Clear Lines of Communication
When working with a freelance writer, it’s important to establish clear lines of communication between the two of you and be able to reciprocate. Many people make the mistake of being too vague with their information, which leaves the writers confused as to what they really want. And often, once the work is delivered, it isn’t up to their expectations because certain details were omitted. The better the communication between the two of you, the better the chances of you getting exactly what you want.
You also have to follow through with payments and not stall when it’s time to pay. The vast majority of writers will ask for some sort of upfront payment, so be ready for that. But if the writer was kind enough to allow you to pay after completion, return the favor by paying without reasonable delays.
You should also check how fast the writer responds to your queries and how available they are. You’ll have to be able to contact your favorite writer easily and they should be consistent with their responses. Anything over 24 hours for a response should be a red flag. You never know when you might have to make last minute modifications or want to add extra elements into the text. A good writer should be able to answer your questions quickly and be consistent with response times.
Don’t Be Afraid Pay a Little More
Some clients may have unrealistic expectations as to what they should pay for quality content. Some will ask for an article complete with statistics, images and editorial quality for a cent per word. Sure, there are writers out there that will can deliver content at this price, but more often than not, the quality will suffer. So, if you’re really serious about your business and want top notch content, don’t be afraid to pay a little more for quality.
Conclusion
Finding a great freelancer or content writer is all about taking your time and doing your research. Make sure that you do your due diligence and check the writer’s reputation before you hire them. Also, take the time to check some of their samples and previous published work. Make sure you and your writer have a clear line of communication and that turnaround and payment guidelines are clearly laid out and followed through.
