When most people think about the gig economy, they automatically think of the worker side of the business—the people who decided to forego traditional hours in an 8-to-5 office in favor of free schedules and the ability to define the type of work they do (or refuse to do, as the case may be).
There are two sides of the coin, however. Freelance content writers are providing a service to small businesses, marketing agencies, and corporations around the globe. There’s a symbiotic relationship between freelance writers and their clients in the gig economy. Today’s freelance writers are highly educated folks who come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Some have post-graduate degrees. Others have served roles in the corporate world or have substantial life experiences that bolster their ability to relate their clients’ words to the world.
All of them are professionals who are running their own businesses.
So, how do marketers benefit from freelancers in this gig economy? Let’s take a look!
1. Freelancers Save Marketers Money
A lot of people don’t realize the amount of money a single person on payroll actually costs a company. Generally speaking, employers are actually spending between 25% and 40% more than they’re paying the employee to accommodate that person’s paycheck. Using real numbers, an employee who makes $50,000 is actually costing the company between $62,500 and $70,000 annually.
Where’s all that money going and how do freelancers free up this cash within companies’ walls?
- Taxes & Benefits. This is a huge chunk of money that businesses don’t have to pay when they outsource to freelance talent. As an employer, you have to pay FICA taxes; when you use freelancers, they’re responsible for these payments themselves. Workman’s comp, healthcare benefits, and various insurance costs are also eliminated when you aren’t using in-house employees.
- Office Space & Equipment. You don’t have to worry about finding a place to put your freelancer, nor are the upgrades and maintenance on their office equipment your responsibility. Little things like office chairs, headsets, and staplers can add up quickly.
According to a recent study conducted by Kelly Services, “Of those [talent managers] engaging gig economy workers, 43% experience at least a 20% labor cost savings.”
2. Freelancers Fill Skills Gaps
Full-time employees have a tendency to become complacent in terms of honing their skills and keeping up with continuing education. Freelance content marketers, on the other hand, are constantly learning the ways of their world. They invest in personal development because they know proactivity can mean the difference between meeting a paycheck and falling short.
Because more than 90% of remote workers plan to continue working remotely for the rest of their careers, according to a study by Buffer, marketers have access to a vast array of people who take their roles as freelancers quite seriously. When you have thousands of highly skilled workers to choose from, you don’t have to settle on the skills your in-house team can provide. You can expand your creative team and capture new ideas in ways that can’t be done in a static environment where everyone is cut from the same cloth.
3. Freelancers Are Perfect for Seasonal Fluctuations
With the ebbs and flows of business needs—combined with an uncertain state of the economy—it doesn’t make sense to incur the costs associated with onboarding a new full-time employee unless you absolutely see that role as an essential part of your company indefinitely.
Freelancers take that fear away. If you have urgent needs or suddenly get hit with a load of work your in-house team can’t handle, freelancers are happy to help. Given the number of people participating in the gig economy increases every day, you’ll always have someone who can jump in and lend a hand. This is one reason it’s helpful to build a team of your favorite freelancers ahead of time; that way, you’ll know you have a team of content marketers you can trust to get you through.
WriterAccess is a marketplace filled with highly skilled writers from all sorts of backgrounds. Whether you need a long-term writer for an ongoing project, or you just need help creating a single web page, there’s someone here who will fit exactly what you’re looking for. Find out how it works today!
Kristin B is interested in anything that teaches her something new or gives her a different perspective on something she already knew. She’s a self-proclaimed Learn Nerd, which means the world is her educational oyster, and she’s always seeking opportunities to learn from life’s experiences and her clients’ assignments.
