If you’re a marketing director whose main task is outsourcing your company’s content writing, start by listing the reasons for this decision and what you hope to gain from it. Once you have a clear vision, you can shift your focus to what you should and should not do when working with content writers.
Do’s
The Internet, local colleges and newspapers, and word-of-mouth advertising can bring dozens of available writers your way. These tips will help you narrow the list of candidates:
- Look for a freelance content writer who shows curiosity about the topic as well as your company. This shows a willingness to dig in and research.
- Ask for examples of how the candidate met tight deadlines in the past. You’re outsourcing because you have trouble meeting deadlines yourself, so this one is especially important.
- Ask for a writing sample that demonstrates technical proficiency along with an excellent command of spelling, grammar, and the English language.
- Agree on payment terms early in the process. Paying by the piece is most common in freelance writing, while hourly rates are much less popular.
- Be sure to speak to references, even if they don’t represent the same industry.
Don’t’s
- Working without a contract is just asking for trouble. A contract defines compensation, deadlines, confidentiality, re-write expectations, and much more. One benefit of working through a writing broker is that the company creates and enforces the contract on both sides.
- Not defining your expectations clearly can result in receiving work you don’t want to publish. Although it takes extra effort, clear communication for the duration of the project is essential for its success.
About the author
Lisa K. is an experienced online copywriter with six years of full-time experience. She has successfully completed thousands of articles in that time in dozens of different categories. Lisa enjoys building relationships with clients and surpassing their expectations for content creation.
