Once you’ve made the wise decision to hire freelance bloggers for your website, the question remains: how do you figure out which one to choose? Whether you choose a single writer or a whole team to write your blog posts, you’ll be able to vet a freelance writer in five easy steps with these tips.
1. Look at their profile picture.
The writer’s profile picture should be professional and clear. Be careful not to be swayed by good looks or bad looks. Writers aren’t valued for their dimples, full heads of hair, or sparkling blue eyes. You want a writer who exhibits maturity by using a photo that depicts them as a professional.
2. Scan their profile page.
The writer’s profile page should be entirely free of grammatical errors. Writers can update their profile page from now to eternity, so they’ve had plenty of time to get the grammar perfect. If it isn’t, you can bet dollars to donuts that the same kinds of errors will show up in your blog posts.
3. Look for relevance.
If you’re hiring someone to write about home remodeling, and the writer you’re considering is, for example, a youngish college student, be careful. Though they may indeed have some knowledge of construction, it’s not as likely as in a middle-aged man or woman who probably owns their own home. If you really like the profile of a writer, but you’re not convinced they have adequate knowledge of the subject matter, send them an email and ask about it.
4. Give the benefit of the doubt.
Many writers are knowledgeable about different subject areas because they are curious people and because they enjoy research. If a writer has applied to write your blog posts that you don’t think would know anything about the subject, give them the benefit of the doubt – they may surprise you. Again, you can always send them an email and confirm that they feel confident they can cover the subject matter.
5. Test them out.
Finally, give your new writer a test assignment. Ask them to write a shorter piece that will cost you less money, instead of having them do a 1000-word blog post right away. Assign them a 200-word post and this will show you what they’re made of. You’ll be able to judge how well they meet deadlines, what the tone of their writing is, and how well they follow your instructions. If you like what they do, you can use them for longer assignments, in the future.
Once you find a freelance writer that you like, hang on to them. Even though it may seem like there are a thousand writers for every client, there are only a few that will be the perfect match for your needs.
Kate S is one of those writers who knows a little about a lot of things because when she’s not writing, she’s reading.
