The world is full of people trying to find their perfect match, and Writer Access is no different. Entrusting your brand’s content to a total stranger is almost as scary as handing over your heart—in fact, the two tend to be pretty intertwined. Search for your freelancing soul mate the same way you’d scour the internet for the love of your life, and you just might strike gold.
Don’t Be Afraid to Swipe Left
Tinder turned up the immediacy in app-based dating by introducing the “swipe right” mentality. If you like what you see, you can show your interest with a simple flick of the finger. The pictures and profiles on WA are more professional (Thank goodness!), but the premise is the same. In your quest for the ideal content creator, you’re going to see a lot of options. Some will have killer credentials but won’t feel quite right. Others will make you laugh but have little to no expertise in your industry. Swipe left. Surf on. Keep hunting. With so many writers in the sea, there’s no reason to settle for the first fish you find.
Choose Someone Who Asks You About You
The only thing worse than a date who refuses to talk is the date who won’t shut up about themself. By the time you’ve twirled your third forkful of bucatini, you’ve heard “I” so many times, the word has lost all meaning, and you’re frantically trying to decide whether or not to fake choke on a noodle. Life is too short to be ignored, and writers who are more interested in their own credentials than in your brand’s needs aren’t going to be terribly effective. When you read through your casting-call apps, put a little star next to the ones whose curiosity is at least as strong as their pitch.
Consider Speed Dating
The whole concept of speed dating sounds like it should be accompanied by a soundtrack of circus music, but it also makes sense. Why spend an entire evening with someone who is completely incompatible when your Freelancelot could be waiting in the wings, pen in one hand and the reins to a shiny white horse in the other? Choose a handful of writers based on their profiles, and then offer each one a paid sample. That’s your speed round. Once you analyze the results, you can decide who you’d like to keep seeing one on one.
Aim for Butterflies
Sometimes romance is a slow burn, and it takes weeks or months before a connection deepens enough to make your toes tingle. Other times, you see someone’s photo or slide into their DMs and BOOM! Instant chemistry. Either way, there should eventually be fireworks. It may take awhile for your freelancer to figure out what tickles your fancy, but sooner or later you should get a flutter every time one of their submissions hits your inbox. If you’re not excited to read your newest order, why would your audience be?
Does it sound exhausting? It can be, but remember this: Content marketing is far cheaper than outbound marketing, and it generates triple the number of leads. Isn’t that reason enough to be sure your next freelancer is “the one”?
Alana L is a full-time freelancer who’s infatuated with the written word. When she’ s not dreaming up content ideas, Alana’s busy studying up on the latest trends in digital marketing, event planning, wine education, and baby wrangling.
