Are you thinking of hiring a freelance writer to help develop and grow your business blog?
You know that content marketing works, right?
Yes, you do.
To get content that will engage and inform your audience, you need to know how to hire a freelance writer.
Hiring a freelance writer is a laudable action as it will help you create engaging and shareable content for your audience continuously. HubSpot report revealed that publishing 16+ blog posts per month get 3.5x more traffic than those that post four or fewer posts per month.
This implies that the more you blog, the more your business and customer grows.
I will share with you from my 8 years of experience as a freelance writer.
Are you ready to learn the things you need to know before hiring a freelance writer for your blog?
Let’s get started.
1. Don’t hire content writers from content mills
Content mills are platforms that allow you to employ writers to work for you. Examples include Freelancer.com, Fiverr and Upwork.
At the beginning of my writing career, I worked for clients on content mills when I started out newly. I can reliably inform you that the content you will get from writers on the platforms is not high quality. After I stopped working on content mills; I had to learn how to write high quality, SEO centered and engaging content.
The quality of content on content mills is low, hence it is cheap. The low budget may entice you, but the content you will get will tank on your website. It will not give you the ROI you want.
If you are looking forward to hiring a freelance writer, you will want to avoid content mills.
2. Prepare a sizeable budget
One thing that can hinder you from hiring a freelance writer that will produce engaging and quality content for your blog is the size of your budget. Like I said above, you can get cheap writers on content mills but the content is not worth it. It is like throwing your money into a rat hole. Sure you wouldn’t want to do that.
Professional Freelance writers charge more than the writers on content mills because of their skills, experience, and insight in the niche. Therefore, prepare a good budget so you can get the best quality content that will drive traffic and also help you win customers.
Since you are not hiring a freelance writer from content mills, where will you get the best freelance writers for your blog?
3. How to find freelance writers
Professional Freelance writers are difficult to find. But, there are some places they hang out depending on the niche. For instance, you can find business writers on LinkedIn, Google plus and Facebook. Fashion writers or photo savvy writers are prominent on Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. If you want someone that can build relationships with a crowd, checking out Facebook and Twitter. If you need an activist, Google Plus and Twitter are your best bet.
Apart from social media networks, you can find freelance writers on Google. Just type your niche + freelance writer. For example, if you are looking for a Saas writer, type SaaS + writers and you will see them.
The third place you can find freelance writers is on Problogger. It is an old blog platform that has a job section. Lots of freelance writers search the job board daily for jobs. I also use it to find freelance writing jobs too.
Last, you can ask your friends in the industry for referrals. I get referrals from my clients regularly. Ask your friends for help to hire a freelance writer for your blog. It is one of the best ways to find freelance writers.
4. Draft content writer interview questions
After you find freelance writers, interview them before you hire. Don’t just pick anyone, sift through the list and interview them to get the best. Below are 10 interview questions you can use.
10 popular content writer interview questions
- What makes up a good web content?
- How do you know the target audience of a blog/website?
- How will you pick a topic for a blog post?
- Do you know anything about SEO? How do you create SEO content?
- What content management systems (CMS) do you use?
- What are the steps you follow to create a blog post?
- How do you promote content after it is published?
- Can you measure the performance of your content?
- What is unique about your writing style?
- Why do you want to write for us?
5. Ensure the freelance writer understands your niche
Ensure that the freelance writer for hire understands your niche. It is very important because it will be easy for the writer to create quality and engaging content. Therefore, you need to search for writers in your niche. They are experienced and know what works for blogs in your niche. Alternatively, you can ask them for samples. Check and see if they are knowledgeable enough to write for your niche. You can also ask for a paid sample to be sure you are working with a professional freelance writer.
6. Clarify your expectations when hiring a freelance writer
Clarifying your expectations for a freelance writer you want to hire is an important process. If you need them to generate ideas for your blog, let them know. If you want them to share and promote the content on their social media channels, tell them. Don’t expect them to know what you want. It is difficult to read minds.
7. Hire a freelance writer that is committed
You need to publish content consistently on your blog or website to generate a good ROI. This is where you need a dedicated and committed freelance writer for your blog. Don’t hire a freelance writer that cannot commit to the time, they will slow down your progress. Go for hardworking and committed writers.
Conclusion
Above are what you need to know before you hire a freelance writer. They are very important. However, if you are looking for a freelance writer that possess all the above qualities and many more, contact me at hephzy@iamladywriter.com, you will get the best quality content at affordable prices.
