![\"how](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Hiring-Freealncer-Talent_Boost-Business.png\")
<\/h2>\nPicture this. You\u2019ve spent a year executing your content strategy, and it\u2019s working. Blog traffic has grown and a recent ebook you published resulted in hundreds of new leads.<\/p>\n
Sound impossible? It\u2019s not. It\u2019s happening for brands that leverage freelance talent to improve and grow their content creation efforts.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s nearly impossible to strategize and create great content at scale while juggling distribution, analytics, email marketing, social media, and so many other tasks. Freelancers can revolutionize the way you create content. These outsourced specialists allow you to produce more and better content, saving your business both time and money.<\/p>\n
This article will break down how to find the best freelancers to match your needs and budget. Then, it will cover how to successfully work with and manage them to ensure the success of your content creation.<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\nMost marketers understand the benefits of having brand content. It builds trust with audiences, nurtures sales leads, and boosts your brand authority. Yet just because you write content doesn\u2019t make it engaging and conversion-driving.<\/p>\n
So, how can you create high-quality content that builds brand awareness, brings in new leads, and solves customers\u2019 problems? That\u2019s where freelancers come in.<\/p>\n
Freelancers can help your business in the following ways:<\/p>\n
You might find yourself dedicating a little bit of time to all your tasks, rather than going deep to make sure they\u2019re done right. Freelancers can take work off your plate so you can focus on things you need to do \u2014 or better yet \u2014 are passionate about.<\/p>\n
Hire freelancers<\/a> to complement what you\u2019re already working on. Good ones can find ways to help you before you even realize it. They increase efficiency and offer guidance on how to optimize what you\u2019re already working on.<\/p>\n Some of the most common projects you can outsource to freelancers are:<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019re not an expert in everything. Sometimes it’s easier and more cost-effective to outsource your content to someone who is. The right freelancer can bring specialized expertise to the subject you’re writing about. That can ensure you create content that builds your brand’s authority and thought leadership.<\/p>\n Some freelancer rates may look daunting. And you may not be sure you have that kind of budget. Here\u2019s the thing: Freelancers are a lot cheaper than full-time employees.\u00a0<\/em>If your company hires someone full-time, they\u2019re not only responsible for a salary but also taxes and benefits.<\/p>\n The beauty of freelancers, from niche copywriters to book cover designers<\/a>, is you use them whenever you need them. Dole work out as needed in an \u00e0 la carte fashion. It can save your brand a lot of money, as opposed to keeping someone on a full-time salary<\/p>\n Having to “prove” themselves to new clients helps freelancers produce their best work on a regular basis. “[It] encourages me to stay on top of my game, fresh and tuned in to what\u2019s going on in the digital world,” says freelancer Sarah Petraglia.<\/p>\n Freelancer James Durston<\/a> also remarks:<\/p>\n \u201cThe freelance marketplace is, by its very nature, highly competitive. Freelancers are constantly in fear of losing out on jobs and income to other freelancers. They have to pitch for every job with no guarantee of the outcome, and even once they win an assignment, often have few resources should the client pay late, not pay at all or ghost them. All this means is that freelancers are incentivized to do as good a job as they can, each and every time. Compare this to the employee, who gets paid, often much better than a freelancer, at the end of every month no matter how much or how well or how badly they did.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n As of right now, there are 73.3 million freelancers<\/a> in the U.S., believe it or not. But just because there are a lot of freelancers doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re all good. How do you sift through the masses \u2014 and the freelance marketplaces<\/a> \u2014 to find those \u201cgolden creators\u201d? The first thing to do is start by knowing what you want\u2026<\/p>\n Freelancer writers all write, sure, but they specialize in specific areas. Figure out what your real needs are in the content production cycle. Do you need help with blog creation, management, promotion, or editing?<\/p>\n These are a few of the different types of freelance talent<\/a> out there who have varying abilities:<\/p>\n Many brands are happy to hire someone green as long as they\u2019re good with words. These freelancers are less expensive but require more time training.<\/p>\n Answering these questions will help you determine what level of expertise to hire:<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve determined the type of freelance writer you need, it\u2019s time to find them. These are common routes to source freelancers:<\/p>\n Ask colleagues, business acquaintances, and existing contractors for referrals. This might be a shot in the dark, but referrals are always a golden source. Be specific about what and who you need during the ask.<\/p>\n Look at who\u2019s writing on your favorite industry blogs and assess which voices you like. Many blog posts are written by freelance writers, and with a quick search, you can find them and contact them directly.<\/p>\n Job boards are a total mixed bag. Although they can help you source a large number of writers, you may have to do some serious digging. If you’re taking this approach, you have to be willing to sift through the less-than-desirable writers to find the good ones. And even then, you won’t a have platform where you can collaborate together.<\/p>\n If you want to skip all that legwork, feel free to use our Talent Network<\/a>. With it, we can match you with the talent that’s exactly the right fit for what you need. You can even go a step further and use our managed content creation services<\/a>. That’s where we build fully managed freelance teams to help you simplify and scale your content creation all in one platform.<\/p>\n Many in-house marketers know they need help, but they\u2019re not sure where freelancers fit into the mix.<\/p>\n Follow these steps to properly vet freelancer talent:<\/p>\n Any freelance writer who\u2019s worth hiring will have published work online. Read their content to get a good idea of their style, what industries they write about, if their content is easy to read, and if you like their voice. Reading their previously published work will help you figure out if they\u2019re worth contacting.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve created a ClearVoice account, check freelancers out in the Talent Network. If you\u2019re looking at hiring a particular freelancer, plug their name in. You\u2019ll find a CV Portfolio for the freelancer, and see samples of their published work and specialties. You can also search by content type, subject, and role.<\/p>\n Although a freelancer will have published work online, they may have additional ghostwritten pieces or other relevant samples to show. You can always ask them for specific samples, such as ones from your industry or directed at your target audience.<\/p>\n While you don\u2019t have to Facebook-friend a potential freelance writer, it\u2019s a good idea to check out their social profiles, especially on LinkedIn. You can sense their level of professionalism and read up on what they\u2019re passionate about. You can also view their recommendations, endorsements, and clients listed on social profiles.<\/p>\n Ask freelancers to complete an assignment and see how they do. And, yes, the assignment should be paid.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re interviewing a freelancer, make sure you have answers to the following questions to gather intelligence on their strengths and weaknesses:<\/p>\n How can you effectively budget for freelance writers? First, you need to figure out how they charge and then balance what you want with what you can afford.<\/p>\n Some freelancers prefer to charge by the project, while others charge by the hour or word.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also pay more depending on what you want. If you need a freelancer to do heavy research, conduct interviews, provide supporting images, or additional time-consuming tasks<\/a>, be prepared to shell out more cash. There are additional variables that determine pay. Will the freelancer turn in clean drafts that barely need edits? Will the freelancer share the finished product on their social channels? Is it ghostwritten or bylined? This all has an impact.<\/p>\n In general, there are two guiding principles when it comes to paying top-tier freelancers here:<\/p>\n As you\u2019re searching for freelance writers, remember that if you want content that shines, you should invest in writers who have the experience and writing skills you need.<\/p>\n If you want to find someone who can write an article for cheap, you can find them, but you\u2019re likely to spend a long time editing their work, and they\u2019re unlikely to have any clout on social media.<\/p>\n When freelance rates seem expensive, check yourself. How much would you be paying a full-time employee? Remember what we stated above \u2014 your company is not on the hook for providing benefits or long-term work.<\/p>\n When you see freelance writing rates, you might be surprised at the expense, but these writers can provide a ton of value to your business. Their ability to write well \u2014 and to your audience \u2014 can make your content shine and end up saving you money in the long run.<\/p>\n Long story short, invest in good talent.<\/p>\n If the marketing budget has already been allocated, and there isn\u2019t a huge amount of room for content marketing, you\u2019ll have to go lean. But fear not \u2014 you can accomplish a lot with a small budget.<\/p>\n First, strategize. Successful teams have their plans written down, even if it\u2019s a one-person team on a small budget.<\/p>\n Then, figure out what you can get from your budget. If you only have $1,000 to spend each month, your freelancers can offer ideas on how to best optimize that spend.<\/p>\n The best freelancers are not ones you hire for a project, only to say goodbye when it\u2019s complete. When you work with regular freelancers<\/a>, they will know your brand inside and out \u2014 and feel like a part of your team. Yet, you don\u2019t get these kinds of freelancers unless you\u2019re deliberate about how you work with them.<\/p>\n Here are a few tips to forge successful freelancer relationships<\/a>:<\/p>\n Be careful about how you onboard freelancers. Give them an editorial style guide, take the time to create assignment briefs, and have a process in place for effective communication.<\/p>\n Sometimes, marketers don\u2019t want to hire freelancers because they feel it will be impossible to get them up to speed. But you don\u2019t have to spend a lot of your precious time trying to onboard freelancers. Instead, develop a style guide to pass off to any new freelancer.<\/p>\n It will help them understand your expectations, editorial tone, audience, grammatical nuances and goals.<\/p>\n [Get more tips on what to include in your style guide from Content Marketing Institute<\/a>.]<\/p>\n The freelancer works for you, so it\u2019s your job to set expectations around what you want. Are you flexible or rigid on due dates? Do you expect to hire the freelancer for one project, or do you have ongoing work for them?<\/p>\n Just because freelancers don\u2019t work in your office doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t want a lasting relationship. In fact, freelancers are much more motivated when they feel connected to the teams they\u2019re working with.<\/p>\n Freelancers want to feel valued and respected. If you start treating them as though they are suppliers, they will quickly begin to feel undervalued and overworked.<\/p>\n No one should be trying to manage content creation<\/a> and distribution via email and Google or Word docs. It\u2019s a poor, antiquated system compared to what\u2019s available today. It\u2019s unwieldy and clumsy, and you can\u2019t grow at scale. With a content marketing platform, you can scale any content initiative with ease and collaborate with the world\u2019s top freelancers.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re happy with a freelancer\u2019s work, make sure to tell them. You may be a great client to work with, but most freelancers have seen their fair share of difficult people. If things aren\u2019t going well, you need to be honest and straightforward.<\/p>\n Most freelancers are open and accepting of edits. Even so, sometimes editors change really minor things, send it back for reviews, and then do it again and again. The process takes forever. It\u2019s always better to simply fix small things yourself and use a platform that easily allows you to collaborate and track edits.<\/p>\n As an in-house marketer, you have a lot of responsibilities. The good news is you don’t have to do it all yourself. Freelancers can offer a hand when you need it most, and their individual expertise can shape your content. We should know \u2014 we\u2019ve built our entire company around connecting freelancers with people like you.<\/p>\n Discover our solutions<\/a> or connect with a specialist<\/a> to learn how we can help you harness the power of freelancers to take your content creation and production to the next level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Freelancers can revolutionize the way you create content. Read our ultimate guide to finding, hiring and working with the best freelance talent to get started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":51278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[147,145,146],"ppma_author":[207],"class_list":["post-42190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-content-outsourcing","tag-freelancing","tag-hiring-freelancers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
2. They offer the expertise you don\u2019t have<\/h3>\n
3. They are more economical than full-time employees<\/h3>\n
4. They are the cream of the crop<\/h3>\n
How to Find the Right Type of Freelancer<\/h2>\n
1. First, know what you want<\/h3>\n
2. Discern what type of content needs to be produced<\/h3>\n
![\"Why](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Hiring-Freealncer-Talent_ss1.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Why](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Hiring-Freealncer-Talent_ss2.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Why](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Hiring-Freealncer-Talent_ss3.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Decide what level you are comfortable with<\/h3>\n
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Where to Find Freelancer Writers<\/h2>\n
1. Ask for referrals.<\/h3>\n
2. Read your favorite blogs and approach writers directly.<\/h3>\n
3. Post within vetted talent networks instead of job boards for randos.<\/h3>\n
![\"Get](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Hiring-Freealncer-Talent_Know.png\")
<\/h2>\nGet to Know Your Freelancers<\/h2>\n
1. Read their previously published work<\/h3>\n
2. Check them out on social<\/h3>\n
3. Pay for a trial piece<\/h3>\n
4. Interview them<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"budgeting](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Hiring-Freealncer-Talent_Budget.png\")
<\/h2>\nBudgeting for Freelancers<\/h2>\n
How do freelancers typically charge?<\/h3>\n
Are expensive freelancers really worth it?<\/h2>\n
1. You get what you pay for<\/h3>\n
2. Hiring (even expensive) freelancers is almost always cheaper than hiring an in-house employee<\/h3>\n
What if You Don’t Have a Large Budget?<\/h2>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Hiring-Freealncer-Talent_Success.png\")
<\/p>\nHow to Successfully Work with Freelancers<\/h2>\n
1. Get them up to speed<\/h3>\n
How to create an editorial style guide:<\/h4>\n
Your style guide should include:<\/h4>\n
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2. Set your expectations<\/h3>\n
3. Understand what freelancers want from you<\/h3>\n
4. Use a platform for communication<\/h3>\n
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5. Learn how to deal with freelancer feedback, edits and revisions<\/h3>\n
Time to Level Up<\/h2>\n