Ah, that old how to hire a freelance copywriter thing. Or was that a content writer? Copywriter. Content writer. What a minefield!
Perhaps you just need someone to keep your blog up to date. Maybe you need a complete refresh of your website. Although you’re not offering someone a permanent position, you still need to feel sure that the person you hire will slot into your team and do the job you’re paying them for.
1. Do you need one? Full stop.
Yes. Of course, yes! It may feel like a bit of a luxury, but your website, social channels, and any sales or marketing collateral is what you sell yourself on. So, you need someone who knows what they’re doing.
And what are they doing? Back to the old copywriting and content writing thing. There is a difference, and some writers are better suited to one form or another. The main purpose of content writing is to entertain the reader. Copywriting is designed to persuade the audience to act.
So, if you need to build engagement through blog posts and such, look for a content writer. If you need to redo your website, make sure you hire an experienced copywriter. Of course, there are wheels within wheels here, because some freelance copywriters may specialise in one thing only. Say, advertising copywriting. Others might work across different types of projects.
2. Always put SEO first.
You dream of a website that competes with the best in your sector. The way to do that is through SEO. It makes sense in that case to hire someone who knows what they’re doing. Things like training and certifications on LinkedIn are one way to assess someone’s SEO skills.
There are lots of tricks a freelance SEO content writer will use. It’s partly down to using good keyword tools. It’s also about knowing the best places to research topics. Then there are the headlines. They can be hard to pen even for the most experienced writer. But tools like CoSchedule Headline Analyser helps anyone with a brain-block nail an effective headline with a few bashes. And a good headline means more clicks, more traffic. Etc.
3. Do they have a niche, and does it fit with your brand?
Working out whether the copywriter does the sort of thing you’re after is one big step in finding the right freelancer. Some people, like me, take on a mix of content writing and copywriting projects, although I specialise in the luxury copywriting market. Even then, I don’t sign up to do things like scripts, advertising campaigns and the like.
So, the skillset is one. Niche is another. Some people write across a whole range of sectors, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. There are no rules to say that those people can’t do as good a job as someone who writes just for one industry and one industry only.
That said, sometimes you need someone who knows their stuff and can hit the ground running. Often companies who need a medical copywriter, for example, look for people who can do exactly that. Why not try the same approach for your business. Maybe you need someone who knows about luxury marketing. Or you need a beauty copywriter? Perhaps SEO content writing is your big priority.
By looking at their experience and asking big questions you can narrow this down. Like:
1. Do they have experience in your sector?
2. Do they have the skills and experience for the type of work you have?
3. Can you see samples of relevant work?
You might feel like you’re in a safer pair of hands if you choose a writer that tends to stick to a certain market because they’ll have a clearer understanding of what audiences respond to.
4. Do you like them?
It’s that simple! You might find someone with twenty years’ experience in writing for brands like yours. But if you don’t gel, you won’t enjoy the experience of working with them. And it’s important to make things in life fun where you can, right?
If you like their writing style, the way they talk with you, and they fit in with your values and vision as a company, that’s the main thing. Quickly finding your groove with someone who dips into your business for a short time, or just a few hours a month makes this point even more important.
5. Can they add value?
Being able to write nice stuff that sounds good is the priority. All the techy bells and whistles a freelance SEO content writer adds only work if the writing is high quality. Otherwise, it’d just be a keyword fest.
As with anything you outsource, looking for the added value is essential too. Lovely content and keyword research. Yes. It should be standard. But can they also help you develop content ideas and support your content strategy? Can they work as an extension of your team to understand how the content is landing, what needs to change and help you grow as a brand?
Every business is different, and of course, it doesn’t mean that you’ll want the same package of content skills and support as the other. But knowing that your freelancer can tick all boxes with the capabilities and skills to work flexibly with you is the goal.
