Why hire a freelance writer?

Here are the top 7 reasons why hiring a freelance writer is a good idea for your business.

1. Specialized skillset

There’s a popular notion that anyone with basic knowledge of the English language can write. You may even think to yourself, “My grammar’s not bad, how hard can it be to write a few pieces of content?”

The truth is, a qualified writer will have certain skillsets gained from years of writing experience. Here are some of the skills you can expect from a qualified freelance writer:

• Proper grammar and sentence structure
• Writing in a tone of voice suitable for your audience
• Ensuring a good flow to your article
• Understanding tactics to engage readers
• Research skills
• Crafting headlines that readers will want to click
• Avoiding fluff

If your car is damaged, you’d want an experienced mechanic with a particular set of skills to work on your vehicle.

The same goes for writing. If you truly value your business, you’d entrust it to a professional writer to get the job done right.

2. More cost-effective

Small businesses are looking to cut costs every chance they get. They simply don’t have millions of dollars to burn through on items that don’t provide business value.

Compared to an ad agency, a freelance writer has minimal overhead costs. They don’t need to pay staff salaries, commercial rent, or benefit payments. Freelance writers pass on these savings to their clients through lower freelance rates.

Moreover, you are not obligated to commit yourself to a large package typically offered by ad agencies. Sometimes these large packages contain services that wouldn’t necessarily benefit a small business. A freelancer can offer you a light-weight solution, catered towards your budget.

3. Faster turnaround times

Often, ad agencies will have large volumes of orders piling up. Each piece of content will also likely require to go through various chains of command within the agency. As a result, it can take a long time before you see even the first draft of your content.

Because freelancers tend to work with a select few clients, the turnaround time can be much quicker. There is less red-tape with a freelancer, allowing for a more streamlined process.

4. Direct communication

In ad agencies, it’s common for the client to speak with a project manager rather than directly with the writer. Messages can get lost in translation when communication channels are not entirely open. 

Working with a freelance writer allows for a direct line of communication between the client and the writer. Problems, edits, and additions can be made much more easily when communication is not filtered through a middleman.

5. Increase website rankings

Not only is it important to write for your target audience, writing for search engines can be equally as important.

A freelance copywriter specializing in SEO can effectively format and write content that helps your site gain organic traffic.

They’ll take into account SEO factors such as:

• Title tags
• H1/H2 headings
• Keyword usage
• URL optimization
• LSI keywords
• Inbound/outbound links
• Alt text for images

There’s no point spending time and effort developing the highest-quality content on the Internet if no one can actually find it.

6. Personalized service

Working with an ad or content agency can often feel like you’re just another one of their many customers. It’s easy for agencies to prioritize high-profile clients, paying less attention to the smaller jobs.

Hiring a freelance writer is different. Since freelance writers are always on the hunt for clients, they have the incentive to produce the highest quality content possible. Even if there is no further work available, a positive referral or testimonial is extremely valuable for a freelance writer’s business.

The benefit of hiring a freelance writer is you’ll gain a more personalized or customer-oriented relationship, rather than just a mere transactional one.  

7. Growing with your company

Another reason why you should hire a freelance writer is so they can grow with your company.

As a freelance writer works with you, they’ll continually gain knowledge of the varying aspects of your business. This benefits you, as content becomes more fine-tuned to the company voice and brand. You’ll start to develop trust with each other as time goes on. 

An ad or content agency may have high turnover in writers, which can affect the consistency of writing quality. With a freelance content writer, you work with the same writer from start to finish.  

What are some other options?

When coming up with content, there are other options besides hiring a freelance writer. Here are the common alternatives:

• Content mills: It may be tempting to order content off content mills. Typically content mills let you order content in bulk at very low prices. However, you get what you pay for. Content is fairly generic, and the quality can be spotty at best. 
• Freelance sites: Sites like Upwork and Fiverr are popular platforms where you can hire freelancers. Payment and transactions are all made through these platforms, so it’s fairly safe. Again, issues of quality and workmanship can be an issue with these freelance sites. Ensure you do your research and go over past reviews when hiring a freelance writer on freelance platforms. 
• Hiring in-house: You could also hire a writer in-house for your business. This gives you the advantage of training and developing a consistent voice for all your content pieces. Be prepared to pay, though, as you’ll need to account for a salary, benefits, office space, and other staff-related expenses.
• Ad agencies: Ad agencies offer the full suite of content marketing services. They typically have teams of project managers, writers, and consultants. While services can be of high-caliber, you’ll typically pay much higher prices for their packages. With all the processes and red tape, working with ad agencies can sometimes be cumbersome – especially when all you require is simple writing services.