What You Must Know Before You Hire a Freelance Blog Writer
Are you wanting to drive traffic to your business site and generate new leads, but you simply don’t have time for blogging? If so, you might be looking to hire a freelance blog writer.
Before you do that, though, there are several important things you should know about hiring a freelance blog writer. In this article, I’ll dive into:
- Whether or not you should hire a writer
- Where to find a freelance blog writer
- Questions you should ask before hiring a freelance writer
- How to make the most of your working relationship with your writer
But first… meet Samantha.
She’s a busy stay-at-home mom who runs her own coaching business, where she helps her clients achieve their financial goals. She spends gobs of time each week serving her clients and building profitable relationships.
She works hard to bless her clients. But she also works hard to take care of her kids, cook and do laundry for her family, AND serve her local church by volunteering each week.
With all that going on in her life, here’s what Samantha doesn’t have time for: Blogging.
She feels bad about it because she knows that it’s important to blog if she wants to keep growing her business and get the word out about her services. She knows that regular, fresh content on her site is crucial for SEO, and she’s well aware that blogging is still one of the best ways to grow her brand.
But she also knows that blogging can take hours out of her week just to research and write quality posts. So what does she do?
She types “freelance blog writer” into Google and gets about 62.5 million search results. Great…
She sees thousands of freelance blog writers for hire who are advertising their services on Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer. She feels frozen and has no clue where to start.
Here’s what Samantha should consider first…
**Hey, real quick: This is a long blog post that’s chock-full of helpful information if you’re looking to hire a freelance blog writer. If you’re on the hunt for a writer, I recommend bookmarking this blog so you can refer to it later.**
Is Hiring a Freelance Blog Writer the Right Choice for Me?
Before Samantha books any discovery calls with potential blog writers, she needs to ask herself if she’s even in a position to hire someone for this task: “Should I hire a freelance blog writer?”
Here are some signs hiring a freelance blog writer is not the right choice for you:
- You’re not clear on your voice yet (or what you want it to be).
- You’re not sure you have the money to pay for quality blogs.
- You don’t have a system in place for promoting your blogs.
- You don’t have topics/direction for your potential blog writer.
Let’s dive into these one by one.
1. You don’t have a clear voice yet.
This one isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s still important.
To be able to adequately communicate to your freelance writer how to write blogs in your voice, you need to either A) have blogs you’ve written for your business in the past or B) have a clear idea of what you want your blogging voice to be.
An exception to option A is if you have a regular podcast show or video show. These still communicate your voice and opinions and can serve as a great springboard for creating quality blog posts.
The reason knowing your voice is important is that you cannot expect your blog writer to create your voice for you… because at that point, it becomes their voice, not yours.
Your business is your brand. Before you pass off your blog writing to anyone else, you need to know your audience, what they want and how they feel, and how you specifically solve their unique problem. You need to know how you talk to them.
Until you know this, your freelance blog writer won’t be much help in growing your business because your voice and objective are not clear.
2. You don’t have money to pay for quality blogs.
This is a biggie, my friend. Quality writing comes at a price. After all, it takes time and energy to research, write, edit, and optimize a quality blog post.
Many business owners looking to hire a writer often ask, “How much does a freelance blog writer charge?”
Freelance blog writer rates can go anywhere from $100 to $300 for a short blog post with some research. Or they can be as much as $400 to $2,000 per post if the blog is long-form or has more research and interviews. This depends, though, on how much time and extra work is involved in writing the article.
For instance, if writing blogs for you requires a lot of research, conducting interviews, taking photos, and the like, then you can expect to pay on the higher end of the scale. The greater the time investment, the higher the price.
Sometimes quality writers offer their services for lower prices because they’re just starting their business and are still building their portfolio. If that’s the case with a particular writer you’ve found, then you can still get fantastic blogs for a lower price.
But if you are only willing to hire someone who will write blogs for you for $25 or $30 per post, then you will very likely get subpar blogs.
Quality writing costs money. Make sure you can afford it.
3. You don’t have a content marketing system in place.
There’s no point in hiring a blog writer if you have no system in place to strategically promote this content.
That’s why every single business owner should have a content marketing strategy in place.
Click here to learn what a content marketing strategy is and how to implement one that works for you!
In a nutshell, this means that you have a basic plan for what free, value-packed content you’re going to create as well as how you will promote that content and use it to generate leads for your business.
4. You don’t have topics/direction for your freelance blog writer.
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to read someone’s mind… unless you know them pretty well.
The same goes for blog writing. If your blog writer doesn’t have sufficient direction for what kind of blogs you want, then you will definitely not get the kind of blogs you want!
This ties in with making sure you have a clear grasp on your voice. Make sure you have a strategy in place for what kind of content you want to post on your blog.
Make sure the topics you choose serve you and your business. In other words, make sure the topics align with what you sell.
If you sell homeschool curriculum, make sure the blog topics hit on needs that homeschooling parents have in regard to curriculum. This makes it much easier to attract people who are likely to buy from you.
How to Know if You Should Hire a Blog Writer
Some signs that you should definitely hire a freelance blog writer are that you…
- Have some sort of an audience already and want to grow it with blogging.
- Already know what your audience cares about.
- Have a service/product/course that you know can change lives.
- Are willing to invest in your company’s growth.
I recommend that you have somewhat of an audience already before hiring a freelance blog writer. This is because building an audience (even if it’s small!) gives you a chance to get clear on your offer, your voice and your topics.
Once you’re clear on these things, you can effectively communicate them to a freelance writer.
You also need to make sure you’re willing to invest in your business’ growth. After all, that’s what hiring a freelance writer is—an investment.
And it’s an investment that will give you great returns if you go about it the right way.
So are you in a position to hire a blog writer? If so, keep reading to learn where and how to do that.
Get Clear on What Tasks You Want Done
Before you start searching for someone to hire, make sure you know what freelance blog writer jobs you want done.
Some freelance writers only do very specific tasks. Others offer a wider variety of services. The clearer you are on what you want done, the easier it will be for you to find someone who matches your criteria.
Here are a few tasks you might want your writer to do:
1. Write Your Blogs
Obviously. Any freelance writer you hire will do this. Some, though, only go up to a certain word count, so think about how long you want your blogs to be.
I recommend a mixed word-count strategy for your business blog. By that, I mean having most of your blogs be about 1,000 words or less. But then you should also have several blogs per month that are longer … about 2,000 words or more.
This is because long-form blogs are better for your search engine optimization (SEO). And yet, the longer the blog, the more it will likely cost, whether in time or money.
2. Search Engine Optimization
Do you want your freelance writer to optimize your blogs for search engines? If so, you’ll want to hire someone who knows how to do this and is up to date on what SEO practices work best right now.
3. Posting Blogs on Your Website
Do you want the writer to simply send you a Word doc of their article? Or do you want them to actually go into your content management system (CMS) and post the piece for you?
The latter will take more time because the freelancer has to format the blog properly, add photos, make sure links open in a new tab, etc.
Because of that, having someone publish the content for you will likely cost more. Again, keep this in mind as you search for freelance blog writers for hire.
4. Content Promotion on Social Media
Some freelance blog writers can actually promote your blogs for you on social media.
You can either have the freelancer just post the blogs on social media and you handle the rest of your content. Or you can take the plunge and hire them to actually manage all your social media for you.
This is ideal if your business is thriving, but you don’t have time to spend on promoting your social media content. If you’re not optimizing your social media strategy, you could be missing out on some great opportunities to expand your brand and generate more leads.
Where to Find a Freelance Blog Writer
***Before you read any further, did you know that I write SEO-optimized blog posts for busy entrepreneurs like you? Posts under 1,000 words only cost $30! Click here for more information, and click here to schedule a clarity call to see if I’m a good fit to write traffic-boosting blogs for your thriving business.***
There are plenty of places to find a freelance blog writer, including sites like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Hubstaff Talent and more.
But the problem with using those sites to find prospects is that the sheer number of freelancers on there is daunting! The very thought of finding someone who is a great fit for you can freak you out if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.
That said, it’s definitely possible to find quality talent on those sites. A lot of those freelancers are excellent workers with great track records. And sites like Upwork, Fiverr, etc. even show the freelancers’ success rate for projects they’ve landed through that site. (It doesn’t, however, give you ratings on projects they’ve landed apart from those sites, so it’s not always the best indicator of experience and talent.)
Here are some pros and cons of the two most popular freelancer sites:
Upwork
Upwork may be the most popular site to find freelance talent, especially when it comes to writing. Depending on how much information the freelancer puts on their profile, you can find out a lot about them and get a feel for whether or not they would be a good fit for you.
Upwork provides several safeguards, including phone number verification, payment verification, and dispute services.
One downside of Upwork is that it doesn’t have a designated spot where freelancers can put their websites, so it does limit how much you can observe their work, get a feel for their style, and so forth.
(Freelancers can, however, upload “Portfolios,” where they could link to one of their blogs on their website, so that’s at least something.)
The other downside of Upwork is that you have to pay the freelancer through Upwork’s platform. The company then keeps some of the money you pay for the project.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that many freelancers need to bump up their prices to make up for Upwork taking a cut, which can be as much as 20% of the overall project price. (Yeesh…)
Also worth noting… Upwork doesn’t allow freelancers and contractors who meet on Upwork to continue a working relationship apart from the platform unless they first pay a Conversion Fee, which can be pretty steep, depending on the freelancer’s hourly rate. (They don’t have to pay the fee if they’ve been working together longer than 2 years, though.)
Fiverr
Fiverr is another popular freelancer site, although in my opinion, it doesn’t have the same professional feel that Upwork has.
This is because Fiverr started out by positioning itself as a site where people could sell quick and easy jobs for $5 called “Gigs.” Since then, it’s definitely grown into a full-fledged freelancing site, where freelancers can post bigger and more expensive Gigs (for a lot more than $5!).
Specific Gigs makes it easier for you to find someone who is well acquainted with your niche. The packages available within Gigs also make it easier to select the time frame, word count, and so forth that you want.
Fiverr also takes 20% of the fee you pay a freelancer, meaning freelancers may need to increase their prices. And, just like Upwork, it’s against Fiverr’s Terms of Service to pay a freelancer outside of their platform.
Overall, sites like Upwork and Fiverr are certainly good opportunities to quickly and easily find people who have a particular skill.
That said, you definitely have a lot more control over the situation when you hire a freelance blog writer outside of those websites. You have more opportunity to browse their website, get a feel for their writing style and personality, and speak with them directly to see if they would be a good fit. (AND you are likely to pay less since there’s no middle man taking a cut of the action.)
So how do you find freelance blog writers outside of those sites?
Referrals
Word of mouth is still one of the safest and most effective ways to find quality freelancers.
After all, which do you trust more? A recommendation from a colleague you know personally … or someone you found on an online catalog?
I think I know your answer to that one…
If you prefer to hire someone based on referrals, here are some ideas for finding quality recommendations:
Ask for recommendations on social media.
Facebook groups are a fantastic way to find recommended blog writers. On certain groups I’m a part of, when people ask for recommendations (whether for blog writers, virtual assistants, editors, copywriters, etc.), they always get a flood of responses.
Trusted responses.
Oftentimes, they can put you directly in touch with the potential writer so you can connect with them and ask them questions.
Facebook also has a feature where you can ask for recommendations in the form of a post on your personal page.
Attend networking events.
Right now (at least in Florida), many networking events are still virtual since the coronavirus has decided to spike again, unfortunately. This makes networking a little more difficult, but it’s still doable!
Attending networking events (even virtual ones) is still a great way to find freelance blog writers who can help you bring the traffic you want to your business.
Some good places to find networking opportunities are:
Networking events tailored to digital entrepreneurs are prime places to find potential blog writers.
Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Blog Writer
Before you take the plunge and hire a writer, there are certain questions you should ask.
- Have you written for someone in my field before? Do you feel comfortable writing about my niche?
- Do you know how to optimize blog posts for search engines?
- Can you show me some examples of blogs you’ve written? (If you haven’t already found these on your own.)
- What’s your turnaround time for a blog? (How long does it take them to write a blog for you?)
- Are you comfortable conducting interviews if necessary? How much more would you charge if an interview is required?
- How much direction/information do you need to write blog posts?
- What are your working hours? When are you comfortable with me contacting you?
- How much do you charge? (If their fee is not stated plainly on their website.)
- Do you have a preferred payment method? How quickly do you expect to be paid?
- Do you prefer that we sign a contract?
- Will I retain all property rights to the blogs you write for me, including the ideas within them?
- Are you comfortable with having a (paid) “trial run” before we commit to any long-term projects or retainers?
These are just some basic questions you and your potential hire should go through. Honest conversations will prevent you from having awkward breakdowns in communication in the future. Trust me!
It’s crucial that you and the freelancer talk through your expectations of each other, especially in regard to payment, hours/time frame, and communication methods.
Just as in any other relationship in your life, honest and open communication is key!
Making the Most of Having a Freelance Blog Writer
So… now that you’ve taken the plunge and hired a blog writer for your business, you need to know how to make the most of that relationship.
Because believe me, you can have a wonderful working relationship with your freelance blog writer… or you can have a terrible one filled with uncomfortable tension, unmet expectations and underappreciation.
1. Be honest with your blog writer.
If your freelance blog writer sends you a blog you’re not happy with, tell them. Just please don’t be rude about it. (Being rude and not showing gratitude to your writer is the fastest and most effective way to make sure they never want to work with you again!)
But definitely be honest. If their work didn’t meet your expectations, kindly explain why and what you would like them to change.
Before you do that, though, make sure you ask yourself: Did I clearly explain my expectations before they wrote this? Or did I fail to clearly express what I wanted?
It’s possible that the things you’re dissatisfied with were things you didn’t clearly explain before. So take the time to clearly (and respectfully) explain them now.
Some blog writers offer a set number of revisions for each blog post—perhaps 1 or 2 rounds of revisions. Others are willing to offer more, especially in the beginning of the working relationship so that they can get a firm hold on what the contractor wants.
Just make sure you and your freelancer clearly communicate about this issue.
Pro Tip: One thing I do with my clients is I explain that we may need to have a little more back-and-forth in the beginning of the working relationship. This is just until they’re satisfied that I’ve nailed their voice and style.
2. Provide sufficient direction and information.
One thing I do as a blog writer is I require that my clients provide sufficient direction regarding their blog posts.
That might mean creating a Google doc full of topics I can choose from to write about. Because these topics are pre-approved, I can pull from them easily and write timely, SEO-optimized posts.
Also make sure that you give sufficient information to your freelance blog writer, especially if they don’t have intimate knowledge about your niche.
For instance, let’s say you sell homeschool curriculum and your blog writer isn’t currently deeply involved in the homeschool community. Make sure you have a way of getting them the information they need to write adequate blog posts tailored to your niche.
This is even more important if your views go against the flow in any way. You don’t want them to create blog posts purely out of their own research and then you read it and realize you don’t agree with some of the things they wrote.
How to offer as much relevant info as possible to your freelance blog writer:
- Facebook Group—if you have a Facebook group for your business, give your blog writer access to it. These are often chock-full of information, relevant ideas and questions your target audience has. Plus, they can use your answers to group members as a springboard for blog info.
- Publications you read—if you subscribe to certain publications that are relevant to your field, give your blog writer access to them. Or send them links to the ones that you feel are particularly relevant and helpful.
- Podcast—This is one of the easiest ways to get fresh blogs. If you host a podcast, your blog writer can turn your episodes into blog posts, giving you SEO-optimized content that speaks directly to your target audience.
- Video show—The same goes for if you have a regular video show. Let your blog writer turn videos you’ve recorded into blog posts. Videos and podcasts are fantastic because you’re essentially already creating the ideas. All the blog writer has to do is turn it into an easy-to-read, compelling blog post.
- Products—If your blogs relate directly to your products, I recommend giving your freelance blog writer some of your products free. This will give them a better idea for how to promote your products in your blogs without giving too much info or value away.
3. Promote your blog posts effectively.
This should go without saying, but … it doesn’t. So I’ll say it now!
Make sure that, if you’re going to make the investment in hiring a freelance blog writer, you also are going to invest in promoting those posts.
What good is a blog on your website if no one sees it?
To be sure, even without promotion, blogs are still helpful in regard to helping your website rank better in search engines. But to get as many eyes on your content, you have to promote it effectively.
You can promote your blog posts on Pinterest, your business Facebook page, Facebook groups, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, your email list, forums like Quora or Reddit, etc. There are plenty of ways to promote your blogs!
And if you don’t have the time to do it yourself, then be willing to hire a virtual assistant or social media manager who can do it for you. Just make sure your blogs get promoted online.
4. Agree on a payment method and pay your freelancer promptly.
Here’s a truth: Your freelancer will work much harder for you if they feel you have their best interest at heart.
That is to say, when you are prompt to pay your freelancer, it motivates them to give you their best.
Now, as a Christian, I’d like to think that I would give my best no matter what—whether I get paid quickly or not!
(A heartfelt word to all you freelance blog writers out there: Be honest about your expectations for payment, but don’t let your work quality suffer if your client isn’t as quick to pay you as you want. Jesus calls us to serve as though working for Him, not for man!)
But, since I’m addressing you as the contractor right now, it’s important I tell you that, in general, people are much more likely to do sub-par work if they aren’t shown adequate appreciation, which includes how much and how quickly they are paid.
Ready to Hire a Freelance Blog Writer?
If you feel you’re ready to hire a freelance blog writer, I’d be happy to chat with you and see if we’re a good fit!
You can go to my Services page for more information about what I offer and what I charge for blog writing. If you like what you see, make sure to schedule a clarity call with me.
During that call, we’ll get to know each other a little better as well as go through some of the expectations that I covered earlier.
Are you ready to take the plunge and invest in high-quality blogs for your business … Well then, I’d be happy to support you in your journey toward business success!
Schedule a clarity call today to get started!
