6 Qualities to Look for When Hiring a Freelance Writer

Most business owners these days have heard that a solid content marketing plan is a must! Yet routinely producing great pieces of content requires consistency, commitment and plenty of time. If you run a business, or even a large team, you probably feel just a tiny bit short on time…100% of the time! And if writing is just not your forte, you may feel like the time you spend on it is a lost opportunity for your focus elsewhere.

Hiring a full-time writer doesn’t make sense for every business or budget. Outsourcing to a freelance copywriter can be a viable solution for getting the content you need. However getting content that is a great fit for your business means hiring the right writer for your needs, not just a great writer.

Here are six qualities to look for when choosing the right freelance writing candidate.

1. Familiarity vs. expertise. Copywriters skilled in research can learn and write about a range of topics, from fitness tips to a roundup of handy smartphone apps. Other copywriters concentrate on a handful of niches and will only need to perform preliminary research for each new piece of content. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which is more important: a freelancer who specializes in your industry, or one will spend time getting to know it.

2. Brand enthusiasm. When writers are passionate about their topics, this excitement carries over into their copy. Even a seemingly boring industry can be transformed into a compelling one with the right content. Get a feel for how interested a candidate is in your brand or topic. Are they energetic and chatty? Do they ask questions? These are good signs.

3. Availability. Consider the turnaround time of your projects and how quickly you’d like freelancers to respond to communications. Do you need tasks completed in a few days or a couple of weeks? Should non-urgent emails be replied to by end of day or within 24 hours? Many freelance writers book projects several weeks out and may not have room to squeeze you in sooner. Some find their creativity peaks during late evenings or early mornings and opt to set their work schedules during those times. Others live in time zones several hours ahead or behind yours, creating a literal night and day difference in your business hours. Flexibility on your part or theirs will increase your chances of finding the right fit.

4. Writing proficiency. Occasional errors happen, but it doesn’t save you any time if their work needs to be heavily edited. Before hiring a freelance writer, be sure to ask for writing samples. As you read them over, check for consistency of style, typos, grammatical errors, and sentence structure. Also, look at the layout and format of the copy; it should be skimmable and broken up into easy-to-digest chunks.

5. Adaptability. Mimicking someone else’s voice and tone can be a bit of an art form. While your copywriter may not nail yours perfectly over the first couple of projects, it shouldn’t be totally off the mark, either. If your style is no-nonsense and your candidate hands you samples that are overly cutesy, this could signal a red flag. However, if you have an editorial style guide, sharing it with the freelancer you hire could help solve the problem.

6. SEO knowledge. Optimizing online content for search engines is essential, especially for your website, blog or press release. An online copywriter doesn’t need to be an SEO expert, but should at least have the basics down. Best practices include creating click-worthy headlines, writing strong meta descriptions, and implementing focus keywords without being spammy.

When you’re ready to hire a freelance writer, you don’t have to commit to a long-term contract right away. Try out one or two test projects, or agree on a trial run so you can both decide if the working relationship is a good fit. Keep these six qualities in mind as you evaluate the work produced. If you’re happy with the results, then work out something long-term or as a retainer for ongoing content!

Share your tip in the comments below: What freelance writer qualities would you add to this list?