More and more companies are hiring freelance writers nowadays. Some companies need to increase their content production and their current team can’t cope with the workload. Others are expanding into new markets and struggle to find writers in other languages willing to relocate. Likewise, many start-ups rely on freelance writers during the early stages of their business before they can set up an in-house team.
Whatever your case may be, you may be asking yourself whether working with freelancers is a good idea. While setting up an in-house content team has numerous advantages, freelancers can bring many good things to your company – from more productivity to added-value. You can even save money!
If you’re not sure about working with freelance content writers, here are four good reasons to do so.
It will boost your productivity
The more writers you have, the more content you produce. It’s a no-brainer. However, the process of hiring full-time employees is time-consuming and expensive, and in-house writers aren’t generally as productive as freelancers. Writing is a creative activity that requires high levels of concentration, and that’s when the flexibility that comes with freelancing helps. Freelancers can choose where and when to work. They don’t waste time sitting at their desk waiting for the creative muse to show up. If they aren’t inspired or feel stuck, they can take a long break, hit the gym or go for a walk and return to the text with a fresh mind. By maximising the times when they are most creative, their productivity improves, and a productive freelancer can produce more content than a stressed or overworked in-house writer.
Working with the right freelancers will add value
Freelance marketplaces are full of amateur self-proclaimed writers looking for some extra cash to top up their income. That’s why they’re cheap, and that’s why the risk of receiving sloppy articles is high, so choose your writers wisely. Look for professionals, not hobbyists; subject experts, not generalists.
To get maximum value, hire writers with a strong personal brand, and social proof. Building a portfolio is key for writers and they normally share the (credited) content they produce. A writer specialising in your field who has an active online presence and a large following will help your content reach a relevant audience and increase exposure for free. This is a value-added collaboration which will certainly pay off, so think about it as an investment and budget accordingly.
Their flexibility can be your lifesaver
In-house content writers aren’t flexible as far as time is concerned. They need to attend meetings and do everything thrown at them content-wise. If something isn’t finished by 5pm it won’t be finished until well into the next day. Having a freelancer at hand will help you fit in small urgent projects at odd hours, even if you need to pay a bit extra.
Freelancers can also be your lifesaver during peak periods or emergencies. Think about your in-house content team being overloaded with seasonal content projects, too many people being off work at the same time, or an important piece of content for your imminent campaign launch being ‘forgotten’. Misunderstandings and mistakes can happen, too, so a freelancer is your best bet here.
You will save money
Hiring freelancers isn’t always more expensive than setting up a team in-house. Not only that, but it can even be cheaper and help you save money, as you won’t have to cover the costs associated with employees.
I’m referring to taxes, for example. You don’t have to worry about taxes, as freelancers pay their own. Likewise, you don’t have to win them over offering pension schemes, gym membership cards or insurance. Moreover, you won’t pay for wasted time. Let’s face it – office writers don’t stay focused for eight hours, but you still pay them a full-time salary. With freelance professionals, you only pay for projects completed.
Another advantage is that experienced freelancers don’t need training. Companies setting up an in-house team often go for junior writers. By training them they save a bit of money on salaries, as they can pay them less than to senior writers. What they often forget is that they could be saving money and time by hiring experienced freelancers instead. External writers won’t be paid a full-time salary and your trainers’ time will surely be better spent doing something else, like managing the content strategy. So, choose content writers who are subject experts, set up an initial chat on Skype to go over the basics and provide a detailed briefing and a style guide. That’s all they need.