With the Internet, working remotely has become much easier. The Internet has greatly enhanced the ability of freelancers to earn a decent living – and of clients to find the most capable freelancers.
More companies, including PR agencies and corporate departments, hire remote workers like freelance writers and web designers to meet the demands of content creation within strict deadlines. Organizations can search for writers, designers, photographers, graphic artists, programmers and other creative personnel on sites such as Upwork, Freelancer and Guru.com or on job boards catering to specific creative skills, such as Problogger or Freelance Writing Gigs for writers.
PR Needs a Team
“Executing a successful PR campaign usually requires effort from a number of different people,” notes the PR Fuel blog. “You have writers, people responsible for media outreach, photographers, and a host of others involved in executing all the various tasks required to carry out your PR efforts.” With so many hands on deck, it’s often necessary or beneficial to hire freelancers to help on your projects.
Yet finding good freelancers for creative work can be frustrating, and coordinating projects can be challenging. These tips can help your PR and marketing staff identify top-notch freelance talent.
Seek creative talent with positive testimonials from previous clients. Insist on seeing examples of their work to see if you like their style.
Request specific information in your job description and avoid applicants who don’t provide it, as that shows a lack of care which will probably be reflected in their work, says Rob Rawson, co-founder of Time Doctor.
Important Questions to Ask
Key questions to ask include:
- What’s your experience?
- What are your specific skills?
- Can I see samples of your creative work?
- What type of assignments do you prefer?
- How do you handle intellectual property rights?
- What is your current availability?
- What is your policy for handling revisions and /rejections?
- What are your rates and turnaround times?
- What references can you provide?
- What do you need from me?
Hiring writers with experience in your niche is certainly helpful. However, experts recommend against automatically eliminating candidates without background in your topic if it’s not especially technical. Many professionals in the creative arts can produce outstanding work for diverse industries.
Offer reasonable pay or accept the writer’s requested fee. Experts agree that if you pay on time and treat the freelancer well, they will reciprocate with better services. Do your homework, invest some time into setting expectations, treat the freelancer with respect, and they will be happy to show up at your door and take good care of your content, advises marketing consultant Karri Stover.
Set Realistic Expectations
Set realistic expectations. Understand what you need and who can fill that need. Consider how technical and esoteric your content, how many research sources you desire, your deadline, and how much time you have to revise or redo.
Some experts recommend a trial period of 30 to 90 days, which allows both the freelancer and company to assess the relationship. “It’s important first to agree, especially if you are hiring a writer [or other freelancer] for the first time, that you need to make sure there is a good fit before you commit to something long term,” says Paul Furiga, CEO of WordWrite.
Be crystal clear in your instructions in terms of your needs and preferences. For writers, for instance, explain expected tone of voice, style, formatting, and layout. It’s always helpful to supply the freelancer with a branding document or style guide and examples to follow.
Although following a style guide can maintain a consistent tone, agonizing over minor details cause a bottleneck in your production schedule. Obtaining first-rate creative output is more important that adhering to your in-house style guide. “Your blog posts don’t need to be literary masterpieces — they just need to provide insane amounts of value to your audience,” Rawson says.
Consider technology tools to improve communications. An instant message program can create a sense of “now” among team members. Skype and video conferencing can greatly improve communications between staff and freelancers.
Bottom Line: Freelancers can lighten the load of PR agencies and in-house corporate departments and deliver creative work that may be beyond the expertise and time constraints of in-house PR or marketing teams. These tips can help locate capable freelancers and work with them effectively. Above all, respect and clear communication are the hallmarks of successful relationships with freelancers.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
https://2polyglot.com/ is really useful for international marketing