Hiring a Freelance Writer for Your Small Business- Two Methods That Work

The day has finally come. You’ve decided to hire a freelance writer for your small business.

Nerves and excitement zing through your veins, and questions crowd your mind as you prepare to take this big step.

What if you can’t find a writer? How will you find a good writer? Will it be hard or take a lot of time? What if you end up hating them?

First, take a deep breath. Hiring a freelancer isn’t as difficult as it seems. Second, if you’re unsure where to start, you’ve come to the right place.

This post walks you through two methods for hiring a freelance writer from beginning to end. These methods are based on my own experience as a freelance writer who's gotten hired through both of them. If you follow these steps, you'll have a fantastic writer in no time.

Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Writer

You might still be wondering if going with a freelancer is the best choice. I might be biased, but it is, and here's why.

Specialists

There’s a term in freelancing called “niching down”. This means the writer picks a specific niche to write in, such as tech or travel, and maybe even a sub-niche, like solo travel. Because of this, many freelancers are experts in their niche, staying up to date on trends and the market. This lets them write better copy for you without the training a traditional employee requires.

Cost Effective

This doesn't mean a freelancer is cheap, especially a good one. They're running a business just like you are, and they deserve a fair wage. But they're not on your payroll like a traditional employee, meaning you don't have to worry about extra expenses like healthcare or sick leave.

Bridge the Gap

Many small business owners struggle because they don't have the skills or knowledge to write good content for their business. A freelancer has those skills and can put them to good use with less oversight than a traditional employee would need.

Before Hiring

I know you’re ready to go out there and find a writer. But there are a few things you should nail down before you start looking.

Know What You Need

You’re probably thinking, “I know what I need- writing”. That’s true, but what kind? What’s your goal with it? Do you need monthly, weekly, or even daily content?

You need to figure that out before hiring, or you may end up with a writer who doesn’t fit your needs. Believe me, I love getting on a discovery call to discover the other person already knows exactly what they want. It makes my job so much easier and helps me immediately see if I can help them.

So, before you hire, decide:

• The type of content you need (emails, blog posts, web copy, ads, etc.)

• What your goal is (conversions, sales, engagement, reach)

• How often you’ll need content

Know Your Budget

How much a freelance writer charges depends on all sorts of factors– experience level, type of copy, project length, etc. Knowing how much money you have to spend on a writer can help eliminate anyone out of your price range and make the budget question less awkward for everyone.

Know About Freelancing

Finally, remember that a freelancer is not your employee. They’re an independent contractor who makes their own schedule. They probably won’t be jumping on weekly calls with you or want to join your company Slack channel. That doesn’t mean they won’t communicate with you; it’s just different.

Method One: Hiring Via Job Post

The first method of hiring a freelance writer is creating a job posting and vetting applicants like you would if you were hiring a traditional 9-5 employee.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Quick and easy to put up

• Large range of applicants to choose from

Cons:

• Vetting applicants takes a lot of time

• It can be hard to find a good fit

Decide Where to Post

The first step in this method is choosing where you want to post your job listing. A few options include: 

• LinkedIn post

• Upwork

• ProBlogger

• Indeed

Different job boards will produce different results. Upwork is better for budget options, whereas places like Indeed or LinkedIn will get more professionals.

Create the Post

Next, write your job posting. There are lots of templates online, but make sure you include:

• Job description

• Pay (either the amount you're offering or ask them to submit a rate)

• Skills required

• About your company

• Samples/portfolio

Keep your listing short, but don’t make it vague. You don’t want it to sound scammy. You may also want to include a requirement for applicants, like including the word “pickle” in their pitch, to show that they’ve read the listing fully.

Once it’s written, put it on your job board of choice and wait for applications to roll in.

Vet the Writers

If you were worried about not getting applications, that fear is probably gone now. In fact, you’re probably wondering how you'll pick one writer from the hundreds of people who applied.

That’s where vetting comes in. Start by eliminating everyone who didn’t follow all requirements. Maybe they didn’t use the word “pickle” or send three sample pieces. You don’t want to work with them if they can't follow simple instructions.

From there, it’s up to you. Read through the applications and see which ones feel like the best fit for you. Make a shortlist with your favorites and move on to the next step.

Hiring Your Writer

With your shortlist in hand, it’s time to pick your writer. You can go about this a couple of ways.

1. Set up 15-minute phone calls to interview them and see if you’re a good fit

2. Assign a paid test piece to see their skills in action

After doing one or both of these things, you’ll probably know which writer is the best pick for you. Let them know you’d like to proceed, and they’ll tell you the next steps.

Method Two: Hiring Via Outreach

The second main method of hiring a freelance writer is via cold outreach, where you find and ask writers yourself instead of having them come to you.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• A wider range of choices

• Better niche writers

Cons:

• Pricing varies wildly

• They may not have space for new clients

Find Writers

This method requires a little more upfront work on your end but can often yield higher-quality results. Job boards are great (I use them occasionally myself), but many excellent freelancers don't like them because they're too competitive and often become a race to the bottom.

Your perfect writer could be waiting for a client like you, but you wouldn't meet them because you went through a job board. But how do you find writers yourself? You’ve got a few options:

• Google “[your niche]/[type of content you want]+freelance writer”

• Search LinkedIn using similar keywords

• Ask your fellow small business owners if they know anyone

• Look at bylines on blogs in your niche

Write down anyone who sounds interesting and move to step two.

Study Their Website

A freelance writer's website is one of their most valuable assets. We know it builds trust with prospects, so they feel comfortable filling out our contact form. So, the best way to see if a writer is a good fit is to study their website.

• Read the home and about pages

• Study their portfolio

• Check out their "work with me" page for in-depth info

• Read their blog (if they have one)

If they feel like a good fit, but none of their portfolio pieces sounds like a good fit for your brand, don't worry. Most freelancers adjust their style to match your brand voice. Focus on looking to signs of them being a good fit instead.

Contact the Writer

Once you’ve picked a writer (or several) you think would work well, contact them via their contact page or email. At this point, most freelancers will set up a call with you to discuss your project further.

This is a chance for both of you to get a feel for each other. Come prepared with your list of questions, and be ready to answer any of theirs. This can be scary, but remember, they're probably a bit nervous, too. Just relax and try to have a good, productive call.

Hire Your Writer

After the call, you should know whether you want to proceed with that writer. All you have to do is let them know you're interested, and they'll do the rest.

If you're still feeling a bit nervous, that's okay. Many freelancers offer a paid trial piece or period to let both parties see if the job is a good fit. It reduces risk for both of you, so ask if they offer one on the discovery call.

Secret Third Method: Answer a Cold Pitch

Okay, there’s one more hiring method I want to mention here. Hiring someone from a cold pitch. As your business grows, you’ll receive more of these. Plenty may be spam, but some are genuinely interested writers shooting their shots.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• The freelancer already wants to work with you

• You have to do minimal research

Cons:

• Lots of spam

• Takes a bit of time to sort through cold pitches

Study the Pitch

When you get a cold pitch, especially if it avoids the spam folder, take a moment to look it over. Is it well-written? Does the freelancer seem knowledgeable about your company, or is it just a form letter? Did they include a link to their website or portfolio?

If the pitch sounds interesting, you can follow the same process to review the freelancer's website and see if they seem like a good fit.

Contact the Writer

If you’d like to learn more, all you have to do is respond to their email. Let them know what kind of writing help you need and ask for things like pricing or to set up a call. Believe me, they'll be ecstatic to get a response.

Hire Your Writer

From there, the process is similar to contacting a writer via their website. They’ll walk you through their onboarding steps, and if you’re a good fit, they'll send you the information to get started.

Hiring a freelance writer doesn’t have to be scary. This is an exciting step, and I hope this post helped you prepare to navigate it better.

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