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8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring Freelance Content Writers

freelance content writers

Are you a business owner who’s interested in starting a blog to promote your business? Do you want to find a professional writer for advertising content or media releases? Hiring a freelance content writer can be a great choice.

Did you know that 77 percent of people read internet blogs on a regular basis? To explore companies, 70 percent of customers read blogs instead of advertisements. also, positive customer impressions come from online content 82 percent of the time.

Hiring freelance content writers offers a great avenue to meet your goals. It’s key to find the writer that best meets your needs. Keep reading to find out what questions to ask when interviewing freelance writers.

Freelance Content Writers Benefits

A freelance writer describes an individual who works on a contract basis independently. They’re considered self-employed and aren’t associated with a specific company. They work directly with their clients which increases project efficiency.

When discussing your ideas and goals, you and the writer can clarify exactly what you want. This allows the writer to produce quality content tailored to your unique needs.

Freelancers often have a broad and diverse background. They bring this expertise and experience to the table. You also benefit from their knowledge of the best approaches and tactics.

This direct line of communication means a quicker turnaround on projects. There’s no waiting for content to clear through other levels. You can also speak directly to the writer if you want changes or forgot something.

Interview Questions for a Freelancer?

Always create a list of questions and do your homework before interviewing freelancers. Following are questions to help develop your interview list.

1. What Is Your Content Writing Experience?

Begin by asking for a resume and have the writer describe their experience. How long have they been writing professionally? How long have they worked as a freelancer?

Ask them to describe the various types of content they’ve written. Consider if this matches the style you’re looking for.

2. May I See References and Samples?

Learning about the writer’s experience is important, but you also need to check their style. Ask to see a portfolio of their work and references from previous clients. This helps give you a picture of how well you’ll work together.

Writers with positive client references give you more confidence that you’ll have a smooth working relationship. This helps ensure that you’ll meet your goals on time.

3. Have Other Sources Picked Up Your Press Releases?

Well-formatted press releases can boost your branding success. When press releases get picked up by other sources, your reach expands exponentially. Now you’re recognized as an industry expert and leader.

If you want to hire a freelance writer to compose press releases, ask about their experience. Have other sources picked up press releases they’ve written?

How wide have they reached? For example, other sites, publications, blog content, interviews, or video.

4. How Much Do You Charge?

Another important consideration when hiring a freelance writer is the cost. The following describes average billing rates.

  • Advertising copywriters: $1.63 per word or $92 per hour
  • Blog content: $54 per 500 words
  • Ghostwriters for magazines: $1.08 per word or $100 per hour
  • Newsletter writers: $2 per word or $82 per hour
  • Speechwriters: $81 per hour
  • Web page content writers: $0.86 per word or $83 per hour
  • Whitepaper writers: $107 per hour

Knowing the average cost of freelancers gives you a guide when negotiating a rate. This will also help you budget for this service.

5. What Would You Suggest as Topics for Blogs?

Spend time discussing your business products or services, business goals, and marketing plan. Discuss possible topics that you want blogs to focus on.

You may also ask the freelancer to provide a list of ideas. This can help you get a feel for how well you and the freelancer will work together.

6. What Styles of Writing Do You Have Experience With?

Different projects need different writing approaches. It’s important to find a freelancer with experience in the style you need.

Humanistic

Humanistic or expository writing is one of the most common writing styles. Bloggers often use this to give a direct definition of a concept. This is not an opinion piece, but based on referenced facts, statistics, or other evidence.

You’ll see this style in How-to articles, news stories, and Op-Eds. It’s also used in scientific, business, or technical writing.

Explanatory or Descriptive

Writers using this style paint a picture with words. The object is to help the audience visualize and understand a product, service, or concept. They often use metaphors or other literary devices to make the desired impression.

Persuasive

The goal of persuasive writing is to get the reader to understand and believe in something. This may be that your business, product, service, or cause is valuable. This style includes opinions and biases as well as reasons to support the claims.

This method is effective for editorials, Op-Eds, advertisements, and reviews. You will also find this in letters of recommendation, cover letters, and interviews.

Narrative

The narrative style appears more often in longer pieces including fiction or nonfiction. Writers create and tell stories that include characters, settings, and conflict. Examples of this style include novels, poetry, short stories, and anecdotes.

7. Do You Have Experience with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Today, when someone has a question, they search the internet for the answer. Now the race begins. You want your business to show up on the first page so people will look at your site.

SEO uses keywords to increase the chance that your site will appear high on the search results. Experts choose the keyword-based on the frequency that users search that term. They also look for keywords that are found on fewer sites.

By combining these two parameters, your chances of appearing at the top of the list increase. This leads to more site traffic to promote your business.

Are You Interested in Hiring a Freelance Writer?

Freelance content writers bring a unique set of skills to your business. iWriter provides an easy, reliable, and fast way to get tailored content for your website. Our writers have the expertise to write all types of customized content.

You can hire writers or buy articles. Our services include blog content, SEO articles, product descriptions, and more. Contact us today to order custom content.

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