In 2016, Forbes reported that over 35 percent of the American workforce was freelance. This simply means that rather than having a salaried position, freelance employees made money one job or project at a time. In the world of writing, the percentage of freelance employees might be even higher. While businesses realize the value of quality written content, it doesn’t always make financial sense to have a writer on board as a full-time employee. Freelance writing can take on many forms, just some of which are outlined below.
Different Types of Freelance Writing
Blog Posts
If you have a website and you want to attract new readers, then you need to have content. New and relevant written content is critical, and blog posts are often the best way to cover a wide range of topics pertaining to your business. Hiring a freelance content writer can be the best way to come up with meaningful, well-written content. You can supply writers with the titles for blog posts, and you can even provide them with outlines, key bullet points or keywords to use. Then, they can create content that looks professional and helps your business put its best foot forward.
Technical Writing
The field of technical writing is filled with freelance professionals. Technical writing can involve a number of jobs, but it often means writing highly detailed, technical manuals for a specific audience. If your business creates machinery, for example, you might hire a freelance technical writer to craft the operation manuals for those machines. This doesn’t need to be flowery or SEO-driven content; it needs to be focused and geared toward niche readers. This is often not something that can be done by those who aren’t professional writers, so it makes sense to bring on a freelance professional to handle the project.
Website Copy
When someone types your full website address into their browser and reaches your homepage, are you proud of what comes up? It’s important to have website copy that describes your business, your services and who you are as a company. Even if you’re passionate about what you do, it can be hard to put that all into words. A professional writer can craft website copy that draws in readers, is clear and can keep people on the page. Website copy starts with your homepage, but it can also include the text for landing pages, an about us page, a contact page and any other pages that potential customers might see.
Real Estate Writing
Freelance writers can also help real estate businesses improve their content. When you’re selling a home or a plot of land, pictures are key. However, a great description of the property can be just as captivating. There may be times when you need to write content that will attract potential buyers and get them to reach out to you. Professional writers can craft a strong call to action that can encourage both buyers and sellers to take the next steps. When a hefty commission is on the line, it’s worth investing in quality writing services that can make a difference.
Catalog or Product Descriptions
Any retail business will need to put together product descriptions for their inventory. The more different types of items you have to sell, the more work it takes to craft product descriptions. It is important for each product description to sound unique and appealing, but the descriptions also have to be accurate. Finding that balance can be tricky, which is why it is often a good idea to hire a writer for the job. Hiring a writer in a freelance capacity means that you can have great product descriptions for a website launch or for the publication of a new catalog. Once the project is complete, you can stop paying for a writer’s freelance services.
Press Release Writing
A press release is a way to announce something new for your business. You might have a press release to announce a new hire for the company, or you can use a press release to tell the public about a new service or product that is available. A press release is your means of communicating something important to the world. Make sure that the press release does your business justice by hiring a professional to draft it. Freelance writing sites like Textbroker can connect you with writers who excel in creating captivating and effective press releases across a wide range of industries.
Legal Writing
Freelance legal writers are able to craft legal content for lawyers, legal firms or companies that are marketing to the legal industry. A legal writer might need to write the copy for a law firm’s website, or they can write up brochures for prospective clients. In a more advanced capacity, a writer might draft legal briefs or summarize the results of major court cases. Legal writers need to be familiar with the legal system and be excellent writers. For this specific combination, hiring a freelance professional is often the right choice. That way, you’ll get quality content without committing to a full-time employee contract.
Video Dialogue Writing
An often overlooked form of writing that freelancers can take on is video dialogue writing. Many businesses create video content, and the images and video used are often the focus. However, there also needs to be quality written content to complement the visual content. A writer can help put together the dialogue for a training video or the narration for a short creative film.
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Why Hiring Freelance Writers is Good?
Even if you recognize the need for written content, you might still question whether it’s worth hiring a freelance writer. Some small business owners or marketing professionals love writing, and they have the right education and training to craft great content and copy on their own. However, there are just as many individuals without that training, and many more simply don’t have the time or desire to become professional writers.
There are effectively three major ways to get written content for your business. The first way is to write it yourself. The second way is to hire a full-time professional writer to keep on staff year-round. The third option is to hire a freelance writer. Learn more about why hiring freelance writers can be the best way to generate and maintain quality content for your business.
Bad Writing Can Ruin Your Brand Image
Have you ever looked up a company online and been immediately discouraged by their website? If so, you’re not alone. Many people decide not to work with a company or buy products on a website if the writing is bad or rife with errors. Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes are unappealing, and they can make a business look unprofessional.
If you or your current employees are handling the writing for your company, think about whether they are able to do an effective job. After all, everyone probably has their own duties to carry out, and writing may not be their main skill. While it is tempting to have an all-hands-on-deck approach to writing, it could end up being a mistake. A better idea is to hire a freelance writer to ensure that your business and your website are appealing and professional right from the start.
You Don’t Have the Time to Devote to Content Creation
Whether you’re a marketing professional or an entrepreneur with your own business, there’s a good chance that you already lead a busy life. If your schedule is packed on a regular basis, content creation might slip all the way down to the bottom of your to-do list.
Unfortunately, this can become a chronic problem. While you might like the idea of writing all your website content on your own, it can take up a significant amount of time. Worse still, you might put the job off altogether.
If you’re always behind on your editorial calendar, or you don’t even have an editorial calendar, it is time to start thinking about hiring a freelance writer. By delegating this task to a professional writer, you can check it off your list and prioritize the other important aspects of running a business.
A Great Freelance Writer Can Convert Readers
Writing is a skill. Persuasive writing is an even more advanced skill. A freelance content writer will be able to do more than just put words on a page. While SEO might be a function of their writing, it is far from the primary objective in most cases. Instead, a freelance writer is someone who can tell a story, capture an audience and encourage people to make a choice.
In marketing, a lot hinges on whether content is persuasive. At the end of a blog post, will the reader be tempted to click on a link and keep exploring the site? If the writing isn’t persuasive or effective, they may close the tab and head elsewhere. A great writer is one who can convert readers to leads, and perhaps even leads to customers. A great freelance writer will be able to reach your readers on a deeper level and establish a meaningful connection.
You Pay Only for the Writing You Need
If you’re sold on the idea of working with a professional writer, there’s still one more decision to make. Often, companies think that they have to hire a full-time writer in order to enjoy the benefits of great content. In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many excellent writers work in a freelance capacity, and you can hire them for the exact project you need.
This works well for businesses that are reluctant to bring on a full-time employee. Through freelance writing sites, you can connect with a writer who understands your company vision and has experience in your industry. Then, you can hire them for specific projects. You’ll only need to pay for the writing that you need. Once the project is complete, they can return to their other ongoing projects. When you’re ready to begin something new, just reach out to that same freelance writer. You can pick up right where you left off, and you can even continue in the same voice and tone as before.
There’s Minimal Commitment Involved
As businesses grow, it’s tough to determine who to hire and what to commit to. In today’s world, it is common to look at freelancers for the solution. There is a lot of risk involved with hiring full-time professionals. If business dips or income isn’t readily available for a short period, you still have an obligation to the people you employ. With a freelance writer, there isn’t the same level of commitment. You can place orders when you’re able to, and you can put writing on hold when it is necessary. This makes freelance writing sites especially appealing to growing small businesses.
You Can Work With Multiple Writers on Multiple Projects
Finally, keep in mind that you don’t have to commit to working with a single writer. In fact, many writing sites give you the opportunity to work with several writers at the same time. This may be helpful if you have a big project that requires a lot of content all at once. It also gives you the chance to try out several writing styles or pick different writers for different types of content.
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Freelance Writing Solutions
Finding freelance writers can be an overwhelming task. There are hundreds of thousands of freelance professionals online, but not all are created equally. Fortunately, there are freelance writing sites that bring together a variety of writers that you can choose from. Textbroker makes it easier than ever to hire a freelance content writer for all types of writing projects.
Choose From a Wide Range of Authors
No two websites are the same, and no two businesses are catering to identical audiences. That means that everyone needs a different type of writer at a unique price point. Some businesses may require highly technical writers that do a lot of research and write for a B2B audience. Others are writing for a younger, more casual audience at a much lower price point. Either way, you’re more likely to find the freelance content writer you need if you have a big selection from the beginning. Writing sites like Textbroker allow you to choose your writer, choose the type of order you want to place and choose the price point that best suits your budget.
Take Advantage of Plagiarism Protection
When you’re working with a new author, or a writer found online, there may be concerns about plagiarism. Not only is plagiarized content a breach of your agreement with a writer, but it could also cause your website to be ranked unfavorably in search engines. Fortunately, writing sites like Textbroker have built-in plagiarism protection. Any content you purchase will be compared to all orders ever placed through Textbroker as well as all content found on the web. This way, you can rest assured that the orders you’re paying for are new, valuable content for your business.
Optimize Your Content With SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, can be an effective tool when you’re creating, promoting and distributing content. By choosing a writing site where authors are familiar with SEO, it is much easier to integrate keywords into your content organically. You can specify what keywords you would like to use and your desired keyword density. Using those guidelines, authors can write blog posts or website copy that is optimized for search engines.
Enjoy a Simple Billing System
One of the most complicated aspects of freelance writing, and of working with those writers, is the billing process. If you’re working directly with a freelance writer, you might need to draw up contracts for each project. Every writer has their own preferred form of payment, and keeping it all straight can be complicated.
The whole process is streamlined through freelance writing sites like Textbroker. The processing and billing instructions are straightforward, and you’ll only ever pay a single account. There is no tax information, and you don’t have to sign multiple contracts to work with multiple writers.
Benefits of Hiring Freelance Writers
Freelance writing can be an effective way to increase the quality of your content and the image of your business. Through Textbroker, you’ll be able to find a wide variety of authors ready to tackle your next writing project.
Need help creating unique, high-quality content?
Join over 53,000 customers worldwide and use Textbroker to help you find the perfect freelance writer.