How to Hire Freelancers to Do Your Marketing

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Today, more than ever before, businesses need to communicate with their target audience. This is especially true for small business owners looking to grow their business. Marketing is the art of controlling your message and reaching your audience. You can do this through a variety of means — from writing blog posts to planning content festivals and giveaways. But even though it might be easy to take things into your own hands, it’s not always the best idea. Because while you may feel like you have complete control over what type of opinion-spinning content is going out into the world, you may not know who will be effected by it. Unfortunately, freelancers are expensive and risky even for small businesses that have cash to burn. Freelancers aren’t insured or bonded which means they usually charge a lot more than salaried employees or registered apprentices who aren’t freelancing on their own accord. However, hiring freelancers isn’t as scary as you may think. Here are 6 ways that you can hire freelancers to market your business — without getting burned in the process:

Put your marketing budget where your mouth is

Marketing is one of those costs that you have every year but decide not to use. You might put it off for a month or two, but then you’ll regret it. You’re better off spending that money now and getting it back four times over. To make the most of your marketing budget, you should generally be focusing on content that is targeted at your core customer group. You should be creating content that solves a problem or gives advice to your target audience. Depending on the nature of your business — whether it be ecommerce, services or products — there may be different types of content that you could create. For example, if your products are health and beauty related, you could create ecommerce guides and skin care reviews. You should also consider your target market and how your product or service solves a problem that they might have. How will my customers know that I support my friends and family?

Use freelancers that you know and trust

Hiring freelance writers isn’t a “nice to have” but a “must have” for growing your business. Your business could lose customers if your marketing relies on bad or inaccurate content. By hiring a few trusted freelancers, you can ensure that you don’t end up in that position. It’s also a good idea to check the credentials of your freelancers before hiring them. There are plenty of sites that can help you with this — both to ensure that the writers you choose have the right skills and to check their past work to make sure it meets your brand’s standards.

Hire only freelancers who offer detailed and clear instructions

Freelancers often have different requirements for the type of work they’ll do. Some want to write about your brand, product or service all at once. Others may want to focus on one aspect of your company and write about it from the ground up. You should also make sure that your freelancers understand your brand’s image and that they’re speaking from the heart. Mailing surveys and responding to customer comments is one thing, but promoting your brand the right way is another. It takes time, effort and a lot of hard work, but it’s well worth it in the end.

Freelancers are often overworked

Freelancers are always overworked, whether they’re contracted employees or independent contractors. That’s why it’s important to find freelancers who are willing to share their workload. Because they don’t have an established job history, a freelancer can easily feel overworked the first time they put in a big project. Freelancers tend to be more picky about the type of work they’ll accept and they may choose to work on more challenging or time-consuming projects. If you only hire freelancers when you’re short a handful of widgets or have a deadline to meet, you may not get the best work out of them. If, on the other hand, you make it a rule to always hire freelancers who are overworked, you’ll likely be rewarded with better work.

You can audit a freelance writer’s work

Auditing a freelance writer’s work is a great way to make sure that you’re getting what you pay for. Most freelance writers will provide detailed written instructions for their work. However, you should always do your due diligence. You should look both ways before you drive — make sure that you’re not putting pressure on the writer by using a very specific deadline or asking them to produce some really specific type of work. Check out 30 Freelance Writing Tips to make sure you don’t get into any hiring trouble.

Ask for a referral — even if you hate asking!

You should always aim to build long-term relationships with your freelancers. After all, they’re writing for a living and they need your business to succeed. You can also ask for referrals from your friends, family and colleagues. Freelancers typically have good reputations in their communities so you can always count on getting quality work from your peers.

Conclusion

Marketing your business is crucial for any business to grow and succeed. However, it can be tricky to get it right. The best way to get started is to put your marketing budget where your mouth is. By targeting your core customer group and creating content that solves a problem or gives advice to your target audience, you can market your business effectively.