With the emergence of the Covid 19 pandemic, most businesses across the planet have moved online. However, moving a business online often comes with a few sets of requirements; one amongst them is the need for proper content marketing.
However, it’s pretty challenging for small businesses to employ full-timers who will dedicatedly work as content writers or marketers. So, many companies often look for a cost-effective way, which is outsourcing content marketing.
Outsourcing content writing to a freelance content writing service provider or a freelance content writer comes with many positives and can also become a cost-effective way to manage your content marketing strategy. However, if you’re looking for a freelance writer to outsource content, you can be quickly overwhelmed by the number of available options.
So, here in this article, we have compiled 25 Tips to find the best content writing service for your business.
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1) The Content Writer Should Understand the Customers
While searching for freelance content writing services, look for writers who can understand your target customers. It’s not about writing thousands of words but understanding the target audience and their demographics and helping your brand find the proper voice. Most of the time, the best content writing service providers will take their time to know your business and its clients better for better ROI.
2) Sharing Insights with The Freelance Content Writer is the Key
To help your content writer, you must provide insights. These insights should include information about your target audience and how the blog addresses pain points. If you are worried about privacy, we suggest signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement with the content writing service provider.
3) Don’t Shy away from Telling Your Goals
While working with a freelance content writing service provider or a lone freelancer, you must explain your goals. Otherwise, they might not be able to help you. There might be times when you need good SEO content writing to rank better than your competitors, and the content writer must know your requirements to help you with appropriate content that sells.
4) Communication is the Key
If cost is the factor, then there’s a high chance that your freelance content writer will be working from a different time zone from yours, and in that case, easy communication should be the main priority. Work with content writing agencies that are transparent with their work, offer easy payment options, and can revise their content at least 2-3 times according to your feedback.
5) Using the Same Tools
Ask your freelance content writing service provider to use your tools. While working with a freelancer, the last thing you would want is a freelancer who refuses to learn or work with new tools.
6) Custom Content Writing Services
Regarding freelance content writing services, some employers want a service provider who can create great content. While some look for more comprehensive options like agencies who can help them monitor the content’s performance or develop a content strategy. Few also look for providers who can help them with content distribution. So, you must check with your content writing agency if they can provide the service you need.
7) Look for Experienced Content Writers
It is good to have a content writer who has already written content in the field you are working on. Having some hands-on knowledge and experience helps in writing the best content for your business.
8) Ask for Work Samples
Don’t shy away from asking for a previous work sample. If someone is experienced in your field, then it’s great. However, a sample from the writer will eventually help you know your freelance writers’ fundamental knowledge.
9) Ask The Freelance Content Writer for Paid Samples
You must understand that content writing agencies or freelance writers work for multiple clients simultaneously. In that case, we suggest you ask for a paid sample as it will inspire the writer to write better content for you, which will help you to understand your freelance content writer better.
10) Don’t Use Samples on your Website
Few clients often publish the work samples provided by the freelance content writer on their websites without seeking any permission. We suggest you refrain from doing such things, as the content isn’t yours, and they are supposed to work as samples for your understanding. If you still want to publish those samples, we suggest you take permission from the writer beforehand. And it’s also a good practice to pay for the content you post.
11) Content Writing Costs Quite a Bit
If you are expecting to work with an experienced freelance content writer, then be prepared to pay more than others. It’s not always easy to find a niche-based freelance content writer, which often shoots up the charges.
12) SEO Based Content Writing Service
A freelance content writing service provider must have the required knowledge of SEO content writing. It must be familiar with SEO tools, keyword research, and optimizing content to maximize your ROI.
13) Ask the Content Writing Service Provide About SEO
Always ask your SEO-related queries to your content writing agency. You can ask how they would optimize content for SEO. Once you’re entirely sure about their effectiveness, then only you should opt for their services. SEO content writing is essential for any professional content writing service and requires quite a bit of study and research.
14) High-Quality Content is the Need of the Hour
Always opt for well-written content that is engaging, interesting & free of any grammar or syntax errors. High-quality content must be unique, fresh, and original.
15) A Great Portfolio
While assessing the sample work, you must check for the content’s uniqueness, quality, and errors. Don’t forget to do an SEO audit of the content writer’s website to know if they are following what they preach.
16) Hire a Proactive Content Writing Service Provider
Opting for those content writing agencies who take the initiative by themselves is an excellent thing for your business. So, before hiring a creative content writer, ask him/her if he/she is willing to participate in the assignment proactively and if he/she can do his/her research.
17) Say it Clearly
If you are annoyed with constant proactiveness or questions and want your creative content writer to stick to your guidelines, then say it upfront. The key to effective content writing is maintaining transparency between the freelance content writing agency and you.
18) Work with Established Content Writing Agency
Always opt for established content writing agencies, which have strict codes and procedures that help deliver content on time.
19) Ask your Peers
It’s always a good idea to ask your peers for suggestions. Your peers won’t suggest a content writing agency with whom they had a poor experience. Asking peers about effective content writing services can become very helpful.
20) Don’t Entertain Delays
Always keep an eye on the response time of the freelance content writer. To create an effective content writing strategy, one needs to be responsive to their clients. If someone takes more than 48 hours to respond, it’s good to consider them unreliable.
21) Look at Reviews of the Freelance Content Writer
Nowadays, we don’t buy a cellphone without looking at their reviews. So, don’t settle for something less when it comes to your business. Always look for reviews. Every well-known or established freelance content writer has reviews, and testimonials, which need to be checked before hiring.
22) Ask for Specialized SEO Tools
Don’t forget to ask the content writing agency about using specialized SEO tools. In today’s day and age, creating good SEO-optimized content is nearly impossible without using specialized SEO tools.
23) Opting for Full-Service Providers
End-to-end services are primarily for those businesses that prefer to get rid of the headache of content creation, optimization, monitoring, and distribution. If you need a full-service provider, you only should opt for it as it comes with quite a hefty price tag.
24) Writing Service Providers are an Extension of Your Team
Always treat your content writing service provider as an extension of your current team. They will work alongside your full-time team to increase your ROI. To create an effective content marketing strategy, you must share information with your freelancers without worry.
25) Don’t Bargain
Content writing is a labor-intensive job, and it doesn’t come cheap. If you are being offered a meager price, then there’s a high chance of the content not being good enough or the creative content writer is not experienced enough for your niche. So, choose wisely, don’t always opt for cost-effective content writing services, and most importantly, don’t bargain.
WRAP UP
Here are the top 25 hacks to find a content-writing service for your business. Finding an affordable content writing service or ghost content writing service can sometimes be challenging. However, it can be a key to your business’s success. So, take your time to go through all the points above, find someone within your budget, and see the magic.
