How do you ensure that you have hired the right freelance content writer for your business? Make your search easier by following these simple tips and attract only qualified candidates for the job.
Running a business in the digital age requires one to invest in a good, quality website. Depending on your scope of business, a typical website has several parts that need one to develop engaging content that would ultimately convert your traffic to sales.
However, this isn’t always a walk in the park. Many considerations go into planning and executing the perfect content strategy for your site: from landing pages, sales copy, advertisements to blog posts. The list goes on.
But since you’re supposed to focus on other things such as perfecting your services or products, getting new clients, responding to their inquiries, etc., will you have the time to write all the necessary copy on your website? There’s actually more to it, as we have keyword research, editing, Search Engine Optimization, publishing, and distribution. On average, you’ll need at least 15 to 20 hours a week to get all this done. However, it seems unlikely that you’ll always have such an amount of time to spare, right?
The time is probably nigh to hire a freelance content writer.
Why should you hire a freelance content writer?
There are many reasons you should bring on board someone to take care of your website content. Besides saving you the time to help you focus on other more important things, hiring a freelance content writer is necessary because:
- Professional content writers know how to convert your readers to prospects by curating emotionally appealing content with an actionable call to action (CTAs). There are many ways to get a visitor to want to know more about your business, and that’s where a content writer comes in.
- Freelance content writers in Dubai are trained on other aspects of content writing focused on making your content rank higher on the search engine result pages (SERPs). Instead of ‘just writing,’ they’ll also conduct extensive keyword research, optimize the articles for search engines, incorporate a good backlink strategy, and so forth. At times, this might be a technical thing to do, and you may have to undergo the training yourself, which will also require extra time and other resources.
- Unlike hiring an in-house content creator, you only get to pay for what you need when you hire a freelance content writer.
- It is no brainer that lousy writing can damage your brand image, and you do not want to risk that part. Content is king, and the message you put out there can decide whether your business strives or falls. Go for professional content writers that will create quality copy to be used on all your digital platforms.
Where to find professional content writers?
Before we look into the tips to help you hire the best content writers, it would be prudent to understand first where to find them. There are many freelancers worldwide, but how do you get the best from the rest? Here are the top places to find highly reliable freelance content writers in the UAE:
- Consider freelance platforms
There are many freelancer platforms you can use to find content writers. However, if you’re looking for one where you may not have to gamble on the quality of the work submitted, you should consider staying away from content mills. For some of these platforms, you post the task, and any writer can pick it up and start working on it. You’ll not have the time to make the writer understand your brand better, and you may also have to take lots of time editing, proofreading, and back and forth requests to the writer.
The best platforms to go are those that all their freelancers are subjected to vigorous testing to ensure that their writing skills meet industry standards. You also get to know more about the freelancer: their experience, previous works, etc. Such an example would be to go for Bawabba, where you’ll find a pool of experienced freelance content writers who’ll deliver nothing short of high-quality results.
- Post an ad
If you wish to reach a wider pool of potential applicants, you should consider creating an ad to be posted on various online platforms. An example would be advertising for the job on various job boards, through social media, and on relevant websites.
However, you need to ensure that your job description is well-detailed for you to secure quality applicants. This will help the prospective candidates to understand exactly what you’re looking for. Be sure to indicate the required expertise, skills, and experience before publishing the job ad.
7 factors to consider when hiring a freelance content writer in Dubai
Once you’ve received some applications for your consideration, here are a few tips to help you narrow down to your most preferred candidate:
1. Consider the skill level
The first thing you’ll obviously have to consider is the skill level of the candidates. But how do you evaluate this?
You can easily tell if a writer’s quality or method of writing matches your preferred style by looking at their previously written samples. Ensure that you make it clear to them from the beginning what type of content you’d like written so they will have to share with you relevant samples related to your needs.
As you look through their published works, a few things to watch out for are:
- Look for any grammatical errors in their work. You can use tools like Grammarly for such work.
- Ensure that the work is unique and does not appear on any other site prior to the publishing date of the work done by the candidate. You can use plagiarism tools such as Copyscape to help you with that.
- Check for the readability of the content, see if the writer has a good flow of ideas, and systematically get the reader’s attention. Writing shouldn’t be complex not unless you’re writing an industry-specific article targeting professionals in that field. If that’s the case, the use of jargon may be permitted but not when targeting a general audience. You can use software such as the Hemmingways app to examine the readability score of the said articles.
2. Consider the experience level.
How long has the writer been in the game? Do they have any experience writing for a client such as yourself? Different industries have varying content requirements and styles of writing. If the freelancer does not have the right experience writing for your niche, it might prove difficult for them to understand the style and content needs of your target audience.
A good way to save your time during the hiring process is by having a detailed job description where you list the preferred experience level of the candidates. You should also make it clear that you’re looking for an individual who’s garnered experience writing for a field like yours.
Some of the questions to ask during the screening process are:
- Does the content writer understand the scope of your business and who your target audience is?
- Are they knowledgeable on how content could be helpful to your brand?
- Do they know who your competitors are?
You can easily find your perfect candidate by getting theirs of these three simple questions.
3. Look for someone with SEO knowledge.
If there’s one thing that we can no longer ignore in the field of content marketing is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Today, you don’t necessarily have to hire an SEO expert to ensure that your content has increased online visibility. The secret lies in how you curate your online content. This is why is it crucial to hire someone with a working knowledge of basic SEO.
A good content writer should be able to conduct keyword research, know how to use keywords throughout the article, understand correct content formatting, write headings and subheadings, etc., correctly. Learning the basics of SEO is the main area of concentration for most content writing courses you can find online. If the writer does not have a working knowledge of SEO, you should simply look elsewhere.
4. Ask the right questions.
It is easy to find a good freelance content writer in Dubai by looking at their samples, going through their experience records, and affirming that their style of writing is in line with your preferences. However, the search for the ideal writer doesn’t stop there. Once you have a few potential, you have to dig deeper by asking more questions such as:
What type of content do they like to create? ‒ There are different types of content that you can use for your website and so it would be prudent to understand the writer’s passion to determine the kind of work they are best suited to do for you.
What is their work schedule like? ‒ This will entirely depend on how much work you need the content writer to do for you. A freelancer is not affiliated with any specific employer, so they look for work from different clients. To ensure that you do not get inconvenience by late submissions, it is imperative to let them know the nature of the job, how much work they are supposed to complete for you, and how much time they should devote to handling your projects.
How much work can they handle a day? ‒ In regards to the previous point, you should set for them a target that they should strive to meet every day. This is mostly in terms of the word count or the number of posts they can create.
5. Consider your budget
At times, the more experienced a writer is, the more expensive their services are. This is one of the most important aspects to consider when hiring a freelance content writer in Dubai. Content writers get paid in different ways, such as using the per-word method, where both parties discuss the client’s ideal budget for the job based on how many words the writer is to come up with. Others prefer the per-hour style, where their work is monitored, and they get paid by the hour.
Before hiring a content writer, you need to confirm how much budget you’ve set aside for this particular job. Depending on your needs, you should conduct your research first to determine the industry standards of how much content writers are paid. You can thereafter tweak your budget depending on your findings.
6. Establish a communication plan
Once you have settled on a freelance content writer to add to your team, you should consider coming up with a communication plan. Since you may hardly ever come face to face, it would be imperative to develop a communication structure that works for both parties. This is because you may need to be kept up to date with updates, sharing ideas, revision requests, etc.
A good messaging platform for professionals would suffice, such as Skype, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and so forth. You should also discuss the ideal times to contact each other, considering any time zone differences.
7. Come up with an onboarding process.
It is prudent to introduce your freelance content writer to your business by letting them understand more about your products or services and how you operate. Once they have a better understanding of your business, they are better positioned to curate content that your audience would resonate best with.
Provide them with the company style guide, FAQs to consider, videos to watch, and take them through your project management software.
Your content writer will be the voice of your brand; hence, they must know the ins and outs of your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I hire a freelance content writer for my website?
A freelance content writer will help you create highly converting web copy that will provide value to your readers. Moreover, such individuals are trained on how to optimize content for SEO, giving you ample time to focus on other aspects of your business.
Where can I find freelance content writers in Dubai?
You can use many freelance job boards but only target those with freelancers who have undergone vigorous screening processes. Bawabba is one of the best platforms where clients can meet with some of the best freelance content writers in the UAE.
Do I pay for all the writing tools, or the freelancer will have theirs?
Freelancing is a business, and just like any other, one should go in armed with the relevant tools. As a freelance content writer, your arsenal should include all the relevant tools you need to get the job done well, such as plagiarism and grammar tools. This means the client should not have to worry about getting a subscription for the freelancer.
Summing it up
Content will always be king in the digital marketing space, and so you should really consider investing more into it. Having the right content on your online platforms is the beginning of enjoying better visibility and increased visitor conversions.
Do not waste your time with below-average content creators, but make your life easier by reaching out to some of the best freelance content writers in Dubai and get quality content for your website.
from Best Blog For Freelancers https://blog.bawabba.com/freelance-content-writer/hiring-a-freelance-content-writer-7-tips-to-consider/
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