No matter what type of business you have, at some stage you might need some good copy. This could for instance be text for your website, for advertisements or for brochures. Unless you have the time and excellent language skills to do it yourself, it's helpful to employ the services of a freelance copywriter. However, copywriting is a very competitive industry and you'll need to know a few tricks to find a quality freelancer who is right for your project.
There are several sites online that place potential employers and freelancers in contact with one another. Using these sites can help you discover wonderful talent. Moreover, they make it possible for you to outsource your projects to freelancers all over the world.
When you place your advertisement, state clearly what you want and what kind of expertise you're looking for. Good freelancers tend not to respond to vague advertisements. They also avoid ones that offer a fee far below the market rate or ones that don't allow enough time for completion of the project. For copy in other languages, place your advertisement in the target language so you can avoid being spammed by applicants who don't know the language.
It's very likely that you'll receive many proposals from interested freelancers. A process of elimination will make it easier to create a shortlist of potential employees. Start by checking the quality of the language used in the proposal, because a badly written proposal will probably mean badly written copy for the project too. Promising to complete the project within a time frame that's not realistic or quoting a very low rate often means that the person is not a very professional or experienced copywriter.
Some people only look at the nationalities of potential freelancers and base their decision on this. However, just because someone's profile says they live in an English-speaking country doesn't mean that they'll be a good writer or even speak English. There are many excellent English writers living in other countries too, from Guatemala to Thailand, and most won't mind providing you with a sample of their writing.
Check the profile of each person on your shortlist. If the profile is full of mistakes, the candidate's work will probably be too. If you need a specific field of expertise, check the candidate's resume for his or her education and experience. Many freelancers also include a portfolio with their profile and this can tell you whether their style is what you're looking for. You should also feel free to ask for a small sample of their writing.
Before making your final choice, see what other employers have said about the freelancer. However, don't fall into the trap of looking only at the overall rating. Specifically look at the number of negative reviews and what the issues are that have been raised in these reviews. The way that the person reacts to any negative review is a good indication of their personality and their professionalism too.
Allocating that first project to a specific freelancer is a gamble. This is why it's a good idea not to wait until the last minute to find someone. Instead, build in some extra time in case you need to have the job edited or even allocated to another copywriter.
There are several sites online that place potential employers and freelancers in contact with one another. Using these sites can help you discover wonderful talent. Moreover, they make it possible for you to outsource your projects to freelancers all over the world.
When you place your advertisement, state clearly what you want and what kind of expertise you're looking for. Good freelancers tend not to respond to vague advertisements. They also avoid ones that offer a fee far below the market rate or ones that don't allow enough time for completion of the project. For copy in other languages, place your advertisement in the target language so you can avoid being spammed by applicants who don't know the language.
It's very likely that you'll receive many proposals from interested freelancers. A process of elimination will make it easier to create a shortlist of potential employees. Start by checking the quality of the language used in the proposal, because a badly written proposal will probably mean badly written copy for the project too. Promising to complete the project within a time frame that's not realistic or quoting a very low rate often means that the person is not a very professional or experienced copywriter.
Some people only look at the nationalities of potential freelancers and base their decision on this. However, just because someone's profile says they live in an English-speaking country doesn't mean that they'll be a good writer or even speak English. There are many excellent English writers living in other countries too, from Guatemala to Thailand, and most won't mind providing you with a sample of their writing.
Check the profile of each person on your shortlist. If the profile is full of mistakes, the candidate's work will probably be too. If you need a specific field of expertise, check the candidate's resume for his or her education and experience. Many freelancers also include a portfolio with their profile and this can tell you whether their style is what you're looking for. You should also feel free to ask for a small sample of their writing.
Before making your final choice, see what other employers have said about the freelancer. However, don't fall into the trap of looking only at the overall rating. Specifically look at the number of negative reviews and what the issues are that have been raised in these reviews. The way that the person reacts to any negative review is a good indication of their personality and their professionalism too.
Allocating that first project to a specific freelancer is a gamble. This is why it's a good idea not to wait until the last minute to find someone. Instead, build in some extra time in case you need to have the job edited or even allocated to another copywriter.
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