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The Fundamentals of Hiring the Best
Freelance Writers
By Shayla Price
About Me• B2B Content Marketer
• Entrepreneur and Huffington Post Contributor
• Speaker at 2016 WooConf and WordCamp Miami
• Twitter: @ShaylaPrice
Why You Need Great Writers
“Being aware of your fear is smart. Overcoming it is the mark
of a successful person.”—Seth Godin
Focus on Your Strengths
Product
Sales
Marketing
Public Relations
Improve Your Existing Content
Update blog posts for relevancy
Correct typos and grammatical errors
Transform old content into new formats
Attracting New Customers
Integrate content into your lead generation strategies
Use content to convert consumers
Add content to your brand loyalty programs
Quick Tips
Talk with your team about why you need great writers
Discuss which department will benefit the most
Take notice of your fears and weaknesses
Defining Your Expectations
What Do You Need?
Content Types
a. Blog Posts
b. Ebooks
c. White Papers
Content Topics
Content Levels
What’s Acceptable Content?
No Plagiarism
Author Credit or Ghostwritten
Formatting Guidelines
Citations
Spreading the Word
Referrals
Social Media
Job Boards
Top Publications
43% of freelance writers look for new writing jobs every day of the week
Source
Quick Tips
Create guidelines outlining your expectations
Jot down your ideal job duties for the first 30 days
Always seek new writers, even when you’re not hiring
Evaluating & Selecting Great Writers
“You need to have a collaborative hiring process.”
—Steve Jobs
Create A Rubric
Tone
Word Choice
Organization
Sentence Structure
Writer’s Background
Read Bios
Personal Website
Check Writing Samples
Copyscape
PaperRater
Good Housekeeping
Email Receipt of Application
Selection Timeline
Paid Trials
Foundr Example
Quick Tips
Involve multiple team members in the selection process
Develop a rubric that meets your company’s needs
Establish a timeline to contact all applicants
Onboarding Great Writers
Content Briefs
Customer Lifecycle
Buyer Personas
Editorial Calendar
Writing Process
Weekly Meetings
Collaborative Editing
Publishing Duties
Overall Company Policies
Cultural Norms
Payroll Schedule
Access to Resources
“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust.
Trust drives revenue.” —Andrew Davis
Quick Tips
Give your writers content direction
Create a flexible writing process for growth
Introduce writers to your company’s values
