- Free Download: New Web Design Client Questionnaire - October 1, 2015
- The Beginner’s Growth Hacking Guide for Agencies - September 14, 2015
- 23 Creative Content Syndication Ideas - September 2, 2015
Every other week, MySiteAuditor brings together experts from SEO, web design, and digital marketing agencies across the U.S. and around the world for a Twitter chat centered on agency life, clients, lead generation, SEO, web design, social media, and all things digital. This week, our #SEOprochat focused on managing freelance copywriters, and we had a great session of sharing experiences, tips, and ideas.
Here’s a recap of our conversation in case you missed it – we hope you learn something, and join us next time!
The demand for content marketing is driving a great need for talented copywriters, and many agencies work with freelancers to meet that need. But how can agencies hire the best?
Where is the best place to find freelance copywriters, and what are the biggest challenges of working with freelancers? We asked these questions and more, and here’s what the community had to say.
Alright y’all, welcome to #SEOprochat! Thanks for joining! pic.twitter.com/ilJSGcCG1m
— MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
Our spirits were up, everyone was ready to dive in.
Feel free to introduce yourself + say hello! #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/pfcy0yAlz7 — MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
#seoprochat this is so much better than the meeting I am in 😉
— Nicole Pereira (@Nicca619) August 25, 2015
We first wanted to hear everyone’s methods for finding and hiring top freelancers.
Hay there! @mysiteauditor #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/eUZPRtJUf8
— Econcept Inc (@Econcept99) August 25, 2015
Today’s we’re chatting about managing freelance copywriters. Q1 comin at ya! #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/RgXH8X64sL — MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
We saw some common answers among the group. Here are common ways agencies find freelance copywriters:
–Elance
–TextBroker
–Upwork
–Scripted
@mysiteauditor #seoprochat . I like to use Elance, you can find some really good writers there if you post the job correctly and pay fairly!
— Stellar SEO|Travis B (@THESEOPROZ) August 25, 2015
A1: We’ve used @TextBroker and had good results. #seoprochat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 25, 2015
But finding freelance copywriting talent is only half the battle. We also wanted to hear how agencies approached the interview process.
Once you find them, how do you interview them? #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/tateVoG3mU — MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
A2: Ask to see their previous work! You can get a lot of answers from what they have already written. #seoprochat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 25, 2015
A2: Their portfolio. Different writing styles, depth of the research & how unique or shareable their content can be is there #SEOprochat — Advees (@AdveesSA) August 25, 2015
It’s not surprising that many agencies expect some level of SEO knowledge from their freelance copywriters. We heard that most agencies like freelancers to have some experience with keyword usage, knowledge of the broader digital landscape like social media and content marketing, and some technical expertise with title tags and image tags.
Beyond writing samples + portfolios, what about #SEO skills? #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/IgbLJNBxrD
— MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
A3: We like to do the keyword research for them. It is important that they understand how to use the research properly though. #seoprochat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 25, 2015
A3: Understand the basics…Titles, keyword research, image alt tags, keyword density, etc. #seoprochat
— Bart Caylor (@bartcaylor) August 25, 2015
#seoprochat A3: I expect my writers to have a basic understand of how to find LSI keywords and to understand how to write clickworthy titles
— Stellar SEO|Travis B (@THESEOPROZ) August 25, 2015
A3: Understanding the impact of content length is super important. 2,000+ words get more shares. #seoprochat pic.twitter.com/CyNbiAB34W
— Marvin Russell (@marvinrussell) August 25, 2015
I like to have writers who have a “bigger picture” view of the content: understand SEO, but #socialmedia, #contentmarketing #seoprochat
— Bart Caylor (@bartcaylor) August 25, 2015
Definitely! And, I would add “evergreen” so that it keeps working the SEO going forward @marvinrussell#seoprochat
— Bart Caylor (@bartcaylor) August 25, 2015
Additionally, we took a look at how the rise of content marketing has changed how agencies and digital marketers work with freelance copywriters. Since the demand to publish quality content regularly is high, we found that agencies are concerned with meeting that need while also maintaining high quality.
#contentmarketing is driving demand for copywriters. How has this changed your approach? #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/5z7nZGJuuC
— MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
A4: I want copywriters to create content to #earnlinks and #earnshares. That means it has to be very good and valuable. #seoprochat
— Marvin Russell (@marvinrussell) August 25, 2015
A4: Google’s rewards high quality content more than ever. Have to focus more and spend more time on individual content #seoprochat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 25, 2015
A4: Freelancers need to understand the entire picture of inbound…and how to write copy to convert. #seoprochat
— Bart Caylor (@bartcaylor) August 25, 2015
#seoprochat A4: I think that it has definately raised the quality expectations from writers
— Stellar SEO|Travis B (@THESEOPROZ) August 25, 2015
A4: Less to do with article length (though still important) and more about quality and relevancy to topic #seoprochat
— Michael Hall (@allmikehall) August 25, 2015
We also discussed the challenges of working with freelance writers, from not getting the quality you expected to a lack of communication to the dreaded missed deadline.
What about new challenges you’ve experience? #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/GpYzX6hxh6
— MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
A5: Communication: I want freelancers to over communicate: ask questions, check-in, over-deliver and under-promise. #seoprochat
— Bart Caylor (@bartcaylor) August 25, 2015
A5: Poor quality of work. Hiring freelance copywriters is meant to save time, not spend more time correcting grammar. #seoprochat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 25, 2015
A5: Connecting with the right people. It can take time and some bad initial results to find the right person for the job. #seoprochat
— Michael Hall (@allmikehall) August 25, 2015
And if this happens…#SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/nE6pBciO1v
— MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
A6: You move on. Ideally over time you figure out who you can count on. #seoprochat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 25, 2015
A6: Ask a lot of questions. Hopefully avoid that w/ 1st interview, but life happens. Assume best. But once bitten, twice shy #seoprochat
— Bart Caylor (@bartcaylor) August 25, 2015
A6 I value long-term relationships with my agency clients. #mutuallybeneficial – I have work, and I give them pricing benefits #SEOprochat
— Catherine Russell (@hireCatherine) August 25, 2015
A6: Can’t rely on freelancers 100% of the time to meet a deadline. If it is critical that it is done on time then do it yourself #seoprochat
— Michael Hall (@allmikehall) August 25, 2015
And lastly, we asked the group how they decide when to hire internally or outsource copywriting. This is often a major decision for smaller agencies who’ve grown quickly and have a great demand for content producers for their clients.
A8: Expertise on the subject. We do not expect every copywriter to be able to cover all subjects. Niche projects get outsourced #SEOprochat
— Advees (@AdveesSA) August 25, 2015
@bartcaylor I read today that by 2040 the majority of work will be freelance! interesting changes ahead! #SEOprochat https://t.co/p1WJINY5aF
— Jessica Kandler (@JessicaKandler) August 25, 2015
When it makes sense financially #SEOprochat
— Jeff Smith (@affmarguru) August 25, 2015
A8: Freelance when you’re in need of a specialist but only for short periods of time. #seoprochat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 25, 2015
A8: It’s really case by case. Sometimes it makes sense to hire internally, but should always explore freelancing as an option. #seoprochat
— Michael Hall (@allmikehall) August 25, 2015
Any topics you’d recommend for next time? #SEOprochat pic.twitter.com/FGex3jEjBq
— MySiteAuditor (@mysiteauditor) August 25, 2015
Overall we had a great chat, and we’re thankful to everyone who attended!
#SEOprochat takes places every other Tuesday at 1pm CST on Twitter. Follow @MySiteAuditor and search the hashtag #SEOprochat to join! If you want to find out topics in advance (and RSVP to let us know you’ll be there!) visit mysiteauditor.com/blog/seoprochat.
Also check out our recent infographic on How Agencies Can Hire Top Freelance Copywriters for tips on what to look for, what to watch out for, and critical interview questions to ask.
