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 websites where you can outsource almost any kind of project to a freelancer. Freelance workers from all over the world use these sites to look for projects that they'd like to work on. The advantage for you as an employer is that you can find the best person for the job, even if that person lives in Kathmandu.
One way to get the best freelancers to respond to your advertisement is to know how to describe the project. Be clear about exactly what you want and what skills or knowledge you need the freelancer to have. If you want the text to be in a language other than English, place your advertisement in that language to ensure that those who respond really can speak, read and write the language. Also find out what market-related fees for the job would be because good freelancers won't apply for a job that pays far too little.
You'll probably be inundated with proposals, so you'll need to create a shortlist of likely candidates. Start by checking the grammar, spelling and general writing style of each proposal, because this can give you an idea of the applicant's writing abilities. Professionals will write personalized proposals rather than using a generic template and they'll usually quote within the range of the market rate. They'll also be realistic about the time they'll need for the project.
Don't let yourself be guided by applicants' nationalities. Great English copywriters don't necessarily live in countries where English is the main language. At the same time, living in the USA, the UK, Canada or Australia doesn't automatically mean that someone can speak English or can write copy.
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.
It's also a good idea to look at the reviews the freelancer has received for previous projects. Don't just look at the overall rating, though, because someone might have a high overall rating but also many bad reviews and incomplete projects. The person's reaction to bad reviews will tell you how professional they are.
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 websites where you can outsource almost any kind of project to a freelancer. Freelance workers from all over the world use these sites to look for projects that they'd like to work on. The advantage for you as an employer is that you can find the best person for the job, even if that person lives in Kathmandu.
One way to get the best freelancers to respond to your advertisement is to know how to describe the project. Be clear about exactly what you want and what skills or knowledge you need the freelancer to have. If you want the text to be in a language other than English, place your advertisement in that language to ensure that those who respond really can speak, read and write the language. Also find out what market-related fees for the job would be because good freelancers won't apply for a job that pays far too little.
You'll probably be inundated with proposals, so you'll need to create a shortlist of likely candidates. Start by checking the grammar, spelling and general writing style of each proposal, because this can give you an idea of the applicant's writing abilities. Professionals will write personalized proposals rather than using a generic template and they'll usually quote within the range of the market rate. They'll also be realistic about the time they'll need for the project.
Don't let yourself be guided by applicants' nationalities. Great English copywriters don't necessarily live in countries where English is the main language. At the same time, living in the USA, the UK, Canada or Australia doesn't automatically mean that someone can speak English or can write copy.
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.
It's also a good idea to look at the reviews the freelancer has received for previous projects. Don't just look at the overall rating, though, because someone might have a high overall rating but also many bad reviews and incomplete projects. The person's reaction to bad reviews will tell you how professional they are.
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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