Letter #22: Hiring best-fit freelancers
Expert interview on how to tell between good and great content samples.
Helloo! đ
This fine Tuesday I come in the company of some loud music to energize myself and tips to help you find the best freelancer.
The thing is: Marketers vetting freelancers have to go through TONS of samples. But how can you tell which of the writers are the best fit?
Grizzle.ioâs Head of Content, Erica Schneider, has some (ooh-so-good) advice for you.
As always as, the advice comes packaged in 3 questions that I ask all experts including Erica:
A mistake that sheâs made when trying to vet through freelancersâ writing samples.
An actionable tip to get you one step closer to hiring best-fit freelancers for your blog.
And, a secret tip to pin down the perfect match.
Letâs roll:
đ Learn from Ericaâs mistake: âInvesting too much energy and excitement in someone based on their portfolio, rather than keeping a level head and seeing how they perform in a paid pilot project.â
Erica shares some context:
âNot every piece of content is indicative of a writerâs true ability as itâs likely been heavily edited. It can either be watered down and made more dull, or spruced up and made more interesting. Either way, itâs hard to know if the sample truly reflects the writerâs capabilities.â
Bonus tip by yours truly: In addition to reviewing portfolios, go through writersâ blogs or posts they write on their Medium profiles. Some of the best content managers Iâve worked with have come from reading posts on my blog. Meaning: they looked at my unedited (well, sorta, cause I did self-edit lol) work.
đ Do this today: âAnalyze the narrative. Does it sound like every other piece of content on the topic, or is it unique?â
âA good narrative will hook you, teach you, and have tons of practical takeaways. An average narrative will bore you.â
âOf course, writers are beholden to what the client wants, and if the client wants simple, the writer will keep it simple,â Erica adds.
âThatâs where the job description comes into play. We specifically write on our job description: âWe take the time to create high-quality content thatâs full of unique insights and value-adds.â If [freelancers] apply with content that doesnât do that, we consider that average, so [see that] the samples align with the job requirementâ
đ The secret tip to finding perfect-fit freelancers: Be agile.
âSubject matter expertise is really important, but so are research skills. Best-fit writers are adaptable. They can step into the clientâs voice and tone, and shed their predispositions.â
Says Erica: âSometimes, previous expertise makes this harder, because the client may have a different position or outlook on whatâs ârightâ or âbestâ regarding a certain topic. So if youâre an SME or have niched down, itâs super important to also be agile.â
So todayâs takeaways:
Donât just look at bylines and portfolios, look at the raw, unedited work as well
Survey the content sampleâs narrative and ask yourself: does it teach you something?
You need niche experts but also look for writers with strong research skills.
Thatâs a wrap â youâd agree this was dope advice, right? If so, share it with your network (and tag me so I can thank you đ)
Best,
Masooma
Letter #22: Hiring best-fit freelancers
I think this is letter #23đ„°