I see a lot of need for writers, copywriters, content producers, and the like these days. Which is great. It means companies understand the need for people who can use words strategically to tell brand stories.

YAY!

But a lot of times, they want these great folks to only work in-house, or full time.

Boo!

Freelancers have no learning curve

So why are freelancers worth it? Because we start on day 1, that’s why. There is no learning curve. We can’t afford to have one. Our experience jumping from one project to another over and over again means we can take the project and run with it (for the most part) from the moment you hire us. If you give me a one-week deadline for my first blog post, I have one week to learn, and write, and edit. That’s it.

New hires typically give a minimum of two weeks’ notice. Then, once they start, they need to get acquainted with the way your business works, possibly a new industry, or a new job function. Either way, learning curves are typically estimated to be anywhere from 3 months to a year, depending on the complexity of the business and/or industry.

Can you imagine if freelancers had learning curves? Nothing would get done. When you hire freelancers, your expectation is for the project to be delivered on time, on budget (unless otherwise stated), and on-brand standards. No less.

Look, I’m not knocking full-timers. Heck, I was a full-timer for 13 years before I started freelancing. So I understand the need for these good folks. They play an integral part in your company’s engine. But as a former marketing manager, I also appreciated the work ethic and consistency I received from my freelancers.

But HOW?! do freelancers learn so quickly? 

So the question I get asked super often is HOW? How do I write for so many different industries that I have no experience in? From plastics manufacturing, 3D printers, to gutters, women’s health, mental health, sports teams, HR, payroll, and every kind of SaaS under the digital sun. 

The simple answer is research. The long answer is research.

So how can I write about YOUR business, YOUR industry, when I’m not a full-time employee and have other clients in different industries? Here’s my process in a nutshell:

1. I scout your website

That’s right, I start with your website. Assuming you have one. If you do, I read it, all of it, sign up for your newsletters, and then do it again. And if you don’t have one (and that’s what you’ve hired me for), I skip to the other steps.

2. I follow your socials

Depending on your industry and where your ideal clients are, I go on different social sites to see what people are talking about, how they respond, what they like and share. This could be LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat, Pinterest, etc… Wherever the trail leads, I follow. I sometimes refer to this step as the black hole of doom. But don’t you worry about that (that’s a whole different blog). 

3. I stalk your direct competitors

Next, I look into your competitors. Big and small, local and national. Again, I read their website, sign up for their newsletters, and see what they’re doing on social media. A little digital eavesdropping never hurt anyone.

4. I sign up for Google Alerts

Once I have a sense of the industry, I sign up for those wonderful Google Alerts. However many are needed to cover your products, services, industry, competitors, news, etc. That way, I’m always in the know and can act on it as it happens.

5. I find your industry news

Most industries these days have associations, trade publications, groups, or chat rooms for insiders. I find those, and guess what I do? I sign up and then read everything. This is a great place for the latest and greatest business trends because they talk about everyone in the industry. Lots of gems to be found here.

How to Become Known as an Expert in Your Niche

Getting started and building an audience.

Anna Burgess YangAnna Burgess Yang

6. I listen and ask questions to your marketing, sales, customer service, product teams

My job is to get a better sense from YOU about what’s happening, what has and hasn’t worked, what you want to try, what you definitely don’t want to try (I might try to talk you in or out of some things, though), and more. The best way for me to do this is to speak with you. Either we do this by phone, video, in-person (if we’re close enough, or pay for my travel 😉) or good ol’ email. I’m flexible to accommodate your busy schedule.

7. I travel abroad (virtually) to find similar businesses 

Lastly, I try to take a peek at what’s happening with similar companies in other countries. Depending on your business model you might not be in direct competition or you might be, either way, seeing what others are doing elsewhere can be a great way to see what works and what doesn’t work.

Some business gaps freelancers can fill  

OK, so now you get why freelancers are cool. Remember that they can help solve for a few different scenarios to help your team get more bang for your buck. 

Don’t have the budget for FTE

Believe it or not, even some of the higher-end freelancers are overall less expensive than hiring a new team member. 

Hiring stopgap

With so many incredibly talented candidates, sometimes hiring can take a little longer than we’d like. Yet, we need that person to start yesterday. The solution is to find a talented and reputable freelancer who can help with any immediate projects while you take your time ensuring you hire the best fit. 

Project support

If you’re running a lean team but need extra hands on deck for a project, campaign, or even a company-wide program, consider finding a freelancer who can support the work. This way, once the thing is done, you can go back to business as usual. 

Vacation/leave fill-ins

Sometimes vacations overlap, or someone needs to take a personal leave. You can’t justify hiring someone, even just for a few weeks or months (the hiring process might take longer than they’re away). The solution could be a freelancer. They can pick up and run with the work, and avoid any dropping of the proverbial balls. 

Beta testing specialties

Of course, if you want to justify a FTE for a specialty role, maybe hiring freelancers to do the work and then bringing the ROI to leadership, can help build a better case for your new hire request. Think about it, in my world (content marketing), a mid- to senior-level FTE can run anywhere from $90-150k (give or take, depending on industries and experience).

Before a company can justify that kind of investment, maybe hiring a freelance content marketer to build and launch a solid content library, would cost a fraction of that salary, but by the end of it, you can have a content dashboard that shows your C-suite where your audience is coming from, how long they’re spending on the page, where they’re going to after they read X article, and their website journey, including any potential leads, sign ups, and demo trials (and so many more insights). 

Don’t write off (*ahem) freelancers

So the next time you get a knock on the door and it’s a freelancer offering to help, don’t dismiss them right away. Give them a chance to prove their worth. You’ll be surprised; pleasantly surprised. Pinky promise. 

Freelance pricing is hard to figure out, but I’ve created a free resource for fellow writers. It outlines rates, how to think about pricing, and how pricing can evolved over time.