How to Hire a Niche Freelance Writer for Your Business
Some industries require expert knowledge.
The pressure is everywhere: produce more content. Businesses have to show up in multiple channels and individuals increasingly develop a personal brand to advance their careers. In any form, content relies heavily on quality writing to stand out amidst the noise.
For some industries, written content is hard. The audience is highly knowledgeable and not looking for a listicle like “10 Best Sales Tips This Year.” These industries are often regulated, filled with jargon, and nuanced.
I have spent more than 15 years working with financial technology companies. I’ve read blog posts that are so obviously not written by someone with industry knowledge. They sound “off” at best (or are completely wrong at worst).
There are a lot of talented freelance writers in the world, but not all of them can handle niche industries. If you’re looking to hire a writer to produce expertly-written content, here’s how to go about it.
Review the Writer’s Portfolio
Any good freelancer will maintain an online portfolio of work, and update it regularly. (I organize mine by types of content.)
You’ll want to assess if the freelancer can write for your industry. Look at samples of work on topics that are relevant to your audience. Does the content sound natural for your audience? Does it sound like it was written by an expert? Examples from industry publications are a great signal since the threshold for acceptance is usually higher.
Next, look for content that’s similar to what you’re trying to produce. Ebooks? Whitepapers? Thought leadership? Understand if the writer can produce work in these formats by reviewing samples.
Finally, think about your brand voice and tone, if you have a specific point of view. Many freelance writers can adapt to any style, so if you don’t see something that exactly matches what you’re looking for, it doesn’t mean the writer can’t produce what you’re looking for. But it’s something you should bring up with the writer.
Freelance writers can’t always display all samples in a public portfolio, especially if they’re under a non-disclosure agreement for ghostwritten work. If you are unsure based on the samples you’ve reviewed, contact the writer and ask to see additional examples.
Interview the Writer
After you’re satisfied that the freelance writer meets the bar for your industry, you should set up a time to meet.
The portfolio isn’t always indicative of the writer’s expertise (though it’s a good starting point). The work could have been heavily edited by a subject-matter expert before it was published.
If you talk to the writer, you’ll gain a better understanding of the writer’s industry knowledge.
Ask about the writing process
Every writer has a different process, so you’re not looking for the details. But a niche writer should be able to describe how they stay current in the industry or how they approach writing about different topics.
You could ask the writer about a specific example from their portfolio (as long as it wasn’t too long ago!) or ask them to describe an article they’ve written recently. Ask things like:
- How did they do research?
- How did they decide on an angle for the story?
- How did the writer’s own industry knowledge contribute to the end result?
Through this discussion, you might discover that the writer relies heavily on interviews with subject-matter experts, rather than their own industry knowledge. And that can work if the writer is a good interviewer and has enough experience to translate the interviews into written content. But it’s something you will need to plan for: making such experts available to the writer.
Talk about a topic
Strike up a conversation about something in the industry and see how much the writer can discuss on the fly. You can easily point to something recent from the writer’s portfolio.
If the writer truly has industry knowledge, they’ll be able to talk about the topic easily. If they stumble or seem confused, it’s likely that an editor had a heavy hand in the portfolio examples.
In calls with prospective clients, I’ve talked about new banking regulations and current events or trends. They’re not topics of everyday conversation: I can easily demonstrate my expertise.
Understand how the writer collaborates
A good way to discuss collaboration: ask the writer what they need from you before starting a new project.
Some freelance writers will prefer you to give them a lot of direction. Niche writers are more likely to take a topic and run with it (though not always). If you and the writer are not on the same page with how much input you want and are able to give, the relationship won’t work.
If I don’t agree with a content approach (mostly for blog articles), I’ll push back and ask the client if I can change the approach. Sometimes the client agrees; sometimes we arrive at something in the middle; sometimes the client insists that I stick to their original instructions. As a niche writer, if clients never want my input, it’s not a good fit, since I’m being paid for my expertise.
Anna Burgess Yang
Where to Find Expert Writers
You know you need to hire an expert writer in your industry. Where to start?
Niche writers (myself included) don’t always list themselves on freelance marketplaces like Fiverr or Upwork. They don’t have to — they are often relying on inbound inquiries or referrals.
You can ask peers in your industry (not competitors!) if they are using any freelance writers that they’d recommend. You can also review industry publications and do some digging. Some of the bylined writers may have ghostwriting businesses on the side.
Content agencies sometimes specialize in particular industries, so those are always an option — especially if you need a volume of content that would be hard for one writer to handle. If you’re talking to an agency, ask how they vet their writers for industry knowledge and if they’re working with in-house writers or freelancers. Ask if you can speak to the writer(s) directly and then use the same interview questions that you would when hiring a freelancer directly.
You can also do searches on LinkedIn or Google for “(your industry) writer” and see if any results pop up. You could also post on LinkedIn (either formally with a job listing or informally with a post) that very explicitly says you’re looking for a writer with industry experience. Be prepared for a large number of replies that you’ll need to sift through — not all of which will have the requisite experience.
Niche writers come with a price tag to match
You’re unlikely to find a cheap writer with industry expertise. If you do, they’re probably less experienced and still building a portfolio — and don’t yet know what their knowledge is worth.
It’s like any expert: you get what you pay for. You might find a great writer that’s not as knowledgeable and that can work… but then you’ll need more internal resources to “polish” the writing and make it sound correct for your audience.
If you find a writer and your budget doesn’t match the writer’s rate per piece, you might consider scaling back the amount of content you produce. Better to craft less, but well-written content, than publish work that doesn’t land well with your audience.
You can read about the future of work and career pivots on my Substack.