“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
― Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
What Is A Freelance Copywriter?
A freelance copywriter description could be a professional writer that is adept at the art of content creation for the web. In other words – a freelance copywriter is a new term for a content writer or content creator. If you are looking for someone to create content for your online business or as a part of other marketing strategies, then you want to hire a freelance copywriter.
What Does A Freelance Copywriter Do?
Freelance copywriters are wordsmiths, scholars, and marketing strategists. When you hire a copywriter, you are not just hiring someone who creates web content. You’re also hiring someone who is proficient at search engine optimization (SEO), adept at topic research, and good at creating a marketing strategy.
A copywriter may be able to have a background in customer service, public communication, search engines, journalism, marketing, news, public relations, web development, technical writing, or information technology to create web content that adapts different tones for various types of audiences. When it comes to writing, freelance copywriters are quite often Jacks-of-all-trades. It’s not unusual for a freelance copywriter to specialize in a particular business field, such as Information Technology or Software Development. They usually have relevant education and work experience to complement their content creation, topic research, and marketing strategy skills. It is also not unusual for a freelance copywriter to have no particular specialization, yet still, be competent in writing about any topic given to them.
How To Hire A Freelance Copywriter
Freelance copywriters can be hired most often from freelancer platform websites. Many seasoned professionals may choose to also operate an online business outside of the freelancer community, especially if they have other skills outside of copywriting. Some of the most popular freelancer platform websites include UpWork, Fivrr, and Freelancer.
There are several different formats a freelancer platform website may use to connect an online business with a freelance copywriter. Some sites use a bid system in which the online business posts an ad specifying what kind of freelance copywriter they need with a brief description of the project. Freelance copywriters can then submit “bids,” e.g. business proposals, to the online business for consideration for the job. Other freelancer platform websites use a classifieds style system in which the freelance copywriters may advertise their services so online businesses can search for the specific services they need.
If an online business knows what kind of services they are looking for, a classified style platform such as Fivrr may be the most efficient way to connect with a freelance copywriter. However, if the online company is unsure of their specific needs, or has a special-interest type writing project that requires someone with a specialization, they may find the best use in a bid system like UpWork.
How To Hire The Best Freelance Copywriter
Finding the best freelance copywriter to hire for a writing project can be a little tricky. An online company will want to hire a freelance copywriter that is proficient in more than just writing an interesting piece. Those other required skills may seem a bit more hidden from sight. The best freelance copywriters, in general, will mention some or all of the following aspects of their work:
- Advanced English skills
- A system of rough drafts and final drafts in which there are frequent submissions for inspection of the content and client input is encouraged and welcome
- Proofreading
- Scholarly research skills, which includes the ability to research peer-reviewed databases and cite industry publications
- Professional formatting skills, such as APA, MLA, and Chicago formats
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) skills
- Keyword research & marketing strategy
- Flesch-Kincaid readability scale adherence
- Use of professional grammar, readability, and or SEO software
- Public communication skills
- Past publications (due to sold copyrights, this may not be possible; but the copywriter will have some form of writing samples to show their work)
- Writing assessment scores
- College writing courses
- Marketing
- Data analysis
- Checks for plagiarism
If the online company is in a highly specialized field which uses a lot of industry jargon, such as medical, legal, or manufacturing, it is smart to look for a freelance copywriter that has experience in that field. While a general freelance copywriter may be able to pull off the job, it is highly likely that it will take them longer due to the increased research. They may not be able to understand the industry concepts well enough to discuss them in a context that makes sense to the desired audience.
How To Describe A Writing Project To A Freelance Copywriter
When a freelance copywriter has been located, the freelance copywriter will need details about the writing project. These details will help them determine whether or not to take the contract. Please specify the following details to the freelance copywriter when posting a job on a freelancer platform website, or when first communicating with them about the writing project:
- What kind of content to create
- The projected word count of the writing project
- What format to use (if any) when writing it
- What date the content should be completed by
- Who the intended audience is
- What the intended goal is for the audience
- What keywords (if any) the company would like to focus on
- How the online business prefers to communicate with the freelance copywriter
- Any extra skills or knowledge required for completing the writing project
- What the expected budget for the content creation is
It is okay if the online business does not know all of these specifications. A skilled and seasoned freelance copywriter will be able to communicate further to gain the data they need. However, it makes it easier for the freelance copywriter – and attracts more highly skilled freelance copywriters – if the online business can specify their exact needs.
Places To Hire A Freelance Copywriter
Here is a list of places you can go online to hire a freelance copywriter:
UpWork
Indeed
Copywriting Jobs
I’m different.
I’m not just an IT girl; I’m also an artist, designer, and entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience creating digital content that gets results. Let’s talk about how we can help your business grow by making it more accessible to customers on the web!