It’s tempting for business owners and marketing managers to view in-house writers and freelance writers as one and the same. After all, both are tasked with creating the same type of content. Each one will write web copy, blogs, eBooks, and other marketing collateral.
While the end results may be similar, there are some very real differences you need to be aware of when deciding between hiring or outsourcing, or adding a freelancer to reduce the workload on your full-time employees.
The Hiring Process
Potential employees need to go through a thorough vetting process. They’ll send in a resume or CV, and then be screened by an HR manager. If they look good on paper, they’ll come in for an interview, and probably take a writing test just so you can be sure they really know what they’re doing.
There’s a reason for that process — firing employees isn’t easy. You need to make sure you get it right the first time.
Freelancers are a much different proposition. Rather than hiring an employee, you’re actually outsourcing to a business or vendor. Their resume isn’t very important in this process, although their writing samples are. You’ll have a conversation with them about the work they do, and ask them questions to make sure you’re aligned. You may ask for a test, although most experienced freelance writers will either pass or write something of limited scope.
As the hiring manager, the freelance writer is much lower risk. If things work out, great. If your freelancer is a disaster, you may have spent a few bucks and wasted some time, but you can quickly cut ties and move on to someone better.
Different Types of Expenses
As a full-time employee, your writer is entitled to a lot of things. Office space, a computer, and vacation days. You may be paying for health care and life insurance, or kicking in funds to a retirement fund. All in all, full time employees’ total cost to you is about 135% of their salary.
My colleague and fellow freelancer Ronni Kives loves talking about the cost effectiveness of freelancer economics. “Companies can use freelance writers if they have a limited budget or do not have authorization for an ongoing, full-time position,” she says. “They can hire them for special/time limited projects, like building a new website, rebranding existing content, or adding a new product line or service to their existing portfolio.”
There’s nothing hidden about freelance costs. Regardless of whether you’re paying an hourly rate or paying by the project, your invoice will have set costs that you can pay for from your marketing budget.
Competing with Other Voices
When you hire someone, you are the center of their professional life. When you ask them to drop everything and focus on an urgent task, they’ll do it, because that’s their job. You have eyes on their calendar, and your employees are always available to you.
Working with a freelancer is a different dynamic. Their world may revolve around half a dozen or more clients at any time, meaning there are six other projects that are clamoring for their attention.
If you hire a freelancer, you won’t have 100% of their focus, and they may not always be available at the drop of a hat. However, Leoni Jesner, a freelance writer in the hospitality and tourism sector, stresses that “Given the nature and flexibility of freelance writers’ work, we are marvelous at adapting to the individual needs and schedules of clients.”
A Fresh Perspective
Employees often get jaded to their company’s offering. Working on the same type of content day-after-day, year-after-year can lead to stale ideas and flat writing. Even if you already have full time employees on staff, freelancers can infuse a burst of energy into your marketing content.
“Freelancers can offer creativity, a fresh set of eyes and dedicate the time needed to a project when an overworked staff member cannot,” says Debbie Rapps, an international communications professional freelancer.
Nissan Ratzlav-Katz, who freelances through NRK Consulting, takes it a step further, claiming “A fresh point of view and completely focused craftsmanship, provided exactly when you need it—that’s the highest value a freelancer brings to the table."
Changing Workflow
Workflows change throughout the year. The leadup to an event might be a very busy time as you need blogs to drive booth traffic, one pagers to hand out to booth visitors, and nurture email campaigns to send after the event ends. Then, there might be periods of quiet, when there isn’t much need for content.
With a full-time writer on the team, you’ll find yourself paying out the same salary even when there isn’t anything to do. Your salaried writer is locked in, regardless of your needs.
Using a freelancer is cost effective and allows for instant flexibility. You can always ramp up hours during high seasons, while reducing hours as your need dissipates. They are, according to Leoni Jesner, “an excellent talent pool to call upon whenever a business need arises.”
Interesting Times
The pandemic has left a wake of layoffs as it continues to wreak havoc to lives and the economy. Businesses are increasingly turning to temporary freelance help, which allows them to maintain business continuity while short staffed. Freelancers are fulfilling a key void, laying the groundwork for gutted brick and mortar businesses to evolve into omnichannel or online-first businesses.
If you’re short-staffed and looking for a writer, Writehook can help. Or, feel free to click on one of our colleagues’ links quoted above. We would all be happy to help you out.
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