Considering to outsource content creation to a freelancer or agency? If you do decide to choose this route you need to think of a few things first, which we’ve put together below as a checklist. Below are the steps to achieve good cooperation with an external agency or freelancer.
Be clear about what you expect, but don’t limit their creative process
Provide clear guidelines of what you want your freelancer to do and what you expect from them. However, also talk to your freelancer. How much freedom do they have in the selection of topics and formats? Also, how much can they experiment with? Provide a detailed and tangible brief, but try not to limit or confine their creative process. Allow them to present, develop and execute their innovative ideas and keep an open mind to their suggestions. If they go off course, try to steer them back on the path to where both of you agree. Often, it’s this collaborative process that leads to the most creative work.
Check progress regularly to prevent unpleasant surprises
Ensure the freelancer has a point of contact, someone with authority who can review, provide feedback and approve the various stages of a project. Check the progress and status of the freelancer’s work regularly to see that it meets your expectations and is aligned with your brand voice. If there are numerous stakeholders involved, involve the freelancer in a team meeting to ensure they get all perspectives and understand all relevant issues. Again, the best outcomes come from team efforts.
Find the right fit for your project and your organization
When looking for the right agency or freelancer, check their references, and portfolio and gain an understanding of their focus areas. If you find someone who does impressive work but does not have the knowledge level or mastery of a particular skill needed for the project, ask them if they can recommend anyone in their network. Often freelancers can suggest people that could meet your requirements.
Gain the exclusive rights and ownership of the project
Make sure that for your project you have exclusive rights and ownership over all content created by the freelancer. Also, ensure the contract specifies whether or not the freelancer may use this work as an example to showcase in their portfolio.
Define and share your goals and objectives
Include your goals and objectives in your brief so the freelancer knows what you want to achieve. Make it clear to them that you will evaluate the outcome of their work along these lines. Having defined your key performance indicators, you will measure your investment based on how the content performs. If the result is excellent, you will most likely continue the collaboration. See some examples of metrics in our checklist below.
Treat them as a team member
The most important thing to do is to brief the freelancer or agency adequately. Recognize the freelancer or agency as an extra member of your team. Do they have all the information and insights to be able to do an excellent job? Provide relevant background information, such as your company’s communications strategy, brand guidelines, target groups, and other specifics such as format lengths, posting times, and the frequency of publishing content. You may also wish to give other responsibilities allowing the freelancer or agency to post content on your behalf for your various channels, or follow up on any comments or other interactions. Don’t forget to include a main point of contact, your objectives and goals, and any legal aspects you think they need to be aware of.
Keen on outsourcing content creation?
Mynewsdesk can provide excellent content services to support and complement your PR efforts. Our team creates high-quality content on your behalf that often exceeds expectations. On request, we can also assist you in finding topics and concepts that will help you to engage audiences and grow your business. Contact us.
