3 great business reasons to hire a freelance writer

When you heard the phrase “freelance writer,” what comes to mind? A dreamy-eyed English major writing poems in a coffee shop? A tortured artist who insists on using an antique typewriter and can’t make rent?

Movies and TV sitcoms have been recycling this same character over and over for years: The beleaguered, hot-mess writer who can barely keep her life together and doesn’t understand a thing about basic business.

The real tragedy is what happens when business professionals accept this lazy trope as a realistic depiction: They miss out on what a freelance writer can do for their business.

A freelance writer is not just a creative asset; she is a business asset. Good freelance writers are strategic thinkers who can help you connect with your customers and communicate the value of your brand. You can reap significant benefits by hiring a freelance writer. Let’s talk about a few of them.

You can save tons of time by hiring a freelance writer.

When you hire a freelance writer, you’re buying back a finite resource: Your time. You can use that time to advance other parts of your business and tackle the projects you’ve been putting off.

Here’s an example: Scott co-founded a web and marketing company with a friend. Scott is a writer himself—it’s one of many hats he wears at his company. But with so many leadership responsibilities, he needed to get something off his plate.

Every month, Scott was on the hook to write a set of 500-word articles for a client. He decided to hire a freelance writer to do the writing for him, which freed up 15-20 hours of his time—every month.

Scott experienced record productivity that first month and every month thereafter. He spent many successful years in sales before he started his company, so he used all that extra time to focus on business development and high-level strategy. He won new clients and increased the size of several existing accounts as a result.

A freelance writer can boost your team’s capacity and content production volume.

During a check-in meeting, Scott and the freelance writer were chatting about the articles she was now writing for him. While comparing notes about their writing processes, Scott made an important discovery: His freelance writer was fast. She could turn around content much more quickly than he realized—and produce more in a shorter period of time.

Scott immediately saw this as a great opportunity. This freelance writer had the capacity to take on a lot more client work than Scott could handle on his own. He also learned that she had some specialty skills and experience, which meant the company suddenly had more human capital. With her on board, Scott could take on more clients—and sell them additional services.

Of course, hiring a freelance writer doesn’t mean outsourcing every word your team produces. You could be a great writer, like Scott, and have several more on your team. But if you’re splitting your time between writing and a bunch of other responsibilities, you may find yourself with more great content ideas than you have time to actually write.

That’s where a freelance writer can help you. A freelance writer can dust off those neglected ideas and bring them to life for you. A freelance writer can also bring a fresh perspective or a different skillset, diversifying your team’s overall capabilities. As a result, your team’s total output is much greater.

By hiring a freelance writer, you can expand your team without having to deal with payroll taxes and other hassles.

Human resources are expensive. It’s not just the salary: There’s health benefits, a 401k match, payroll taxes, and a heap of other expenses to consider. Employees need computers, phones, desks, uniforms, and more. And the hiring process almost always takes more time and money than expected.

Scott sidestepped all those extra costs by hiring a freelance writer instead of a full-time employee. All he had to pay was a fair rate for her work. She handled everything else independently.

Hiring a freelance writer is a great way to grow your team without the sticker shock of a full-time employee. Freelance writers handle their own equipment, taxes, and investments, so you’re just responsible for their fee. Every freelance writer bills differently, but a good one will work with you to figure out what’s best for your company, whether that’s a flat fee, an hourly rate, or a set monthly retainer payment.

So here’s the punchline.

You may have guessed it already: This is a real case study. Scott is a fake name, but he is a real person. In fact, he’s one of my clients. And the freelance writer is me.

What I’ve shared here are very real examples of how hiring a freelance writer can lead to better business. You can grow your company’s service portfolio and buy back your time—without having to go through the rigmarole of hiring or adding a role you didn’t budget for.

Did Scott’s story catch your attention? Drop me a line and let’s talk about how hiring a freelance writer—me—can benefit your business.