3 Ways To Find Talented Freelance Bloggers For Your Business

Picture this: you own several businesses or several blogs.

You do well in the beginning to consistently post, but as your businesses boom and marketing takes more of your time, you realize you can’t do this alone.

You need someone to help you create consistent content that’s quality-driven and appeals to your readers.

Maybe you’re interested in running a multi-author blog. This is a great way to grow your business and always have fresh new content for your readers.

Or, you could be a solopreneur who just doesn’t have the time – or the writing ability – to pump out quality posts that are centered on your niche and brand.

You know if you find the right blogger, it’ll be an investment, so you want to get this right the first time around.

But, you haven’t a clue where to find these types of freelance bloggers.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Post a job ad

An effective way to find a freelance blogger or writer is to post a job ad on a specialized job board. Some sites – like ProBlogger – charge a fee for posting, so make sure to read the terms of each job posting site.

If you’ve gone this route and haven’t found the right freelance blogger, this may be due to your job ad. Maybe your ad:

• Was too vague and didn’t quite explain the content requirements.
• Was too long and not concise. New freelance bloggers may be overwhelmed by your job ad.
• Was too general and not specific. Your ad only says, “blogger,” and doesn’t mention what type of blogger (technical blogger, business blogger).

To attract the right applicant, make sure your ad is precise. Here are some tips to write a winning job ad:

1. Start with an informative headline

Darren Rowse of ProBlogger mentions having a headline that stands out. This means your headline should be specific and informative.

Since hundreds of bloggers are viewing job boards daily, you want your job ad to resonate with a blogger.

Specifying the type of writer you’re looking for – and how many posts you require – can weed out many bloggers that don’t fit your ad requirements. For example, “Entertainment blogger for 4-8 posts a month” clearly defines the type of blogger and the amount of work required.

2. List the project scope

Your job ad should clearly define the scope of the project you need from a blogger. While it’s important also to include your business and what your business does, it’s more important to mention what you want a freelance blogger to do for you.

Consider including:

• The topics you need written – providing samples from your blog or other blogs can help a freelancer know the type of content you seek
• Amount of projects needed – listing how many posts you need a week or month helps a freelancer know if they can fit this project in their schedule
• Approximate word count – do you require short, condensed posts of 500 words, or do you want in-depth, research-backed posts of 2,000 words?
• Other miscellaneous extras – do you want the freelancer to do interviews, source photos, upload content to your backend? Do you expect them to promote your blog posts on social media?

3. Include necessary qualifications

To make it easier to sift through the dozens – or hundreds – of applicants that will likely apply to your job ad, include the qualifications you seek. Remember, you don’t want any old blogger; you want someone with knowledge of your industry that has the credentials to back it up.

This might mean:

• Relevant educational background
• Expertise in your industry via previous guest posts or client work
• Certification, licenses or experience in your industry
• Samples to show writing style and expert knowledge

4. Pay rate

Many job ads don’t list a pay range, but that opens the doors for all bloggers – both over and under qualified – to apply for your job.

Not listing a rate can also backfire; many freelance bloggers won’t apply to ads without a rate or pay range. Since high-quality writers are in demand and can pick and choose the clients they work with, not listing a rate can mean you’ll miss out on finding your ideal blogger.

To eliminate unqualified bloggers and to encourage higher-quality bloggers to apply, list a rate or pay range, or ask bloggers to include their rate in the application.

2. The connect and wow approach

Many bloggers and other entrepreneurs are more proactive when it comes to finding a freelance blogger for their content needs.

The “connect and wow” is something Adam uses when he tries to find a freelance blogger for his blogs.

Let’s look at how this works.

The first step: connect

You – the blog owner – notice and respond to a comment on your blog from a freelance blogger.

You’re probably interested in hiring a freelance blogger, so when you receive a comment from a freelancer take note for when you have to hire some writers.

If your blog isn’t frequented by other freelance bloggers, then it’s a good idea to visit other blogs where they hang out or have guest posted on.

For example, Be a Freelance Blogger or The Write Life is a place for freelance bloggers and authors to connect and network.

Visit other popular blogs – like this blog, ProBlogger, Basic Blog Tips or Smart Blogger – to find freelance bloggers that have guest posted or commented.

If you connect with a freelance blogger – either through commenting or on social media – and become interested in learning more about them, you’re ready for the next step.

The second step: check out their blog

Head on over to the freelancer’s website or blog and take a look at their content.

Most of the time you can get a feel about a writer from their blog. Their blog can show you:

• If they treat their blog as a business or hobby – does the freelance blogger update their blog regularly? Is their blog established or new? These things can hint about their professionalism and experience as a writer.
• Their engagement level – does the freelance blogger have the option to share their posts? Do they have multiple shares and comments? Does the freelancer take the time to respond to each comment?
• Their writing style – does the freelance blogger know how to write for an online audience?
• What their niche is – does the freelance blogger have a niche blog? Is there one core theme with their blog posts or is it a mish-mash of topics?

By looking over their blog, you can get a good sense at the quality of writing this person does and whether they would be a good fit for your business. For example, Alexis Grant, an entrepreneurial writer and digital strategist, regularly checks out blogs for potential hires:

Whenever I look to hire new go-getters for my Socialexis team (which helps me with this blog, my guides and courses, and client work), I check out applicants’ blogs (as well as Twitter feeds, LinkedIn profiles and more). By looking at each person’s blog, I can easily evaluate their writing skills, social media abilities, even their network. And on top of that, I can judge whether I’d actually like them as a person. We all want to work with (and hire!) people we get along with.

This leads to the final step.

Step three: the freelance blogger wows you

For many business owners and solopreneurs, a freelance blogger really has to wow them with their writing before they even consider hiring the blogger.

So, if you find, after looking at this freelancer’s blog and reading their content, that you love their writing style, it’s time to ask them if they’re interested in writing for you.

Email the freelancer or fill out the contact form on their website to see if they have room for another gig.

3. Ask for referrals

Sometimes the best freelance bloggers come from referrals.

So, before you place an ad and before you actively seek out a blogger, look to your network of colleagues and other writers on your staff to see if they know of a freelance blogger looking for work.

Usually, if you have a writer on your staff, this means they know plenty of writers who might be interested in another gig.

Similarly, reaching out to other entrepreneurs can open the door to learning about other writers you’ve never heard about.

You can use Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook to ask for recommendations from your friends and colleagues – or just email them and ask.

Typically a word-of-mouth approach yields the best freelance bloggers.

Wrapping it up

Blogging is a great tool to bring traffic and sales to your business. If you’re on the hunt for a freelance blogger to provide world-class content, you’ll have to go out and find them.

Posting an ad is the quickest way to drum up hundreds of applicants, but to find the best freelance blogger for your business you may have to connect with them on a personal level. It also doesn’t hurt to ask around your network of friends and blogger buddies to see if they know of a freelance blogger wanting more work.

Over to you – what your best way of finding freelance bloggers for your blog?

The post 3 Ways To Find Talented Freelance Bloggers For Your Business appeared first on Blogging Wizard.

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