Building Your Content Team: Hiring In-House vs. Freelance Writers

Whether you need content for your website, your blog, a monthly newsletter, advertisements or social media posts, it's unlikely you'll have the time to deal with it yourself. Not to mention, you probably don't have the right skills to create content that engages and converts your audience into buyers.

So, who should you hire?

For starters, you need to look at your industry. If your business targets a more general audience, then a regular writer can help with your content creation needs. But, if you offer specialized products and services to a very narrow niche, then you would need subject matter experts that can understand the industry and write about it.

Then, there's another dilemma: should you hire a writer in-house or outsource your content creation needs to a specialized agency or team of freelance writers?

Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each option and decide which one would best suit your business' profile.

In-House Hiring

In-house hiring is usually the easy way out when you're short on staff and need to solve this problem quickly. Despite the fact that it is the more expensive option (as opposed to freelancers who are usually more budget-friendly), in-house employees come with a set of perks one cannot deny.

The biggest advantage in-house writers present is that they're a safe bet. Since you've worked with them before, you are familiar with their abilities. So, there's no room for surprises. Not to mention, you won't have to spend time and resources with prospecting and interviewing candidates.

Another advantage in-house hiring brings is that the employees are already invested in your company. Additionally, they probably have a good understanding of your business and the industry and niche, so you know they can deliver content that is relevant and nothing short of high-quality. They'll be able to portray your brand in an accurate way while preserving the tone and voice of your past posts. They'll have no problem working with the marketing and social media teams since they already know almost everybody in the company.

However, if you choose to go with in-house hiring, make sure you understand how this will change the dynamics of your company. It's important to establish who they will work with and who will continue to train them from now on.

Hiring Freelance Writers

A common fear most people have regarding freelance writers is that they're not professional and that they can easily disappear without any notice, leaving you exposed. You have to be able to trust your employees since your work relationships can affect the health of your business. But, to be able to trust them, you need assurance that they won't fall off the face of the earth when you least expect it and that they'll be responsible enough to respect and honor their imposed deadlines without constant supervision. It's natural that you have doubts about hiring people you've never met in real life and probably won't ever meet as long as you live. If you're someone that is used to face-to-face communication, then hiring freelancers will be pretty difficult to adjust with, at first.

However, know that many freelance writers can live up to your expectations and do a spectacular job without actually being present in your company or working during your office hours. Don't let the fear of thinking they won't be able to understand your company creep into your mind. If you find the right people, they'll be professional enough to ask the right questions and do the necessary research to pick up on even the most subtle details of your business.

Nowadays, there are so many great places of finding reliable freelancers, that the only thing you need to do is decide on them and welcome them with open arms. Keep in mind that freelance writers might have the same doubts and fears as you. So, show them you're a professional company and give them access to the resources they deem necessary to do their job well.

Whatever your business needs, make sure that you do your research before making any decision. Go through each of the options you have and try to envision how they would work out in the context of your company.