A guide to using Upwork for content writers
Upwork is one of the biggest platforms for freelancers. The number of posted jobs measures in thousands every day but somehow, it’s not always easy to make the right choice. Clients have to look very closely to determine if a certain content writer is a good candidate or not. To do that, they have to set certain standards, but also to stick with a few rules that will make their choice easier.
In this article, we will try to give a brief explanation of things that should be considered when choosing a freelance content writer on Upwork.
Determine Your Budget
The first thing you have to do is to determine is how much you want to pay for the article. On Upwork, you can choose between fixed prices and hourly rates. It’s up to you to decide which one works better. This is mostly a matter of preference, but the nature of the particular job may have an impact on the decision as well.
Your expectations in terms of quality should be in accordance with your budget. If you’re looking for low rates, you will probably end up with non-experienced writers, who can surprise you with quality sometimes but in most cases, you won’t get too much. Obviously, the more you pay, the more you can expect.
Skill Level
The second most important thing to check is the skill of the potential candidate. Yes, the asking price tells a lot, but you can only get a full picture if you look closely. Ask the candidate for a few examples of his work, so you can check things like writing skills, style, past experience etc.
What’s important to keep in mind is the writer’s area of expertise. If you are up for an article about something quite specific, you want someone who’s been in the niche for a long time and has good knowledge in a certain field. Our recommendation is to skip candidates that are good at everything. In most cases, they aren’t deep enough into a certain topic and the quality you get probably won’t be satisfying.
Look For Feedbacks
One of the best ways to find out if a candidate is any good is to look at feedback sections. There, you can see experiences from other clients. If most of them are satisfied with the writer, you should go with the writer. Although this is highly personal, bad reviews here and there indicate that things aren’t as good as they look in the freelancer’s portfolio.
Ask other clients
If you are unsure weather to hire a freelancer or not. Just ask other clients they have been working with for references! When I hired my first casino content writer, I spoke with Jordan Sanchez at Foxbonus.com who had previously been working with that freelancer and after good feedback she got hired for my project and its been nothing but great.
Communication is the Key
You can learn a lot about a client just after a short conversation. Whether you text messages to each other or you communicate via video call, you can quickly see if a writer has a needed dose of enthusiasm. You should be able to figure out if a writer is willing to put his best effort or not by the way he communicates. For example, if he asks a lot of questions, throws out new ideas and feels excited about the project, there’s a lot of reason to believe that such a candidate will give his best to write good content.
Also, make sure to discuss the schedule and deadlines. You need a writer that’s responsible and delivers work on time. Considering that freelancers usually work with multiple clients, make sure to find out all about availability and the writer’s commitment to stick with the schedule.
The Writer’s Side
What about writers? Can they improve their visibility on the platform and get better-paid jobs? Yes, definitely. There are few basic things that writers should keep in mind, whether they are just beginners, or want to go next level.
The first and most important thing is to work on your skills. Content writing is a never-ending learning process. Trends in the industry are constantly changing, so it’s important to always leave a bit of free time for reading about the latest changes in the business.
However, it’s always about quality, in the end. So, the best thing you can do is to constantly work on your writing skills. This is relatively simple as the only thing you have to do is to write more and to read more.
Another very important thing is to find your niche. Someone can be good, but no one can be great in all fields. Therefore, consider your main interests and determine your area of expertise. Once you’ve determined this, you can start the never-ending process of improving your knowledge in the field.
Of course, make your profile and portfolio look great. Fill it up with your work history, with your achievements but try to be as concise as possible. No one wants to spend more than a few minutes on your profile. So, make sure to explain yourself in just a couple of sentences.
Finally, work on your communication skills. They are more important than your actual writing skills to get a job. Learn how to communicate with clients, to trigger them with different questions and suggestions about the project etc. Also, learn to be both formal and casual enough in communication, because you never know what kind of client will contact you.
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