This is your first time and you really need to know how to make your collaboration with a web editor a success!
Working with a freelancer may seem obvious to some, but there are a few rules to follow and a few pitfalls to avoid to ensure everything goes well.
Whether you are an entrepreneur or an employee of a turkey whatsapp company, it is in your best interest to ensure that the partnership goes as well as possible. Here are some tips for building a relationship of trust with your freelance web writer!
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The difference between a service provider and a freelancer in web writing
I didn't choose the word "collaboration" by chance. A freelance writer is not a simple service provider that you could call on like a taxi driver or a delivery service.
Working with a freelancer , whether a photographer, graphic designer, developer or web editor, means creating a real professional relationship of trust .
The independent worker personalizes his service according to your situation. See the freelancer as a collaborator for the duration of a mission , whether short or long. Explain to him how your company works, introduce him to the people he will work with and give him all the necessary contact details to facilitate exchanges.
The more information you give him and the more you work hand in hand with him, the more the freelancer will be able to provide you with a quality service.
Because a web editor can do much more for you than simply write quality content for your web pages by adapting to your writing style.
It can be a source of proposals and help you build your editorial line .
He can give you advice on the best editorial strategy to adopt overall.
It can also help you take your website to the next level by writing copywritten content to more easily convert your target audience.
If he has additional SEO consulting skills , he can advise you on the natural referencing of your site to implement the best possible strategy.
There are two pitfalls to avoid to ensure that working with a web editor goes as smoothly as possible:
Treat him as your employee and unilaterally decide on the terms of the collaboration, basically give him orders,
On the contrary , be reluctant to give him information for fear that he will divulge top secret projects to your competitors.
In a word: the web editor works with you in the realization of your project and not for you .
If you have concerns about competition, I recommend that you have the freelancer sign a non-compete clause . You will then be legally protected if the freelancer decides to use his knowledge of your company to go see one of your competitors.
Best practices for collaborating with a freelancer
To collaborate as best as possible with a freelance web editor, there are a few simple rules to know. By applying them, you will see that the mission will go smoothly!
Respect the freelancer's schedule
No, a freelancer is not available at all hours of the day and night. Treat him or her the same way you would treat one of your employees.
If you send him an email on a Sunday at 9pm, don't expect to receive a response until the next day. The right to disconnect applies just as it does for your colleagues.
Take the time to get to know the freelancer
He is not a simple service provider but joins your company for a project he believes in for a few weeks, months or years. The least you can do is take the time to properly integrate him into the project to work in co-creation.
Write a precise briefing or mission sheet
If the brief is not complete, take the time to co-construct it with the freelancer before launching a mission. You will save valuable time, certain misunderstandings and avoid tensions from being created unnecessarily.
Define the terms of the mission with the freelancer
To work with you, the web editor needs to know your deadlines. He will make sure to respond to your emergencies according to his schedule.
Be flexible: the freelancer has other missions and will not be able to answer you at the slightest request. For my part, I systematically filter the calls. When I am in the middle of the writing process, I need to be 100% focused.
Better to leave a message and I will call you back at a convenient time for me. Or even simpler: send me an email and let's arrange a telephone appointment.
Keep your part of the deal
Provide the necessary information in a timely manner, otherwise the web editor will not be able to move forward with the mission and pay the freelancer on the agreed date. A deposit is often requested at the beginning of the mission to seal the partnership and establish a climate of trust on both sides. Be fair if you want to be fair in return!
Communicate!
If a change occurs on your side, inform the freelancer as soon as possible.
Are you satisfied? Give the freelancer a boost
Have you found a web editor who is up to the task, who fully understands your challenges and does an excellent job?
Recommend it to those around you!
Rest assured, your rare pearl will always have time to devote to you and will also be grateful to you for opening the doors of your network to them. This is the royal road to a privileged relationship with your freelancer who will pamper you.
Don't hesitate to leave him a recommendation on LinkedIn or on Google My Business to show your satisfaction.
You can also follow him on social media to strengthen the proximity between your business and him.
The three mistakes to avoid if you want to collaborate with a freelancer
There are some mistakes to avoid!
Mistake #1: Believing that flexibility = availability for life, for death
It is undeniable, among the advantages of hiring a freelancer , we find flexibility. A web editor, a graphic designer or a web developer will try to adapt to your project as best as possible and will often be more flexible in terms of hours.
However.
Let’s not generalize: many freelancers have a work day similar to office workers, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. roughly, Monday to Friday. Some like to work in the evening, others early in the morning. There are as many ways to manage your schedule as there are people!
Flexibility does not mean 24/7 availability: do not call your web editor after 7 p.m. unless he has explicitly offered it to you. Not on Saturday. Not on Sunday. Send an email. Emails are good. There is no life-or-death emergency, so it can wait a few hours or a few days.
He has the right to take days off and vacations and is not forced to be available during these periods. Just like employees. Again, do not disturb him during his vacations, neither by phone nor by text message, unless he has explicitly authorized you to do so. He also has the right to disconnect .
He is not your employee: he is not obliged to come to work in your premises. You do not have to monitor his work (and by the way, this management method is outdated, have a little trust in your employees ^^).
Scoop: he has other clients than you and probably a life outside of his work. A family, friends, hobbies. Yes, it's incredible, I know. A bit like when you met your school teacher at the supermarket when you were a child and you found it absolutely amazing that he or she was outside of school!
I am very available by email but as with any other professional, if you need to talk about your project by phone, you will have to make an appointment
Well, for this mistake #1, we are more on a rule of etiquette and some of you will not even understand why I am referring to it. But I assure you that customers who abuse , it exists…
Mistake #2: Thinking that a freelancer’s price is negotiable
I don't know where this constant haggling comes from. Working with a freelancer is not like shopping at the souk.
So, before hiring a freelancer for any task, find out about the prices charged . Daily, hourly or item rates are not set randomly or at the client's discretion and are thought out by the freelancer.
I understand that a daily rate of €800 can make you shudder but put it into perspective:
A freelancer will only work on your project for a short period of time. If it is a web editor, it can be long term but that does not mean that he will bill you for 20 days in the month! You may have half a day or a day billed.
You have no charges to pay: no social and employer charges, no paid holidays, no bonuses… Everything is included in the rate that the freelancer shows you. It is still much more economical than if you hired someone even part-time.
The freelancer, on the other hand, has expenses. When he displays an hourly rate of €50, he really only receives €37.80. And again, I am not counting what he puts aside for his holidays, nor taxes, but only the expenses of our dear URSSAF…
You don't negotiate the price of your baguette, your electrician or the shoes you buy, do you? So, stop constantly negotiating the prices announced by independents by asking them to make an effort
