I’ve read the same complaints from many clients: I want to hire content writers on (insert name of a platform), but the services are poor.
I found threads and posts of such on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Reddit.
Business owners, editors, or people who have worked with some freelance content writers would share their regrets.
They said things like:
The article was plagiarized
The content reads like AI-generated it
Some parts of the content contain irrelevant things
I understand your pains, and on behalf of other content writers that know you’re making mistakes when hiring, we’re sorry and hope you will read this piece and correct some of your mistakes.
Let’s get started.
7 Things Clients Do Wrong When Trying to Hire Content Writers Online
This piece is for people who have hired freelance writers but didn’t like the services. If you are looking for content writers, you can check this list of places to hire writers or reach out to me through the contact form.
#1. Your budget is poor
Let’s be honest here. Have you ever visited or asked for the standard fee for freelance writers.
Oh, you haven’t.
I will put the link here and assume you’re going to click it.
Many clients have a lean budget. So they would go to platforms like LinkedIn, Fiverr, or Upwork and demand quality services, but their budget is ridiculously low.
It has become so trendy that content writers have started believing that the worth of their services is low.
It’s the same reason many writers have to reduce their rates.
One of the common pieces of advice a beginner freelance writer would get is “reduce your price.”
Offer writers good pay. The standard pay might be too much for you, so ask the writers how much it will cost.
#2. You don’t know what you want.
So you want to hire copywriters? Do you know what copywriting is? I have seen instances when clients say I should write a copy for their business and come back to ask if the piece will rank in Google search.
They want SEO copywriting. I have to explain that ranking isn’t about writing articles and calling it a day. A lot is required.
So, dear clients, there are a ton of writing services? The list includes ghostwriting, copywriting, SEO writing, article writing, etc. We have different niches. For instance, someone good at SEO writing for eCommerce might not do well in ghostwriting books for self-improvement.
What exactly do you want? Be as clear and specific as possible
#3. You’re not available
I understand that you want your article to be outstanding, useful, and original. That’s a good thing because it is one of the best SEO best practices.
However, you have to contribute to this with your time, especially if your budget is low.
Writing great content involves researching, writing, SEO, copy, checking facts, creativity, editing, etc. If you hire an agency, they have a team and can delegate some parts to two or more people. But if you are hiring one content writer, the person has to do everything.
Why not serve as the proofreader, especially when hiring on a lean budget? Could you provide resources like references and images?
Some writers will deliver a perfect job without supervision, but most times, the majority won’t mind if you point out mistakes and let them make changes.
If you want to hire content writers, taking time to proofread their pieces will be worth it, provided you are hiring someone committed to improvement.
- Use Google Docs.
- Leave comments
- Add resources to their table of content.
Pro tip: Hire people who are working toward having a brand.
#4. You’re biased
Yes, hiring a content writer from Nigeria, India, or Pakistan might cost less. However, your attitude needs to be right.
You’re not doing them a favor. You’re hiring — they provide your services, and you pay. But unfortunately, some clients have that tone that says, “They are offering a favor.” I’m unsure what your news channels say about other countries, but you should know it is half the story. Not everyone is as helpless as you think.
It doesn’t matter where to hire content writers. What matters is the quality of the service.
Lucky for you if it costs less to hire someone from another country. But you’re not supposed to talk about low quality when your pay is low.
Will you take that amount if you’re being hired as a content writer? Then, to make it worse, you say things like, “oh, it’s cheaper to hire (insert name of country),” and you think that’s some pot of gold.
#5. You just want money
Many clients don’t care about the readers of the content, the quality, or what it takes to create content.
You just want to hire content writers, rank your website and make money.
That’s fine.
But when content writers know this is your aim, they instantly have a similar aim. They want to write your content as quickly as possible and make money from you and the next client and the next client.
Then they stuff your project with words because what you ask for is 1000 words. You want the content to be unplagiarized and score 75 % in, say, surfer SEO. But, of course, you want hundreds of these types of articles in a month.
When your post says, “I want a 1000-word article about blockchain in 12 hours,” you project some interpretation. You’re indirectly saying that meeting that deadline is your priority. Quality and creativity come later and trust me, that’s what content writers on Upwork or Fiverr will think.
#6. You think writing is easy.
Many writing clients do this.
I think many of them are writers, and somehow, they think writing is easy, and they attach a very little budget to your job ad and wait for the request to pour in.
Quality writing takes time — days or even weeks.
Let me take you through the summary of my writing process, for example. First, I start researching for a few hours, using tools like Buzzsumo, Ahref, Google search, Quora, and Reddit. This research could take 2 – 4 hours, depending on the topic and what I find.
Next, I collect some useful excerpts into a word doc.
I wait for an hour or two, doing something else and subconsciously reflecting on the information I’ve read. After that, I start writing. My article is a product of 1 – 10 quality articles on the subject, comments from forums, sources on YouTube, Reddit my experience and expertise on the said topic as a content writer. I want to be as educated on the topic as possible, and then I create something original out of my evaluation.
It’s a day(s) job. If I am writing for my blog, it takes days or even months because there’s no deadline, and I’m interested in being one of the best at what I do.
To write a great book, you must first become the book.” –
Atomic Habits
Many clients want to hire content writers but don’t want them to follow the writing process that will bring quality. Instead, you just want good service quickly and for a little money.
#7. You are hiring wrong.
When hiring, you choose writers who don’t even know what content writing is all about. You ask for samples. They show you.
You tell them what you want, and they agree, but you can feel that they can’t handle it deep down.
But your pay is low, and the deadline is too short, so you choose them.
People get reviews on Job boards from friends and families. Some pay for it.
Have you asked for published articles? Have you asked for the content they have written for brands with their bylines?
Oh, you can’t afford those kinds of writers. Now I get it.
So you settle for those that want to write for low pay even though they’re not committed to being a writer.
You are going to hire them anyway and come back to generalize:
Content writers on Upwork are bad
Nigerian writers are tiresome
Indians spin articles
Plagiarism is common on Fiverr
And you will be tempting me to respond with, Upwork clients are terrible, white clients are biased, and US clients are the worst to work with. They pay peanuts and ask for the whole world on top of that.
Now, you see how that feels. Because we all know that is not the whole truth.