By Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
Outsourcing work like press releases, editing, proofreading and even
writing articles is one of the best ways to generate content that you
can use in your publicity campaign.
Hiring
freelancers, however, can create dozens of problems if you're not
careful and you don't know what you're doing. Here are tips
on how to hire freelancers to help with your PR.
Freelance writing: Where to find help
--Leilki McKinley, an
outsourcing expert who was my guest during a teleseminar on
Outsourcing Secrets: How to Get the Best Quality, Price & Teamwork from
Freelancers, says Elance.com and GuruKnowledge.com are two excellent
websites where you can post projects and ask for bids. Both of these
sites have escrow programs that prevent you and the freelancer from
shortchanging each other.
--When posting a project, insist that bidders speak English as a first
language if the job entails writing, editing or proofreading. That isn't
necessary for projects such as graphics or website work, however. Both
of these sites also let you restrict bidders to within the United
States.
--Post flyers
advertising your need for writers in the journalism and English
departments at local colleges and universities.
--Ask professors to
recommend their best students. Professors might even want to earn some
extra money.
--Post a "help wanted"
ad to
find freelancers on Craigslist in the city nearest to where you
live.
Freelance writers can be loyal to
you
--Don't assume that
the lowest bid is the best bid. When posting a project, insist that
bidders include sample articles. Make sure you review them before
accepting a bid.
--Keep
track of which freelancers you hire at sites like Elance.com and
Guru.com and who does the best work. That's because you can invite them
to bid when you post another writing project.
--Rewarding good work with bonuses goes
a long way toward encouraging freelancers to work for you again. The
best writers are in great demand.
--Build a small army of freelancers who
you can call on when you have multiple projects.
One of the most frustrating parts of a
publicity campaign is failing to take advantage of all the opportunities
right in front of you like the ability to write and distribute press
releases online on a regular basis, or writing articles for article
directory sites. Freelancers help remove the frustration and stress.
Direct comments or questions about this article,
including requests for reprint rights, to:
Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
Phone: 262-284-7451
JStewart@PublicityHound.com
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