If you want to scale up your copywriting projects, hiring remote copywriters can be a great solution. But how do you ensure that they understand your goals, deliver quality work, and meet your deadlines? Here are some tips on how to brief and manage remote copywriters effectively.
Before you start looking for remote copywriters, you need to have a clear idea of what you want them to do. What is the purpose, audience, tone, and format of your copy? How many words, pages, or pieces do you need? What are the key messages, keywords, and calls to action? How will you measure the results? Write down your project scope in a document that outlines your expectations, requirements, and deliverables.
Finding remote copywriters can be challenging, especially if you have a specific niche, style, or budget. You can use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or ProBlogger to browse profiles, portfolios, and reviews of freelance copywriters. Alternatively, you can ask for referrals from your network, colleagues, or clients. Look for copywriters who have relevant experience, skills, and testimonials. Contact them to discuss your project and see if they are available, interested, and compatible.
Be open to staffing copywriters from non-traditional backgrounds, as they could have transferrable skills for your project. For instance, if your project needs a humorous tone, you could look at past TV writers, sketch writers, or creators from current social platforms. Non-traditional talent pools provide an outside POV that could enhance the project with out of the box thinking.
Once you have selected your remote copywriters, you need to provide them with a comprehensive brief that outlines the project scope, goals, and guidelines. This should include the background and context of the project, the target audience and their needs, as well as the tone of voice, style, and brand guidelines. Additionally, specify the format, structure, length of the copy, keywords, headlines, subheadings, calls to action, sources and references. Don't forget to include deadlines, milestones and feedback process. To make it easier to read and understand use bullet points, headings and visuals. Finally, ask your copywriters if they have any questions or suggestions before they start working.
This is an interesting topic and very close to the work I currently do, i.e remote worker management. When it comes to Copywriting, everyone has their own unique style of delivering. And pretty sure everyone is a first class in their niche. When it comes to onboarding remote workers, I started with interviewing those whose niche was the same/similar to the brand I was working with. The second most important thing was a detailed brief. A meticulous and fool proof brief is your saviour at times. It helps save you several back and forth with the writers. Once I send a brief along with brand guide lines and tone to the writer, I make sure I get on a quick zoom call with them to run over the brief and answer any queries they have.
Communication is key to managing remote copywriters successfully. You need to establish a regular and reliable way of communicating with them throughout the project. You can use tools like Slack, Zoom, or Google Docs to chat, call, or share files. Set up a schedule for checking in, updating, and reviewing the work. Give constructive and timely feedback to help your copywriters improve and avoid revisions. Appreciate and acknowledge their efforts and achievements.
It’s vital to build a solid working relationship in a remote environment. Take time to get to know your colleagues on a personal and professional level. Know their tastes and how they like feedback. When you fail to cultivate a one-to-one relationship and lack clear communication, it can lead to ambiguity, mistakes and at worst mistrust.
The final step of managing remote copywriters is to evaluate and pay them for their work. Review the final copy and compare it with your project scope, brief, and goals. Did they meet your expectations, requirements, and deliverables? Did they follow your guidelines, instructions, and feedback? Did they deliver on time and within budget? If you are satisfied with the work, pay your copywriters promptly and fairly. If you are not happy with the work, communicate your issues and try to resolve them amicably. You can also ask for testimonials, referrals, or repeat business if you want to work with them again.
By following these tips, you can brief and manage remote copywriters effectively and efficiently. You can leverage their skills, creativity, and flexibility to produce high-quality copy for your projects.