How to Successfully Work with a Content Professional

I’ve been thinking about my experiences as a content professional over the past 11 years and what I wish I could tell past, current, and future clients about how to have a successful engagement with a writer, strategist, or consultant.

And then I saw that Melissa Malec, a UK-based B2B content writer and strategist, came up with this nifty carousel on LinkedIn, which was based on her expertise and the expertise of six other freelance content folks. Definitely worth reading.

There may be some overlap, but these are some things I’ve found have made consulting engagements more productive and enjoyable.

Have a marketing plan.

Remember: even if they have extensive experience in marketing, a copywriter or a content strategist is not a marketing CEO or marketing manager. Copywriting and content strategy should be parts of a larger marketing strategy. If you don’t have a strategy or plan, you’re basically flinging spaghetti on the wall and hoping it sticks. And that won’t get you visibility, clients, or revenue. If you’re just starting out, check out SCORE’s marketing plan guide.

Do your homework.

When you hire a content professional, you hopefully scoped them out. You looked at their testimonials. You looked at their portfolio. You had a good conversation with them where you learn how they work and if they’re a good fit within your organization. You paid for a trial post or article. But you should know what this consultant will be doing and why and how that drives your bottom line.

Be helpful and accessible.

Sure, you hired a content professional to write some blog posts or web copy, and they may be great independent workers. But this is about your organization. You have more skin in the game than they do. So if your freelancer or consultant has questions, 1) they should be expected because you’re the expert on your company (not them) and 2) you should readily answer those questions.

Be clear about your expectations. 

Before you have the writer or strategist start, it should be clear what the scope of work is, how long you will be working together, hours of availability, contact information, writing style you prefer, deadlines that are mutually agreed upon. (For example, if you have a copy project, create a copy brief.) There should be some statement of work that clearly lines out what work will be done because scope creep is real.

Lead with integrity and respect. 

This is my #1 pet peeve in business — a lack of integrity and respect.

And let’s face it. We’re all working under capitalism, and late-stage capitalism is highly extractive and exploitative. A lot of work life is transactional: someone is hired to do some work; you pay them; that’s it. And, it can tempt people to be loose and fast with their word.

But work, real quality work, is also relational.

In my opinion, you really get quality work when the working relationship is healthy. There’s great communication. There’s mutual respect. There’s even some fun.

My favorite clients see me as a partner. They don’t see people as expendable objects. They see and value them as individuals helping their organization do great things. They recognize the power differential that’s exists when they hire someone and, again, there’s mutual respect.

Give constructive feedback along the way and after, too.

You may not be a content person, but you really need to learn how to give feedback that helps. This is a chronic problem when working with creatives because many times, people don’t even know what they want.

Say someone writes an article but it doesn’t sound like it’s in your voice. Here are some questions to consider before you say, “That doesn’t sound like our company. Write it over.”

• Do you have a style guide?
• What is your brand voice?
• If you can’t answer either of those questions, do you have example text to offer your writer?

Don’t be vague. Be specific. Show examples. And make sure you tell your content professional what is working, too.

This is especially important if the project has been completed and realize something went viral or you created a lot of revenue. Because if it ain’t broke, why fix it? It can help the content professional hone their craft even more.

Pay your invoices on time.

Freelancers and consultants are business owners, too. This is essentially a B2B engagement. So don’t play around with people’s invoices.

Make sure you have contingency plans when approvers go out of town or become ill, when there are holidays, etc.

If you can pay ahead, do so! This can especially build a beautiful long-term relationship with your consultant or freelancer. It’ll also be a lot smoother of a process so your consultant isn’t chasing you to pay for their work. If you pay late, explain why and apologize.

Refer and testify.

If your consultant or freelancer is awesome, please refer them out and create a testimonial for them! That will help their business and reputation as well as yours. This idea may get lost when you wrap up a project and both of you forget to ask or offer. So that’s why I want to plant this seed now.

Important sidenote: You may feel a little greedy and want to keep them to yourself to keep your competitive edge. OK, that’s fine! But then you should pay them more if you take them off the market. Because remember, they are a small business owner.

Content work can be rewarding, fun, and help you get the visibility and clients you’ve been seeking. If you lead a mission-driven organization and need some help with your content, then a content consultation may be exactly what you need, especially if you’re new to hiring a freelance content consultant.