3 content managers on what they want freelancers to know about getting hired
I want to want to work with you.
Let’s get right down to the nitty-gritty: what does it take to actually get work with content and/or marketing managers?
I’m both a freelancer and a content manager. I’ve been on both ends of the email thread: the one asking for work, and the one doing the commissioning. And I get it. It’s hard.
You might write for a living. You might do marketing and communications for a living. But having to do it to sell yourself… Well, it just hits different.
So how can you be the one to win work with a cold email to a commissioning manager you’ve never met?
Today, we’re asking:
- April Smallwood, web editor and freelance journalist
- Ernie Kim, communications manager
- Chloé Braithwaite (the author), content manager and freelance writer
Q. What does your job involve content- and communications-wise?
April: As a web editor, it’s drafting editorial strategy, getting unique user numbers up, finding and briefing writers, and when I have time to do so, writing a little myself.
Ernie: My current role is to research, brief and distribute content for my business, focused on B2C and B2B audiences.
Chloé: As the deputy editor of an online magazine, it was my job to create our monthly editorial calendar (aligned to our client’s marketing and sales objectives), manage our freelancers, edit articles, and deliver everything to a happy client ahead of deadline.
Q. What work do you hire freelancers to do?
April: Pitch me stories in the vein of one the content pillars on our site.
So for example, if the pitch were an interview with a founder of a newly launched business, it just shows respect and care to say, “Hey, I conceived this pitch with your website’s Startups section in mind,” for example. And then elaborate on how the story will be relevant to our audience. I also assign ideas to writers who I think would do them justice. I generally only assign stories to those I’ve worked with before and am certain of their skill.
Ernie: A variety of work such as blogs, website content, white papers and interviews.
Chloé: I hired freelancers to write our articles — all of them, every month — as well as any special projects like marketing copy for landing pages.
I also managed a team of freelance translators who would then translate all our articles into whatever language our other magazines were in. Some were translators and writers and had original articles, in which case I would go through their pitches and accept based on whether they aligned with our clients’ marketing/sales goals, but most of the time, they were just straight translations. I had too many articles and calendars and deadlines to keep track of to accept too many original articles.
Q. Is it common for content managers in your industry to work with freelancers?
April: Definitely. It’s probably more cost-effective than having a team of writers, and, more than that, if you have a lot of work that needs writing, or an interview to conduct, you can assign it all out to multiple people and have it back quick-smart.
Ernie: Yes, due to the amount of content we produce. In my role in particular, I oversee multiple countries which increases the amount of content in development.
Chloé: It’s very common. I don’t actually know too many marketing agencies that do absolutely everything in-house. Maybe the smaller boutique ones? I’ve never worked with them.
Q. How did you find them and begin working with them?
April: They cold pitch with an email generally.
I also inherited writers from before I joined the website. They were already affiliated and vetted by coworkers. Many I brought onboard were people I’d worked with previously in my career and also admired the work of.
If I can see someone is just starting out and needs a writing credit to their name, I’ll try to coach them through the process but more often than not, my schedule doesn’t leave enough time to help more young writers.
Ernie: Recommendations within the industry.
Chloé: I inherited them. When I had to find them, I always looked to my network first. Always pay attention to your network!
Q. Have you had freelancers cold contact you?
April: I’ve definitely been approached by new writers and it’s always welcome. I remember being the hopeful young gun when I was younger, so there’s a bit of trying to do my part to give back involved.
A good pitch is a good pitch, regardless of whether you’re familiar with the person or not. This advice applies to so many industries, but the person you’re pitching an idea to really wants it to be a good one and for you to succeed. They want you to show that you’re dedicated, open to feedback, and keen to stay connected even if the pitch isn’t a good fit for right now.
Ernie: At least once a month. Occasionally I may work with them depending on quality and attention to detail.
Chloé: I had one or two cold email me but their emails never stood out enough that I’d hire a stranger over someone I already knew, even if I only knew them via social media or they were a recommendation from someone I knew.
Q. If you have work available, what can freelancers do to win it?
April: Reach out, send me links to already published work. If you don’t have any, Word docs will do. You should definitely have a website that showcases your style and what you’re interested in writing about. Don’t hound an editor, but do reach out. If you haven’t heard back in a fortnight, follow up. Never take the lack of response personally.
Ernie: I’m interested in freelancers who take the time to understand the needs and context of our business and their communication throughout the writing process. I’m interested in attention to detail and accountability. And I’m impressed by freelancers who dare to go beyond the brief — to push a new train of thought that still ultimately delivers on the objective. An approach that doesn’t work for me is a standard ‘copy/paste’ message where you can see the freelancer is sending the same message to multiple recipients.
Chloé: I want to know you can fulfil the brief. Are you a specialist in the topic I want to hire you for? Show me. If you’re not, do you specialise in the kind of content I need? Send me your samples. I also expect your email to be professional yet personable. Show me your personality, because if all goes well, this will be the start of a (hopefully) long-term working relationship.
Q. What are the things freelancers shouldn’t do?
April: Don’t email, then email, then call, then write abusive emails. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback if a pitch was unsuccessful. Don’t copy ideas you’ve seen on other sites. If you’re taking inspiration, make it as fresh as possible.
Ernie: I’ve had freelancers misinterpret the brief and only ask questions after I’ve flagged issues in their first draft. I’ve had writers with spelling and grammar mistakes on their first and second drafts. And I once had a freelancer pitch me for work and spell my name incorrectly four times, despite me correcting her four times during communications. The common theme is attention to detail and having the courage to ask early on for clarity.
Chloé: Don’t guilt-trip me if I say no. I had one freelancer respond that she couldn’t afford for me to say no because she had kids to feed. That was unprofessional and really just unpleasant. Even if I had a project and a budget, I’d now never ever hire her.
This is also a big one for me, but if you’re going to create your own website, don’t show me a free version of a paid host or a badly designed one. If you want to work in beauty or fashion, I expect your interest to extend to your site. If it’s poorly designed and ugly, it’s a red flag for me. I know you’re not a web designer, but I do expect to see simple, nice, clean design. That might sound shallow, but unfortunately, it comes from experience. Think about your industry and what they would expect to see on your site in terms of content and design, or look at what other established freelancers in your industry do.
