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Business Practices for Women Owned Business: Busting the Freelance Writer Myths
While a lot of women business owners recognize the value of freelance writers, some are still a bit apprehensive about hiring these free agents. As a result, there’s an air of negativity that surrounds the freelance writing trade in the eyes of some women business owners, and old die-hards staunchly refuse to consider such an option. Those who are more progressive recognize the value of these individuals and, in return, have realized some very tangible benefits.
In some cases, the argument that’s offered by women business owners is that they don’t feel the need to pay a freelance writer, when they can simply write their own copy. While this may be true to some degree, professional writers have a great deal to bring to the proverbial table that women business owners don’t possess. One such tool is the ability to see things from a different perspective. In addition, a good freelance writer has a strong command of the language and provides fresh, creative presentations.
Owners of some establishments feel that they’re the best one to write the copy, since an outside entity couldn’t possibly know their company – or their merchandise – as well as they do. Again, this may be true, but a professional writer – particularly those who are prolific – have a good sense of the target audience and can adapt that to the way that your business is presented to the appropriate market of potential clients.
Staff writers aren’t always utilized today, and if you’re the type of women business owner that can’t conform to working with someone in an offsite – or remote – location, then you need to update your perspective. In these days of modern technology, some of the best writers can be found online. In addition, you’ll be saving the cost of overhead, such as salaries and benefit packages, without compromising your time requirements.
Markets aren’t often very stable, and you may feel that a freelance writer might not be able to keep up with the ever-changing trends. On the contrary, these individuals – by virtue of their very status – are in a position to keep quite up-to-date with the current trends and can use that knowledge to your advantage. By using their strong knowledge base and their naturally creative tools, they can tap into the appropriate consumer pool and send out a message that will have a strong impact on potential customers.
Unfortunately, some women business owners are stuck in an advertising rut and can’t see their way out. The philosophy tends to be that the ad copy that they’re currently using has been successful for a long time and they don’t see the need to make any changes. The problem with that outlook is that you’re continuing to regenerate stale copy that may not be as effective as you may think. A good freelance writer has the necessary tools to spice it up and project a stronger, more effective image to the current target audience.
There are a lot of myths surrounding the cost of hiring a freelance writer. The first thing that you need to come to terms with is that you’ve probably had to pay onsite staff a lot of money in overtime – perhaps with very little to show for their efforts. In the case of a freelance writer, there are many talented individuals who offer their services for a very reasonable fee. Since they earn their daily bread by providing the written word for others, those who are seasoned (and smart) have modest fee schedules in place, and it’s the rare company who wouldn’t be able to afford their services.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with hiring someone as a full-time staff member to produce your written copy. The disadvantage to that scenario, however, is that you’ll have to fork over a yearly salary and strong benefit package. Freelance writers, on the other hand, only require payment per assignment, which can mean a significant savings to the women business owners. In the event that a particular writer is seen with great favor after the work has been completed, there’s always the option of discussing a long-term arrangement.
Some women business owners are intimidated by what they see as “convoluted wording” in an ad campaign. Professional writers have a strong sense of language tools and the creative spark that’s necessary to translate their talents into effective ad copy. Since they also have a firm grasp on target audiences, this has the potential for putting you at the top of the ad campaign empire – which means an influx of sales and a successful business.
Freelance writers can offer services that go far beyond the common ad campaign mentality. Whether you have the need for articles, web content, reports, professional presentations or any other kind of professional writing, a seasoned freelancer is equipped with the necessary talent and tools to handle the job. Don’t make the mistake of seeing them through tunnel vision, which categorizes them as simple ad copy generators.
You might be surprised by how many companies use their marketing personnel to produce written advertisements and other forms of copy that the company needs. The truth is, marketing people have enough work to do and the writing portion of the job should be delegated to a writer. Each type of need should be addressed specifically by the individual who’s best equipped to handle that type of work. Just as there’s some outstanding marketing personnel in the business world, there are also those who excel in the area of writing, and the two should never cross over.
If security is an issue, you don’t have to worry about sharing any of those well-kept secrets with a freelance writer. First of all, most of them are writing because it’s what they enjoy doing and are already familiar with business ethics, as a result of the many customers whom they’ve served. Some companies ask them to sign confidentiality agreements before beginning a project, which will serve to ensure privacy and confidentiality during and after the writing assignment.
For those of you who haven’t yet considered hiring a freelance writer, consider the many benefits that you’ll realize by doing so and take the leap into the 21st century. If you’re in need of a strong advertising firm that can help in the areas of branding, naming, marketing, advertising and other related business issues, contact DivaDesignWorld of Portland, Oregon. With a full staff of high-quality professionals and state-of-the-art strategies and tools, you’ll soon realize a significant increase in sales and a firm place in the world of business that is sure to outdo your competitors.
About the Author: Monique Danielle owns Portland Marketing Agency, DivaDesignWorld.com, a full service firm that offers web development, graphic design, consulting, and a wide variety of creative services. She is also the founder of divadirectories.com,a free online resource designed to promote the growth and development of women owned businesses throughout
Oregon
,
Washington
, and the Northwest.
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