The In-house vs. Freelance Writer Debate

You heard the whispers at conferences. You caught snippets of discussions in the elevator and read countless blogs. It’s true. Online and traditional business models are changing; and a big part of these changes is the increase in hiring freelancers. So, you decided. Your business needs to hire freelance writers. Wait! Hiring freelance writers for your business is a big decision. There are many aspects you must consider. Before you dive in, you need to know the advantages and disadvantages of each type of writer and how these differences can affect your business.

The Traditional In-house Writer

The traditional in-house writer is a salaried employee who writes either full-time or part-time for a company. These writers have a set work schedule at the company’s office. Often this type of employee is referred to as a staff writer.

There are many benefits to hiring a staff writer. A good staff writer can:

• Maintain a consistent writing voice throughout all written content. A unified writing voice is important for brand recognition.
• Once HR hires a good writer, there is no need to scramble to find someone to write new content.
• Since an in-house writer has regular working hours, it is easy to discuss changes and edits.

Although there are benefits for hiring an in-house writer, there are also limitations. In-house writers are expensive. Companies must pay these writers regular salaries and benefits, such as healthcare and unemployment insurance, regardless of the amount of writing that they do. Often staff writers switch between having nothing to do and being completely swamped with extra work and working overtime. In addition to higher costs, staff writers may be required to write on topics outside of their field of expertise, resulting in the need for extensive, time-wasting research.

A company that lacks consistent work for its staff writers often finds itself reducing the number of full-time staff writers that it employs – often cutting back hours and turning their staff writers into part-time or seasonal employees, which often leads to high turnover.

The Freelance Writer

Freelance writers are often called independent contractors by the IRS. There are many advantages to hiring a freelance writer to create your company’s content:

• A company isn’t required d to pay benefits and other fees for freelancers.
• Freelancers are hired as needed, resulting in quicker turnaround time for projects and no more wasted money.
• It is easy to choose subject-matter experts to write each article.

Some businesses don’t know how to hire a quality freelancers and feel nervous managing workers who they never meet. Other businesses fear a freelancer’s work won’t equal an in-house writer’s.

Companies don’t need to worry. Finding and managing freelance writers doesn’t have to be complicated. There are web content services that help business connect with and help to manage freelance writers.

Whether you choose to keep in-house writers or hire freelance writers, it is up to your company’s goals and your adaptability. So, are you ready to take the plunge?