How to build a long term relationship with your freelance creative

A good creative is worth their weight in gold

Finding a creative you can turn to whenever new material is required, who knows you and your business inside out, is of huge benefit. Imagine how long it would take start from scratch every time, and brief each new recruit on your business, values and style.

There are so many benefits to finding a good freelance creative. Outsourcing your copy regularly to the same trusted professional who already knows your company’s story is an efficient use of your time. Furthermore, knowing your freelancer’s rates, pace and working methods allows you to plan ahead in terms of budget, timescales and marketing strategy.

You’ve found a great creative. So how do you build a great working relationship and get them to stick with you?

There are business owners who stick with the same creatives for years and achieve the holy grail of symbiotic working relationships. This is wonderful when it happens. You can’t force it, but you can do your best to encourage it—whether you’re a client or a freelancer.

• Set clear expectations from the very first encounter in terms of personality, skillset, boundaries and policies – this is important for both parties.
• Put effort into clear and thorough communication. Without detailed input, your creative cannot do their job and there will be a constant back and forth of emails or phone calls further down the line. Thorough communication builds trust on both sides.
• Ensure you understand your creative’s methods and processes so you feel comfortable with the collaboration and know what to expect at each stage of the project.
• Provide constructive feedback on drafts. It is vital to be communicative at this stage. If they haven’t quite grasped the right style, tone or message, this needs to be thoroughly discussed and the brief revised. This is especially important in a new working relationship, where it may take time for the writer to find the ‘voice’ of the business.
• Provide feedback, reviews and recommendations. The client-freelancer relationship works both ways. If you are happy with their work, keep them in business by sharing their details with your contacts and build on your positive foundation.

Follow these steps to form a long-term, stable working relationship with your freelance creative and your business will reap the benefits. 

Contact Clean Slate Copywriting and begin a great partnership today.