Hiring a Freelance Writer in 2025: What to Look For

I’ve never had much of a green thumb, so my plants always seem to wilt on me. I know they need attention, but between everything else going on in my life, watering the plants tends to fall into the “I’ll get to it later” category. Keeping up with your content strategy is a lot like that. You know it’s important, but with so many tasks on your plate, your content ends up like my plants—ignored for months with (obviously) zero yield. That’s why savvy business owners outsource by hiring a freelance writer.

The only problem? It’s 2025, the job market sucks, and there are more freelance writers than ever. As a freelance writer myself, I love that more people are discovering this path! But as someone looking to hire a freelance writer, a larger pool can make it harder to find that perfect fit. There’s a lot more to it than simply being a good writer.

The right freelance partner is strategic, collaborative, resourceful, proactive, and consistent. They know what it takes to bring a brand’s voice to life, and how to do it while making your job a lot easier. The person I just described might sound like a unicorn, but I promise there are plenty of us out there—you just have to know how to spot the green flags. Here’s what to look for when hiring a freelance writer in 2025.

They Know Content Writing Is More Than Pretty Words

You’re not just selling a product or service—you’re selling a feeling. Specifically, a feeling that drives consumers to take action. A solid freelance writer knows that they can’t convince anyone to do anything by hard selling and being pushy. They have to paint a picture, create a vision, and show readers what life could look like after they’ve taken action.

Great content writing should take the reader to another place, both mentally and emotionally, that connects them to your brand on a deeper level and makes them believe that it’s in their best interest to continue this journey with you. Maybe that looks like following for more, engaging with a post, signing up for a course, or purchasing a product. It all depends on what your goal is, which is why it’s so important to make a specific goal for every piece of content you create. 

They Understand SEO (But Don’t Write Like a Robot)

Ranking is important, but so is sounding like a real human being. As a content writer, I always tell clients that the key to content that converts is writing for both the algorithm and the reader without either noticing the difference. In this new era of AI-generated content, we’re already being overloaded by robotic, emotionless content. Pair that with endless keyword stuffing just to satisfy a search engine, and you’ve got yourself a word salad of unreadable jargon. 

SEO matters. A lot. 

As much as I enjoy keyword research, I’m certainly not doing it for fun. You want your content to rank, drive traffic, and ultimately bring in more business. But that doesn’t mean your blogs should sound like they were generated by someone mashing keywords into a computer screen à la ChatGPT. We’re all juggling short attention spans with information overload, so no one has time to skip past keyword fluff just to figure out what you’re saying.

Before you hire a freelance writer, open up their portfolio and pick a blog post. Read through it first as a consumer. Then, read it again as an SEO analyst. A skilled content writer knows how to work SEO seamlessly into their content, without it feeling awkward or unnatural. They know how to use keywords, optimize headings and meta descriptions, and structure content in a way that makes Google happy—and converts your target audience into customers.  

They Take the Time to Know Your Brand

Crossing your fingers is not a content strategy. If your freelance writer doesn’t take the time to get to know your brand inside and out before diving into your content, they’re doing it wrong. Every brand has a unique story, voice, mission, goalset, and target audience. Your content should reflect each of those nuances. 

The right writer will ask questions—a lot of them. They’ll study your tone, get clear on your audience, and learn what sets your business apart from the thousands of other brands in your industry. They’ll come prepared to learn everything they can about your business, so they can feel as passionate about it as you do. Because when you genuinely care, it comes through in your content. 

If they’re ready to hit the ground running without doing this key part of the process, that’s a red flag. 

They’re Easy to Work With

As with any collaborative role, technical skill is only half the equation. Unless you’re looking for a headache, you also want someone you can work well with. They communicate clearly, meet deadlines, respect your time, and won’t ghost you mid-project. (Yes, I’ve actually been ghosted mid-project, which put me in a bind and was majorly irritating.) 

When you work with a true freelance writing pro, it feels effortless. 

You’re not micromanaging the process or rewriting half the draft. You’re getting clean, on-brand content delivered on time with both personality and intention. The best freelance writers are collaborative and responsive. They’re open to feedback and won’t take it personally when you ask for tweaks. And the best part? They’ll probably catch little things you never noticed and suggest great ideas you never would’ve thought of—because they care that much. 

They Won’t Just Match Your Brand Voice—They’ll Elevate It

Your content shouldn’t read like it came from a template. Or worse, your competitor’s site. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cringed for my clients after looking through their old blog posts and spotting entire sections that were copy/pasted from somewhere else. Unfortunately, that can happen if you make the mistake of hiring a freelance writer who isn’t worth their salt.

Your brand voice is one of the most powerful tools you have to stand out. 

Maybe it’s bold, confident, and witty. Maybe it’s calm, comforting, and supportive. Whatever it is, your freelance writer should be able to step into that voice like it’s their own. But it won’t stop there. They’ll also help you refine that voice, make it more consistent, and bring it into alignment across your entire content strategy. 

Their Strategic Mindset is a Superpower

You want effective writing, but you also want a writer who thinks like a content marketer. One of the benefits of hiring a freelance writer? You’re hiring a self-starter who wouldn’t be where they are without a strategic mindset and an understanding of the bigger picture. 

A strong freelance writer doesn’t just deliver one-off posts and disappear. They think ahead. They understand your goals. They know how to brainstorm new blog ideas that fit your niche, support your SEO strategy, and drive readers toward the next step—whether that’s booking a service, signing up for your newsletter, or buying a product.

A strategic content writer can help you:

• Map out a blog calendar aligned with seasonal campaigns
• Build pillar content and internal linking strategies
• Repurpose blog content into newsletters, captions, or guides

Bonus: They’re Fun to Work With

Even as a contractor, your new content writer is now a member of your team. You’ll be interacting with them regularly, and it should feel like a collaboration—not a chore. After hiring a freelance writer, you’re trusting them with your brand and its reputation. So, in my opinion, it helps if they’re not a total buzzkill. 

The right fit should bring a sense of ease and partnership to the process. They’ll make you feel heard, supported, and excited about the content you’re creating together. If the thought of hopping on a call with your freelance writer makes you feel queasy, you’re not working with the right one. 

Finding someone who’s not only talented and strategic, but also a joy to collaborate with? That’s the dream. And I promise it’s doable. 

Ready to Hire a Freelance Writer?

When you know what to look for, the process of hiring a freelance writer gets a lot less stressful. It might take some time to sift through your options before you land on your perfect match, but the right content partner is well worth the wait. Before you even start the search, figure out your deal breakers and “must haves.” 

You won’t find what you’re looking for until you know exactly what that looks like. So many of my bad*ss business-owning clients have told me that outsourcing their content strategy was one of the best moves they’ve ever made. Because getting that load off your plate means you can focus on the aspects of your business you excel at—while letting your content work for you. 

If you’re looking for someone who’s SEO-savvy, storytelling-obsessed, strategy-minded, and a joy to work with (or so I’ve been told)… hi, I’m Hayley. I’d love to help you ditch burnout, blandness, and ineffective content. Get in touch with me and let’s chat about how we can create content for your brand that actually converts.