When you hire a freelancer, it\u2019s tempting to start with the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s nothing wrong with being specific about what you need. But if you only tell a freelancer what to produce, you may be missing out on the most valuable thing they can bring to your business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nTheir expertise.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The best freelancers don\u2019t simply complete tasks. They solve problems. And if you want better results from the freelancers you hire, it can help to stop thinking exclusively about the deliverable and start thinking about the business problem behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start With the Problem, Not the Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s imagine you\u2019re looking for a social media freelancer. You could post a project saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need someone to create 12 Instagram posts per month.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
That tells the freelancer what you want delivered. But it doesn\u2019t tell them why. Perhaps your real problem is that very few people know your business exists. Maybe you\u2019re getting plenty of followers but hardly any enquiries. Perhaps your social media looks inconsistent and you want your business to appear more professional. Or maybe you simply don\u2019t have enough time to create content yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those are very different problems. And each one could require a different solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the freelancer understands what you\u2019re actually trying to achieve, they can use their experience to recommend the right approach rather than simply producing the exact number of posts you requested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Good Freelancer Might Challenge Your Original Idea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This is one of the most useful things an experienced freelancer can do. You might think you need a particular service because that\u2019s the most obvious solution from your perspective. But a specialist may see the problem differently. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You ask for a complete website redesign because your website isn\u2019t generating enough enquiries.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A conversion specialist might look at the site and discover that the design is perfectly acceptable, but your calls to action are unclear and your contact form is too complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You ask for five new blog posts because you want more traffic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
An SEO freelancer might discover that dozens of your existing pages are poorly optimised and improving them would be a better place to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You ask for a new logo because your brand feels outdated.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A designer might suggest that your logo is fine, but your typography, colour palette and marketing materials need greater consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That doesn\u2019t mean you were wrong.It means you hired somebody because they know more about that particular subject than you do. Let them use that knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell Freelancers What Success Looks Like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the easiest ways to improve a freelance project brief is to explain what you\u2019re hoping will happen after the work is completed. Compare these two briefs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need a freelancer to redesign my landing page.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
And:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re running paid advertising to this landing page and getting plenty of clicks, but very few people complete our enquiry form. We\u2019d like to improve the page so more visitors become leads.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second version gives the freelancer far more useful information. They now understand that the objective isn\u2019t simply to make the page look better. The real goal is conversion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That could influence everything from the page structure and messaging to the calls to action, form length and mobile experience. When you explain the desired outcome, the freelancer can make decisions based on your business objective rather than guessing what you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Give Them Context About Your Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Freelancers don\u2019t need access to every detail of your business. But context matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- If you\u2019re hiring a copywriter, tell them who your customers are.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- If you\u2019re hiring a designer, explain where the finished design will be used.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- If you\u2019re hiring a developer, tell them what the website or software needs to help users accomplish.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- If you\u2019re hiring a marketer, explain what you\u2019ve already tried.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Useful context might include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Who your target customer is<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What your business sells<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What problem you\u2019re trying to solve<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What you\u2019ve tried previously<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What has or hasn\u2019t worked<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your budget<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your deadline<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Any important limitations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How you\u2019ll judge whether the project has been successful<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This doesn\u2019t need to turn your project brief into a 20-page document. A few additional paragraphs can completely change the quality of the conversation you have with prospective freelancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ask for Recommendations, Not Just Execution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re speaking with freelancers, try asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBased on your experience, is this how you would approach the problem?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a simple question, but it changes the relationship. Instead of asking someone to blindly execute your instructions, you\u2019re inviting them to contribute their expertise. You might discover that your proposed project is exactly the right approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But you might also learn that there\u2019s a faster, cheaper or more effective solution you hadn\u2019t considered. That\u2019s particularly valuable when hiring specialists in areas outside your own expertise. After all, if you already knew the perfect way to solve the problem, you probably wouldn\u2019t need to hire an expert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Cheapest Deliverable Isn\u2019t Always the Best Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This way of thinking can also change how you compare freelance proposals. Imagine you post a project asking for 20 product descriptions. One freelancer offers to write them for \u00a3100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another quotes \u00a3250, but explains that before writing anything they want to review your existing product pages, identify the language your customers respond to and create a consistent structure that can be used across your entire range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second proposal costs more. But it may also solve a much bigger problem. Instead of asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhich freelancer will complete this task for the lowest price?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhich freelancer appears to understand what I\u2019m actually trying to achieve?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those aren’t always the same person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Better Briefs Can Lead to Better Proposals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A vague project brief often produces vague proposals. If you post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNeed someone to help with SEO.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
freelancers have very little information to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They don\u2019t know whether you need technical SEO, keyword research, content optimisation, link building, local SEO or an entire strategy. That makes it harder for the right specialist to recognise whether they\u2019re a good fit. A stronger brief might explain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe run a local accountancy firm and currently receive very little organic traffic. We want to improve our visibility for searches from small businesses in Manchester and would like an SEO specialist to review our site and recommend where we should focus first.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now the freelancer understands:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- The type of business<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The target audience<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The geographic focus<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The current problem<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The desired outcome<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- That you\u2019re open to expert recommendations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re far more likely to receive useful, relevant proposals because freelancers have enough information to show you how they would actually solve the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Over-Specify the Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a balance here. Clear briefs are important. But being overly prescriptive can sometimes limit the freelancer unnecessarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you tell a designer exactly where every element should go, which fonts they must use and what every section should look like, you may effectively be using them as a pair of hands rather than a designer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you tell a marketer which campaign they must run before they\u2019ve even reviewed your business, you\u2019re removing much of the value of their expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you tell a developer exactly how a technical problem must be solved, you might prevent them from using a more efficient approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n