{"id":57477,"date":"2024-10-08T19:27:28","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T19:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2024\/10\/08\/how-the-hubspot-blog-built-a-freelance-writing-program-that-actually-makes-great-content\/"},"modified":"2024-10-08T19:28:46","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T19:28:46","slug":"how-the-hubspot-blog-built-a-freelance-writing-program-that-actually-makes-great-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2024\/10\/08\/how-the-hubspot-blog-built-a-freelance-writing-program-that-actually-makes-great-content\/","title":{"rendered":"How the HubSpot Blog Built a Freelance Writing Program That Actually Makes Great Content\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Once I began working with freelancers, I\u2019d expertise a sinking feeling when a primary draft hit my inbox. Would this piece be any <\/em>good? Or, would I be rewriting a complete article myself to get one thing usable?<\/p>\n

\"woman<\/div>\n

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Or maybe, I discovered a gem \u2014 a freelancer who would make my day with a lightweight edit, sturdy writing, and a grasp of the subject material at hand.<\/p>\n

I might do something in my energy to make them comfortable. Please don\u2019t go away me,<\/em> I\u2019d whisper to my laptop computer as I typed a praise-filled thanks e mail.<\/p>\n

\"\u2192<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4 years later, I\u2019ve cracked the code. I now run HubSpot\u2019s Freelance Community, a contract program with over 40 writers.<\/p>\n

My staff creates over 800 items yearly. I really feel like I’ve a group of uncommon gems, every with their very own specialised insights that may assist our viewers develop.<\/p>\n

The very best half? I\u2019m lastly able to share how I made this program a actuality.<\/p>\n

However first, right here\u2019s somewhat about me. My identify is Kaitlin. I\u2019m a journalist by commerce who\u2019s made the transition into the great world of content material advertising and marketing. So, my first function working with freelancers was in that previous life at enterprise publications.<\/p>\n

In 2022, I used to be recruited by HubSpot for a brand-new problem. My mission was to construct a strong group of freelancers to serve HubSpot\u2019s full portfolio of English blogs.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure is every thing.<\/h2>\n

Once I first joined HubSpot, I used to be launched to 11 freelance writers. I additionally inherited a typical working process (SOP) doc that described write new posts and replace current ones. The remainder was mine to construct.<\/p>\n

I spent most of my days creating the muse to help freelancers at scale.<\/p>\n

Earlier than I joined the staff, freelancers have been an additional activity that our writers and weblog managers leveraged solely when wanted. Infrastructure was wanted to standardize these processes.<\/p>\n

Right here\u2019s what I labored on.<\/p>\n

Investing in Private Coaching<\/h3>\n

The SOP doc I acquired on my first day was important for serving to me get oriented in my function. Nevertheless, the doc was 21 pages lengthy.<\/p>\n

Positive, all the knowledge was useful, however I knew our writers would skim the doc at greatest. That they had dozens of shoppers every and wouldn\u2019t spend the afternoon studying the textual content carefully over espresso.<\/p>\n

So, we needed to regulate. I break up the SOP into two shorter paperwork \u2014 one for updates and the opposite for brand new posts. I then arrange a studying administration system with an onboarding course.<\/p>\n

New writers would want to sign up and watch quick movies about write for HubSpot, who our personas are, and use admin instruments like our invoicing system.<\/p>\n

\"hubspot<\/p>\n

I might see who truly accomplished the course and remind others that this video sequence was a vital a part of onboarding.<\/p>\n

The end result was loads sooner than studying the doc, and I used to be in a position to assure compliance. Plus, I nonetheless despatched alongside SOP paperwork so the writers might evaluation them at any time.<\/p>\n

I then took coaching one step additional. For every new author, I created a custom-made Loom<\/a> video about their first posts. In it, I might evaluation each ingredient of their task in Asana<\/a>, our challenge administration platform, explaining any HubSpot-specific jargon and the way we anticipate submissions to be formatted.<\/p>\n

Once I began this course of, I discovered that I acquired fewer e mail inquiries about easy questions. As a substitute, we have been in a position to deal with hard-hitting editorial wants.<\/p>\n

Past that, just a few writers have informed me this was probably the most organized onboarding course of they\u2019ve skilled, which all the time provides me a heat fuzzy feeling.<\/p>\n

Making Processes Gentle-Contact<\/h3>\n

Freelance writers are busy folks, all the time on the reducing fringe of an article or weblog publish. As a program supervisor, I wish to make sure that they’ll deal with what they love \u2014 writing \u2014 and breeze by any administrative challenges.<\/p>\n

I started standardizing our assignments. I linked every thing our writers would want, like related paperwork and assets, in an e mail despatched initially of each month. Every task had a clearly marked value, a hyperlink to an Asana activity card with directions, and a hyperlink to a Google Doc the place they might write.<\/p>\n

Writers not needed to copy, paste, and format partitions of textual content when engaged on updates. They didn\u2019t must dig within the annals of our web site for related information factors. They may peruse data in a single place after which get to writing.<\/p>\n

Professional tip: <\/strong>This will look like a easy step, however as a frontrunner, you must take away redundant, pointless duties out of your writers. You already know your inner programs greatest. Make them as straightforward and light-touch as potential to your freelancers.<\/p>\n

Rethinking Content material Briefs<\/h3>\n

Lastly, I fully shifted how we wrote content material briefs.<\/p>\n

As a staff, we have tracked our weblog assignments in Asana for the reason that very starting.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, traditionally, the task directions have been quick bullet factors meant for in-house writers. For instance, we’d ask them to shorten intros, write new sections, or add hyperlinks to related product mentions.<\/p>\n

These bare-bones briefs labored for in-house writers who spent months out of their function onboarding. Nevertheless, freelancers wanted extra particulars to provide their greatest work.<\/p>\n

I started translating posts for our exterior staff. If an instruction had jargon, like \u201ctake away further parameters to inner hyperlinks,\u201d I might reformat the bullet into customary language, like \u201ctake away UTM monitoring codes from hyperlinks.\u201d<\/p>\n

For brand spanking new posts, I additionally started creating proposed outlines. That included how lengthy intros ought to be, what subheadings we would wish to embrace, and the way every part ought to be formatted.<\/p>\n

The end result? <\/strong>First drafts began to reach in higher form, requiring fewer edits and fewer rounds of revisions from the writers.<\/p>\n

\"hubspot<\/p>\n

With these components in place, I used to be in a position to deal with staffing this system. I put out calls on LinkedIn for writers and vetted their portfolio items.<\/p>\n

Because the variety of assignments I acquired grew, I introduced writers with related B2B experiences on board.<\/p>\n

Listed here are the ratios I used:<\/p>\n