It is estimated that by 2020, freelancers will make up over half of the US workforce, as the freelance talent pool grows tremendously each day. With greater access to more skills and talent for various projects, it may seem impossible to narrow down the perfect candidate for your assignments.
Fiverr provides an extensive collection of freelancers whose talents range from things like writing and graphic design to voiceovers and songwriting. With such a range of categories and detailed information about each seller, you’re guaranteed to find a qualified freelancer for your project. Let’s explore what you should look for when hiring for a specific assignment.
Web Design Projects
Do your research to understand what your project requires in order to determine whether you want to hire a freelance web designer or a website developer, as their desired technical skills will vary. For designers, look for strong experience with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or other design software. For developers, check for knowledge of CSS/CSS3, Javascript and HTML. Clearly communicate your goals, ask them about the programs they’re most familiar with, and ask to see work samples of their recent website designs.
If you’re looking for a designer specifically, it’s important that the freelancer you choose can easily interpret your exact vision. The freelancer should easily understand your requirements, be detail-oriented, and able to effectively communicate their own design styles.
Make sure they are aware of the latest web trends. That way, the layout and style of your website will be relevant and eye-catching for your audience.
Key Takeaways – What to Look for When Hiring a Web Designer:
- Technical skills: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, CSS/CSS3, Javascript, HTML
- Ability to easily communicate their workflow and design process
- Awareness of popular website formats and attractive design styles
Writing Projects
If you’re looking to hire a freelance content writer for a blog post, article, script, or social media post, you need to find someone who has a healthy combination of advanced writing skills, industry knowledge, and the ability to work independently. If they don’t have any relevant examples regarding your topic, check to see if the candidate has research experience or can write in a similar tone or style.
Check their samples to see if the quality of their work meets your standards. Make sure their articles include internal links, proper formatting, or other beneficial SEO practices.
Key Takeaways – What to Look for When Hiring a Freelance Writer:
- Ample work samples in the desired tone and style
- Thorough research process and organised workflow
- Internal links, keywords, SEO-friendly writing in their writing samples
Graphic Design
Graphic design is an extremely broad category. Make sure to hire a freelance graphic designer with specific experience in the type of content you’re looking for. Fiverr categorizes graphic design services into business cards, flyer and poster designs, and much more. Once you’ve settled on your specific category, contact a few candidates and ask them about the tools they use, their design process, and their most recent work. Often, designers have a specific style, so make sure their unique touch still matches your branding.
Key Takeaways – What to Look for When Hiring a Graphic Designer:
- Work samples relevant to your specific project type
- Expertise in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator or other design software
- Unique styles or techniques (make sure they match your taste!)
Digital Marketing
If a freelancer promises to successfully market your brand, make sure they can demonstrate success on their own social media accounts. See if they’re engaged with their own audience and check out the network that they’ve built up on LinkedIn. For even more proof, look for a testimonials page on their website. These reviews can give greater insight into the quality and effectiveness of their work.
Make sure to ask questions that demonstrate their values and marketing process. What types of marketing services will they provide for your brand? If they push sketchy or outdated strategies that make you uncomfortable, it may be best to move on to another candidate.
Key Takeaways – What to Look for When Hiring a Digital Marketer:
- An active presence on their own social accounts
- Positive customer testimonials that demonstrate real results
- A clear and unique strategy for your brand (that meets your ethical standards)
Video & Animation
The first thing you need to look for is a candidate’s demo reel. Observe their overall artistic skills. How well is motion animated? Do you like their color selection and scene composition? Make sure to talk with them about their abilities to gauge their expertise. If they can’t easily describe their workflow or the tools they use, that’s a red flag.
Communication is absolutely necessary with these types of projects, as the animation process can be incredibly long. Make sure you’re able to stay in frequent contact to check in and deliver feedback. Also ask how much time they can devote to the project, as not all freelancers have full-time work availability.
Key Takeaways – What to Look for When Hiring an Animation Artist:
- Watch their demo reel: note motion, color scheme, and composition
- Ease when explaining work experience and software knowledge
- Quick communication, ability to stay in frequent contact
The best freelancers get to know our editorial style guide in-and-out. They understand our style, voice, tone, and structure. (Rachael Perry, Managing Editor, HubSpot)
Tips on Hiring a Niche-Specific Freelancer:
- Know your intentions for the project to effectively communicate your specific goals
- Look for specific experience in the topic of your project, ask for relevant work samples
- Check for general knowledge of the media landscape & best SEO practices
- Develop a communication plan and ask them to be upfront about work availability
- For a niche project, or to encourage the right freelancers to come right to you, use Fiverr’s Request a Service feature to post your job. Just remember to be detailed and precise about what you want and what skills the freelance candidates need
How to Find and Hire Freelancers Online
Buyers on Fiverr can use the search bar or select from the various categories on the top menu of the marketplace. Once you find the category that best suits your needs, you can either browse sellers immediately or answer a few questions to help filter out the best sellers for your specific project.
After finding suitable candidates, scroll through their profile and take a look at their response time, skill test results, and work summary. Top sellers will typically have a video to introduce themselves and clarify their abilities. Get in contact with each one to ask about their communication styles, working hours, and how other projects could potentially affect their timeline.
Contact the seller directly if you need more information about the various packages offered. If you’re happy with the freelancer and know what package you want to select, you can continue on to select any add-ons and start working with your chosen freelance candidate. You can also create a custom order to include specific details about your project, allowing the seller to create an offer based on the given information.
Remember to be a courteous and professional client. Respond promptly and leave a detailed review if you’re satisfied with their final result. If you hope to work with them again in the future, make sure you’re just as appealing as a client as they are as a freelancer.
The best work is fostered through creative collaboration. Fiverr is tomorrow’s transformational, today. (Adam Nelson, Founder & CEO, Workhouse)
How to Find & Hire a Quality Freelancer Checklist
- Thoroughly plan your project goals and determine what you need to get done
- Use Fiverr’s marketplace categories and filters to determine the type of freelancer you need
- Browse sellers and pay attention to reviews, relevant work samples, and average response time
- Contact sellers to discuss a communication plan and work availability
- Choose a package or create a custom order if necessary
- Be a courteous client and leave feedback after project completion
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