It’s a perfectly reasonable question to ask.

After all, there are many ways to get hold of copy/content writing or editorial services for your business. You can employ someone, whether full-time or part-time, or go down the fixed-term contract (FTC) route. You can work with a consulting firm or agency. All of these have merits.

But running a company is complicated, to say the least. Business needs can change regularly as supply and demand fluctuates. Resources – both money and time – can be tight. In certain situations, a freelancer – a specialist who is self-employed and independent – can a more than worthwhile option. But engaging with a freelancer is very different to working with an employee in a more traditional sense, and its not always easy to know when you should (and shouldn’t) do it.

Here are just a few examples of situations where working with a freelancer could be the best option for your organisation:

When you crave flexibility: For most businesses, workload will vary considerably throughout the year, depending on business cycle or seasonality. They might need to scale the workforce up or down quickly. This is much more achievable with a freelancer, depending on the working on arrangement you have. You can ramp up or down depending on demand – so long as you communicate well with enough notice, of course!

If resources are constrained: With a freelancer, you only pay for the agreed project or hours, avoiding extra expenses (and admin) associated with healthcare, pensions, paid leave, or dedicated office space. There is no need to commit to ‘headcount’ long term.

When time is money: Sometimes you know what you want – whether that’s more or better content, more concise copy, consolidated communications, or editorial support – but you and/or your team don’t have the time to do it, or focus needs to be elsewhere. You have the words, but not necessarily in the right order in the right places – a bandwidth problem, more than a content problem. This is where a freelancer can step in, often a short-notice, to help.

When you don’t know what you want: An opposite of sorts to the previous point. You might be looking to improve brand visibility and/or generate more sales and marketing collateral, for example, but be scratching your head as to how to do it. The right freelance copy/content specialist can assess your business and the status quo, and make recommendations for a course of action to take.

If you need expertise on tap: Your subject matter experts are great at what they do, but they often aren’t writers. A small business in particular will rarely be able to employ a full-time copywriter, but a freelance writer can work with those experts to bring their work to life and tell engaging stories that promote your brand. And when you go freelance, you can hire experts for niche tasks without training internal staff.

When you want a fresh perspective: This is the outside-eye advantage. An independent freelancer can bring a fresh perspective and new ideas, and this can be invaluable. When you are so close to your own products or services, it’s easy to assume that everyone understands it the way you do. A good freelance writer asks the ‘obvious’ but often neglected questions, and can spot gaps in messaging – bringing research and strategic thinking alongside creativity.

Ultimately, the right freelancer can slot into an existing team and take ownership of specific project without adding another permanent headcount. They are someone who can come in and ‘hit the ground running’ – understand the business from the off, ask the right questions, and transform the brilliant ‘stuff’ in people heads into something impactful. It’s important to understand when you should (and also, when you shouldn’t) work with a freelance content writer, and hopefully this post helps you to do that.