Should I hire a freelance writer or use an agency?

Freelancer or agency, agency or freelancer? Feeling a little lost? You're not alone. Many businesses face this dilemma at some point. As someone who's worked in agencies and as a freelancer, I can give you the inside scoop.

There are pros and cons to both, and ultimately, it depends on the type of work you're doing.

A freelancer is one individual, who offers one to two services. An agency is made up of anything from three to thousands of people, who are headed by managers. When you work with an agency, you'll communicate with these managers, who will then instruct and manage their team to do as you've asked.

Before we delve into the details, you need to ask yourself a few starting questions.

1. What kind of work do you need? (Copywriting, keyword research, illustration...?) 2. How big is the project? And what's the timeframe? 3. What's your budget? (A freelancer will be cheaper than an agency.)

Once you've answered these, you should instinctively know whether or not your project is more suitable for one person, or you'll need the help of several pros.

But what if it's not so clear-cut? Read on.

Freelance writers can work from home, or visit you in your office or coworking space

What are the benefits of hiring a freelance writer? When you're working with a freelancer, you're hiring a specialized individual. That means they'll be cheaper because you're not paying for overheads or additional skills. They'll also be more flexible, because they can organize their working day around your needs. They'll work outside of normal working hours (well, I do) and can react more quickly than an agency can, because there's no middle man/woman or sign-off processes to deal with. Just one, streamlined workflow. When you work with an agency, you're working with an organization. With a freelancer, you'll have a more personal experience. They're kind of the boutique option: small, personal and specialised. Working with a freelance writer: the good bits - More affordable - Flexible - An expert in their field What are the downsides to working with a freelance writer? Freelancers are one person, which means the amount of work they can produce in a set time is limited. If you need a lot of work, fast - then you're better off working with an agency with several freelancers on its books. If your freelancer gets sick or has a personal emergency, your work will come to a halt. One way to get around this is to have a couple of freelancers on speed-dial. That way, if one goes on vacation or is otherwise unavailable, you'll have a backup. A good freelance writer will be a good communicator and do everything they can to minimize disruption to your project. Another downside to hiring a freelancer is their skillset: they can only do one to two things. If you need a writer, a designer and an AI expert, you'll either need to hire three separate freelancers - or work with an agency. Working with a freelance writer: the bad bits - Less capacity to take on large volumes of work - Limited amount of skills - Work will stop if they go on vacation What are the benefits of working with an agency? Agencies are made up of multidisciplinary experts. So depending on your needs, you'll have a full suite of creatives and strategists on-hand to help you - whether that's a copywriter, designer or SEO specialist.

Having a large team behind your project also means that if you have large volumes of work to complete, an agency will help you get it done faster - simply because there are more hands on deck. It also means that if someone's off sick or on vacation, there will likely be another person who can take their place, to make sure your project keeps rolling along nicely.

In mid to large-sized agencies, you'll also have account managers to help you. This role is like the middle man: you tell them what they want, and they pass that on to the team of creatives. They then take the completed work and present it back to you.

1. Some people like this because it means there's only one person to talk to - and if you ever have negative feedback, you don't have to watch the poor designer's face crumple up when you tell them you don't like their work because the account manager does this for you. Working with an agency: the good bits - An entire team of specialists behind you - An account manager to manage the team of creatives for you - Capacity to process a large amount of work What are the downsides to working with an agency? Cost is a major factor. Agencies are made up of more people, which means you're paying for additional services. You'll also be paying an extra fee for additional overheads you wouldn't get with a freelancer - like the account managers, creative directors - even the rent that pays for the building everyone works in. It's all reflected in your fee.

Lack of flexibility is another downside. Even small agencies will never be as flexible as a single freelancer.

You'll also have to take the rough with the smooth: with a freelancer, you can choose who you work with. With an agency, you choose the agency as a whole - and while you may like the copywriter and creative director, you could discover you're not so keen on the account manager and head designer. It's a bit like when you sign up for cable TV. You buy the package for a handful of channels you love - but you also get a load you never wanted. Working with an agency: the bad bits - More expensive - Slower - Less choice and flexibility

Final thoughts

Do you go with the creative powerhouse that is an agency, or are you after a more personal, boutique experience? It's a down to your requirements and your budget. If you'd like to find out more about working with a freelancer (that's me!) then get in touch and tell me about your goals over a (virtual) cuppa.