Using a freelance writer can save you time and help generate publicity for your business

But I'm not in the publishing or media industry, what do freelancers have to do with me?

Any business can benefit from quality writing and communication.

Just think about how often you have to write something - a report, letter to a customer or promotional material. Have you ever been asked to send a written company or personal profile to a prospective client, potential or existing business partner or maybe even the press?

How much time do you spend on these tasks? All well and good if you have the time to spare or really enjoy this type of work, but does it make sense if these requirements are keeping you from your core role in the business?

You should be focusing on running an efficient business and making money, the things you are good at. Let someone else do what they are good at and put the words on paper for you, someone who enjoys the process and will communicate that passion to all who read the material.

It is becoming increasingly common for businesses or prominent people to make use of ghost writers to generate content in their name. This can take the form of corporate communications, reporting, sales and marketing material etc.

A less traditional but growing tactic is commissioning articles to be ghost written and released under your name to give you exposure and position you as an expert in your field. These articles can be sent to your customers, used as content for your company website or newsletter, placed on article publishing websites (with a link back to your website to drive internet traffic) and even submitted to the press in its various forms.

Another way you can generate exposure and reduce hassle for yourself is using a freelancer to generate and manage the material on your company blog, website, or other communication medium.

The ideal person for tasks like these is a freelance writer with solid writing skills as well as some actual hands-on experience in the business world. The freelancers passion for and experience in writing can be used to add value to your company by letting you spend your time conducting business while he spends his time writing about it. The combination of a well run operation with effective communication and targeted publicity is hard to beat.

Bigger corporations generally have in house marketing / PR people, who often have some experience in writing or may even come from a journalism background. Smaller to medium organizations do not have the budget for these specialized departments and would in any case be unlikely to have enough work to keep a full-time person busy every day. It is in this scenario that a freelancer is most valuable as they are paid only on a task by task basis, i.e. a truly results based vs time based form of employment.

If you are a business owner or decision maker in a smaller company that is looking to take the next step and raise professionalism and exposure, consider using a skilled freelancer as business partner.