As consumer demand for high-quality content rises, more businesses are hiring remote writers to keep up with demand. And thanks to the digital environment we live in, access to freelance writers is easier than ever before.

While using freelance writers can reduce costs and ensure content quality remains high, overseeing remote writing teams also has its pitfalls. Managing work flow and maintaining content quality are two of the main challenges. So how do you keep this operation running smoothly?

The Challenges of Working with Remote Writers

Managing a remote team has a unique set of challenges. Here are some of the most common problems you might face:

  • You can’t always immediately respond to questions or concerns.
  • You might have to wait to receive feedback from writers.
  • It’s difficult to keep track of your remote writers’ progress.
  • Writers may not follow your instructions correctly.
  • Writers may miss deadlines.
  • Writers may lose interest in working for you.

In this post, we’ll look at various steps you can take to overcome these challenges.

If you’re still looking for writers to work with, our Step-by-Step Guide to Finding, Vetting, and Hiring Freelance Writers will help.

How to Overcome the Challenges of Managing a Remote Team

Set Ground Rules

Laying down some rules from the outset will ensure your writers know what’s expected of them.

[bctt tweet=”Laying down some rules from the outset will ensure your writers know what’s expected of them.” username=”constantcontent”]

Once a writer is on board, send them an email document detailing your expectations. You can then refer back to this document in case of any future misunderstandings. Your ground rules could stipulate that the writer:

  • Always sticks to deadlines.
  • Is available via email or messaging apps during specific times.
  • Is responsive to feedback.
  • Should inform you whenever they encounter any problems.
  • Follows your editorial guidelines.

To ensure your writers follow these ground rules and to eliminate rounds of revisions that delay projects, there are two documents you should provide:

1. Terms of Reference

  • Describe your business, products, and services.
  • Explain what sets your business apart from the competition.
  • Include details about your target audience and different audience segments.
  • Provide a few core resources for research.
  • Provide examples of great content and explain why they’re good.

2. A Style Guide

  • Describe your brand’s “voice.”
  • List preferred spellings, punctuation, and terminology.
  • Explain formatting preferences, including how to format headings, ideal paragraph lengths, and how to list citations.

Giving all your writers even a basic style guide and terms of reference will ensure your content has a consistent style and tone. However, it’s also important to understand that writers have different styles of communicating, so you shouldn’t discourage personal touches.

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Set Up a Mutual Communication System

You don’t have the convenience of an office environment to talk to writers, so you need to decide on a centralized communication system. This will streamline interactions and help to foster an environment of open communication.

[bctt tweet=”You don’t have the convenience of an office environment to talk to writers, so you need to decide on a centralized communication system.” username=”constantcontent”]

Email is one option, but it’s slow. Consider using apps such as Google Hangouts, Slack, or HipChat. These tools enable real-time collaboration and include messaging, voice calling, and video chat.

As well as allowing writers to quickly communicate with you, these platforms also give you an easy way to share new information, give instructions, and track the progress of projects.

Use Project Management Tools

Keeping track of your projects with communication tools can work up to a point, but using a tool to visualize the process adds clarity. Google Docs is a popular choice, as it allows managers and writers to share document versions and add comments.

Sharing spreadsheets and files can work, but they can be hard to manage and track. For more comprehensive project management tools, consider apps such as Trello, Asana, CoSchedule, or Airtable.

All these tools help you organize tasks and ensure projects are completed on time. With different writers at various stages of projects, this is a great way to stay on track.

Give Clear Direction

Most writers that work remotely are good at managing their time and will work hard to achieve the best results for you. But there may be times when a writer takes advantage of their position. To counteract this, you need to set clear expectations from the start.

It’s down to you to set concrete deadlines and give writers enough information to get on with each job. This involves giving clear briefs for every project and providing constructive feedback when necessary.

Don’t be too aggressive; no writer responds well to negative feedback and harsh criticism, so try to offer positive encouragement. This will make writers feel more valued and is more likely to lead to better content.

This doesn’t mean you can’t be specific. Most writers appreciate detailed instructions because it helps them plan content more efficiently. They’re also less likely to get back to you with further questions.

Create a Feedback Schedule

Of course, you should give constructive feedback whenever it’s necessary. However, giving regular feedback at specific times can help to build a more engaged, cohesive team. For example, you could send every writer a message once per week that:

  • Offers support for current projects.
  • Gives an update on the performance of past content.
  • Suggests future content ideas.

This helps to boost content quality, but it also makes your writers feel part of a team.

Create an Editorial Calendar

As remote writers are likely to be located in separate locations and even different time zones, it adds to the challenge of making sure deadlines are met. The solution is to create a content calendar so that you and your team can plan ahead appropriately.

This will ensure that writers can plan their work load appropriately and aren’t constantly rushing to complete projects. Having a content calendar mapped out for at least a month in advance also gives writers the option to claim more assignments that are on the horizon.

Related Reading: The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Content Calendar

Support the Preferences of Individual Writers

In the long term, it’s helpful to understand what kinds of content individual team members prefer to write. Some people like to write longer articles that are more informational, whereas others are more comfortable writing inspirational pieces around topics they’re passionate about.

Getting to know individual writers’ preferences means you can give them more appropriate assignments. This will help writers feel more passionate about their work, making them more likely to want to continue working for you.

A Flexible Approach

Anyone can assemble a team of writers, but a team’s success ultimately depends on its organization and management. While it’s important to put in place a set of guidelines and procedures for your writing team, it’s also crucial to adapt your processes going forward.

Don’t be discouraged by a few setbacks; it takes time to build an efficient team. As you start to see what is and isn’t working, you can tweak your communication strategies and prioritize the tools you use to build a stronger team that helps you achieve your goals.

Use these strategies to build an effective, well-organized team of remote writers and you’ll be able to create great content time after time.

Visit the Constant Content Quick Start Guide to learn how to start building your writing team today.