Freelancers can be a flexible and powerful solution for your paid media needs if you hire the right one. In this episode, April Borovskaya gets real about how to know when it’s time to hire a freelancer for your paid media campaigns and, more importantly, how to find one that won’t waste your time or budget. If you're a solo marketer wearing all the hats or working at a business that isn’t quite ready for a full-blown agency, this episode is for you.
April talks through the signs that hiring a freelancer makes sense, what kind of budget you should expect, and how to figure out which platform is the best place to start looking. She shares smart ways to interview potential freelancers, even if you don’t know all the jargon, and how to spot red flags before signing a contract.
You will also hear tips on how to manage that working relationship once it’s up and running, including how often to meet, what to expect in terms of reporting, and how to keep things on track with clear communication.
If hiring a freelancer has felt overwhelming or confusing, this episode breaks it all down in a way that makes sense.
Key Takeaways
When hiring a freelancer makes sense (and when it doesn’t)
How much you should expect to pay
Where to find quality freelancers
How to vet a freelancer’s skills even if you don’t speak ad jargon
Red flags that signal “run”
Why conversion tracking and analytics are non-negotiables
The role of AI in freelancer workflows
How to manage expectations and communication for long-term success
In This Episode
(00:02) Introduction & episode overview
(01:09) Why hire a freelancer?
(03:31) When not to hire a freelancer
(04:49) Freelancer vs. agency for broader needs
(06:09) Freelancers for medium-scale campaigns
(06:09) Where to find freelancers
(08:35) Evaluating freelancer profiles
(09:47) Posting jobs & interviewing freelancers
(11:00) Key interview questions & vetting
(12:23) Assessing tracking & reporting skills
(13:46) Conversion tracking & metrics
(14:55) Keyword strategy & match types
(15:59) Reviewing reports & ad copy
(17:06) AI tools & campaign types
(18:24) Red flags & positive signs
(21:15) Testing & scaling the relationship
(22:34) Managing freelancers & communication
(23:46) Monitoring work & providing feedback
(25:04) Setting expectations & autonomy
(26:16) Conclusion & call to action
Notable Quotes
(01:24) "Running a paid media campaign on your own, it is extremely labor intensive." — April
(04:37) "Freelancers typically pick an area of paid media and specialize in that area." — April
(07:44) "Be very, very careful of someone who's charging you $15 per hour. You're probably not going to get somebody with local expertise." — April
(17:35) "Attention to detail is everything in advertising. And if you are about to hire someone, make sure that they have proper grammar, punctuation and capitalization for their campaigns." — April
(19:41) "A great paid media strategist is humble enough to know that you have to stay educated. You have to evolve. Your campaigns have to evolve." — April
(21:14) "With a freelancer you can also consider starting small and increasing the work that you give to them. So consider assigning a small test campaign or maybe some one on ones before really committing to a long term relationship." — April
(23:03) "Communication is key. Work with someone that can communicate it." — April