Communication Strategy
COMMUNICATION STRATEGISTS
What is a communication strategy?
A communication strategy is a formal plan for facilitating communication both inside and outside an organization.
Here’s a quick overview of the skills you should look for in communication strategy professionals:
- Communication strategy
- Public relations (PR)
- Business writing
Why do you want to hire communication strategists?
The trick to finding top communication strategists is to identify your needs. Is your goal to find someone to develop a strategy for ramping up publicity as part of a PR campaign? Or are you seeking to create internal communications guidelines between management and personnel to foster an open company culture? The cost of your project will depend largely on your scope of work and the specific skills needed to bring your project to life.
HOW TO HIRE COMMUNICATION STRATEGISTS
Whether it’s setting communications guidelines for managers engaging with their sales staff or developing an action plan for PR, communication strategists are here to help.
So how do you hire communication strategists? What follows are some tips for finding top communication strategists on Upwork.
How to shortlist communication strategy professionals
As you’re browsing available communication strategy consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the professionals you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:
- Industry. You want a communication strategist who is familiar with the terminology and tone that work best with your industry.
- Project experience. Screen candidate profiles for specific skills and experience (e.g., performing market research to fine-tune your marketing communications).
- Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what it’s like to work with a particular communication strategist.
How to write an effective communication strategy job post
With a clear picture of your ideal communication strategist in mind, it’s time to write that job post. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a contractor to know if they’re the right fit for the project.
An effective communication strategy job post should include:
- Scope of work: From buyer personas to communications guidelines, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
- Background: If you prefer experience with certain industries, technologies, or marketing tools, mention this here.
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Ready to launch your communication strategy project? Log in and post your communication strategy job on Upwork today.
FAQS FOR HIRING COMMUNICATION STRATEGISTS
How much does it cost to hire a communication strategist?
Rates can vary due to many factors, including expertise and experience, location, and market conditions.
- An experienced communication strategist may command higher fees but also work faster, have more-specialized areas of expertise, and deliver higher-quality work.
- A contractor who is still in the process of building a client base may price their communication strategy services more competitively.
Which one is right for you will depend on the specifics of your project.
How long should you contract a communication strategist to complete your project?
As difficult as it is to estimate how long you will need a communication strategist, budgeting time is very important to keeping your project on track.
Be prepared to budget more time for more-demanding communication strategy projects. For example, developing internal communication guidelines between human resources and staff will typically take less time than creating a versatile messaging guide for a large multichannel marketing campaign.
What are the steps involved to hire communication strategists?
Here’s how to hire communication strategy consultants in four simple steps:
- Identify your project needs, whether it’s market research or writing communications guidelines.
- Define the scope of work and write a detailed job post. Be specific about deliverables (e.g., writing a communication strategy for engaging with the press).
- Review proposals and shortlist potential communication strategists for unique skills needed to bring your project to life (e.g., interviewing focus groups to gain insight into the type of messaging that resonates best with a market segment).
- Interview communication strategy talent to gauge whether they’re the right fit for your project.