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Ok'so you already have a crack staff of writers on-hand to handle your company website's writing assignments. So why should you consider hiring a freelance copywriter?

Well, as you know, today's corporate belt-tightening often means too much work for too few people. This is especially true in the communications area, where cutbacks have strained the resources of our workforce across the board. The result? Stress, overwork and low morale.

And of course, this strain is more intense when those unusual or special projects come up. The disruption in the day-to-day activities of your staff can have two results. Either this project gets low priority or the day-to-day work suffers.

What's the alternatives? Well, you can solicit the services of an established Ad agency or PR firm. And in some instances this can be the wise choice, especially when you need the kind of flashy productions intended to impress and entertain the client'the kind designed to win glitzy awards.

The problem? These fancy productions often come with a significant price tag. Face it, these firms have a lot of employees to feed and the cost of this high overhead is passed on to you. And that often means a budget under stress.

In addition, these firms tend to be busy with the best writers often assigned to the large, high profile clients. You may get a team of junior writers, but you'll still pay the high cost.

The solution? Studies indicate that hiring a freelance writer can actually average 5% (or more) less expensive than work done internally. While at first glance the higher freelance per hour rate appears more cost, when you add the true cost of internal labor, not only salary, but benefit and overhead costs. And because you use him only when needed, there is no 'downtime' cost.

And with low overhead, the costs for freelancers are generally significantly lower than the established ad agency and PR firms.

What are some other advantages, besides cost, to having a freelance writer in the bullpen?

' Control'Office politics, personal sensitivities and organizational bureaucracies often effect control of a project deadlines and content. The freelance writer is your strategic sourcing partner for any project, working with you.

' Objectivity'Essential to creating powerful persuasive copy. Freelancers can give an impartial view and new perspective to your project.

' Writing experience'Intimate knowledge of a product or service is not necessary to write about it. Good copywriters are experienced researchers and adept at asking the right questions to get up to speed quickly. What is more important is the fresh perspective that comes from their diverse experience in meeting a variety of communication challenges.

' Better results' Many writers can write well'but few can produce the powerful and persuasive copy that optimizes lead generation or sales. The best copywriters are masters at pulling in qualified customers dramatically increasing profits.

' Fees'Copy fees are almost always a very small portion of the total project cost, but its effect on money generating results can be enormous.

Don't wait until crunch time to start seeking relief. Have a freelancer in your bullpen to come to your aid'when you need him.