Agency Preferences: Essential Characteristics Agencies Seek in Independent Creative Professionals

Agency Preferences: Essential Characteristics Agencies Seek in Independent Creative Professionals

When agencies are juggling a heavy workload or lack specialized expertise, they turn to freelancers to create compelling assets for their clients. Here's what 20 top-notch minds from our esteemed Website Agency Council seek in potential creative freelancers when their agency's reliable team is unavailable:

1. 🤝 Team Player Mentality: Understanding that portfolios pave the way, but above all, being a team player who meshes with the agency and doesn't harbor a solo artist's ego is the No. 1 priority. - David Farinella, Farinella LLC
2. 💡 Quality Work that Tells a Story: Showcase exceptional work that aligns with the client's needs and share insights into your communication style and project approach. - Lee Salisbury, UnitOneNine
3. 🏆 Customer Focus and Speed: Innate understanding of marketing challenges faced by Fortune 2000 firms and a culture-fit focus, paired with quickness, are top priorities. - Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.
4. 🎨 Versatile Storytelling: Adaptability to different brand voices and guidelines, demonstrated through a versatile portfolio, is essential. - Jonathan Johnson, Streamline Results

💡 Enrichment Insight: Skilled freelancers possess creativity, effective communication, negotiation, and persuasion skills while also maintaining adaptability,, time management, project management, continuous learning, and a professional online presence. They also boast technical proficiency, analytics aptitude, and a strong portfolio with industry-standard software mastery and testimonials.

1. 🔧 Familiarity with Essential Tools: Freelancers must master tools to make the project execution seamless, from image and content creation to handling various content types like social media posts, emails, print, and video. - Jason Hall, FiveChannels Marketing
2. 🤝 Client-Centric Attitude: Freelancers should approach each project as if they're working with the client directly, understanding their requirements and tailoring the output accordingly. - Mike Maynard, Napier Partnership Limited
3. 💡 Entrepreneurial Spirit: Keep an eye out for fresh, forward-thinking freelancers with original ideas, pushing boundaries, and focusing on problem-solving. - Curtis Priest, Pixelcarve Inc.
4. 🕰️ Attention to Detail and Punctuality: To save time on revisions, include tests in your job post for detail-oriented freelancers, and prioritize punctuality and real customer testimonials. - Christina Mendel, EYUKO
5. 🎯 Simplification of Complex Concepts: Freelancers should have a knack for presenting otherwise challenging concepts in an accessible, engaging way, bringing clarity to even the most complex marketing campaigns. - Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
6. 🌀 Adaptability: The most valuable freelancers can tackle diverse projects, styles, and challenges respectively, seamlessly navigating changes and adjusting their approach accordingly. - Justin Belmont, Prose

Our Website Agency Council is a selective community of PR, media, and advertising executives whose membership is by invitation only. 🌟

1. 🗣️ Strong Communication: Excellent communication skills are vital to keep everyone informed, saving valuable time and avoiding confusion. - Sadly Overlooked, Adam Taylor, Splendor
2. 📈 Awareness of Performance Marketing Trends: Freelancers should be well-versed in performance marketing best practices, latest trends, and tools to create ads that convert and effectively execute campaigns. - Anthony Chiaravallo, Vallo Media
3. 💡 Strategic Thinking with Logical Workflow: To assess strategic thinking, ask about their workflow and evaluate their ability to adapt and communicate their creative solutions. - Michael Kuzminov, HypeFactory
4. 🌱 Flexibility: Freelancers who showcase adaptability to diverse projects, timelines, and approaches tend to deliver higher-quality work. - Jodi Amendola, Amendola Communications
5. 🔓 Translation of Creative Direction: Skilled freelancers can precisely decipher creative direction, effortlessly translating it into compelling deliverables without miscommunication. - Jonathan Schwartz, Bullseye Strategy
6. 🎯 Brand Voice and Goal Alignment: Freelancers should showcase the ability to align their creative vision with brand voice and goals, regardless of the industry. - Guy Leon Sheetrit, Guac Digital
7. 💡 Big Idea Concepting: Freelancers should explore unconventional ways to create campaigns with big ideas that yield exceptional results—regardless of which media is purchased. - Gully Flowers, ALSO KNOWN AS
8. 📱 Mastery of Adobe Suite: It's crucial for freelancers to be proficient in Adobe tools, especially Photoshop and Illustrator, to accomplish complex tasks effectively. - Austin Irabor, NETFLY
9. 📝 Confidence to Say ‘No’: Honesty in voicing one's capacity and limitations helps clients understand your commitment, creating a long-term, fruitful partnership. - Oksana Matviichuk, OM Strategic Forecasting
10. Ready to Take On Projects: The most reliable freelancers thrive under pressure, jumping headfirst into the projects with confidence and delivering outstanding results, no matter the challenges or deadlines. - Jacquelyn LaMar Berney, VI Marketing and Branding
11. To ensure seamless collaboration with agencies, freelancers should be well-versed in using essential tools such as Adobe Suite for image and content creation, and be able to handle various content types like social media posts, emails, print, and video. - Jason Hall, FiveChannels Marketing
12. Freelancers should possess the trait of being client-centric, treating each project as if they are working directly with the client and ensuring their requirements are met with tailored outputs. - Mike Maynard, Napier Partnership Limited

Read also: