In a previous post, I asked, “Is it Time for You to Take a Break From Blogging?” Each of us must take time off occasionally. But what if that break makes you decide that blogging isn’t for you? If you’ve found a profitable niche, you might not want to walk away just yet, but you might feel too burned out to continue.
What’s the solution?
Outsourcing content creation could be the solution to this dilemma, but only if you can find the right writers. That’s where you might hit a snag. Valued at $3.7 trillion, the gig economy includes many players.
If you browse freelancer sites like Upwork and Freelancer, there are thousands of portfolios to choose from. How do you know that you’ll get a good match? Is there a way to ensure that the content matches your expectations?
In this post, I’ll go over how you can ensure that you get the best possible results.
Table of Contents
Pay a Reasonable Rate
Many writers quote their rate per hundred words. This rate can vary from a few cents per word to $1000 per piece of content depending on the writer, their experience, the niche and other factors.
A writer that you pay $0.15 per hundred words isn’t going to spend much time researching or editing their work. Be aware that, at this level, you’ll have to rework the content. Paying a higher rate means getting content that’s more polished and ready to post, thus saving you time.
Vet Writers Carefully Before Hiring Them
You should aim to build a long-term relationship with your writers. Carefully vet them upfront by checking their portfolios. Ask them for examples of work they’ve published. Look at their reviews on the various freelancer sites.
Narrow down your options to a few prime candidates. Offer these candidates a paid trial to get an idea of how they follow your instructions. The trial will give you professional examples to choose from and determine which freelancers might be the best fit.
Create Clear Expectations From Day One
One way to ensure that you get what you want is to set out the instructions clearly from the beginning. Create a contract that defines the writer’s responsibilities clearly. Lay out the quality guidelines, technical writing aspects, like font, language style, and turnaround times. Put everything in writing and make sure your freelance team signs off so that there are no misinterpretations later.
Communicate With Writers
When you give out the first few projects, be specific about what your goal is. As your writer becomes accustomed to your style, you can be a bit more hands off. Until that happens, making them guess what you want makes their work more difficult.
Coming up with blog ideas is a great example to use here. You can’t just tell your new writer to look at your blog and come up with a concept. Instead, guide them by giving them some general pointers to start. For example, you could talk about a topic that you want to be covered, and allow them to come up with their spin on it.
Final Notes
Finally, when your writer starts submitting posts, critique them carefully. To make this process successful, be prepared to give and receive feedback. If your writers don’t respond well to criticism, they may not be the right fit. Communication is key to making your outsourcing experience a success, so make sure you and your writers are on the same page.
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