\u201cSo do you build the website yourself or do you outsource it?\u201d The first time a client asked me this, I mumbled something about not using outsourced help. Why? Because I valued integrity. Or something like that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time I didn\u2019t use outsourced contractors but my thoughts on the topic haven\u2019t changed. Why does it matter if I outsource? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I realized that I didn\u2019t give my client the right answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You have a right to start a business, build a business, and make money by hiring other people. Freelancing is fine but there comes a time for many when outsourcing or hiring is the only way to grow a business (unless you want to maintain the\u00a0lifestyle business\u00a0vibe). If you use the word freelancer to describe yourself, clients will treat you differently. That\u2019s the first piece of advice. Be a business owner, not a freelancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why should a client concern themselves if we outsource some of our work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIf you get the job done for the agreed price, how you get it done should not matter.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
If you hire help for a project will it negatively affect the delivered product or service? Unlikely. It\u2019s your job to make sure everything runs smoothly. If a contractor or freelancer messes up, it\u2019s your responsibility to fix it. And it might be very expensive to fix, especially if there\u2019s a deadline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The client doesn\u2019t have to worry about this. In fact, they are not aware of what happens in the background. And that\u2019s exactly what the client is paying for<\/strong>. They want the job done with minimum fuss. They don\u2019t have the expertise in website building, freelance writing, or whatever the job is and they don\u2019t want to train someone to do it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s imagine they resent the fact that we hire someone to do a job and add our fee on top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, they might imagine they can just go straight to the freelancer. Why didn't they just do that in the first place? Well, one reason is that many contractors are unable to market themselves so nobody knows who the good ones are. Another reason is that it's time-consuming and expensive to find, interview, hire, and train people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s look at what finding a good freelancer involves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outsourcing is High-Level Management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The process goes something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
- Search for someone who can complete a task related to the project. This a long-winded, frustrating process. Finding good people is not easy and often results in wasted money and time. The right person for the job might be 10th<\/sup> in line.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Manage the freelancer. Many writers, designers, and coders (those with specific skills) are not entrepreneurs. They have no idea how to run a business or connect their skills to a particular business model. That\u2019s where guidance your guidance as an operator is valuable. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Review the work, deliver it to the client, and manage the client. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The last part is often the one that takes the most energy. Your job is to manage both the client and the people you contract. Your clients often don\u2019t understand or know what they want. Your job is to interpret this and manage the entire process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s imagine the client is the owner of a fitness studio, gym, or physical therapy clinic. Ask the owner if they treat all of their clients themselves. The answer will invariably be no. They outsource jobs to their employees, some of whom might be temporary contractors or freelancers paid per job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does your own client promote their services as \u201coutsource-free\u201d? Ask your client if they have employees, contractors, or freelancers? Unless you're dealing with a solo entrepreneur, there's some level of outsourcing in all businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do they have virtual assistants that manage their social media, accounts, and other tasks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you get the job done for the agreed price, how you get it done should not matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nobody asks Nike if they outsource the manufacturing of their sneakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nobody asks Elon Musk if he builds cars himself. But it\u2019s intellectual property, you say. Actually, it\u2019s mostly just management and vision. If you run an agency, don\u2019t let anyone say that you\u2019re not a visionary. You\u2019ve figured out that there\u2019s a need for people who make the lives of busty business owners easier. As a business owner yourself, you understand how to deliver value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steve Jobs certainly did not make iPhones. His company hired out the contracts to (alleged) sweatshops in China. Does anyone care that Steve himself didn\u2019t make these phones? No. Has anyone ever walked into an Apple Store and asked the question, \u201cDo you outsource your work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that we've moved past the ethical concerns, here's where you can find reliable places to outsource your business tasks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The topic of outsourcing blog content can generate controversy. The only way for many successful bloggers to add fresh content to their blog is to outsource topics they are not comfortable writing (or don't have time to write). Bloggers who specialize in lifestyle or personal blogging may believe that their content should only be created by them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are both proponents and opponents of outsourcing writing. Should your blog contain only content you have written? This question can\u2019t be answered with a simple yes or no. We'll explore the pros and cons of outsourcing content for your blog in this post. Let\u2019s start with the cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pros of outsourcing content writing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2705 You can grow your business much faster<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s face it, few people grow very successful businesses on their own. Yes, there are outliers, but most bloggers need a hand. And scaling your business from a couple of blog posts a month to several a week will free up your time for negotiating sponsorships, building business relationships, and most of all, for more travel. Sometimes travel bloggers are so caught up in the content production that they have little time to enjoy their travels. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about though, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the biggest travel bloggers like Nomadic Matt<\/a> have teams of people that help with managing the blog, including content marketing, social, and copyediting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nomadic Matt is one of the best-known and most popular travel bloggers, and hiring freelancers certainly hasn\u2019t impacted his meteoric rise to the top of the travel blogger charts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2705 You can hire experts on topics that you want to cover<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say you\u2019re a fan of wine, but you\u2019re not an expert. What can you do if you want to write a deep dive into Spanish wine? Well, you could spend days researching everything there is to know about the wine from Spain. But unless you really want to spend all that time on this topic, your time might be better spent elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And in case you\u2019re wondering, every post on this website was written by me. I will never outsource my own personal blog or give my name to someone else\u2019s writing. That\u2019s just a personal preference and not a preachy statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ghostwriting is a huge industry, and while I feel some visceral reaction to it, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going away anytime soon.\u00a0Copywriting is another skill that is hard to master and often easier to outsource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Cons of outsourcing blog writing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u274c Your own voice is diluted<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many bloggers' audiences subscribe to their emails, read their blogs, and follow them on social media. You have a unique voice among the millions of blogs out there. Attitude and writing style has a lot to do with it. Sometimes it\u2019s the difference between successful blogs and the also-rans. Of course, hard work counts for a lot but you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What happens when a blogger outsources content to a freelancer and passes it off as their own? In truth, there are few negative consequences. Bloggers who provide their readers with fresh and relevant content may feel justified in purchasing outsourced content. But there\u2019s always the chance that your blog turns into another content farm like Thrillist or Culture Trip. While these websites are extremely successful, they lack quality control and authenticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also takes time to train writers to follow your guidelines or writing style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u274c You change the relationship between you and your readers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This depends on the brand, but some bloggers are so connected to their fans that any change in the status quo might send ripples of discontentment through the audience. One thing is for sure, if you\u2019re not writing the content, you are going to be less in tune with the content that appears on your site, even if you proofread and edit it. Writing is a very personal endeavor, and writing for an audience forces you to connect with your ideal readers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u274c It\u2019s hard to find good people<\/strong> (or is it?)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Writing is one of the hardest tasks to outsource. Social media, tech, and website design are more binary. It\u2019s good, or it\u2019s not. But good writing has so many facets that, unless you\u2019re paying top dollar, you might get bland or badly written content. Outsourcing is supposed to save you time and money. But it could end up costing you more money in the long run. And sometimes it can be even more time-intensive. It\u2019s best to start by outsourcing only the topics that you absolutely cannot tackle yourself. Proofread everything in detail. Once you find the writer who works for you or can follow your instructions, pay them accordingly. Don\u2019t forget how difficult it was to find them in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking for good writers? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where to outsource your content marketing work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The most important thing to remember is that for a blog to grow, content is the<\/em> most important thing. Don\u2019t pay 0.1 c per word. Use the best writers you can afford and it will pay off in the long run<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There seems to be an endless supply of places to source writers. The problem is knowing which ones are good before you spend money and time on them. Your writing standards are different from everyone else's, so you can\u2019t always rely on referrals and recommendations. With that in mind, here are a few that I\u2019ve found to be reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro Blogger Job Board<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This is the place to go if you\u2019re looking for experienced content marketing writers who are used to dealing directly with clients. The writers that look for jobs here are some of the best freelancers around, and the prices reflect that. But if you\u2019re looking for the best of the best, this is where you can find them. Keep in mind that you will also have to pay a fee to post a job (currently $75 per post). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
BrandBuilders<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
BrandBuilders was launched as a marketplace for pre-made content and affiliate websites. Following initial success, the team began to notice that many new website owners needed content. The fuel for the fire is content, and many website owners were not interested in creating their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response to a market need, BrandBuilders began offering content services. With many years of experience in the affiliate niche market, the company knows what site owners are looking for (or at least what they need).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In most cases, ordering content can be as simple as submitting keywords, and there's a 10% discount on bulk orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All content is optimized according to the recommendations of SEO writing tools like Frase and Surfer. In addition, you can get stock photos, have keyword research done (if you prefer), and have the post uploaded to your WordPress site.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can even schedule a free discovery call with the team to make sure they know what you need and that you understand what you're receiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facebook Groups<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Facebook isn\u2019t good for much these days but there is still plenty of value in the groups. And some of the content writing and freelance writer groups can be goldmines for finding great people to work with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You will have to do your own vetting to find high-quality candidates with Facebook groups but there\u2019s no fee to post and the groups are accessible to people all over the world at no cost. I\u2019ve heard from many entrepreneurs that groups like these are some of the best places to find talented people with experience in content marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ContentWish<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Based in Egypt, so the prices are reasonable, and with a high standard of writing. You can expect quality content most of the time. Most of the writers are non-native English speakers, but to be frank, they write better than most of the \u201cnative English writer\u201d content writing service companies I\u2019ve used over the years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Upwork<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can find decent content creators on Upwork But it takes some time. You might want to set aside a budget and a day or two to try out different writers. Don\u2019t trust the reviews, trust the person and make sure to set out a list of guidelines and instructions. Test candidates by asking them to include simple sentences or answers in their application or to provide examples. If they can\u2019t follow simple instructions or their application contains grammatical errors, move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The advantage these two platforms have over the others is that you can find subject matter experts and deal directly with them. On content writing platforms, you\u2019re essentially given a writer who may or may not know about the topic. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cSo do you build the website yourself or do you outsource it?\u201d The first time a client asked me this, I mumbled something about not using outsourced help. Why? Because I valued integrity. Or something like that. At the time I didn\u2019t use outsourced contractors but my thoughts on the topic haven\u2019t changed. Why does […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"When a client asks if you outsource freelance work, here's how to answer","_seopress_titles_desc":"If you get the job done for the agreed price, how you get it done should not matter. Nobody asks Nike if they outsource the manufacturing of their sneakers.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[165,166],"tags":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/outsource-freelance-work-client-question-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/outsource-freelance-work-client-question-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":"KJ","author_link":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/author\/bhixe\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2673"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2881,"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673\/revisions\/2881"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeroniche.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}