Thinking about outsourcing your blog writing? Good for you! Blog content is so important. And so is the ability to delegate this task to a skilled writer who will generate traffic and build brand authority. But lookout for pitfalls! Outsourcing blog writing can be tricky. Here’s exactly what you need to know.
The Importance of Good Writing
People are reading more and more every day. Words are so vitally important for business, today, yet we don’t even notice them. Good writing is so prevalent around us that we take it for granted. But good writing is essential to your brand. So choose your words carefully and your writers even more carefully.
Successful brands today engage their customers on the topics they care about most. Blog writing is one of the most common ways to connect with your potential customers. Good SEO-optimized content is more likely to be found, and well-written content is more likely to be read.
On the other hand, bad grammar, weak headlines, and boring content can cost your business money. In this age of word processers, spell check, and abundant freelance writers, there is no reason your business should suffer from poor writing.
What Your Blog Content Should Accomplish
When outsourcing your blog writing, remember just what good blogging is meant to accomplish.
- Traffic
A good blog writer understands SEO basics and weaves SEO keyword terms into the copy and headings to drive Google traffic to your post and thus to your website. Generating traffic is one of the most important functions of blog writing. - Social Media
Businesses use social media to leverage their content marketing and get more eyes on their solutions. A regular blog is great original content that can be used in social media campaigns. - Authority
Possibly the most overlooked benefit of blog writing is that it answers questions asked by your audience, and as such positions your brand as an authority. When your customers are selecting who to do business with, they will choose the brand they trust every single time. And trust comes from quality answers and thought leadership. - Long-Term Results
Blog posts often continue to yield residual results over months and even years. These “compounding posts” work for you long after you’ve forgotten about them. - Conversion
Yes, powerful and well-written blog writing not only brings in traffic – it helps convert it into leads! Because a good outsourced writer understands how to not only inform, but also how to call the reader to action after proving the worth of the idea or solution being blogged about.
When Outsourcing Blog Writing Is and Isn’t a Good Idea
It’s important to ask yourself a few questions when outsourcing blog writing to make sure you are making the right decision or selecting the best writer. For example, you may not even want to outsource your writing if you are building a personal brand that revolves around authentic, one-on-one engagement with your audience. Your readers may want to hear your in-the-moment thoughts and follow your daily activities.
But most businesses can hire bloggers or ghost bloggers to write on their behalf, so long as they pay special attention to a few matters that can make or break their brand. Some of these questions include:
- Is the blogger a native English speaker?
If your audience is English-speaking, it will be impossible to build authority in their minds with the awkward phrasing, poor grammar, and foreign thought constructs so prevalent with the average foreign writing outsourcer. - Is their writing the right style and voice?
Many blog writers are capable of learning and matching your brand voice and the style most appropriate for your niche. Ask for portfolio pieces displaying a wide variety of styles and tones. - How long have they been writing?
Is your potential blogger experienced enough to turn loose with your brand image? Your business is literally at stake here. Are you confident in the professionalism and expertise of this potential brand ambassador? - Pricing?
If you find someone who meets these criteria, then discuss pricing. There are thousands of outsourcers posing as writers who will gladly charge you just $10 per blog post to feed you powerless and self-defeating copy. But on the other end of the spectrum, content marketing is a long-term strategy. And your business may not be able to sustain a weekly $500 blogging expense – yet. Find the balance and remember: you get what you pay for!
When outsourcing blog writing, ask plenty of questions. If might be best to write your own blogs. But chances are, a professional blog writer who can successfully meet these criteria is the better option to ensure a steady stream of traffic-generating, authority-building, engaging blog content for your readers.
