26 Things You've Always Wondered About Hiring Blog Writers
Mascot and Creative Champion
Published19 Jun, 2018
The business of outsourcing has been skyrocketing in the past few years, but many companies still struggle with the decision of whether to outsource their online tasks partially, totally, or not at all. When it comes to hiring blog writers, for example, the answer is never straightforward.
We’ve questioned our in-house specialists about the most recurrent inquiries around the topic to guide you in making the best decision for your business.
What are the Pros of Hiring Blog Writers?
- Lower expenses
Outsourcing enables you to pay for the service only when you require it, lowering the costs significantly compared to having an in-house writer working full time. - Scalability
You can outsource blog writing tasks only during peak-activity periods or in cases when handling the projects internally is more expensive. - Sustainability
Outsourcing can help increase a company’s sustainability and resiliency over time, especially in the case of small and medium-sized businesses. - Faster delivery
Instead of overloading your employees’ to-do lists, you can outsource the project and have it delivered much faster, as a dedicated specialist will take on your project almost immediately. You can utilize the services of an outsourcing company that works 24/7. - Variety of perspectives
Outsourcing blog writing allows you to gain a unique perspective on each topic, as you will most likely have 10 articles written by 10 different writers, instead of a single person writing all your content. - Better time management
Outsourcing will free up your time and enable you to focus more on the core functions that help the company thrive. - Access to niche experts
Companies manage to benefit from accessing a wider pool of candidates and no matter what direction you decide to take with your blog, you can get niche-specialized experts for each topic.
What are the Cons of Outsourcing Blog Writing?
- Time-consuming
Initially, outsourcing can be a daunting, time-consuming task, as it is neither effortless nor swift finding great writers. - Impact on blog voice
It’s difficult for an outsourced blog writer to be the voice of your business without understanding your writing style, company culture, and business goals. - Onboarding and management
In order to avoid the previously mentioned impact on blog voice and writing style, you still have to dedicate time and put in the work in onboarding and managing a remote writer or writing team.
When is it not a Good Idea to Hire Blog Writers?
If your blog is the core of your business or if you are the voice your readers follow in particular, or because they feel directly connected with you, then you should think twice before outsourcing blog writing. One of the first aspects to consider is the impact it might potentially have on your relationship with your readers. Partially outsourcing the service could be an option, but completely outsourcing blog writing might do more harm than good by damaging both the blog voice and the relationship with your readers.
Should I Hire Freelance Blog Writers or Work with a Content Writing Agency?
Before making up your mind, consider on the following elements:
- Blog-writing budget
- Blog-writing frequency objective
- Long-term engagement vs. a one-time deal
- Number of writers required
- Availability and willingness to working alongside the writer
Freelancers are a good option for limited budgets and one-time engagements. However, if you need multiple writers, are dealing with high volumes, or are looking for long-term collaboration, hiring an agency might be the better choice.
How Much does it Usually Cost to Hire a Writer for a Blog Post?
The cost of outsourcing blog writing varies broadly and can run anywhere from $25 to $250 per blog post. The expense depends on the quality of the writer, the number of words, and the complexity/depth of the article.
What Should You Expect from a Blog Writer?
- Be knowledgeable in your industry
- Provide helpful, insightful information
- Write with the reader in mind, but also use the best SEO practices
- Native-level proficiency in your language
- Also offer a title, meta description, and focus keyword
- Consistency and on-time delivery
Where to Find and Hire High-Quality Blog Writers?
Here’s a list of the top 13 websites for blog writing services, based on reviews and popularity:
Writer Access
Cost : $20-50 per 50 words Services : Writer Access prides themselves on being one of the Inc 5000 fastest–growing companies in the past four years. They also offer StyleMetrics Matcher, an algorithm that will match you with the best writer for you and your style. They offer several services ranging from blog posts to social media posts and white papers, but also complementary services, such as content analytics.
Constant Content
Cost : $20-250 per custom flat-rate article. For pre-written material prices are variable, starting from $30-50 for around 500 words Services : They have over 100,000 expert writers and have made over 50,000 customers happy. They give customers the option to choose between tailor-made and pre-written content and offer blog posts on any topic, plus image suggestions and internal links.
Scripted
Cost : Variable, starting from $45 per 350 words Services : Scripted is a solution for freelancers, small businesses, startups, and agencies. They offer the first month for free, have a SmartMatch technology, and commit to delivering the first draft within a week.
BlogMutt
Cost : Offers monthly plans starting from $29.95 (300+ words) to $299.95 (2000+ words) Services : Blogmutt is a solution for both agencies and businesses. For businesses, they offer content, SEO, social media, and email newsletters. They are a good long-term solution, as they commit to delivering ready-to-publish content on a consistent basis.
CorpWriting
Cost: $10-14 per page Services : CorpWriting offers a variety of services, from blog and SEO writing to business writing and press releases. Their blog writing service promises crisp and keyword-centric content that is 100% original, error-free and has a two-working-days turnaround.
TextBroker
Cost : $1.30 - $7.20 per 100 words Services : TextBroker has thousands of verified US writers and counts eBay, Staples, and Yoast among their most notable clients. They are a great solution for non-English content, as they have native speakers in approximately 15 languages.
BKA Content
Cost : Variable, starting from $15 per 100 words Services : BKA Content promises high-quality writing experts with great grammar and writing skills who are trained in SEO as well as different types of content. They also offer editing services and customized teams for larger, long-term projects.
Express Writers
Cost : Variable, starting from $0.06 per word Services : Express Writers selects its writers carefully, with only 2% of them actually passing their vetting process. After being accepted, they are consistently trained in SEO tactics and conversion practices. As of May 2018, new clients need to request an account and are only accepted if Express Writers consider them to be a good fit.
The Skilled Writer
Cost : Variable, starting from $250 for 5 articles of 500 words each Services : The Skilled Writer offers thoroughly-researched, factually-accurate content that is both SEO and reader-friendly. They promote their blog writing services as being able to improve conversion rates by 30% and leads by 50%. Clients can buy articles in batches of 5, 10, or 25.
Crowd Content
Cost : Variable, starting from 2.2 cents per word Services : Crowd Content counts Hootsuite, Shopify, and BigCommerce among their clients. They offer different types of easy-to-use, high-quality content, from blog posts and social posts to product descriptions and press releases. They help their clients become thought leaders in their industry by automating their content calendar, helping them establish a voice, and expanding their content footprint.
iWriter
Cost : They have three plans. Prices vary between $3 for 150 words in the Premium Plan to $13 for 150 words in the Elite Plus Plan. Services : iWriter has a very uncomplicated and transparent process. You need to go through five easy steps from the moment you create your account until you download the final result. If you’re not satisfied with the final result, you can reject it and you never have to pay unless you are 100% happy with the content.
Compose.ly
Cost : Variable, blog posts starting at $49.95. Services : Freelance Writing is a veteran in the industry that has recently transformed into Compose.ly. They offer blog posts and a variety of other types of content, all written by the top 1% of their applicants - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. They also have two service options depending on if you are a business or an agency.
PostLoop
Cost : Variable, starting at $6 for 36 posts Services : PostLoop offers clients articles, blog posts, and forum content, but what makes it stand out is how it works. It is a content exchange marketplace, so members offer content for other members and they receive content in exchange. Users are rated depending on quality, consistency, and availability.Where to Find Writers from a Particular Niche?
If you’re looking for writing professionals in a particular industry, there are a few things that could make the process easier. For starters, you could mention the niche in the job posting, or search for potential candidates in industry-related forums.
Another option is to try any of these websites that allow you to search by niche/industry:
What Questions Should I Ask Blog Writing Companies or Freelance Blog Writers Before Hiring Them?
Here are a few things to discuss with a blog writing company or a freelance blog writer before starting to work with them:
- Knowledge about your industry.
- Previous experience in your industry or a related industry.
- Willingness to learn about your business, your brand, and your company’s voice and approach.
- Ability to write compelling content in your brand’s voice.
- You might have already looked through their online portfolio or previous posts and can attest to their capacities. If your applicant is a ghostwriter, for instance, discuss their willingness to write a “test post”.
- Precise understanding of your target audience or availability to learn about it.
- Ability to work autonomously, capability to identify topics, create a blogging schedule, and adhere to it.
- Ability to suggest some suitable and relevant topics on the spot.
- Approach in conducting research.
- Preparation methods before commencing the writing process, or solving writing-related problems.
- Methods to generate traffic after blog post publication and post-publication strategy.
- Performance metrics from previous posts (e.g. numbers of social media shares, new subscribers, conversions, etc.).
Is it an Inspired Idea to Buy Pre-written Content for My Blog?
When you acquire pre-written blog posts, you face the risk of getting stolen, wishy-washy, and frankly generic content. If we think long-term, the risks are significantly higher, as this practice will only give your blog an inconsistent quality and voice.
Where can I Buy Pre-written Content for My Blog?
If you want to give this a crack or think of buying pre-written content as a short-term strategy, here are some of the top websites that sell high-quality pre-written content:
Where can I Acquire Free Content for My Blog?
Another option for a tight budget would be to access free content for your blog. You can use AI copywriting tools that can generate content almost free of cost. There are, however, some aspects to keep in mind while taking on this approach:
- Don’t use free content on your homepage or your main landing pages
- You still need to put in the effort to create valuable content for the blog’s main pages
- Getting free content is not a long-term solution for a successful blog
Here are 40 ways to access costless content for your blog.
What are Some Unconventional Ways to Find Writers for Your Blog?
If going on a website that offers blog writing services does not feel like the right approach for you, or you’ve already tried it, and the results did not meet your expectations, here are several unconventional alternatives to find excellent writers:
- Cold outreach.
- Joining communities and websites where freelance writers hang out.
- Using Quora, following writing and blogging categories, and spotting people looking for places where they can write.
- Subreddits and Facebook groups where writers hang out. Contact the ones you find interesting and are related to your niche, and see if they are suited for your needs.
- Twitter - contact writers you find interesting and see if they are the right match.
- Other tools like HARO – (Help A Reporter Out)
How can I Get Blog Contributors for Free?
If your blog writing budget is inflexible, it’s time to put your creativity hat on. Here are some ideas on how to obtain costless blog contributions:
- Find an incentive to offer contributors (e.g. a link back to their blog or social sites, exposure, etc.)
- Set up a "write for me" or "guest blogging" page on your website, listing the requirements for contributions. People looking to guest post or otherwise contribute can find this page in Google and reach out to you.
- Reach out to anyone you specifically want to have as a contributor, ask if they would like to write for your blog, and explain the benefit they would get.
- Try posting in blogging groups on Facebook. These groups have 10k+ bloggers who are looking to share and collaborate, and many of them would love to guest post.
How do I Generate Instant Articles for Blogs?
From an SEO perspective, depending on any sort of software-generated content is not the greatest choice. If, however, you require a fast turnaround, there are some solutions:
- Hire a writer to rewrite popular content.
- Consider Superside for the fastest outsourcing. Start a project in 30 minutes and have it delivered within 12 hours.
Can a Freelance Blog Writer/Blog Writing Agency Match the Tone/Brand Voice of My Business Blog?
When outsourcing blog writing, it is important that you invest time and energy in helping the writers get acquainted with your writing style, your tone of voice, brand image, and business goals. Creating a style guide might help save time in the long run but at first, you will need to personally check each post and make sure it aligns with your business.
Is it a Good Idea to Hire Blog Writers from Outside the US?
Hiring blog writers outside the US is a good idea only if you're outsourcing to another English-speaking country; otherwise, you should avoid it.
What Popular Blogs Outsource Blog Writing?
What to Include in a Job Posting for Hiring Blog Writers?
The first step towards hiring the best blog writers is to know what you’re looking for and how to ask for it. Here’s what to include in an efficient job posting for hiring blog writers:
- Be specific about what you’re looking for
- Be specific about your niche and topic
- Mention your budget - Not listing a budget comes across as unprofessional, and will definitely be a red flag for many experienced writers.
- Ask the candidates for previous writing samples.
How to Avoid Getting Scammed while Outsourcing Blog Writing?
Outsourcing is not a risk-free task, but if handled correctly, the benefits outweigh the negatives. When it comes to outsourcing blog writing, there are a few things you can do to minimize the risks:
- Always check the content you receive for plagiarism.
- Never pay in full before receiving the completed product.
- If you are using a platform, don't pay the specialist on the side, but opt for payments on that platform, which is usually protected, or uses Escrow.
- Avoid sharing personal passwords with the writer and always create separate logins if you ask them to upload your content.
- High costs don't always mean high quality, so make sure you do a thorough background check before committing to a writer/writing team.
What Metric to Use to Measure the Success of Outsourcing Blog Writing?
The most relevant metric you should look at is ROI. Your investment strategy and budgets should be proportional to how much you are getting back from it.
How would You Spend a Marketing Budget of $1,000 to Increase Blog Traffic?
There are two roads you can take, depending on your niche, competition, and what the edge of your business is:
- Quantity
Spend your budget creating volume and blogging more frequently. - Quality
Hire better writers; focus on optimization and distribution.
When should You Start Hiring Multiple Writers?
- When your content is very diverse and you want niche experts on a variety of different topics
- When you’re looking to increase your blogging frequency
- When you have an additional budget to spend and scale up content creation.
By now, you should have acquired a more coherent image of what outsourcing blog writing means and whether this is the most suitable approach for you or not. Hiring blog writers isn't the only type of creative outsourcing you can do, though. If you’re ready to give design outsourcing a try, feel free to drop us a message anytime. We’re available 24/7.
Shmoon Mascot and Creative Champion
My fellow Supersiders and I enable and elevate ambitious marketers and creative teams—breaking through bottlenecks and scaling creative. There is a better way to get design done. We chase the sun to bring you the "Shmoon"— that's me :)
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