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.
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.
Before making up your mind, consider on the following elements:
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.
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.
Here’s a list of the top 13 websites for blog writing services, based on reviews and popularity:
Cost: $29/hour (300-500 words per hour)
By choosing Superside, you will profit from pre-screened expert blog writers who will get to work almost immediately and deliver top-notch, SEO-friendly blog posts as quickly as 12 hours. All you need to do is fill out a quick form, and a dedicated project manager will take care of you from there.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Here are a few things to discuss with a blog writing company or a freelance blog writer before starting to work with them:
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.
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:
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:
Here are 40 ways to access costless content 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:
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:
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:
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
There are two roads you can take, depending on your niche, competition, and what the edge of your business is:
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.
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