I came across the question of ‘outsourced blogging’ at Problogger this morning. As blogging becomes more profitable for people, I think it will become more common to see parts of the blogging process outsourced.
Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if a blogger outsourced technical parts of running a blog – coding, SEO, design etc. But are you really a blogger if you’re not writing? Sure – blogger to me is more synonymous with businessperson than it is with writer.
With that said, here are some tips to remember when it comes to outsourcing.
Deal With Legitimate People
When you start looking for people to outsource to, don’t just take the first person that comes along. You should deal with legitimate people only. There are a lot of people out there who are trying to make money by scamming you. You have to protect yourself. Get to know the person you’re dealing with, make sure they have a portfolio and ask for references. Doing this isn’t being difficult, it’s being safe.
Use A Third Party Arbitrator
Use a job board or freelance site like ODesk or Elance to make sure you get what you pay for. You can find great people on these sites and they have a lot of services to offer. ODesk and Elance both offer workrooms and other collaboration tools as well as timekeeping and invoicing tools. With these sites, you don’t have to pay until the work is done and if there are any questions, you’ll have someone to turn to in order to resolve the dispute.
You Get What You Pay For
If you buy a BMW, you’re getting a BMW. If you buy a Chevrolet, you’re getting a Chevrolet. If you buy a Pinto, well, you get the point. The same goes with outsourcing. Your budget will dictate the quality of work you should expect. If you’re a startup, this doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money; you will have to look harder to find someone who is willing to produce good work at a low price.
Stay in the States
This is some of the best advice I can give you – stay in the United States. Workers in other parts of the world may be cheaper and may offer a good solution for your business, but the headaches aren’t worth the reward. First, there is often a language barrier. Even if your potential parter speaks English, they probably don’t speak it well. Second, there is a time-zone difference. Remember, it’s day time in India when it’s night time here in the U.S. Thirdly – they probably have a different perspective than your audience.
Conclusion
In the end, you have to make the decision. Ask yourself if outsourcing is the right way to go. If it is, use these guidelines to make sure you don’t get burned.
