********************************
One of my readers just decided to contact me and wondered if it was cool to make a guest post on this blog. I figured, why not? And I let him send me some articles for approval.
I actually ended up declining his first couple of articles because they weren’t anywhere near up to par with the kind of content I want on this blog.
This one that he sent me, I found to be rather useful though, especially if you’re new in the field of outsourcing your content, and that’s something that you definitely want to do sooner or later.
A personal tip from me would be: Forums. Several forums have a Buy and Trade kind of section where people sell their services. A lot of them are complete junk, but if you look around a little bit you can find some really high quality stuff for real cheap.
A lot of my connections also tell me that out of the popular outsourcing websites, they’ve gotten a lot of success with Rent-a-Coder, so that’s also something worth checking out.
But now, on with the article from Adarsh.
********************************
At the present time, Content Writers are the one who are engraving the actual picture of our world, economies and current status in their articles. The content can relate to any field ranging from ever increasing slum areas to declining stock markets.
Before going into depth about hiring a content writer, I would like to point out a fact or a problem most business owners worry a lot about. This is something which worries both freelance writers as well as people who hire them. It is nothing but the price of the article. Read this article on how much you should pay your content writer.
Content Writing is a very interesting profession, but it needs a lot of skill so that the reader should find the editorial attractive, crisp and full of information. However, content writing is a profession that undergoes many processes like research work, writing material, proof reading and editing. After undertaking all these stages a reader gets an article to read. This four stage process requires a lot of skill and proficiency in the work.
Hiring a Content Writer
In addition to good command over English language, a content writer should have many other qualities so that the reader finds the article very interesting and easy to understand. When you hire a content writer, you need to take many things into account. Some of the guidelines are listed below.
- Should be able to show some samples of previously published works.
- A good quality content writer is never cheap. You can find decent writers at the rates 5-20$ per 300 words. High profile writers may charge up to 200-300$ for a 300 word article. There will always be the difference in the quality of article you get. Just use your common sense.
- When you are hiring a writer, make sure he/she is able to write on the topic you want. Most writers I have hired have problem writing in the finance niche. Most writers would say they are comfortable with writing in any niche, but when they begin their work wither they deliver horrible quality articles or inform us that the articles are not something they can write about.
- Ask them if they can provide contacts of their previous clients. If the writers are confident enough, they can give you details. Always inquire about the writers before you give them the opportunity.
- Never choose a writer who believes in quantity rather than quality. Most writers I have encountered write low quality articles by filling unnecessary stuff just to meet the word count. This makes the articles unpleasant to read and destroys the value of the article.
- Give them a sample topic to write about. See how well they deliver and their response when you need some changes.
- Always start off with smaller quantity articles. Only if you feel that the writer did a good job, you should continue with the larger order.
- Good command over English or whichever language you want the article to be written in.
- Never go with a writer who wants full payment in advance unless they are really reputed.
- Look for how professional the writer is. If you feel that while hiring a content writer, his conduct is bad, do not hire that person.
- Make sure the writer updates you regularly about the progress of the work. If it is a large order, ask him to send articles as they are finished so that you can check them at you own pace.
- Always make an agreement about the delivery time, the amount of research, the quality you expect and other details before the work begins.
- Always cross check the articles for plagiarism before you release funds. It is better to do this at first to avoid future hassles.
- Before you commit to the project, make sure that the style of the content writer meets your expectations. If you feel that his style of writing is not something your company or your website is comfortable with ask the writer if they are able to write in the tone you want.
- Ask the writer if you can get additional discounts for bulk orders or referring others to their service. Most of the time freelancers would agree to this and you may get a bargain deal.
Apart from all these guidelines, there should be a mutual understanding between the writer and other employees so that he can adjust well in the environment and can work easily. So, opt for these guidelines while hiring a content writer.
Get more tips on how to start and run a successful internet business over at Adarsh’s blog about how to start an internet business, Businessheadache.com by Adarsh. Step-by-step guide on how you can start an online business with little or no investment.
(Yeah, the obvious deep anchor text link was by special request. I’m nice like that. If you ever get the idea to buy a link from me, forget it.)
