How to Find A Quality Content Provider
In an earlier post, we discussed how you can use other people’s web feeds to load your site with content. Now, we’re moving on to outsourcing – specifically, how to find a quality ghostwriter or content provider.
First, it costs money to outsource and how much you pay will have a significant impact on the quality of what you receive. It’s the old adage, “you get what you pay for”. Now, that’s not to say you can’t find good content providers who will only charge around $10 per 500-word article, but make sure the person can produce the quality you expect. A good ghostwriter will ask closer to $20-$25 minimum for an article.
One question many marketers ask on the forums is how to find a quality ghostwriter. They complain of having been ripped off (work not received), low quality work, missed deadlines, and more. While you are likely to run into such problems while searching for that quality writer, if you follow these easy steps, you can get there that much sooner.
1) Check their resources and portfolio. These can be faked, so even having a good portfolio might not necessarily prove anything. Still, it’s a good place to start. Read what they’ve written and make sure it makes sense and is grammatically correct.
2) Ask for references and check them out. Again, these can be faked but there is a way around it. Look for the writer’s previous clients and check out their sites. A quality site that’s been around for awhile will in all likelihood make a trustworthy sample. Talk directly to the client (email works but phone might be better).
3) Ask your prospective writer to provide you with one article first before you commit to buying bundles. You should be able to tell with just one article. Give them the topic, how you want them to approach it, any keywords you want inserted, how long it should be, and equally important, give them a specific deadline to deliver it, i.e.: by 5. p.m. Friday night, June 5, 2009. Deliver the details in writing. That way, there is no confusion. By giving them the exact details for the article, they will have to produce to your specs or hire someone themselves to do it, which they likely won’t do.
4) Once you’ve chosen your writer, give them small bundles at first so you can see how well they do before hiring them long term. You don’t want to get locked into a contract for 50 articles only to discover that the person cannot meet such a huge demand in the time you give them.
There’s nothing worse than expecting delivery and not getting it. Or worse, not even hearing from the person for days on end. Maintaining contact and updates, especially if the deadline cannot be met, is crucial throughout the process.
Follow these guidelines and you are sure to find a content provider who is reliable and who can deliver exactly what you want when you want it.
