Outsourcing Content Creation
In an ideal world, you would be able to pump out quality article after quality article for your website. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case. As I have stated numerous times before, content is king! A successful website must have unique, quality content; the more the merrier. Some websites may thrive for years without a single content update but in order to increase traffic and earning potential it is always a good idea to add as much quality content as possible.
If you find yourself unable to write new articles due to writer's block, lack of time, etc. it may be time to look into outsourcing your content creation needs. Outsourcing content creation isn't the easy fix you may think it is however; it can take hard work to find a quality ghostwriter that is a good fit for your website. The old adage "You get what you pay for" rings true for hiring a ghostwriter as well. Read on to learn more about the process of hiring a ghostwriter to write content on your behalf.
What is a ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter is a writer who writes articles for their employer without authorship credit; the ghostwriter receives no credit for the work (other than payment for writing it), hence the term ghostwriter. Anyone can claim to be a ghostwriter and offer their services for a nominal fee. Keep that in mind when searching for a ghostwriter as quality comes at a price.
What to look for when hiring a ghostwriter
When looking for a ghostwriter, keep the following in mind:
- Writing Quality
Obviously you want to hire a ghostwriter that can write well-written articles. The only way to judge a ghostwriter's ability is to see a portfolio of past work or ask them to write a short article so you can determine the quality of their writing. Be diligent when assessing their writing ability as you need to ensure they can write quality articles. You also need to ensure they are demonstrating their own work and not simply passing another writer's work off as their own in order to win your employment. A quick search on Google taking a snippet of their article and enclosing it in double quotes will search Google's database for any exact matches and uncover any deceit. Another method of determining authenticity is to use Turnitin. - Experience
Experienced ghostwriters are much more likely to produce quality articles for your website. Ask to see past work projects (if possible) or have them cite projects they have completed in the past. An experienced ghostwriter will command more money but your return on investment will probably be greater by utilizing an experienced writer instead of resorting to a novice ghostwriter who may produce unusable articles. - Knowledge
Finding a ghostwriter who is knowledgeable about the topic to be written about is icing on the cake. Such a writer should invariably produce better written content than a ghostwriter who lacks a basic understanding of the subject. This does not mean that other ghostwriters will fail to produce a quality article; many ghostwriters are excellent at researching and becoming knowledgeable enough to write good content on a given subject. Like with experience, it simply weighs in your favor since such a writer will most likely produce better quality content. - Writing Style
Your ghostwriter should be accustomed to writing articles for websites. Such a writer should be aware of the search engine optimization (SEO) aspect when writing articles for the web. Be forewarned though! You want quality articles and not an unreadable, keyword stuffed mess of a page. Your writer should be aware of the intricacies of SEO and know how to optimize their writing for search engines while also keeping the article an interesting read for humans.
Finding a ghostwriter
There are many places available online to find a ghostwriter willing to fulfill your content creation needs. We have used RentACoder extensively in the past for web design work but they also provide content creation services. RentACoder allow individuals and companies from around the world to bid on your projects which results in a competitive bidding process while their rating system allows you to easily assess the quality of any bidder on your project. We were always extremely satisfied with the quality of work we received at RentACoder and they provide excellent safeguards to ensure you get what you payed for or are promptly refunded. Guru also provides a similar service although we do not have firsthand experience with their company but have seen positive reviews for their service as well.