Thought Leadership - Express Writers

Your Guide on How to Outsource Content Writing & Survive

June 19, 2024May 8, 2018 by Adam Oakley

When it comes to outsourcing content writing, it seems like everyone has a horror story to tell. On the client side: “They took my money and didn’t complete the work.” “The content read horribly.” “They spelled my client’s business name wrong and linked to a competitor. I lost my client.” On the flip side, content writers often have horror stories, too. “He wants 600 articles and has a budget of $600.” “A big, national brand just ripped me off on the last payment owed.” These stories can chill you to the bone. They’re that bad. All in all, on both sides of it (client and writer), there are negative experiences that have sent a giant black cloud hovering over the word “outsource.” A stigma, of sorts. Here’s the truth. The reality of what happens when you outsource content writing to a perfect-fit creator is pure magic. You save time. You get high-quality, beautifully written copy that reflects your business. The creator gets paid for doing what he or she loves. I’m excited to say that today, content creation is now the top activity outsourced by B2B marketers this year. The impact of content marketing means that marketers must publish high-quality and long-form content consistently. So, why the stigma? There are still a few “buts” that stop many business owners from experiencing success with outsourcing content writing. “But I can do it all myself.” I was there once, too. At the beginning. You really can’t, if you want to scale. Or… “But content writing is cheaper at [insert platform name].” Instead of focusing on numbers, ask yourself why services like Upwork, Fiverr and the rest are so much cheaper. Anyone can call themselves an expert content writer, but that doesn’t make it true. When outsourcing to an agency, the vetting process is taken care of. At Express Writers, it takes an average of 100 candidates for us to find one great writer. We’ve designed a hiring process that can take up to two weeks in order to properly evaluate, test, review and talk one-on-one with applicants. How can I successfully outsource content writing? Outsourcing doesn’t have to be a scary process. A clear strategy on what to look for and what to avoid will lead you to your perfect fit. Today’s guide is here to bust through the stigma, and add clarity to the fuzzy areas of “outsourcing writing.” Treating the Symptoms: Knowing When It’s Time (or Past Time) to Outsource Content Writing Tell us your symptoms. Fear of miscommunication Clenching tightly to your wallet General distrust Obsessive-compulsive control over all of your content You’re hitting all of the marks. But hey, it’s totally fine. We get patients like you all the time. According to my findings, it seems you may be suffering from PTOD. It’s a condition we refer to as Post Traumatic Outsourcing Disorder. It’s more common than you think. Outsourcing content writing can keep your business on track with a profitable content strategy. However, without a proper plan, you’re at risk for PTOD. Back to you. Have you had any traumatic experiences outsourcing before? You discussed your content strategy and sent payment… but never received any content back? Okay, you also ran your content through Copyscape and it was 100% plagiarized? We’ve never seen that before. Even the name? Right. You published a piece on your site that had an excess of, how many? Nine-hundred spelling and grammatical errors? You say this piece was only a 500-word blog post? Youch. The good news is, you’re going to be okay. You will survive and heal. Post-traumatic outsourcing disorder affects countless companies and business owners worldwide but it can be beaten. Let’s take a look at your treatment plan. Preventative Care for Outsourcing Content Writing The best approach to overcoming your fears about outsourcing content is to prevent any nightmare situations. To ensure the best outsourcing experience, I advise that you steer clear of websites offering fast and cheap quality content. Cheap and high quality are two terms that should never be in the same sentence. Have you ever heard anyone boast about how cheap their Chanel purse is? I don’t think so. When it comes to content services, high quality should be at the top of your checklist. Now, some freelance writers may try to trick you by offering inexpensive services and making claims that they work with clients “across every major vertical service.” Sure they can cover vertical services but what about the horizontal? These are the questions you should be asking yourself. Also, count the grammar and spelling mistakes in their post. Professional content writers should also know how to edit. When looking at their pricing model, consider why they omitted the first “a” in the word “standard.” Is this a ruse to convince you of their inventiveness? Are they that good? Is standard even spelled with two a’s? Try not to succumb to the tactics of such content writing freelancers. Refer to the Oxford English Dictionary to double-check how words are spelled. Run potential applicants’ resumes and posts through spell check and even ask for help from that one friend that’s constantly correcting you to look for grammatical errors. Think of posts and applicant responses as a preview of the content you’ll be provided with. 3 Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Outsourcing Content Writing If you wear shorts in a blizzard, you’re going to catch a cold. The same goes for outsourcing content writing. Being aware of these common outsourcing pitfalls will result in a more effective and enjoyable hiring process. 1. Going into the Process Without a Strategy The content you receive will mirror the quality of your application process. All of this can be prevented if you wade out into the content writer pool with a clear content strategy in mind. Try answering these questions: What type of content do you need? What is the voice of your brand? Who is your targeted audience? What are your goals with content marketing? How do you like to communicate? 2. Hiring an Outsourced Content … Read more

110 Marketers Share Their Top Pieces of Advice for New Content Creators

June 19, 2024March 6, 2018 by Adam Oakley

In the last week of December 2017, I wrote a content-only LinkedIn post that reached over 20,000 people! In this post, I asked marketers to share their #1 piece of advice for new content creators. And I promised them they’d be featured in the very roundup you’re reading right now. It was a creative kickstart to a viral thread. Here’s the LinkedIn post I wrote that went viral. My initial goal was to achieve 50 comments. Within one weekI’d hit 14,000 views and 74 comments: WHOA. My LinkedIn post keeps exploding! 14,800+ views now! My goal was 3k views / 50 comments. We’re at 14.8k views / 74 comments. ? I’m SO excited about this organic achievement. Can’t wait to compile my blog all about it! pic.twitter.com/SCPwPZDRkp — Julia McCoy | #SXSW 2018 (@JuliaEMcCoy) January 2, 2018 It blew up at 116 total comments, and 20,000+ views in the next month! I’m still reeling at the results from this single post. Moral of the story: get creative and post great content on LinkedIn that inspires engagement! You’ll be surprised at the potential LinkedIn has today as an amazing social media platform for kickstarting cool conversations and collaborations. Now. Back to today’s nugget of gold from my experiment a few months back. Ready? You’re about to read from 110 pros and their pieces of advice on content creation. This is crucial wisdom from people who have been there. They know their stuff when it comes to content creation and marketing. So, without further ado, here are our 110 pieces of advice for new content creators. If you enjoy this, feel free to share this advice vault forward — then, let us know in the comments what your favorite quote was! Advice for New Content Creators: 110 Pros in the Field Share Their #1 Useful Tip 1. “Write on what you know, and what you know well. And perhaps even more importantly, write on what you care about, what feels meaningful to you, what you’re truly interested in. Connect with clients/brands that appreciate and utilize that subject matter. That’s the way to produce great content you can be proud of.” – Jeremy Pollack – Anthropologist, Organizational Culture Consultant, and Personal Coach at Pollack Peacebuilding Systems – @AMMScience Writing what you know, what lights you up, will get you far in content marketing, according to Jeremy, and he couldn’t be more spot-on. 2. “In terms of creating content: it’s all about empathy (you’ll get to used to saying that a lot). Emotional connection is the foundation of all great content. Whatever you produce, create it from the perspective of the end-user. If it doesn’t resonate with them, no one will care about it. In terms of becoming a professional: Keep an open mind and ask lots of questions. You’ll be amazed how helpful the established professionals in the industry are; don’t feel like you have to know everything up front right away. Just show your ambition to learn, soak up as much knowledge as possible, apply it, stay active in the online communities, offer to help others, and you’ll do fine.” – Jason Schemmel – Social Media Manager, HarperCollins Christian Publishing — @JasonSchemmel Jason says when you can emotionally connect with your audience, you’re going somewhere great. 3. “…my main piece of advice is to always keep learning, practicing and getting better. Inch by inch, you will achieve. It almost sounds cliche, but it’s real. Learn from the best in the biz, and truly put what you learn into practice, and you too will be operating and producing at a high level.” – Dave Reimherr – Founder of Magnificent Marketing – @DavidReimherr A great reminder from Dave – learning can be a slow process, so have patience and keep on keepin’ on. 4. “As an aspiring content writer, I say: ‘Perfection does not exist, get over your psychological uncertainty and ship it.’” – Bonnie David – Social Media Consultant for Wellness Practitioners — @bonnie_david There’s no such thing as perfect! Bonnie reminds us to get over ourselves and go for it. 5. “Concentrate on context. Excellent writing is not simply being good with words, it’s knowing where your work sits in a reader’s journey. What brought them to your work? What core messages do you want them to take from it? What’s the next step you’d like them to take after reading what you’ve created? Content is never standalone, so put it in context and rigorously question your work to make it great, not just good.” – Ellie Hubble – Content Specialist, Writer, and Creative Never forget to write for your readers and where they are on their journey, according to Ellie. 6. “Humor sells. If you can make a prospect/client/customer smile or laugh, you’re on your way to closing and getting paid. Keep ‘em laughing. Never fails. OK, sometimes it fails, but it’s still a good idea.” – Paul Lalley – Award-Winning Writer, Editor, SEO/M Pro, Media Developer, Site Designer, Marketing Consultant – @webwordslinger Paul nails this advice: When in doubt, make them laugh. 7. “Never stop reading. The moment you stop learning the moment you stop being able to create!” – Stephanie R. Caudle – Public Relations Consultant/Start-Up Founder Stephanie encourages us to keep reading and learning to stay inspired to create. 8. “Take the time to discover, uncover and understand your unique point of view and writing style and personality. Then dive in. Play with expressing your point of view in different ways, using different media. But always stay true to your style and your point of view. Learn from others, but don’t try to BE another.” – Ivana Taylor – Small Business Marketing Expert, Online Publisher and Influencer, DIYMarketers – @DIYMarketers Everyone has a unique point of view – know yours inside-out for better content, according to Ivana. 9. “I think mine would be only write when you have something worth saying. I think research and reflection is key, then when you have some original and helpful insights you can turn them into content. … Read more

What Bad Writing is Costing You & Your Brand

April 19, 2021July 31, 2017 by Adam Oakley

Bad writing in business copy is obnoxiously easy to find. Most people simply don’t have the training or the experience to write well-tuned, well-read phrases. I’m not just talking about proper grammar or spelling. I’m talking about clear, concise sentences that are a breeze to read. For those kinds of sentences, you need a Writer with a capital “W.” (I see it all the time – on average, we interview 500 candidates per month to hire about five. That’s 1%, which is brutal. But there’s good reason. Lots of candidates think they can write. Unfortunately, thinking and doing are two different things. Our standards are quite high.) The problem? Most of you out there aren’t hiring Writers. You’re hiring “writers.” And it’s costing you money. Let’s explore just how much. Ready? You may need to sit down for some of this, especially if you’re a business owner. What Does Bad Writing Really Cost? According to the New York Times, a study confirmed that one-third of employees were poor writers. That’s not the half of it, though. Businesses spent as much as $3.1 billion on “remedial training” in order to fix the problem. The clincher? This was for current employees, not new hires. A snippet of the original study findings and discussion via CollegeBoard Unsurprisingly, content marketing takes a big hit from poor writing, too. Poor writers can cost you trust with your readership. That means your readership will shrink, and so will your ROI. Your audience expects you to be knowledgeable in your industry – an authority. But, how can you come off that way if your content is riddled with mistakes? You can’t provide useful information if the words are convoluted, the ideas are unclear, or the composition is distracting you from the thoughts being presented. Nobody wants to waste their time on poor content like that. So, why aren’t you spending the money and making the investment for better writers and better content? If you’re trying to write it yourself, and you’re not a Writer, it’s probably “just good enough.” Why is “just good enough” okay, though? As it turns out, this poor level you’re accepting can be incredibly costly in ways you never imagined. [bctt tweet=”What is bad writing costing your brand? ? @JuliaEMcCoy tells all in this post ?” username=”ExpWriters”] Terrible Typo Mistakes That Cost Companies and the Government Big Money If you’re lax about typos, you better think twice. Sometimes a comma is all it takes to put you at a disadvantage – an expensive disadvantage. The Case of the Extra Comma Case in point: In 1872, as a direct result of a comma inserted incorrectly in the text of a tariff law, Americans had to pay an extra $2 million in taxes. Today, that equals over $38 million. The law stipulated items that could be imported into the U.S. tax-free. The comma, placed erroneously between the words “fruit” and “plants,” handed fruit importers a loophole on a platter. (“Fruit plants,” meanwhile, referred to seeds and plants used for cultivation, and were supposed to be the tax-free goods.) Source: Priceonomics The Winners: Scammers (and Google) If you need a modern example, look to the internet, naturally. Google supposedly earns almost $500 million every year from typos. Why? People tend to incorrectly type website names in their search bars. But, instead of landing on an error page, they’re taken to a “typosquatter” site, which crafty people purchase for just such a purpose. These sites are loaded with Google ads. The confused web browser clicks, and the rest is in the bank. Marketing for Dummies For a marketing example of a costly typo, listen to what this car dealership did: In order to invigorate poor sales, a New Mexico dealership decided to mail tens of thousands of promotional scratch tickets. Only one would contain a prize for $1000. However, the marketing company that printed the tickets made a huge error – every single one gave away the money. In short, the car dealership would have owed $50 million to 50,000 jazzed recipients. Of course, they couldn’t pay up, so they recompensed and gave everybody $5 Walmart gift cards, instead. Though they avoided the initial damage, they still faced a loss of $250,000. If even the smallest errors can end up being so costly, what does that mean for your company and the subpar writing you’re accepting? You’ll have to add it up for yourself, but I’ll wager it’s much more than you ever realized. Bad writing and poor proofreading can accumulate in cost quickly. 3 Tips to Avoid Costly Writing Errors in Your Online Presence Follow these tips to make sure you never let an expensive typo happen that will bring down your business. 1. Get an Expert Editor If your industry is specialized, you need an expert editor who knows your platform to proofread your content. This person will have the necessary knowledge to spot errors. In particular, somebody with know-how will be able to catch the most dreaded typo of them all: the incorrect fact typo. This happens when you’re presenting information as an authority and some of your facts are flat-out wrong. For writers unfamiliar with your industry, this is an easy sin to commit. Instead of expertise, they’ll be relying on information and facts gleaned from questionable sources. An industry expert will have inherent knowledge due to their training, experience, and background. This type of editor can save you from costly mistakes. This includes ones that can mean losing customers, credibility, and authority. 2. Get Multiple Checkpoints Your written content needs to pass under a few sets of eyes if you really want to avoid mistakes. Everyone reads differently, so each unique perspective will act as a filter to weed out every type of error. Whether you’re on the look-out for spelling errors, factual errors, or grammar mistakes, having more than one person looking things over will help. This, too, is one more reason why you shouldn’t write and edit all on your … Read more

Dear Return Clients: Here’s Why We Can’t Accommodate Your Old Rates

January 1, 2021July 25, 2017 by Adam Oakley

Recently, we received this message from a past client in our inbox. “It’s been awhile since we worked together, and I went to buy from you guys again today. Wow. Your writing fees increased by double?! I won’t be using you anymore.” *shudder* Anyone else find the incorrect contraction as grating as I did? Okay, moving past the grammar-Nazi that makes up part of my inner core… This client note. Seriously needs to be addressed, publicly. Back when we received it in our inbox, I wrote a short letter for our staff to send to the client. I summed up the main reasons why our prices don’t stay at one level year-after-year. But, the question itself smoldered in my mind for days, and eventually kindled an entire letter. Dear Return Client (A Personal Letter on Why The Industry, and Our Rates, Will Never Stop Evolving) Dear Client, Content marketing has evolved so much in the past few years. The evolution is the very reason our rates cannot stay the same. That’s the expertise area of my team and me, so we’re not BS’ing you here, not by a long shot. For instance… Check out this infographic we created showing how the last 40 updates in SEO apply to content marketing: A Timeline History of Google’s Major SEO Content Updates & What We Learned from it As A Content Agency (Infographic) Did you know that Google actually updates 500 times per year? (Moz) Last year, I wrote a bestseller on successful online writing, and I was also named a top content marketer for 2016. My passion, as the creator of this agency, is truly in this very industry of content marketing. It’s been my full-time career for nearly seven years now. I personally help recruit every single person that makes up our team (I can’t tell you how much I love finding a “gem!”). I read the latest books by content marketers, test and try SEO and content theories for myself, and have established incredible rankings for our own content. My staff and I create exclusive, internal training resources to keep my writers growing, and their skills sharp. We have a 5-point editing process I’ve put together that ensures we edit for exceptional content. And, our writing levels are created to exceed our industry competition in getting our clients their best-fit copywriters. Easily, I’ve increased my own content standards (and budget) for my brand content tenfold in the last few years, year-after-year. I’ll never drop my standards. My goal is that every client of ours can be sure of this foundation when they interact with and purchase services from Express Writers. You’re working with a team that cares about: Evolution and adapting to today’s standards, both in terms of reader expectation and ever-evolving search engine criteria. Quality. Personally head-hunting for the best of the best, in writers. Molding our writing to current standards. Constant innovation. Matching the client’s need, not just their want – even if we tell them “no” because our content isn’t a fit for their business stage. Creating content that is at the forefront of all the other results in Google. Launching the best writing level in the industry with Authority Content, which I created as a service in 2016 to answer the “skyscraper content” need. Developing new products, services, and even a course to match new industry standards. Ensuring a higher standard of content that will elevate your brand online every time the web demands higher standards.. Dear client, I’m afraid you’re right on one thing you said. It’s the elephant in the room. Our content prices have increased, yes – in the last week, our general blog rates went from $35/500w to $45/500w. (Expert rates are $90/500-600w.) But not to price gouge you. Not by a long shot. Think about this…it’s the truth: If we were here to price gouge you (charge an inflated cost for services that aren’t worth it), in reality we’d charge the same fee, give you crap content that’s not worth a dime in real ROI with Google (not to mention lets down your reader, and fails to support your business by offering content not within industry standards). Do you see the truth now? Our fees come from an honest place that reflects how we truly care about the content we deliver for our clients and how our writing standards fit today’s demand. In reality, our prices are actually more than fair. Our rates are equal to – or even lower than – the market value charged by many of our competitors, whose rates have doubled (or in some cases, tripled) in the past two years. But, cheap Textbroker rates just wouldn’t cover what our quality process is now – the process you need for content that matters. It wouldn’t cover: – Myself head-hunting for your best writer, and then testing and proving them before we bring them into the team. (See our Values.) – Our Content Director personally assigning your content to a best-fit writer. – Our content-marketing specialists and high-level editors reviewing every single one of your pages. – Halting production of your content mid-stream if it doesn’t match quality standards, and taking the time to revise and re-edit. ‘Nuff said. To end this letter on a very valid, marketer-mindset point: What worked years ago in simple, average, link-bait content will not work today. You won’t get a second glance from Google or a real, human reader for average content. Our content, even at the “General” level, is created by writers hand-picked and mentored by yours truly in best writing practices, and we continually head hunt, refine, and re-initiate our guidelines to match the ever-evolving trends of content marketing. And that makes the biggest difference. Because we care. Our goal is to serve our clients content at all levels in a way that works. We don’t want to serve up crap content that will be a waste of your time and money. I would encourage increasing your content marketing budget to allow for quality. If not, there are certainly competitors that offer cheaper content (a double-edged sword, though, it’s lesser in both quality and price). Yours in content, Julia McCoy … Read more