Trouble writing content for your web site? Hire a web content writer.
By Gary Antosh

http://www.web-writing.com/
 
Writing and building content for a web site can at times be very
difficult. Some people have writer's block on a subject, others
feel they can't write, some need fresh ideas or approaches to a
theme, and others want to use the time to manage their site(s)
and links better.

I've been hiring writers to help produce content for some of my
sites. Here are some tips on hiring writers for articles; where
you can go; and a few things to keep in mind.

Before ever hiring a writer I would highly recommend that you
write some articles yourself. The only way to improve is to
practice. Write every day even if it is only a paragraph or two.

You can also "practice" by taking the time to post in forums and
write more through emails. But write, and write regularly. A
couple of things come out of this. You'll know what to expect,
you'll write better and it can help trigger ideas for more
articles.

There are many factors in hiring a writer which are beyond the
scope of this article but you've made the decision to hire a
writer, so let's move on.

- Where to Start...

Assemble a list of keywords or phrases. Break your list into
groups of 10 to 30 keywords or phrases into a simple text file.
For tracking the status, I use my Site Build It Manager -
http://associateprograms.com/buildit - for SBI sites and a
spreadsheet for non-SBI sites.

- Describe the Job

Try to be as descriptive as possible about your writing
assignment. Remember you're having articles written to attract
search engine visitors... you want to attract "qualified" writers
who can do the job. Most of my articles are in the area of 200 to
800 words.

Writers do not need to be an expert on the subject; they need to
be able to communicate the keyword phrase. What writing "style"
do you want? Some of that depends on your site theme. Do you want
technical, conversational, formal or just let them write?
Determine the "rules" for your articles such as keyword density,
edits, what you'll accept.

- Finding Writers

When I first started hiring writers I went to RentACoder.com and
I still use them to locate writers. RentACoder may at first
appear to be a little too "techie" but remember that people have
other subjects they are passionate about.

- Wait for bids

When first submitting your bid, it is reviewed before posting,
usually 24 to 48 hours ... be patient.

- Review your bids

* Look over your bids carefully.
* How did your writer respond?
* Did their reply have any typos?
* Make sure that you let the writer know up front - No Copy and
Paste.
* ALL material MUST be ORIGINAL.

- Communicate with your "potential writer"

I've found the best writers ask for a keyword or list of
keywords. Give them a quick assignment. Ask them to write you a
quick paragraph on a keyword - three to five sentences.

How quickly did the writer respond?
Were they creative?
Above all, did they follow your instructions?

- What to bid or pay?

I've been able to have my articles written at a cost of $5 US. I
don't play a bidding game. I post it right out front.

"I am willing to pay $5 / article, with a 10 article minimum ($50
/ 10 articles)".

To some this is very reasonable, to others it is a fortune.

- The Job

Once you've selected your writer(s), email them your keyword
list.

Normally, I have articles written in batches of 20 at a time.
Writing on one subject for too long can be difficult. If you
have multiple site themes or sections, break the keywords into
groups of four or five per theme. Keep a constant dialogue with
them.

Get the articles in small batches of five, review them quickly
and give them input. This will make less work for you later.

- Payment

Rentacoder makes it easy since they hold the money until the job
is completed and approved by you. Not using a system such as
Rentacoder does involve some trust. I have been burned. When
starting with a new writer I work in small batches of five. As
each batch of articles is "delivered" they are paid. That way no
one gets too far ahead.

One more note on payments - working with overseas writers can
cause problems in transferring money. Discuss payment methods
before you move forward.

- Your Job

Once the articles have been delivered, they are reviewed,
tweaked, keywords are added, removed or moved around and then
formatted on the web page to be uploaded.

Total time from start to finish is about 15 minutes per article.

- Alternatives to finding writers

* Place classified ads in newspapers
* Talk to members of a club or association
* Post ads at the local college
* Post to online forums
* Ask writers if they know of other potential writers

These are some basics of getting started with hiring writers to
produce content for your web site. I've found using outside
writers to be a terrific boost to my web site promotion and
helped me find many new ways to approach writing more articles.

I've had well over 200 plus articles written using this method.
When I find a good writer I try to keep passing them more work.
This allows me to spend more time managing and improving my
sites.

I'm sure you are wondering what a hired article looks like. Check
out the links below:

http://www.internet-speed-%20%20guide.com/dsl-connection-%20%20speed.html
http://www.the-memory-%20%20guide.com/usb-flash-drive.html

If you have any questions on hiring a writer contact me at
http://www.web-writing.com/ and check out our ebook on the whole
process of hiring writers for web content.

Gary Antosh
http://www.web-writing.com/