Web Marketing

How To Maximize Your Blog Potential Through Outsourcing

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For many bloggers, this may seem like blasphemy, yet for many more businesses that are using blogs as a form of marketing, outsourcing is becoming a necessity. If you are a business owner who has added a blog to your website to increase traffic and your search engine results, you may be wondering how you will get it all done. Luckily, outsourcing is a viable option, especially since many more entrepreneurs are turning to freelancing online with the state of the economy. What this means for you as a business owner is that there are reputable freelancers, outsourced call center and virtual assistant companies to be had out there, if you simply know what to look for.

Don’t Make These Outsourcing Mistakes!

If you have looked into outsourcing for your company’s blog, you may have heard horror stories from many of your peers about bad freelancing experiences. These may include never hearing from a freelancer again, getting poor quality work, or simply not having a freelancer meet the deadlines that were agreed upon. To help you protect your company while maximizing your productivity, here are some of the top mistakes to avoid when outsourcing:

  • Not reading a provider’s past reviews
  • Not asking questions before choosing a provider
  • Not asking about the provider’s past history of failed projects
  • Not verifying the provider’s portfolio and references
  • Not starting with a small project to test the waters

To reiterate, outsourcing for your business’ blog is a wonderful choice to maximize your productivity, tap into the talents of a freelancer to provide stellar blog content, and allow your staff to spend their time marketing and running your company. Still, the above mistakes need to be avoided at all costs when outsourcing to prevent any mishaps or serious detriment to your company. To begin, when you start to look for freelancers or a virtual assistant, make sure to read all of their past reviews on their profile to see their feedback. To be objective, a freelancer may have worked with a very unruly client that left them negative feedback, so it is not necessary for them to have a 100% score. However, it is important that a freelancer has positive past working relationships that resulted in good feedback to indicate their work history. In case you are hiring a virtual assistant company, ask them for verifiable references and look thru their testimonials. You will have a much better insight when you talk to those references.

Next, take the opportunity to send a provider a message to talk with them before awarding a project. This will allow you to ask specific questions about their skills, and it is also important to inquire about any bad past working experiences. Their response will indicate how they are able to handle conflict and whether or not they have created past problems when working on a project. From there, take the time to verify their portfolio by asking for further samples and references, and conclude by offering them a small project to test out their professionalism and working capabilities.

Still, how can you guarantee you won’t make these mistakes?

With all of these concepts in mind, it is important to understand that working with an outsourcing company far surpasses an individual freelancer. Not only will this help you to save on training, but outsourcing companies will replace your staff for you to dramatically reduce the risk for any bad experiences. You can develop rapport with your outsourcing agency to create dependability in your working team. More specifically, outsourcing companies provide trustworthy infrastructures so that you won’t have to worry about small snafus, like a freelancer’s Internet not working at the last minute of a project. All outsourcing policies will be clearly documented, and you will be able to handpick a team that has solid work experience. This provides you the great advantage of working with an outsourcing team because if one team member is not up to par, the stronger members will be able to take over to complete the project.

All of these tips may seem obvious when outsourcing, but they are a must if you want to have a productive outsourcing experience to significantly enhance your blog and traffic to your website! It can be done…

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Image Credit: Otaku Review

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35 comments

Alex Dumitru September 6, 2010 - 1:42 pm
Outsourcing can be either very helpful or it can hurt a business very much. It's a cheap option, but you need to be very careful with it.
Nitin @ Offshore Ally September 7, 2010 - 7:34 am
@ Alex, Outsourcing is just like any other business system, its all about how you set and use it. A bad inhouse hiring is potentially more dangerous then an outsourced employee - the basic team building skills still apply.
Aluminum Cases September 8, 2010 - 1:10 pm
While an inhouse employee also has it's risks, it can be easier to manage and monitor their work. With outsourcing it is much easier for the employee to be deceitful or dishonest. It does all come down to how you manage it, but the differences can make it challenging.
golf break to Spain September 6, 2010 - 1:47 pm
Yeah i agree, I have often used such a technique to help my blogs and websites
Iphone 4 Jailbreak September 6, 2010 - 3:15 pm
i used to work as a freelancer in RAC , now seems to outsource my work there. but i need someone i can trust , just like i was for my clients ...yet cheap .... RAC is a good resource
Plumber Sydney September 6, 2010 - 4:48 pm
Outsourcing can sometimes be a great asset, as you don't need to have a specialized department in your company that deals with every aspect of your business. It also gives you more freedom of choice.
fareed September 7, 2010 - 1:04 pm
yes i agree with Nitin outsourcing is one of the big usage, sometimes its usage is high
Car Rental September 6, 2010 - 8:43 pm
Outsourcing is best choice if you know how to get things done when outsourced and how to handle the problems with outsourcing companies. It takes time to get experience and really know the issues that could create problems when things are outsourced.
Joel Gray September 6, 2010 - 9:15 pm
Yes you are right, outsourcing can be very helpful if only you have chosen the right provider, whilst it can be a pain in the neck if you chosen the wrong ones. So make sure that you take time in reading reviews before spending your money.
Nitin @ Offshore Ally September 7, 2010 - 7:37 am
@ I agree, I think anybody who has done some real world hiring knows that slackers are everywhere. Its all about spending the time during hiring instead of spending time when things go wrong.
Aluminum Cases September 8, 2010 - 1:13 pm
Yes the hiring process is quite important. This post mentions some great ways to verify the skills and qualifications of a potential outsourced employee. You do have to take the time to properly check their history and work samples. It is a good idea to double check things too. Some freelancer network websites have loopholes that freelancers take advantage of to avoid negative feedback.
Nitin @ Offshore Ally September 9, 2010 - 10:19 am
Talking of loopholes, both freelancer.com and elance allow a very safe passage to providers by just refunding the money. There is no accountability in terms of time lost and the efforts lost with a failed project. So, you might end up waiting for a month for a project to be completed while your provider is basking in sun. At the end of the month he refunds you the money and you can't do anything about it :(
Property Marbella September 7, 2010 - 6:57 am
Hi Nitin, Thanks for the tips, I have a business with a site and using blogs as marketing, so I have really to look in to outsourcing.
eluminouschaitu September 8, 2010 - 12:55 am
I think a lot of people under-estimate the level in which a VA could help not only expand their business, but also give them more time to spend with family (or friends, or pets!). A lot of people (like Todd) use VA’s for small projects, because those are A) the easier things to pass off and B) easy to fix if done incorrectly – but we really can be used for so much more! The important thing to remember is to do your research when sourcing out a VA. If you make sure that the person you are hiring gets you, and jives with not only your personality but your business objectives as well – the sky really is the limit (and that’s where the 4 hour work week becomes attainable!).
smart metering September 8, 2010 - 3:05 am
Its good to maxmize your blog through outsourcing and its quite possible but some mistakes you must avoid while doing it.
Software Development Company September 8, 2010 - 4:05 am
Outsourcing is really helps to business but we have to care some factors. When hire freelancer for company's blog, you check it out work before update online.
Alex@Jocuri September 8, 2010 - 8:18 am
Outsourcing is the best thing out-there if you know how to manage and use it. It surpasses hiring new editors, programmers etc because you only use it when you need it and it is way cheaper then hiring someone who does something from time to time and gets a big fat salary. But it can have its drawbacks, if you need something ASAP and you cant find anyone satisfying your needs, then you could be in trouble, but my opinion is that in the long run it's worth it!
Nitin @ Offshore Ally September 9, 2010 - 10:21 am
Hi Alex, Not just fat salary but you also get rid of all taxes, insurance, office space, infrastructure and other liabilities. Also, for your urgent needs you can tie up with a company that is 24x7.
Buy Property September 8, 2010 - 11:28 pm
Good article and informative.I think it will be helpful for the blogger.Keep sharing..
David Maddux September 9, 2010 - 8:24 am
Hello Nitin, Thanks for the information on outsourcing. I am at the point where I need help, and you have given me a lot to think about. Especially, thanks for pointing out the potential pitfalls waiting for me! Best wishes, David Maddux
Nitin @ Offshore Ally September 9, 2010 - 10:21 am
Let me know if we can help in anyway :)
Benin September 9, 2010 - 11:44 am
Hi Nitin, You're right lots of folks on the surface might not like to consider outsourcing content, but it seems to represent a viable way of getting a steady stream of content for your blog. Just out of curiosity outside of the obvious (guru, elance, odesk, and etc.) are there any places that you would recommend for bloggers to seek this sort of assistance? Thanks
Nitin @ Offshore Ally September 9, 2010 - 12:13 pm
Hi Benin, Disclosure before that I run an virtual assistant company. I have had best experiences at Elance, other than that I have always worked with companies instead of looking for individual freelancers. The reason being that unlike individuals companies have a reputation to defend and won't jeopardize that. Also, companies have better infrastructure, teams, cumulative experiences and procedure - they have been able to reach that level because of being successful at what they do. At first glance they look to cost more especially because all the stories of ultra cheap outsourcing that guru's make hype about - however in long run, you get a dependable partner that is in serious business and understand that business is all about mutual benefit and not just one time 'make money chance'. To look for companies, you should search on Google or on freelancing sites you should take the upside down approach i.e. create a project first, then look for companies that have done similar projects and invite those people to bid on your project. Most successful companies have enough on their plate and they don't even bid on all projects. Inviting the companies of your choice is your way to be selective about it.
Colleen@Kennewick Homes September 9, 2010 - 3:47 pm
Excellent article Nitin. We outsource a ton of stuff and can vouch for what you are posting. Have you used fiverr.com before? We have outsourced a few things for 5 bucks. Can't beat that, eh!
Nitin @ Offshore Ally September 9, 2010 - 11:02 pm
Hi Colleen, Yeh I have tried fiverr for a lot of things.. works great at times. Cheers
Colleen@Kennewick Homes September 10, 2010 - 3:38 pm
"at times" is appropriate Nitin. One time, I hired a dude to write an article about one of our cities. He didn't know who I was except for my Fiverr id. Of all the places to steal content and claim it as his own, he chose my website. Kinda funny actually. :)
Benin September 9, 2010 - 4:38 pm
I see, Nitin. Looking for actual companies who specialize in it is definitely something to keep in mind. Thanks.
Blueberry Fruit Juice September 10, 2010 - 12:56 am
Fully agree with your points Nitin. Outsourcing is the way to get more benefit from your any kind of business. You shared your very nice post, thanks for all..
Dany Event Planning September 10, 2010 - 11:11 pm
I think India still has the highest number of computer graduates and english speaking work force as compared to any nation in the world. For that reason India shall always remain the preferred outsource destination.
Dany Event Planning September 10, 2010 - 11:12 pm
You'd think that, but I've had the dubious pleasure of troubleshooting (DB replication issues) over that time scale once... it's not fun.
Dany Event Planning September 10, 2010 - 11:12 pm
Most importantly, implementing an innovation strategy will require a governance plan for managing collaboration and competition.
Karen Cayamanda September 15, 2010 - 1:35 am
If all else fail, the biggest safety net for potential clients of outsourcing service providers is an airtight contract where all the responsibilities of both parties are clearly stated. When things go wrong, the client can refer to the contract.
Dan Lew September 15, 2010 - 8:41 am
The problem is with outsourcing you have to baby sit them. I only outsource to people I have known over the years from forums and job sites. It takes a long time to trust someone so that you can work with them.
Outsourcingman December 28, 2010 - 11:05 pm
I think Nick's advices would help every outsourcing company out there, there are tips, traps and tricks on outsourcing that we need to consider.
Right Outsourcing April 28, 2011 - 12:12 am
The most common reason why BPO contracts end prematurely is poor manpower skills. So make sure you monitor and oversees key HR operations.
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