One of the most common questions I get when teaching students how to build an online business is if it is okay to outsource content writing. The reasons (re: excuses) are endless. From “I’m not a good writer” all the way to “I don’t have time”, I’ve heard them all. Frankly, if you are of the “I don’t have time” variety, this may not be the business for you.
I digress.
Today I want to touch on common ways that I see people outsourcing their website’s content, the pros, the cons and how I generally feel about.
Why People Outsource Content Writing
Listen, I get it. The appeal of having a “professional” writer do the heavy lifting sounds very appealing. One of the hardest parts of building a successful online business through affiliate marketing is the content creation.
With that, any shortcuts to make the content creation process easier become very desirable.
Another common reason I hear is that people would rather focus on the other aspects of internet marketing for their website. They would rather put the content creation on autopilot and go do PPC, Social Media marketing, offline strategies, etc.
Don’t get me wrong – you should absolutely put effort into those areas as well.
However, what I am teaching you here at Earn Cash in College is how to build an online business around a subject matter that you are passionate about.
So if you’re already struggling with your content creation, maybe you should reconsider your subject matter. I wrote a guide to help you choose your niche. Check it out, let me know if you have any questions.
Ultimately there are dozens of possible reasons (again, excuses) to lean toward outsourcing your website’s content – but I can tell you right now. 99.99% of those excuses suck. I promise.
The Content Your Website Needs: Yours
Outsourcing your content through third parties generally results in your content request being put into a queue of requests and being picked up by the next available writer. These writers don’t know your website. They don’t know you. They don’t speak like you.
Even if you leave the most detailed request ever, a freelance writer will hardly ever be able fully replicate the tone you speak and write with.
A huge part of being successful in online marketing lies in building trust with your audience. You will find it very difficult to accomplish that goal if your style of writing seems to change with every post you publish.
Why Content Is The Most Important Thing On Your Website (I don’t agree with #2, but otherwise a great read)
Is It Really Worth It?
I assume that’s supposed to be a wallet going into the trash…
Paying to have your content written for you will vary in cost. Generally, the higher the quality of writer and the higher the word count, the more a piece of content will cost. You could spend anywhere from $10 to hundreds depending on what you buy.
Now, if you’re a regular reader of this website, then you are likely within my target audience: college students looking to build a successful online business or trying to escape the shackles of minimum wage, paycheck-to-paycheck living.
If that is you, I can almost guarantee that buying your content is not worth it. All you are doing is increasing your overhead costs to add more fluff to your website.
If you bought 1 $30 article per month, that adds up to $360/year just for 12 posts that may or may not generate you any traffic.
$360 could get you a full year, Premium Membership to Wealthy Affiliate University – a full fledged affiliate marketing school, host, service and more. That membership will present you with so much more value than those 12 posts ever could.
If you’re interested in learning more about Wealthy Affiliate, or signing up for a free starter account:
CREATE YOUR FREE STARTER ACCOUNT TODAY!
What You Lose By Outsourcing
In addition to everything I just listed, there is one major reason why I tell people to never outsource their content, especially if they are just getting started:
You won’t learn nearly as much.
Not only are you wasting money and shortchanging yourself on the ROI, you’re shortchanging yourself in what you could be learning.
I get it, maybe you really do suck at writing.
That’s fine.
As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, I’m no Shakespeare. However, with every piece of content you write, your quality of writing improves. Whether by a little or a lot, practice does make perfect.
By writing your own content you will:
- Improve the quality of your writing
- Develop your “tone” that resonates better with your audience
- Build a stronger relationship with your audience and with your website in general
- Create a sense of pride as your portfolio of work grows
- Learn new, creative ways to optimize your content
- And much more
Wrapping It Up
At the end of the day the decision is yours. While I hope my post got through to you and you understand the positive impact writing your own content holds for you, if you decide to outsource your content – I understand. I really do. The appeal is very strong. However, I urge you to consider what I’ve discussed with you here today and consider if it is really worth it.
Have you ever outsourced your content? How did it go? Do you have questions, comments or concerns about anything talked about in this post? Leave me a message in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
As always, thanks for reading.
– Dev
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