Some Web site owners just don’t have the time to write their own content. If that’s you, you don’t have to lose out on the value of original content. Instead of doing it yourself, you can hire someone to do it for you.
Hiring someone, of course, means paying them. You can put ads on the Web or writers to produce content for your site for free, but you get what you pay for. In every case, the writer who’s willing to work for free has no (or very little) experience, and many of them have no talent.
That said, exceptions to the rule do exist. Once in a while, you can find a great writer, with experience, who’s willing to work for free because she loves to see her name in print. This might work out for you one-tenth of a percent of the time. The rest of the time, it’s just more headache than it’s worth.
You can, however, hire a writer without breaking the bank. Good writers are often willing to work for small amounts of money (say $10 to $50 per article) if the exposure is right, and if the person or company requesting the work pays quickly and consistently. It also helps when articles aren’t too involved. If what you’re looking for is a 1,000 word piece with three interviews, however, you’re not likely to find a good writer to do it for $50. However, if you’re willing to pay $200–$400, you won’t have a problem finding writers.
If you do decide that hiring a writer is the way to go, you need to get (and give) contractual specifications in writing. Even if it’s nothing more than an e-mail that states the guidelines for the article, the size of the article, the due date, and the pay, you have to have something that both you and the writer agree on. Then stick to your side of the bargain
You may encounter writers who say they’ll provide what you’re looking for, but then don’t. It happens, and the only way to be sure you’re getting someone who won’t leave you high and dry is to check references. Treat writers just as you would employees. Make sure they are who they say they are. Then, be flexible about how the writer goes about writing the article you request. As long as the article is turned in on time and meets the specifications that you set forth in the beginning, don’t bug them about how they get to that point.
One other option that you have — one which could potentially cost you a lot less than hiring a writer — involves inviting guest writers to put together articles for your site. You have to use caution with this method, too, though. Guest writers sometimes write a few articles that they pass around to everyone on the Internet, which makes their contribution to your site not nearly as valuable as if they wrote the article specifically for your site
You can ask for that specificity, though. When you approach a guest writer, nothing’s wrong with asking him to write an article specifically for your site. Make sure you lay out exactly what you’re looking for, though. Usually it’s okay to ask for the right to publish the article first for a specified amount of time (like six months) before the writer allows others to publish it. You also want to make sure you have the right to archive the article on your Web site so that it remains available to users even after that six-month period (or however long you choose) is over.
In exchange for writing for you, most guest writers want a small blurb or link pointing back to their products and services. It’s usually worth it. In fact, it’s so worth it that many companies have a stable of writers that write these types of articles for them all the time. They offer these articles to all publications that target their own audiences. It saves the company marketing dollars and provides great content for your site
One caveat when it comes to guest writers: If you plan to use a guest writer, make sure the article that’s provided isn’t too sales-y. When someone comes to your site to read an article, he doesn’t come because he wants to be sold to. He comes because he’s looking for information. Nothing’s wrong with making a recommendation for products or services, and nothing’s wrong with allowing guest writers to include a small paragraph about themselves or their products and services at the end of the article, but it still needs to be as objective as possible.
A guest writer’s purpose is always to sell something. Whether that something is a product or service, there’s an ulterior motive. It’s your job, as the site owner, to keep that motive in check so you’re not running a big advertising service. Always remember to give your visitors the information that they’re looking for first and foremost. If you do, everything else is gravy.