Discussion about hiring writers...

[Rec]

I've found one of the biggest issues I've run into with attempting to scale is my ability to find quality writers. I've hired approximately 15 writers through UW, and only had two writers I would ever consider again. I learned from my misatke. but still feel there is room for improvement.

Here are a few of the things I've found helpful. Hopefully it is helpful for others.
-Personalized application (answered the application questions thoroughly.)
-Review the portfolio and reject anyone with errors or poor voice in their articles
-Ask a few further questions and see how they respond
-I also worked on improving my content brief

After I did the above, I was able to cut down and I did find two writers that were solid. However, I still had some duds. I'd love to hear tips and/or alternative sites for hiring quality writers.

 

[backinblack]

I think it depends on how much you are paying and what level of quality you require. Does quality mean Hemingway or just native English with minimal typos? Is the content they are writing secondary to whatever you are doing or is it the main focus?

With enough cash in hand you can woo excellent writers that have those big hourly numbers on their profile. You know, the ones with all the glowing positive reviews from their last 500 jobs on UW. Now I am not that snob on every content thread that will stick up their nose at whatever you are paying, I'm not even going to ask. Plus I like to keep it lean myself, I love a good deal and they definitely exist in the content market but yes you may just have to spend more time searching for them.

When I need website copy I pull from a Facebook group I am in with American expat women living in central america. Most are there because their husbands were deported etc. It works well because:

A) They speak native English.
B) The currency exchange means I can pay low end and it still is good money for them.

American English at Tijuana prices, I use them for everything except copy writing for funnels etc. For that I pay considerably more to a proper copywriter that knows her stuff. All that to say if you just need decent content from native English writers try the expat groups.

 

[eliquid]

I pushed out a guide to SERPWoo members about 5 days ago that touches on this.

If you are a paid member and received it, you can follow it and outsource the writing to someone else and have it pretty much get a quality piece no matter who writes it.

 

[Rec]

I pushed out a guide to SERPWoo members about 5 days ago that touches on this.

If you are a paid member and received it, you can follow it and outsource the writing to someone else and have it pretty much get a quality piece no matter who writes it.

I'm not a member right now, but would love to take a look at the guide if you're willing to share.

I have good briefs and outlines (IMO), and I even provide an example of other work on the site that should be a really easy format to follow. The problem I run into most is the quality of the writing. There is always way too much fluff and the tone isn't correct. I end up spending way too long re-writing 25% of it myself

I think it depends on how much you are paying and what level of quality you require. Does quality mean Hemingway or just native English with minimal typos? Is the content they are writing secondary to whatever you are doing or is it the main focus?

With enough cash in hand you can woo excellent writers that have those big hourly numbers on their profile. You know, the ones with all the glowing positive reviews from their last 500 jobs on UW. Now I am not that snob on every content thread that will stick up their nose at whatever you are paying, I'm not even going to ask. Plus I like to keep it lean myself, I love a good deal and they definitely exist in the content market but yes you may just have to spend more time searching for them.

When I need website copy I pull from a Facebook group I am in with American expat women living in central america. Most are there because their husbands were deported etc. It works well because:

A) They speak native English.
B) The currency exchange means I can pay low end and it still is good money for them.

American English at Tijuana prices, I use them for everything except copy writing for funnels etc. For that I pay considerably more to a proper copywriter that knows her stuff. All that to say if you just need decent content from native English writers try the expat groups.

I've actually paid good rates. Maybe, I'm being too picky, I don't know.

Out of curiosity, how much do you pay the writers you find in the FB group? PM me if you'd rather not say here.

 

[backinblack]

I've actually paid good rates. Maybe, I'm being too picky, I don't know.

Out of curiosity, how much do you pay the writers you find in the FB group? PM me if you'd rather not say here.

No shame in my game. I don't mess with per contract stuff with these ladies because it's just cheaper to take them on as full time workers. I always have stuff for them to fill their 40 hours with. I start them all off at $400/month and before you all come out with the pitchforks that is a good amount of cash over here in Mexico for example. $400/month down here is more than a full time factory worker makes, it is in fact about double that. It's not fancy living but definitely enough to support a family of four or five including rent, utilities and groceries. It is life changing money for the women who take these jobs.

I keep them there for a month or two usually then I bump them to $600/mo and then I leave them there unless they stand out either in leadership or ability. In which case I promote them over time and raise their pay accordingly as they go. Many of my ladies now earn more than doctors and lawyers in the countries where they live. All working from home, flex time (we are very family friendly, I'll take a mom over a kid fresh out of college any day, the commitment is just usually not even comparable.)

They do just about everything from website content to data entry to customer support to project management to stress testing our platforms.

I should again point out that they are not pro writers though I've gotten some gems that have developed into very competent content creators with some direction and practice. It's a matter of putting the right person in the right job.

Now not every expat group is going to like those rates. You have some well-to-do expat groups that are going to rip your head off if you offer that. But it's just a matter of watching what is already being posted and staying in the middle range of offers. HTH

 

[eliquid]

Im not ashamed to post this, since you mentioned $400 a month @backinblack

I used to set up CL ads all over different areas ( here in US though ) looking for stay at home moms, retired peoples, college kids, etc. Basically people that didn't have a job at the moment but needed extra cash

In a nutshell, I was asking for people that didn't have a job to write articles as a side gig. A lot of times I targeted people that didn't do this at all and just needed money. I offered to pay .01 a word. but I didn't list it like that.. I listed it as $5 for a 500 word article since these people don't normally write and would understand $5 for 500 over $.01 a word.

My response rate wasn't great and a lot of times I got hate email and my ads taken down by some content/writer Nazi people, but in the end I got writers who wrote for me.

I even snagged a retired English professor at a first rate university who wrote for me at that rate ( no joke ).

Haven't done it in a few years and don't really have a need for it anymore, but someone else out there might try it out on CL with local moms/retired/college/jobless people in the USA too.

 

[Rec]

No shame in my game. I don't mess with per contract stuff with these ladies because it's just cheaper to take them on as full time workers. I always have stuff for them to fill their 40 hours with. I start them all off at $400/month and before you all come out with the pitchforks that is a good amount of cash over here in Mexico for example. $400/month down here is more than a full time factory worker makes, it is in fact about double that. It's not fancy living but definitely enough to support a family of four or five including rent, utilities and groceries. It is life changing money for the women who take these jobs.

I keep them there for a month or two usually then I bump them to $600/mo and then I leave them there unless they stand out either in leadership or ability. In which case I promote them over time and raise their pay accordingly as they go. Many of my ladies now earn more than doctors and lawyers in the countries where they live. All working from home, flex time (we are very family friendly, I'll take a mom over a kid fresh out of college any day, the commitment is just usually not even comparable.)

They do just about everything from website content to data entry to customer support to project management to stress testing our platforms.

I should again point out that they are not pro writers though I've gotten some gems that have developed into very competent content creators with some direction and practice. It's a matter of putting the right person in the right job.

Now not every expat group is going to like those rates. You have some well-to-do expat groups that are going to rip your head off if you offer that. But it's just a matter of watching what is already being posted and staying in the middle range of offers. HTH

Do you use an editor or edit it yourself?