Recently I had an email convo with a new FS reader doing $10K per month. Sometimes $12K per month when the stars are aligned (I love star-aligning months).
He got my attention with “Your email is brilliant. I literally unfollow everyone after a few emails but I actually look forward to yours!“
He wants to scale up.
He currently writes everything for his two sites.
Says he’s motored through dozens of writers.
I know the feeling. It can be hard handing over the content-reigns to other writers.
It’s like new moms handing baby over to daycare or nanny for the first time.
Nobody knows their baby like they do. Nobody cares for baby like they do.
But mom manages to walk away from baby for the first time. Two hours later new mom is relaxed. Enjoys a break from baby for the first time. She hates to admit it, but it’s relaxing and refreshing. Still concerned and worried, but finally has some space and time.
Weeks, then months go by spending hours a day with a nanny or in daycare. Baby is doing fine; thriving.
Playing with other kids in daycare or enjoys nanny’s attention.
Even learning things new mom couldn’t teach.
That’s what it’s like to outsource content.
Scary at first. It’s true, nobody cares about your site like you do. Nobody ever will.
You review all content with only a critical eye. Big mistake.
Have an open mind.
There are good writers out there. They may be different than you in approach, thinking and voice, but they can actually add value to a site that you can’t.
I constantly receive content that is done in a way I never would have done.
Accept that when you outsource, it will be different.
Yes, some returned content is utter trash. I offer one revision shot. If they miss the mark after that, it gets reassigned.
At the same time don’t be petty. Read returned content with an open mind.
If you go down the outsourcing path, you must ACCEPT that you will publish content that’s different than what you write and publish.
Probably not as good as you write.
I suspect your biggest fear is that outsourced content will not rank because it’s not you.
I hate to burst your ego-inflated bubble, but there is a lot of content out there that’s ranked #1 by the Big G NOT WRITTEN BY YOU.
Here’s an outsourcing challenge for you.
Come up with 25 article topics targeting low competition keywords but that has some search volume.
Order up 25 articles from a writer or writing service. Don’t be a cheapskate. Pay $.04 to $.08 per word (depending on the complexity of your niche). Ensure you provide clear instructions.
Publish it all as quickly as you can.
Note down all the URLs and keywords. Use KW tracking software if you have it.
Wait.
In the meantime keep on writing as you were.
Monitor ranking results for the articles you outsourced.
See if you start ranking.
I bet some of your KWs will rank if you did good KW research and didn’t cheap out with $.01 per word articles.
Eventually, I suspect some of those KWs will rank #1 to #3 in Google.
Don’t expect every article to achieve top rankings.
After all, do all your articles rank #1? I doubt it. If they do, you’re the best SEO in the world and should offer SEO services for $5,000 per hour.
But some articles will rank and that means… outsourcing works.
But if you can’t accept different and even slightly lower quality articles on your site, DON’T OUTSOURCE.
You’ll go nuts if you fret over spending money on content that’s different and likely worse than yours.
There’s no harm in writing all the content yourself. You can grow a site to huge dollars writing it yourself. You really can (assuming you’re a decent writer).
For example, I can’t accept different or lesser-than for FS emails. I write the emails. You’d sniff out another writer in a heartbeat.
You stay subscribed to read me. I appreciate it.
Jon Dykstra is a six figure niche site creator with 10+ years of experience. His willingness to openly share his wins and losses in the email newsletter he publishes has made him a go-to source of guidance and motivation for many. His popular “Niche site profits” course has helped thousands follow his footsteps in creating simple niche sites that earn big.
