Outsourcing work has become a huge part of online marketing. These days, the ability to have tasks done for a fraction of the cost has made it very easy to find quality workers quickly and efficiently. Think about how many “freelance” websites have popped up in recent years and have been flourishing because bloggers, designers, and developers all understand how outsourcing can save you enormous time and money. Either way, it’s a practice used by millions and I must admit, I’ve freelanced a lot of work previously and continue to do so today. However, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons along the way, which I’d like to share with you today. For example, outsourcing can do some harm if NOT done with control. I’ll be discussing some reasons a bit later, however, it’s been a common problem seen by many. Next, outsourcing can cost you a lot more money and money because you might NOT be able to get EXACTLY the type of work you’re looking to get done correctly.
Whatever the case, outsourcing work can get in the way of business growth and I’m here to discuss a few issues often associated with this practice. Let’s get started…
Outsourcing – Business Background. Blue Arrow with “Outsourcing” Slogan on a Grey Background. 3D Render.
Dilute Brand
One of the biggest problems often seen when you start to freelance your work is your brand diluting. What do I mean? You start having others represent your brand while promoting theirs, which can have a huge effect on the amount of people aware of your business. When outsourcing work, many people are MORE than happy to write for FREE or give you a discount if they are able to add links back to their website. Depending on your budget, you might actually agree and this means visitors are seeing other brands on your website. You have to be careful when you freelancing your work out and even more careful about the terms. Here’s what I recommend to offset this effect…
- Tell them you own the work and content so NO link given back to your blog
You’ll be surprised how many people will agree because in the end, it’s work for them and they need the income. This is especially true in places like India, Pakistan, Romania, etc., where they are very smart coders and USD translates into a huge payday. I’ve worked with people in the past where NO credit was given but I made sure they were compensated well for their time.
Skills Deteriorate
When you start outsourcing your work out, you run into a problem of skill deterioration depending on what you’re using less of. For example, when I started to freelance much of my content writing to other writers, I noticed I wasn’t as comfortable with writing content as I once was. I had a hard time getting back into the groove of things, which can be a problem if you NO longer have writers available. Because I didn’t have to write content as much, I didn’t perform research throughout the time I was off and lost track of the trends. When it came time to jump back into content writing, I found it hard to catch up on when I fell back. This is why I recommend the following…
- Keep an active writing, coding, and designing schedule (will depend on your niche)
- Always stay active and publish every 2-3 days
- Keep your brand and business on your mind while understanding the importance of your objective
A good example of this is John Chow.
He has hired staff writers who will submit content on a regular basis, however, John continues to publish content every 2 days so he stays active and people are actively aware of his brand.
Strain Your Budget
It’s amazing how small outsourcing costs will add up and this can run you enormous money monthly. This is not a problem for those bloggers who have been around for years, but for those starting out, it can be hard on your marketing budget. With that said, you have to keep an eye on your budget, making sure you don’t go way overboard and have to suffer going forward. This is why it’s important to only outsource what you really need done, making sure the rest of the tasks are done by you. It’s your business and you should never just sit back and expect others to do your work for you. It’s a great way to be lazy about your business and lose track of what’s important. Either way, you can have a few safety barriers in the way to protect you, like, for example…
- Only keep a certain amount of money in your marketing account
- Practice discipline, making sure you know what’s important and needs to be outsourced
- When hiring people, always negotiate to get the best price possible because this will help knock down the price