Content creation is often the first thing that we want to outsource, mainly because it takes up so much of our time. However, unfortunately, it’s also one of the hardest things to outsource. You might have tried outsourcing content in the past, but you noticed that the piece of content that your contractor wrote, was just so far from your writing style, that you probably decided to just stop trying and write that damn piece of content yourself.

I have been there too, you know. I have had my fair share of failed outsourced content attempts.

However, I promise you, it is definitely possible!

I have learned (the hard way) all the dos and don’ts about how to train other people to sound exactly like you so that eventually, you won’t even remember who has written what piece of content anymore.

Here are some essential tips for outsourcing content creation.

Ready? Let’s do this.

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• 6 Content Creation Mistakes You’re Probably Making

# 1. When outsourcing content, explain in depth the audience that you’re writing for

• Who is your target audience?
• What problems and dreams do they have?
• What keeps them up at night?
• What are they scared of?
• What language do they resonate with?
• What are their greatest limiting beliefs?

Go in-depth here, and make sure that the contractor or your employee understands EXACTLY the kind of people you are writing for because, in that way, they will be able to envision your target audience when writing your content.

But what if you don’t really know who is your target audience? Then, before even thinking about outsourcing content, do your research! Create a survey, ask someone from your audience if you can interview them, or ask your Instagram community some questions via stories, and discover exactly who it is that you are writing for.

Because if you don’t know who you are writing for, then it will be very difficult to teach someone else to write for them.

#2. Become aware of your own writing style

• What does your writing style look like? is it rather serious? Playful? Descriptive? Formal? Personal? Funny? Sarcastic? Supportive? Girly? Inspirational?
• What kind of words do you use often? And which words do you avoid?
• Do you prefer short or long sentences? Long paragraphs or lots of white space?
• Bullet points or not?
• Do you write as you would talk? Or not?
• Do you use bad words sometimes? Capslock?

Share your authentic writing style with your contractor or employee and describe it in as many details as you possibly can.

#3. Share your writing process that they can imitate it for similar results

• Do you do research before writing your pieces of content or do you just take a piece of paper or Google Doc and just start brain dumping whatever comes up to your mind.
• Do you write your pieces of content with a SEO keyword taken into account or do you adapt your content after writing it, to make it SEO proof?
• Do you write the whole piece of content in one go or do you prefer to write it little by little in a span of different days?
• Do you correct a sentence until it’s perfect, or do you like it to be rather real than perfect?
• Do you plan your content topics in advance, or do you write whatever you feel writing about in that moment?

Depending on the writing process, the result will be completely different. So, that’s why it’s absolutely essential to share your writing process with your contractor or employee so they can imitate that process, in order for obtaining similar results.

#4. Share your content standards

What is a high-quality piece of content according to you? What are the minimum criteria?

For example, if you’re outsourcing a blog post…

• Does it need to have a certain structure? Do you have an introduction that contains a hook, then the body of the blog post that you separate with numbered subtitles and a conclusion with a call-to-action? Or what does your content structure looks like specifically?
• What does the introduction need to look like?
• What does the call-to-action need to be? Do you want the reader to buy a certain product or service? Sign up for your freebie? Engage with that piece of content? Make sure to explain how that piece of content contributes to a bigger content strategy.
• How many words does it need to have?
• Does it need to have a table of content?
• Does it need to contain pins, so your readers can easily pin your blog post
• How many pictures does the blog post need to have?
• Does your blog post need to have a recap of the main take-aways at the end?
• Are there any other specific requirements or criteria?

#5. Examples say more than an explanation can ever do

Share similar pieces of content that you have written, and encourage your contractor or employee to analyze them deeply.

Sharing examples will give the contractor so much information about exactly what you’re expecting and looking for.

#6. Choosing the right contractor or employee for outsourcing content creation

Take into account the following things when hiring a contractor or employee:

• Choose someone that has experience with writing someone else’s content.
• Make sure that someone’s natural writing style is similar to yours
• For sure ask them if they can provide any examples of content that they have written for other people (and check the quality of that content)
• Usually, you get what you pay for. So for only 15 dollars, you probably won’t get a well written piece of content.
• Make sure that the contractor is either native or fluent in English

Some bonus tips for outsourcing content:

When you have decided to hire a contractor or employee and you are assigning a topic for a piece of content to them, it can definitely help if you walk them through some ideas you already have or some points they can touch. In this way, they will have a much better idea about the direction you want to go to with this piece of content.

Encourage them to ask questions! I guarantee you that’s it’s much better to spend a little extra time making sure they have understood and they don’t have any questions, than having to correct many things afterward because there were some misunderstandings.

And lastly, don’t give up!

The first piece of content that your contractor creates might no be perfect from the get-go. It’s definitely a learning process for both of you. But then, just be patient, and walk them through what you liked and didn’t like and how they can improve it.

It might take some extra time and effort from your side, but if you truly follow these steps, and keep training them, then they eventually will be able to write just like you.

And then, you can finally focus on what you do best!

You can do this! I believe in you!

Related Reads:

• The Psychology Behind Premium Pricing – Why It Works
• How To Avoid Busy Work & Be Truly Productive
• 12 mistakes you are probably making that are killing your productivity
• 6 Content Creation Mistakes You’re Probably Making

Let’s Chat!

Super curious if you have ever tried outsourcing content in the past. How did this go? Let me know in the comments down below 🙂