Outsourcing can be a fantastic way to grow a new business or to turn a profitable business into a powerhouse. The problem is, not everyone has the budget to hire someone on for several hours per week or even per month. But there are many places you can outsource your content writing, banner/header making, your
SEO efforts. Recently I have been trying out Fiverr. I have written about an introduction on
Fiverr and
how to make money on Fiverr. Fiverr is a great place to start outsourcing and it's a great place to get some experience before you move on to work with someone on a more permanent basis.
There are all sorts of different tasks you can outsource for your online business. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
Graphics
Whether you need a new logo, a few button ads, or an ebook cover, Freelance websites are great places to find graphic designers that will create those graphics for you for next to nothing. Look for someone with a good reputation and request samples of their work. This helps make sure that their style matches what you want in your design.
Graphics are often a little tricky to outsource until the person you are working with really knows you personally and understands the style and look you're going for. Keep this in mind when hiring and either be willing to try something new or be open to making a few attempts before you find someone who really hits on a look you want.
Also look for a designer who will do at least one or more revisions so you do have the opportunity to provide feedback and have some tweaks as needed. If you are going to use Fiverr then don't expect them to move mountains and recreate graphics for just $5 or you'll just be disappointed with the results. A good attitude to have with this sort of thing is to expect the worst and hope for the best.
Compare what you're getting to hiring the services of a professional who charges going rate and you'll really get a good idea of the kind of deal you're getting on Fiverr. If you find someone good, keep their information and hire them again because good graphics people are very hard to find!
Articles and Blog Posts
Obviously you need content for your business and it needs to be high quality stuff. Good writers are gems to be treasured. You're on the hunt for a few good ones to keep and assign lots of work to so they don't leave you.
To get started, here are a few tips:
- Keep your initial writing assignments simple. Good first jobs are things like 7 Tips to X, 5 Ways to X or How to X. Don't get too deep and give them a structure to follow.
- Make sure your writer shows you some samples. When you look at these samples check for grammar, spelling, proper layout (opening, body, closing), make sure each article has one main point.
- Don't hire one writer to do a dozen articles right from the beginning. Get her to do about three and then review. If you're happy with those, then hire her for more.
One problem you’ll likely come across when working with writers is that the work won’t be turned in on time. You can read reviews left by others who've worked with this person, make sure they are positive and that there's no mention of an issue with meeting deadlines.
Another potential problem to be aware of if copyright infringement. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to simply copy and paste articles found on other sites. For that reason, it’s a good idea to use a service such as copyscape to check the originality of any articles you purchase from writers you don’t know – whether you find them on Fiverr or some other site.
Link Building
You can also find all sorts of link building gigs on the site. You’ll find everything from offers to set up profile pages to directory submissions to forum participation. Stay away from any listings that sound like a lot of hype and try out any link building gig on a smaller niche site first before risking your money making sites. Overall success and quality of work is very hit or miss in this category.
Social Media
This category has all sorts of interesting options from offers to get a certain amount of friends and followers for you to gigs of people with a large social media following who are offering to tweet or Facebook your message.
If you can find a tweeter with a following that’s a good match for your product or service, this could be a great way to expand your brand and make some sales.
WARNING – Be careful with this one. You don't want to pay someone to spam for you. That will have a negative impact on your business and it's just not ethical. I'll tell you right now that just because it's on Fiverr or any freelance site, it doesn't mean that they're not spamming. You must do your own due diligence and figure out if the source is legit or if they're getting blocked left, right and center. You know how annoying it is to be spammed. You don't want to be the person doing it, even inadvertently.
Videos
Video is one of the most fun categories to browse through on Fiverr. People are offering to record all kinds of fun stuff from creating a Lego animation with your messages to sleep-talking your website name. One of the most useful offers is for voice-over services. You record a short video – perhaps a simple PowerPoint presentation – and have a professional voice-over artist read your script. These short videos make fantastic promotional pieces.
You’ll also find a lot of offers to record a video testimonial. This is highly not recommended! It's unethical and it's also illegal to pose fake testimonials as real ones. I know TV commercials get away with it but we all know they are actors and there is a disclosure. Trying to make a fake video testimonial look real is not cool and people can see it a mile away.
Make sure to do your research and use it for good, not evil. The tips you've found in this article are just the beginning. I'm sure with a little creativity and some time on the site you'll find many more ways to use the services offered there to grow your business.
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