In this thread:
http://th3core.com/talk/web-development/cointent-writing-services-your-favs/I was surprised to learn how many people had a difficult time finding good content writers. While some people believe cheaper is better, I believe once you find a good writer, you pay them well and keep them happy. IMO, a good content writer who knows how to write for the web and incorporate phrases without sounding cheesy is *gold*, particularly for a site you actually want customers to use not not just click out of.
(I do, however understand the concept of poor content writing to *get* people to click out of the site using an ad or other escape route, and I do appreciate a good spinner.)
Most of the time, I use Textbroker, and to date, I've only had one really poor writer that I had to refuse and blacklist. And I've ordered hundreds. I think perhaps the way I ask for a writer naturally screens out the bad writers who just don't want to bother. I pay about 2 cents a word (which is the "4 star" article".)
The most important rule:
Be specific in what you want. Saying "write me 15 articles on black kittens" just doesn't cut it. If you ask for that, you'll get crap. Specify who the writer is, who they are talking to, and what kind of voice to use.
I have a template I use, and I'm going to go through it piece by piece. The first part of it looks like this:
Who You Are:
Voice:
Who You are Talking to:
Let's say you need articles on campers, specifically what to use to tow a camper. I'd fill out the template like this:
Who You Are: A camping enthusiast. And you tow anything from full size campers to little pop-up campers.
Voice: Informative, but friendly. Think of a no-pressure sales guy who you respect.
Who You Are Talking to: Think of a co-worker that you don't really know, but who knows you like camping and is curious about what to use to tow a camper he's thinking about buying. Friendly, but slightly formal.
This allows the writer to understand *how* the article needs to sound. From my own writing experience, the "voice" section is invaluable. It allows me to know if I can make jokes (and if those jokes can be racy like Mivox's f-ckingc-nts site, or must be g-rated like Erma Bombeck) or if it needs to be very formal and polite. It helps to know if I am talking to an educated audience or not.
Also, the "who you are" allows me to screen writers. If I am writing on Cigars, and I need someone to describe the tastes and so forth, then I need an actual cigar smoker. I will specify this in the "Who you are" section. Something like, "I really need a writer who smokes and appreciates fine cigars."
If I am spinning the article, I usually add the following to the template:
Words Orig Article: The original article needs to be 400 - 450 words
Special Note: First, write one article that is 400 to 450 words long. Then, I need you to go back to each sentence and re-write that sentence twice to convey the same meaning, but to have a different words in it. So, you'll end up with 3 sentences total.
Example:
Orig sentence: "If you plan to rent a car while in the United States, there are certain rules and guidelines you must follow. "
2nd sentence: "In the United States, there are specific rules you must follow if you are planning to rent a car."
3rd sentence: "When renting a car in the US, you must be careful to follow the specific rules and guidelines.
All three sentences say the same thing, but in a different way. This becomes a little difficult when you are dealing with keywords: Whatever sentence has the keyword in it, must have that same keyword phrase in the following 2 iterations.
Most of the time, a first time writer might have questions on this, but more often than not, they "get it".
I'd say the second most important thing is to
Be Friendly and add a carrotI usually add something like this:
I know this is confusing, and if you have any questions, please let me know and I'll do what I can to help you.
I've got many articles that will need to be written in the following months, and if I find someone great, I'll be sure to work with you again!
Thank you!
-Heather
If they have questions, I answer them as fast as I can so they can get to it. They appreciate this, and I appreciate that they are asking in the first place so I can get exactly what I want.
Now I know you're saying
"But Heather this takes a lot of time."Honestly, once you have the little template saved, it doesn't take that much time at all. And, it is important to remember that the time spent on the front end saves huge time after because you get what you want.
Another thought: I think this method works so well because the people who don't want to do a good job will just skip over it because the template looks like a lot of demands. Only people who want to do well will actually read the entire thing.
Here is the template to cut and paste if you'd like to use it:
Who You Are:
Voice:
Who You're Talking To:
Words Orig Article:
Special Note: First, write one article that is __________ words long. Then, I need you to go back to each sentence and re-write that sentence twice to convey the same meaning, but to have a different words in it. So, you'll end up with 3 sentences total.
Example:
Orig sentence: "If you plan to rent a car while in the United States, there are certain rules and guidelines you must follow. "
2nd sentence: "In the United States, there are specific rules you must follow if you are planning to rent a car."
3rd sentence: "When renting a car in the US, you must be careful to follow the specific rules and guidelines.
All three sentences say the same thing, but in a different way. This becomes a little difficult when you are dealing with keywords: Whatever sentence has the keyword in it, must have that same keyword phrase in the following 2 iterations.
I know this is confusing, and if you have any questions, please let me know and I'll do what I can to help you.
I've got many articles that will need to be written in the following months, and if I find someone great, I'll be sure to work with you again!
Thank you!
Hope this helps!
