I outsource many areas of my work but I find Copywriting (coding, designing) the most difficult to outsource. I still do it myself (don't worry I studied and have been copywriting for over 5 years). How do I find a copywriters here on DP for a long term relationship? I'm not going for the cheapest price because I know good copywriting skills. Yet it probably doesn't make sense for me to go with someone at the higher tier rates. Work will be simple copywriting, no specialized knowledge or much research is required. What's the best way to find someone here on DP?
You could start by making a post in the Content Creation forum, asking for a good SEO writer. You'll then probably be flooded with responses, many of which are from subpar writers. To narrow it down to decent writers, you're probably going to want to ask specifically for American writers, or at least those that are native English writers. You'll also want to ask for samples of SEO written work they've produced. I know that as a copywriter myself, that's the first thing I'll provide potential clients with. You'll also want to ask for references to past work, and if they have an iTrader rating, take a look at that. There are a ton of subpar writers on DP, but there are also several good ones, and it's almost like looking for the diamond in the rough when you're seeking out writers here.
Just include that you are looking for a long term working relationship. I'm sure you know to request samples to ensure they are able to write clearly!
I think it's hard to find because some define SEO copywriting as writing by stuffing with keywords only. The trick is actually to find a balance of keywords including long tail keywords and writing to engage a target market. That includes research for zeroing in on a target market. You mention it's easy. Doing this well may look easy but it isn't. And there aren't that many who do it well in my opinion. That's probably why you are having a hard time finding someone.
Speaking as an experienced SEO Copywriter I'll say that you've got a hard task on your hands. I would recommend sticking to forums like DP rather than freelance sites such as GetAFreelancer/Scriptlance as the majority of writers there are crap and the majority of writing jobs there are crap. You've got to pay more than $5 an article if you want decent writing that's also SEO friendly and not script generated. Best, Josh
ive seen lots of website were the flood most of the site with keywords and it doesnt really help the site cause its normally the ones u got AH close lol
Some places to look for someone include Rentacoder.com, Elance.com, Guru.com and iFreelance.com. I've picked up some lovely clients through Elance for long term projects -- they seem to have a mix of long and short term projects there. Of course you could find someone here -- there are plenty of writers here on the boards. I would suggest mentioning that you are looking for someone long term. Everyone is looking for something different -- and knowing up front you are looking for someone long term is helpful. I know that I am more likely to send in a query if someone is looking for a long term relationship than just a one shot deal. But I have heard of other writers that like to go from project to project. Everyone is different.
It may be difficult to locate a good copywriter having equal proficiency in coding and designing.Since you know the skill and this makes you a better judge. It is like spotting a face in the crowd here at DP.But let me assure you they are here itself. You need to specify and elaborate your requirements and you will certainly recieve good offers.
I agree with the poster who suggested RAC and elance. You'll typically find really high caliber writers on there, provided you're willing to pay more than $0.01 a word.
A couple of things spring to mind that haven't been mentioned. Check the posts here on DP of each writer. Evaluate if they write fairly well, can stay on topic and are helpful rather than only posting "I can do that" or "hire me" type posts. If I were hiring from the forums, I would also look for someone who has their website or blog in their signature. Having their own site would allow you to see more of their work as well as identify someone who is in it for the duration and not someone who is simply looking for a bit of pocket change. As to finding a more middle of the road writer, you might want to go through this section of DP and look for the newer writers who are building their business and are willing to work for a little less. Taking this route might get you a bit higher quality at a cheaper price but may run the risk of not being a permanent solution for you.
It's almost impossible to find a professional content creator for several bucks. Quality work costs proper money. They say, you know: "I can't buy cheap things because I'm not so rich yet!"
Ditto on that one GustoiKiselb. People expect good, cheap and fast. You can't get all three and good and cheap can only be acquired in catching a copywriter on the way up the ladder. An experienced copywriter or seo writer brings more to the table than most realize until they've experienced it.
For one, you may want to stick to the Copywriting section here in DP and observe how the posters write. Check for grammar, sentence structure etc. You can also check their signatures for links to their websites. DP has a lot of great copywriters - just make sure that your offer is something that you yourself will be willing to take on.
The reason I didn't post it on the Content section of buy and sell was all the posting were for generic content writing. As I suspected I didn't get any copywriters. A bunch of PMs from regular content writers then I posted that I wanted copywriters only and no more PMs.
Go to the colleges in your area and post bulletins on every board in campus looking for part-time, work-at-home English majors. Starving college kids are great writers. =D
People equate content writing with copywriting. There are people looking for content that just sounds good. But copywriting sells and you have to do the research up front. You have to advise on navigation and marketing. There is a difference. The copy is not just filler that brings the search engines to your site. It brings PEOPLE. It brings a TARGET AUDIENCE. And you have to cater to an audience.
In my honest opinion, in DP Jenn is "thee pro writer". She is more of a PR writer I assume, but she does SEO writing as well. There are also many other quality content writer, just read their posts and you will be able to differentiate each one of them in terms of quality/professionalism.
You're going to have to filter out some noise to get to the good ones. They're there, though. Some tips: 1. As has been mentioned, start in the content creation forum. 2. ASK FOR EXAMPLES/snippets of previous work. This will speak volumes. 3. Check itrader/feedback/posts, but don't put too much stock in the feedbacks. Just make sure you're not dealing with a scammer/slacker. A lot of positive feedback is for lower/lower end quality articles. 4. You may need to pay several writers for initial sample articles and filter out the ones you don't like, keep the ones you do. 5. You won't get what you're looking for at $5/500 words. 6. Look for someone with experience in your niche/topic, although that's not always necessary. I've had a good experience with Karen D. As godsofchaos points out, Jenn gets repeated accolades, so you may try her if you're willing to pay the prices. Hope that helps.