Outsourcing Internet Marketing Tasks – Rules To Live By
Time is a valuable thing to an online marketer. That’s why it’s so common for them to find other people to help out with different tasks – this is called outsourcing. Outsourcing internet marketing tasks can sometimes be a scary ordeal. Are you sure that you can trust the person doing the work? How do you know that they aren’t going to simply run away with your money? Luckily for you, this simple guide will teach you all that you really need to know about outsourcing your work.
Choosing A Contractor
When you choose someone to do part of your work for you, the biggest concern is often finding someone who you can depend on. On the internet, outsourcing internet marketing can include having people write articles for you, hiring someone to create an e-book, hiring someone to create a website or a blog, or anything else that you may not have the skills, time or desire to do on your own. But, you need to make sure that the person you hire is competent.
The best way to do this is to post an advertisement for the task on a website like Guru.com or Elance.com. Then, people will actually come to you! You will be given applications for the task and you can sort through them at your own pace. Quickly throw out anyone who is obviously not qualified for the job. Then, carefully look through the rest. Who has done work like this before? Then, look at their references. Do they people saying good things about them? That’s where the real matter is – how have they performed for others in the past?
Another great way of outsourcing internet marketing tasks to qualified people is to look through forums where they advertise their services. Often times you can read testimonials that other customers have posted on the forum. This can serve as a way of weeding out who you can depend on. Plus, don’t be afraid to send them a message or an e-mail asking about their past experiences or asking for some references – especially if you are outsourcing a big and expensive job.
Define Concrete Requirements Before You Pay Both you and the person(s) that you have hired need to understand exactly what to expect out of the deal. Most of the time it is a good idea to set out a numbered list of exact tasks that are to be completed. This is to protect you so that you can be sure that you get everything that you paid for. But, it also protects the contractor so that they know exactly what they need to do and don’t miss a thing.
With that said, you can only expect them to deliver what you ask them to deliver. The ball is really in your court when it comes to deciding what you need. Many contractors will offer packages of work (such as a website with header, footer, e-book and articles), but it is up to you to make sure that the package includes everything that you need – because you will only get what you ask and pay for.
Also understand that once you send payment to the contractor, the terms are set. You cannot pay someone for a job and then say ‘Oh, and remember to do this too..’ That’s a good way to head towards a bad business relationship.
Define A Deadline Before You Pay
You need to understand exactly when you will get the work before you pay. Most of the time, your contractor will tell you what their deadline is – however, you may be able to ask them to perform a rush job for a premium price. Make sure that both parties understand what the deadline will be and are prepared to stick to it.
One of a contractor’s worst nightmares is being sent payment for a job and then receiving a message from you right afterwards that says, ‘Oh and can I have that done a few days early’ or ‘Can you send me half of the work half-way through the deadline?’ The contractor will most likely not want to disappoint you and might end up rushing through work to meet your expectations. Just follow the rule of: if it was not established before payment was sent, it won’t happen. That is why preparing terms and deadlines is so important.
Don’t worry about freaking out the contractor, they are well prepared for you to take precautions. Actually, they will probably find it refreshing that a customer wants to hammer out all of the details. Outsourcing internet marketing work does not have to be scary, just play by these rules and everyone wins!
