Efficiency is extremely important when you are dealing with web content. If you are publishing content to your own website, then it is very important to meet your deadlines so that your readers are not left wondering why there is nothing new going up. If you are posting content for someone else (either for affiliate marketing or for outsourcing purposes, etc.), then it is especially imperative that you make sure that you have the work done on time.
Believe it or not, probably all projects begin with a plan and a deadline. If everything goes according to plan, you should never be late on a project, right? That might seem like it should be the case, but then things happen and you get behind… time gets wasted and unforeseen problems cause you a lot more trouble than you ever counted on. Before you know it, the project is behind and you are struggling to get it back on the rails!
When it comes to getting content published on time, it is all about efficiency… and most of the time, efficiency is lost with the writers. This is not to say that all writers waste time, but the dynamic (or lack of…) that exists between you and your writer is going to make a lot of difference. When it comes to maximizing time and effort, there is a lot that you can do to contribute to the level of efficiency obtained as the project unfolds.
First Rule… Spare No Detail
Efficiency begins in the work order/job description. This cannot be stressed enough. If you deliver a work order that simply states the title and the subject, then one of two things are going to happen…
Your writer is going to fill in the blanks doing what they think is best, what they think you would want, or what is easiest. Or, your writer is going to contact you and ask about more details.
So, yes… it might seem like you saved time by not wasting precious minutes on a detailed work order… but now you have to respond to messages, and any downtime in between (time your writer spent waiting for a response) is time that has been lost. Or, you have a situation where the content is not what you wanted. Even if your writer does not mind fixing it, you are going to have downtime while the newly unveiled details and guidelines are implemented after the fact.
Whereas, had you included all the relevant information (word count, tense, keywords, keyword density, specific requests for keyword inclusion, whether or not you want bullet points, whether or not you want quotes or details, etc.), the writer might not have had any questions at all. In some cases, by the time you check your messages, answer the questions, and then the writer takes the time to check their messages to read your reply; the project could literally have been done!
As you can see, you play a very crucial role in maintaining efficiency when it comes to dealing with your writer. Now, if you have a writer who is just plain slow, does not understand simple instructions, or always runs late despite your efforts to maximize efficiency… then you might have a problem with your writer, and it might be time to locate some new talent for your content needs.
Be Reachable
If you have enough internet experience to know how to build a website and publish high quality content on it, then you know that it pays to be reachable at all times during the day. If you communicate with your writer via email, but only check your email at 8am each morning… then a simple question could very well take 24 hours to answer, because it will literally wait until you log in next time.
If, however, you were to make it a habit to quickly log on a few times each day to check for questions or problems, you might be able to turn a 24 hour wait into a 2 to 3 hour wait just by being available. This might eat up some time during the day, but is it worth it to have the project moving at an efficient pace as opposed to having huge starts and stops the entire time?
Getting a project moving efficiently does take time, but it pays for itself when you consistently meet deadlines and get things done with the least amount of down time possible. This will make you an invaluable asset to anyone you are outsourcing for, and will also enable you to manage your own web content writers with the same kind of efficiency.
James Martell is a well-recognized author and the popular WebmasterRadio.FM talk show host for the ‘Affiliate Buzz’ radio program. He is a specialist in the area of affiliate marketing, and has spent the better part of his life making money online, a skill that he has honed and refined over his years of success. James often utilizes information and facts from websites such as www.openwebsitetutorials.com when looking for new material to keep his readers and listeners interested, as he realizes how important it is to deliver new content and information to his audience.