When used properly, micro-job sites like Fiverr can sometimes be useful for finding freelance bloggers. But they’re not the best option.
I still believe that paying extra for professional bloggers is the best way to go. You can discuss openly through Skype (Fiverr doesn’t allow off-site communication!) and even meet in person. It’s possible to get all the details together before agreeing on a price and deadline.
However, if you’re looking into micro-job sites, here are four ways that they can be useful. Just make sure you follow the tips for finding freelance bloggers that I shared last week!
They Can Keep Your Budget Down
If you are a start-up company, you likely have a very small budget. Getting someone to write your posts for a small amount will be at the top of your list.
You don’t have the ability to spend $50 or more on a blog post. You need those $5 offers, or maybe $10-$15 if you want something extra special.
Micro-job sites can help you with this. I’ve said in the past that there are some writers on the site offering high quality work. The problem is that it takes a long time to find them. As I said last week, you need to weed your way through the bad.
Payments Are Protected
When you first delve into the world of hiring bloggers, you can worry about sending payment and not getting the work you deserve; or not getting the work at all! Like writers, clients can end up burned.
There’s nothing wrong with worrying about payments being made. You don’t want a scammer running off with your money. With micro-job sites, you don’t have to worry about that as much.
The payments are put in an escrow account. Neither of you can get that back, without permission from each other. This could be in the form of a refund or it could be through accepting that work has been completed. Even if the work isn’t to standard, you could find that spending $5 to highlight all the bad is worthwhile. Some sellers would rather give you your money back.
If you’re really not satisfied, you can also get in touch with the sites. Look at the rules of the site for how refunds work. In most cases, it is if the work has not been delivered according to the gig description and not for personal tastes. After all, personal tastes are subjective.
Working with escrow accounts is worthwhile. This isn’t just something you can do on micro-job sites. You can set up accounts and get your freelancers you hire to work through them too.
You Can Build a Relationship
There are still ways to build relationships with sellers on the sites. You can still take your time to discuss project requirements and talk about delivery times. This should all be done within the messages on the sites.
It’s worth spending time reading through the rules of the site that you join. Most don’t allow off-site communication, even if it is easier to discuss project needs.
Instead, be open about your needs when you first contact a seller. Find out about experience and discuss all your expectations. This will help you get an idea of price. After all, a basic gig will cost $5, but with all your needs and expectations, you could find yourself paying more.
As you find writers who are good, work on keeping those relationships. Some will move on from the sites. Get in touch to find out where they are going. Sure, communication off site isn’t allowed but if your writer is leaving, you need to do something, right?
Find Them Off-Site
Some of the sellers will have their own businesses off the micro-job sites. They may have started with the $5 gigs, just to get themselves started. From there, they will have grown and offer better quality, more in-depth pieces for a little more money.
Most sellers on micro-job sites will use their business name within their username. The serious ones will have professional ones that they could cross over, or may even have their real name mentioned. This is to help create a brand at a later date. You can often search for them off-site and find their actual website.
Doing this will help you do more research into the freelance bloggers. You can also get the off-site communication without technically breaking the site rules. After all, you didn’t ask them to take the communication off the site.
Protecting yourself is important, while getting work at a budget you can afford. Micro-job sites can help with this. They can be useful for some looking to hire freelance bloggers, but you do need to be careful. Unfortunately, there are a lot of poor quality bloggers on these sites.
Have you used micro-job sites for writing work? Feel free to share your story in finding freelance bloggers for your projects and how they’ve helped or hindered you.