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RonD
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Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:31 pm
Post subject: What is your experience if any with Elance?
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Hello,
As per Martell in the last buzz I am trying to hire someone from Elance to write the all important articles, I have received four bids the price range is between 500-350 dollars thus far for 100 articles !! 
Also posted the project at smarterworks no bids as of yet, is there any other places that I could post this project without getting raked over the coals?  |
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robertb
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Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:42 pm
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Raked over the coals?
Sorry to break it to ya RonD, but the general going rate per article is about $4-5 these days. $350 for 100 articles is not bad at all.
You need to consider quality here. As they always say, you get what you pay for.
I'm saying this from experience. I spend around $500 a month on articles.
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AllanGardyne
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ihenman
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Canada
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:44 pm
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http://scriptlance.com
Has also recently launched a MARKETING/PROMOMTION/WRITING portion to their freelance site.
I personally have yet too venture down the rd. to outsource my content writing but I think it's approaching that time too consider it..
RobertB is right
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You need to consider quality here. As they always say, you get what you pay for.
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Never lose site of the BIG PICTURE as hard as it can be...Short term gain i.e. inexpensive writers too create 100 articles is fantastic pensding the get you the success that you're expecting...
I guess that's why I've not outsourced it yet...I'm concerned about the quality of the article...and if I can effectively Blend in someone elses words with my own on my sites...for that conversational feel for my visitors.
best of luck finding a provider!
PS: as for Elance as a company for looking for a writer...I'd say they're the TOP DOG in the freelance world. The prices too supply services aren't cheap...so there are more high quality providers
-Ian |
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Greg P
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 5:41 am
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RonD, I just started working with a college student friend of mine and have agreed to pay her $5.00 per 200+ word article. This works out to approx. 2.5 cents per word.
Now, that may sound like a lot...but when I consider the time it takes me to write articles (about 20-45 minutes each), I see paying $8-$12 an hour as a fantastic bargain...provided the articles are well written.
I don't know what other industry you can hire someone to research and write for you for $12.00 an hour, save interns at a major publishing company who may do it for less (free?).
But I don't think most of us have the credibility or the connections that a major publishing firm can offer an intern...so, $12.00 an hour is great.
At any rate, if you can get even decent articles for $3.50 per article, I'd jump all over it.
Just my thoughts...
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Charlie
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 10:04 am
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| Greg P wrote: | | I just started working with a college student friend of mine and have agreed to pay her $5.00 per 200+ word article. |
I have to admit I haven't read Gary's book (which is a bit much considering the good stuff he used to share on here), so maybe I'm missing something, but I just fail to believe I'd get the quality for that price.
| Quote: | | but when I consider the time it takes me to write articles (about 20-45 minutes each), I see paying $8-$12 an hour as a fantastic bargain...provided the articles are well written. |
I know subjects vary, but how the hell can someone research and write 200 words that sound like they came from an expert in anything approaching 20 minutes?
To manage this, you'd have to be an expert rehashing more of the same old, same old, or someone (not qualified) relying on more than a healthy amount of inspiration from an existing publisher.
OK, I can be a bit choosy, but I can and do write a lot. It comes easy to me, but I still think I'd be lying if I said I could write (anything like) professionally on a subject I didn't know much about. The best I could hope for, would be to influence the truly ignorant.
| Quote: | | I don't know what other industry you can hire someone to research and write for you for $12.00 an hour |
I don't believe it here either - not to the appropriate standard.
Is this simply for popular, consumer, general interest topics. Chatting on paper? Padding for Adsense? Doesn't pride come into it? It's your site, after all.
Needless to say, I haven't got a clue how well anyone posting does it on their own sites, since I haven't looked. If you're happy, it does indeed sound like a bargain.
I'm just expressing my views based on how I like my sites to appear, and the generally variable standards of publishing we all experience on a daily basis. Quality is something I'm passionate about, so please excuse the strong opinions.
All the best,
Charlie.
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Greg P
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:02 pm
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Charlie, I can understand how high quality articles may take much longer to research and write. The quality I am talking about it martell style articles. They tend to be general information, mainly to rank in the SERPs. Now, for my own sites, I try to do a bit better than that, however, I have a seperate full time business that I run.
At this point in time, I'd rather spend the $5.00 to get general interest information on "paper" that will catch websurfers who will then click on adsense or buy a product through an affiliate link, than spend a lot longer doing research and writing them myself.
I choose to see affiliate marketing primarily as an "investment" as opposed to a "project". I want to take the money I earn in my regular business, and pay writers who can produce content.
And no, this won't create a pillar of a website, that dominates a sector with the best content possible Furthermore I think that creating an amazing website IS the better mousetrap. But I simply want to attract traffic that clicks on links and buys products...and it will do that.
And as long as it is making money...well, that's my main personal interest. I know others will have a different focus.
| Quote: | | I know subjects vary, but how the hell can someone research and write 200 words that sound like they came from an expert in anything approaching 20 minutes? |
Well, someone who is very knowledgeable in a given subject (say James Martell on affilate marketing, or Warren Buffet on investments...etc) could write 200 high quality words...probably without much research  .
As for myself, I am not looking for expert quality articles...and I think this is where we differ.
So you're right...no way can you hire an expert in a field for $5.00 an article, or $12.00 an hour...but you can get 200 words on a page, that catch websurfers, and generate revenue, and may even be somewhat informative, if not expertly written.
Looks like we have a different philisophical approach to it...but I guess that's what makes this a good flexible business eh? 
Just my thoughts...
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RonD
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:51 pm
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Not trying to cause anymore waves but I did hire a writer a professional for 3.00 per article at elance.
This person has over 5 years experience in writing and marketing. Her services include writing press releases, news articles and copy writing. She also provides conceptual and strategic marketing services
Georgetown University, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
01 Sep 1995 - 01 Dec 1998
Boston University, Master's of Science in Communication
01 Sep 1999 - 01 Sep 2000
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Greg P
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 1:05 am
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RonD, sounds like you might have made out well... Keep us posted at least as to the quality of articles you receive...I'm very curious as to how it turns out for you!
Greg P
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Charlie
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:04 am
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| Greg P wrote: | | Looks like we have a different philisophical approach to it...but I guess that's what makes this a good flexible business eh? |
It's certainly a good thing on forums, but I'm not sure about SERPS...
To me it comes down to whether we want the SERPS to be dominated by scarcely researched "content" masquerading as authorititative expertise. What do you search for? The opportunity to click on something or to find good information?
I think anyone who facilitates the creation of content sites for "the man in the street" has to bear some responsibility for all this. Publishing standards are already appalling on the web simply due to the low barriers to entry.
Adsense has sweetened the pot considerably - and it's certainly less popular with advertisers than publishers, let's say. This fast and cheap content creation philosophy looks like an excellent way of making things worse, if you ask me.
I think a lot depends on whether you are prepared to just close your eyes and collect the money, or if you worry about being able to retire with any self respect.
I mentioned pride before. What's the point of life? Just a few more quid? Whatever happened to passion, for that matter?
All the best,
Charlie.
| RonD wrote: | | Not trying to cause anymore waves but I did hire a writer a professional for 3.00 per article at elance. |
A lot of people have trouble paying off student loans over here, too. 
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Greg P
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:13 am
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Charlie, I appreciate your response, and it seems to me affiliate marketing is something different to me than it is to you. I am very passionate about building business systems that are scaleable, and able to be leveraged out.
If it can't be leveraged out, it's not an investment to me...it's more self employment. There is nothing wrong with this, it's just my motivation is different. My goal in this is a personal goal, and I think most people started affiliate marketing with a similar goal...to provide a good passive income, and quit a day job.
Of course, if I could find a writer that produces innovative, ground breaking articles for $5-$10 a pop, I'd hire them in an instant! But I'm realistic about it, and am content (for now) to simply have decent articles that provide a good passive income.
Not to say I don't have alturistic passions, I have several, ...but providing truly superior web content just isn't one of them.
So I think we can agree to disagree on this one, though it's been great to hear your point of view, and I'll probably continue to think it over in the days to come.
Greg P
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Charlie
Joined:
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3305
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:20 am
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| Greg P wrote: | | I am very passionate about building business systems that are scaleable, and able to be leveraged out. |
I can see the attraction. That's one problem with content sites. They're labour intensive.
| Quote: | | If it can't be leveraged out, it's not an investment to me...it's more self employment. |
It's that old trade off between doing it our way and restricting expansion, again.
The best compromise I've found, is to set up as many small hands-free sources of passive income as possible. The crumbs from under the table and the low-hanging fruit, as Allan calls it.
I'm not a natural delegator, I'm afraid!
| Quote: | But I'm realistic about it, and am content (for now) to simply have decent articles that provide a good passive income.
Not to say I don't have alturistic passions, I have several, ...but providing truly superior web content just isn't one of them. |
Personally, I'm more interested in "truly original and professionally researched and written" - I'm prepared to leave subjective judgments of "superiority" to others!
| Quote: | | So I think we can agree to disagree on this one, though it's been great to hear your point of view |
Yours too. This place thrives on civilised disagreement, I reckon.
Vive la diff?rence!
Cheers,
Charlie.
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elbavaro
Joined:
13 Jul 2003
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:20 pm
Post subject: Re: What is your experience if any with Elance?
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| RonD wrote: | Hello,
As per Martell in the last buzz I am trying to hire someone from Elance to write the all important articles, I have received four bids the price range is between 500-350 dollars thus far for 100 articles !!
Also posted the project at smarterworks no bids as of yet, is there any other places that I could post this project without getting raked over the coals? |
From our personal experience you need to check seriously on what you get.
Whatever articles you receive make sure you do a plagarism check using google or http://www.copyscape.com/. We had several problems where writers just copied content from other websites and sold it as "own" work to us.
So - be carful!
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Bizman
Joined:
08 Sep 2004
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4
Location:
ID
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:42 am
Post subject: Re: What is your experience if any with Elance?
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| elbavaro wrote: |
From our personal experience you need to check seriously on what you get.
Whatever articles you receive make sure you do a plagarism check using google or http://www.copyscape.com/. We had several problems where writers just copied content from other websites and sold it as "own" work to us.
So - be carful! |
I’ll second that EL Bavaro. The first content writing project that I posted on Elance resulted in me receiving articles that had been mostly plagiarized from more or less two other websites. The only difference being that some words had been changed to try to disguise the fact that they had been copied, but when compared to the originals it was obvious that they had been so. This was despite my strict instructions that stipulated no copying and also that the articles would be checked for plagiarism and refused if they were found to have been copied. The writer seemed to be a well-experienced one, whose name could be found all over the internet in connection with their own websites and also with articles that had been written for other people. Similarly, the positive feedback left on Elance by others seemed to indicate to me that the writer was perfect for the job. Obviously, it was not to be. When confronted with the evidence of plagiarism the writer said they had rushed to get the articles finished to meet my deadline. A weak excuse in my book! Sure it is nice to get your articles finished within a reasonable time frame; but accept copied work to do so? I don’t think so! Wouldn’t it be far better to request a time extension in such a situation? I wasn’t offering top dollar to have the articles written, so did not have unrealistic expectations with regard to quality but what I did offer was far in excess of the $5 per article postings that you see so often on Elance so I was at least expecting some originality.
So yes, beware! |
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RonD
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:28 am
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Thanks for headups I will be checking each and ever article that I receive for plagiarizism.I guess when you think about there is really not too many ways things can be said in some aspects of every keyword. She told me it would take two weeks. I really don't expect this to happen as she is finding that well written articles that I am looking for are far more time consuming than she expected.
I am just curious of what you did or didn't do with the work that they presented to you that said it was their own work.  |
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