You have to continually feed it new content, keep up with WordPress updates, maintain your hosting account, moderate comments, respond to readers… dozens, maybe hundreds of little tasks. And then there’s promoting and monetizing your blog, which is even more work.

It’s hard for anyone to manage, and the larger your blog grows, the worse the situation becomes. That’s why it’s good to prepare in advance for blogging eventualities you might face.

One of those eventualities is the question of whether you should write your blog posts, split up the work with guest posts or staff bloggers, or outsource blogging completely. There are pros and cons to each of those approaches, and here are some questions you might want to consider:

1. Your Relationship With Your Readers.

When you blog, you need to build trust, bonds and relationships with your readers. They grow to know you and like you, and they can’t wait to read your next post. Some become die-hard fans that rave about you or comment all the time. Great!

Not so great if you’ve personally branded yourself. The problem with personal branding is that you’ve built up a readership who wants you and you only.

So you worry: what will happen to your blog if you outsource your blogging?

Well… it depends.

If a blogger like Dooce or Naomi Dunford decided to outsource their blog, their readers would probably revolt. Their personalities are such a large part of the blog that it would be hard to get their readers to accept anyone else.

So if your blog is already big and established, and you have thousands of loyal readers, it could be tough. There’s a good chance you’ll lose some readers if you hire staff or start adding guest posters. Fans will read their work politely, but it’s really you they want. It will take time, a good plan, and weathering rumbles from readers until they accept it.

No one likes change, but eventually things will settle down. They’ll hang in there, especially if you’re still active with posting now and again, and if you hire a blogger whose style and tone matches your brand personality. Make sure the blogger also provides similar-quality advice, info or entertainment as you’ve been giving.

Of course, all of that only matters if you have an audience. What if you’re just getting started?

The truth: it’s a lot easier. You can build your blog around posting awesome content, rather than one particular personality. It won’t matter where the content comes from; as long as it’s awesome, your readers will be happy. And that leaves the door open for you to hire other writers.

Which leads us to the next question:

2. What Type of Blogger Do You Need?

You can’t just hire anyone who has a fair hand. You need to find a blogger who fits with your business brand, its mission, and the level of knowledge your blog provides. Of course, this blogger also has to be able to fit in with your goals and get results.

So you need to find the right blogger. Here are some questions to think about before bringing someone on:

• Does the blogger have the knowledge for the job?
• What’s the blogger’s writing style and personality like?
• Does that style fit with your business and brand?
• How long have they been blogging?
• Do they have proven results?
• How experienced and skilled are they?
• Can they help you achieve your goals?

Note that I didn’t mention, "How much do they cost?" We’ll get to that in a bit.

First, though, recognize that outsourcing blogging comes down to basically trusting someone with your business reputation. You’re not just shoving off a task – you’re giving someone permission to represent you and your business. This means that person needs to be able to maintain your credibility (or enhance it), please your readers and get them talking, and generally make your life better and easier by freeing up your time and becoming an asset to your blog.

A blogger who just writes well but who can’t make you look awesome?

Meh. Pass.

One who can fire up your audience, get them raving about your business and shows loyalty to helping you succeed?

Well now. That’s gold.

3. How Will You Compensate Them?

Good bloggers don’t work for free, but they don’t always want money, either.

Some prefer marketing exposure. Others want a link to their blog. Or republication rights. Or a barter arrangement.

Everything’s negotiable, and everyone wants something different. They definitely want something for their efforts, though, that’s for sure.

So, decide what you bring to the table. Can you send them traffic? Build their credibility? Help improve their search engine rankings? Recommend their products and services to your readers?

You need to have something to offer in exchange for a blogger’s work (and you’ll probably need more than $10 and a link), so figure out what you’re prepared to give in return for what the blogger brings to you.

In general, the more you give, the more you get.

Pay $10 for a blog post without offering anything else in exchange, and you’ll probably get a bad headline, sloppy grammar, and ordinary ideas, none of which would do much to build your blog. At the other end of the spectrum, some bloggers will do everything for you, including editing, polishing, getting photos, and promoting it to generate traffic. You’ll pay a lot more, anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per post, but you’ll be getting a lot more for the money, too.

For a fee, some writers are even willing to let you take credit for their work. Let’s talk about that next.

4. Should You Hire a "Ghost Blogger?"

No, it’s not a sordid, dirty word. Ghostwriting means someone writes on your behalf and you present the work as your own. The President does it with his speeches. Nothing wrong with that.

But it’s controversial, especially when it comes to blogging. Some feel it’s dishonest. Others feel that there’s nothing wrong in hiring someone to help write and share your knowledge with your audience. There’s no rule that says you must slave over writing posts if you absolutely can’t stand it, don’t have the time, or just don’t want to.

Smart entrepreneurs don’t do that. Why should you?

Here’s another argument: if your writing skills aren’t up to snuff, and you might be potentially damaging your credibility and sales, and if hiring staff bloggers or guest posters dilutes your brand and also damages your credibility… why wouldn’t you hire a ghost blogger?

People with average writing skills often hire ghost bloggers who turn their notes, audio files, thoughts and outlines into great posts. Same knowledge – just someone else writing. And very often, it’s the knowledge that your readers care about, not who puts it into words.

So ghost blogging may be an option for you, especially if you don’t like to spend time writing, can’t write well, aren’t seeing the results you want, or want time to develop other areas of your business. There’s nothing wrong with it, no more than there is hiring a chef for your restaurant.

5. What If It Doesn’t Work out?

Every time you make a change in your business, there’s always the risk it might not have been the best decision.

So let’s say you hire a blogger, work with a few guest posters, or decide to hire a ghostwriter. After a couple of months you realize that you’re not getting the results you wanted. Maybe traffic is down or your audience has shifted or sales have dropped.

Don’t freak out. It happens. All you need to do is adjust.

Unless you’ve completely trashed your business reputation, you can always change your blogging strategy. You can go back to blogging yourself, hire a new blogger with a different personality, get a ghost blogger to write more posts for you… whatever works. Take a look at Copyblogger, who went from a tight team of bloggers to multiple guest posters and back again.

No matter what you decide about outsourcing your blogging, you’re never stuck and committed forever. A blog is just a marketing tool that you can play with and test, adapt to your needs and measure for effectiveness as you go along, just like any other form of marketing.

And don’t worry – eventually you’ll hit on the solution that works best for you.

They’re those designers, writers and marketing consultants who have their own ideas about how everything should be done.

Oh, sure, they listen to your instructions, but you can tell they secretly think you’re an idiot. If you insist on them doing things your way, they get upset and threaten to walk out on you.

Sometimes you want to throw them all out a window, right?

I can sympathize. Over the years, I’ve had to work with my share of creative prima donnas. It’s frustrating. You’ve seen the great results they’re capable of, but dealing with their arguments and eye rolling may seem like it’s not worth it.

I’ve also worked on some amazing creative teams that produced jaw-dropping work, even though there were some prima donnas on board. Through it all, I learned a powerful lesson: you can’t treat creative prima donnas the same as you do “regular” employees.

No, you don’t have to put up with tantrums. No, you don’t have to let them do everything their way. No, you don’t have to accept whatever work they feel is “best” for your company.

But there are some rules you should follow.

It took me years to learn them, and now that I have, working with “creative prima donnas” isn’t nearly as tough as it used to be. If you do it right, it can be a real pleasure.

Let’s take a look:

1. Work with the Smartest People You Can Find

If you’re putting together a team, don’t be afraid to be the dumbest person in the room. As a matter of fact, that’s a pretty good goal to keep in mind.

Here’s why:

Smart people aren’t just good at coming up with brilliant ideas. They’re good at explaining them, debating them, and also seeing other people’s points of view.

In my experience, most of the freelancers who are the hardest to work with aren’t geniuses. They are the people who willfully refuse to think. They have an opinion, but they don’t have anything to back it up, and so when you try to discuss their ideas in more depth, they just get mad.

Truly brilliant people don’t do this. Put half a dozen of them in a room, and sure, you’ll have some disagreements. Chances are though, they’ll be high-level, well-thought-out disagreements, and if everyone sticks with it, they can probably come to a consensus.

You don’t have to feel threatened by it. In fact, one way to know you’re on the right track is when you have half a dozen million people all debating about the right way to go.

The trick is, you also have to give them the freedom to have that debate.

2. Give Them the Freedom to Suck (at First)

What’s Rule Number One we all learned about brainstorming? “No idea is too ridiculous,” right?

There’s a reason for that rule.

Group members want to feel like they can say anything when it’s time to generate ideas. No notion should be too far out, and no idea too crazy.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve participated in brainstorming sessions where someone blurted out a crazy idea, and someone else followed the thread until it led to the idea we all decided to implement.

Occasionally getting a dumb idea out of the way serves to clear our neural pathways so that a really great idea can come bursting forth. And sometimes one stupid notion becomes the inspiration for an innovative, groundbreaking plan.

This kind of thinking can only happen in an environment where all ideas are welcome, so avoid shooting down ideas when they bubble to the surface, no matter who they come from or how outrageous they sound.

3. Give the Group the Power to Decide

If you’ve handled the brainstorming right, you end up with a long list of concepts to explore. Some are junk, but others may be diamonds in the rough.

It may be tempting to have the most senior member of the group decide where to take the ideas you’ve generated. Don’t do it.

Once you’ve gathered a good group of concepts, get everyone together and prioritize the contributions. Decide as a group what’s useable and what’s not.

Sure, it’ll probably take some time. Sure, you’ll probably have some heated arguments. Sure, you’ll want to say, “I’m the expert here. Do what I say.”

But if you’ll trust the group, and commit to coming to a consensus, you’ll always be better off. Your end product will be stronger because of the range of ideas you’ve brought together.

4. Share the Red Pen

Finalizing a project always involves refining and perfecting it. This is where the red correction pen comes into play.

One of the first things I do with a new design client is give them a few of my favorite brand of red pens. I tell them that I expect they’ll need to make changes to the projects we work on, and I welcome their contributions.

The red pen makes it easier for me to see what they’d like to change, and read the notes they scribble to me.

I sometimes send the corrected work back to them with my own mark ups. I make their changes and suggest others. Design, at its best, is a collaborative process. This kind of back-and-forth refinement is a great way to perfect your ideas.

5. Treat Them like What They Are: Valuable

It’s important for people on your team, no matter how small a role they play, to feel like they can contribute to all stages of your project: idea generation; product creation and refinement.

Cultivating an environment where team members feel free to contribute, even if you have a small business, and even if those team members are temporary or freelance workers, will always get you a stronger final product.

It’s no fun to be stuck on the tracks with a project leader who’s about to run you over. Don’t be that person.

What do you do to encourage your team members to contribute? What have I left out? I’d like to hear from you in the comments.

About the author: Pamela Wilson helps small businesses grow with great design at Big Brand System.

It’s almost like we have a “secret code,” and we reserve our best work for the clients who know it. When you speak with us, you might feel like you need a translator to communicate what you want and get marketing materials that stand out.

But the good news is it’s simpler than it sounds.

In the end, you don’t need to know the difference between points and pixels to get the best work from your designer. You just need to know a few secret code phrases to help you describe what you want and avoid the red flags that set graphic designers on edge.

Code Phrases to Avoid:

Say the phrases below at your peril.

When we hear these come out of your mouth, we immediately start either formulating how we can say “no” to working with you, or calculating how much more we should charge for the project so that we can cover the additional time it will take to deal with you.

1. “I’ll know it when I see it.” When you say this, we have visions of parading design after design by you as you sit passively and observe. Design is a two-way process. Your participation and guidance are key to coming up with a final product that meets your needs.

2.”Here, I made a layout for you.” On the other hand, we don’t want you to do our work for us. Tell us about your conversion goals and the market you want to reach, let us know if there is a certain mood you want to create or an image you want to convey, and then step back so we can do what we do best: solve communication problems visually. When you try to do our work for us, you limit our ability to deliver the best solution.

3. “I had a huge falling out with my last designer.” This one puts us on edge. We wonder why? Was it them, or was it you? Were you impossible to work with? Did you not pay your bills?

4. “I don’t have much to spend now, but there’s more work coming.” Whenever you don’t have money set aside for design, it’s like telling a designer that you don’t value good design or well-planned marketing, and you won’t appreciate the impact it will have on sales. It’s a red flag that you’ll be hard to deal with, won’t pay invoices on time, and might even be out of business within a few months or years — none of which are qualities top designers are looking for.

5. “How much does <hideously complicated project> cost?” Designers sometimes have standard prices for projects that have a tight description and don’t vary much. These could include website headers, HTML emails of a particular length, and even logos. But for any project that’s complex, such as a free report, corporate website, or product packaging, we need to gather information before we can give you a price. Experienced business people know this, so asking for a “ballpark figure” before giving details just makes you look like a beginner.

6. “I want to show this to my <spouse/friend/child>.” There is nothing wrong with asking for feedback, but this one still makes designers nervous, and here’s why: none of these people are inside your business. If you want to talk with a marketing director or your business partner, that’s fine, because they probably understand your business and marketing goals, but when you go outside of your company for feedback, what it really tells us is that you can’t make a decision on your own.

Code Phrases to Use:

The phrases below are music to our ears. Clients who understand the value a designer brings to the table and know the importance of well-planned marketing say things like this:

7. “What do you recommend we do?” The simplest way to get inspired work out of anyone is to make it clear that you value their opinion. Graphic designers are no exception. Instead of starting a project with your deliverables set in stone, give us a chance to think about it and make recommendations. Sure, it might take an extra day or two, but you’ll often be amazed at the ideas top designers give you. It can be the difference between a mediocre marketing campaign and one that makes you millions.

8. “How much time do you need?” This question tells us you know good work takes time, especially for new clients. First projects always take the longest because we are inventing the “look” of your company from scratch. It takes a lot of thought, back-and-forth, and revisions, all of which take time. But if you’re willing to be patient, it’s worth it.

9. “What’s the best way to communicate?” Some graphic designers are impossible to reach by phone, while others prefer it. Some are happy to talk with you at 10 PM, while others can’t. Before you start your project, it’s important to know how your graphic designer prefers to communicate, and then do your best to accommodate it. You’ll have less mixups, more fun, and a designer who loves working with you — all of which lead to higher-quality work.

10. “Here’s the information you need. Here’s the target market. Here’s how we’ll approve your proposals. Go to work!” The ultimate designers’ fantasy: a client who has all of their text and photos organized; who knows their target market and overall goal for the piece; who has a clear approval process in place; and who is willing to give us the time and authority to do our work. If you learn nothing else from this article, learn these phrases, because they cover everything we want to hear.

The biggest secret of all?

Clients who are easy to work with and use the secret code phrases on a regular basis don’t just get our best work. They also get the lowest invoices, because we can work efficiently and don’t have to fight our way through the process.

How about you? Do you have a good working relationship with a designer? What makes it work? Or have you had nightmare experiences?

Tell us about it in the comments.

About the Author: Pamela Wilson is an award-winning graphic designer and author of the Big Brand System.

Well… yeah.

It’s sad, but in the years I’ve been in the business, I’ve seen companies burned, stung, robbed, and strung out by unethical copywriters who couldn’t care less about them. To them, you’re just a walking ATM machine, and they lay awake at night, figuring out how to press all your buttons.

I know because my clients have told me. Sometimes, they tell me because the lie worked, and they’re thinking about taking their business away from my firm, but lots of times, it’s the opposite. They know it’s a lie, but they just can’t figure out how.

As much as some freelance copywriters would like to believe it, business owners aren’t stupid. You know when someone isn’t being straight with you. Maybe you just need someone to verify it, and so that’s what I’d like to do.

It’s ironic for me, a freelance copywriter, to be writing on the lies told within our field – but who better to reveal their lies than someone who’s right in the thick of it?

And here’s why: they make the honest ones look bad. Plenty of copywriters operate with full integrity, but when we have to struggle with a reputation given us by less ethical writers… well, it’s time to fight back.

Here are 10 of the most common lies copywriters like to tell. Take a look, so you’ll be ready:

1. “Every project is unique and I can’t quote you until I know more.”

Every project is unique, true, but top copywriters wouldn’t be where they are today if they didn’t have a good idea of ballpark rates and averages. Most top copywriters display their rates in plain view – they have nothing to hide.

Anytime you see this line, you can be sure that you’re dealing with either an inexperienced writer who isn’t sure of what to charge or a sleaze who is out to charge an arbitrary rate based on how much they think they can squeeze you. Either way, you can do better.

2. “I need to know your budget before I can quote.”

Why? So you can take all of it?

Writers who ask for your budget before giving you a quote are usually trying to figure out how much you can afford, or who want to push you just over your budget so they can get more out of you.

The good writers? They’ll either try to find a solution that fits or say they’ll be there to help when you do have the money saved up.

And they’ll never ask you for your budget.

3. “I’m qualified, because I have a degree in English literature.”

While having a degree is nice, those English lit degrees aren’t any measure of quality copywriting. They’re actually pretty useless where copywriting is concerned, because the field has far more to do with sales and marketing than with literature. Truth be told, most top copywriters don’t even have degrees.

Degrees don’t matter. Results do. The good copywriters aren’t going to show you their credentials; they’re going to show you what they’ve achieved for other clients, and they’ll tell you about the results they can get for your business.

4. “I had to quote high because of the time I’ll need to write this.”

Want to know a dirty little secret?

Top copywriters produce fantastic copy in minutes. The actual writing doesn’t take much time at all, and no copywriter worth his or her salt charges on an hourly basis. High rates are high because of the writer’s skills, experience, reputation and ability to get results. Good copywriters charge that much because they’re that good, not because they’re that slow.

A writer who justifies high rates with high hours is trying to make you think he or she is slaving away for days. It might be true, it might not, but the bottom line for you is that you expect results, and a copywriter whining about time doesn’t help you get them.

5. “Your email hit my spam folder.”

This time-stalling trick isn’t just used by copywriters – it’s the perfect excuse for anyone who wants to avoid dealing with you, for whatever reason. Maybe they’re running behind and can’t deliver on time. Maybe they don’t feel like making changes you’ve requested.

Whatever the reason for wanting to stall, the spam folder provides an easy excuse. Your communication disappears as if it never existed, and by the time the copywriter says, “Oops, I’m sorry,” it’s just too late.

The good copywriters? They know business, and they know that regular spam checkups is just part of the routine – no one’s email gets lost.

6. “I’m booked, so I can only squeeze you in if you pay a rush fee.”

This is pure psychological manipulation, and it works very nicely. A perception of being in demand makes you want the copywriter more, thanks to the magic of social proof.

The really in-demand copywriters don’t play these games. They don’t squeeze anyone, because they don’t need to. They have plenty of work, they’re not interested in filling up their plate, and they can afford to tell you that you have to wait your turn. Which you should do – it saves you money, and the results are worth it.

7. “You get what you pay for.”

Meh, maybe, if we’re discussing cars. But when it comes to freelance copywriting, there’s no such yardstick. You’ll find high-priced, poor-quality copywriters ready to take advantage of you and you’ll find just as many low-priced, fantastic copywriters ready to get you results.

Unscrupulous freelancers use this “get what you pay for” routine to elevate themselves and make you feel cheap. This influences you to hire them to show you aren’t a skinflint Scrooge.

But real copywriters? They simply point you to substantial portfolios and testimonials that prove they’re worth every penny. They don’t need to make you feel bad, and they don’t want to.

8. “All you need to make sales is great copy.”

That’s just silly. If great copy was all we needed to make sales, we could do away with websites, marketing campaigns, driving traffic, providing good customer service – there’s just no need!

Uh… no.

The best copy in the world won’t do anything for your sales if you don’t have a clear plan, tools, resources, tactics and strategies in place to draw in potential customers, convey trust and credibility and get their eyes on the page so they start to read. It’s just one piece of a successful business.

9. “This copy will sell anyone.”

Any copywriter worth his QWERTY knows this is a crock. You can’t write copy targeting “anyone” – good copy is crafted to reach specific people with specific problems. It’s laser focused on the ideal customer, and it repels anyone else.

Unscrupulous writers won’t ask questions about your target market, and the result is that they won’t sell much to anyone at all, including your ideal customer. They’ll miss all the crucial elements of good copy, like hitting the right pain point, addressing concerns, providing convincing benefits and drawing in your ideal customer to a sale.

10. “I know what I’m doing, and if you’re smart, you’ll trust me.”

This is meant to position them as an authority, but as anyone knows, people who feel the need to point out they know what they’re doing probably don’t know what they’re doing at all. And frankly, if you weren’t worried before, the statement “trust me” certainly raises an important question in your head: “Can I?”

The answer is… probably not.

Self-confidence in skills and knowledge is something that’s easily communicated and nearly tangible. You don’t have to be told – you can clearly see the copywriter knows exactly what he or she is doing without that person even saying a word.

Does a copywriter asking you to trust them guarantee they are shady?

No, but it’s another red flag. None of the lies we’ve covered here are enough by themselves to condemn anyone, but put several of them together, and it should set off warning bells. The slimiest copywriters use each of these lies intentionally, and having a collection to watch for, it should be easy for you to spot them.

About the author: James Chartrand is a straight-shooting copywriter from Men with Pens.