The #1 Least Expensive Way to Outsource SOME of Your Blogging Tasks

Before we even begin, please notice that I said “SOME” not “ALL” of your blogging tasks.  Don’t get it twisted, you can’t outsource everything when it comes to blogging, but there are some things you can delegate to increase your productivity.

My biggest barrier when it comes to blogging, is NOT ideas.  I’ve got tons of them rolling around in my brain just waiting to burst free.  Surviving the Blog Reality Contest was one such idea that screamed for action.  But actions take time, and every day it seems that I have less and less of it.

Contest Tasks

There were many tasks associated with blogging and this latest contest that I needed to outsource, but I wasn’t ready to make the financial investment in hiring someone.  Maybe as things continue to progress, I’ll be able to justify the cost, but at this point it’s just not realistic.

So, I decided to contact a few colleges and universities in my area and present them with a unique, mutually beneficial opportunity.

Every semester, there are students who are required to participate in a certain amount of internship hours.  It is a requirement for graduation.  Those students must secure a position – paid or unpaid – in the industry they are preparing to enter.

Since, my business consists of freelance writing, editing, blogging and a host of related tasks, I decided to make this opportunity available to the English and Communications departments.

Be professional!

Now, before you rush off to contact a bunch of schools in your area, please”¦ PLEASE present yourself as a professional.   If your blog doesn’t seriously support your business (your blog can be your business), then please, quickly click away from this post.  Don’t waste another valuable moment of anyone’s time – students are not to be taken advantage of solely for your gain.

If you can’t give them a true opportunity to gain some training and experience in your area of expertise, then perhaps this isn’t the method for you.  This is not a way to get some “free labor” out of someone.

Take the time to organize and develop an internship position with the kind of precision you would if you were looking to hire someone.  That means you’ll need to develop a “Job Description,” a list of qualifications, and methods for contacting you.

Do your homework

Do a little bit of homework, first.  Most colleges have a website and most of them have a “Career Services Department” – start there.  Locate phone numbers

and email addresses.  Call and let them know that you have an internship position available and let them know the kinds of students you’re looking for.  Ask them if you can email them your Internship Description.

Generally, they should be able to forward you to the appropriate departments and if you’re able to develop a rapport with the person, they may even put in a good word for you.  That’s what happened when I contacted one of the nearby colleges.  After I got in contact with the department head, he was very impressed by my well organized description and quickly set up a meeting to come in and speak with him about the details.  Soon, I’ll be interviewing students and carefully selecting the most qualified.

So what does a good Internship Description look like?

Take a look at the description I created and feel free to borrow from or improvise its contents.

Internship Description:
This internship will provide an opportunity to strengthen blogging, writing and marketing skills. The intern will assist with social media marketing tasks as well as editing and potentially writing blog content.

This is an opportunity to learn how to write and develop a successful blog for business. This skill is becoming more and more of a commodity; as companies everywhere are beginning to embrace social media and see it as a valuable marketing tool. 

Skills that will be developed during this internship include but are not limited to:

• Managing a blog
• Search Engine Optimization
• Writing and copy-editing
• Social Media Marketing
• Blog Design
• Business Management
• Developing customer relations
• Email Marketing

The ideal candidate: 

• Major in English, Journalism, Marketing or related fields.
• GPA of at least 3.0
• Basic Computer Skills
• Computer with Internet Access

So, if you’ve been wondering about what you can do to outsource some of your blogging tasks, increase your productivity, and grow your blogging business, here’s an inexpensive way to do it.

So what do you think of this idea?  Are there some tasks that you badly need to outsource?  Have you ever worked with interns?  Share your thoughts.

If you haven’t already had an opportunity to check out the details of the new and exciting contest that’s going on at WeBlogBetter, please visit the blog and consider participating in the Surviving the Blog Reality contest.  I’ll be considering bloggers at all levels, so don’t let inexperience steer you away.  See you there.