Outsourcing Blog Writing, Design, and Editing Made Easy
- Elisha Bearam
- Sep 28
- 9 min read
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Feeling overwhelmed by the endless to-do list of running your blog? You’re not alone.
This guide will show you how to strategically outsource blog tasks like writing, design, and editing.
Free up your time, improve quality, and grow your income faster by learning what to delegate, where to find talent, and how to manage the process seamlessly.
What is Blog Outsourcing? (Your Secret Weapon for Growth)
In simple terms, outsourcing means hiring skilled freelancers or virtual assistants to handle specific jobs for your blog. Think of it like this: you’re the CEO of your blog.
A CEO doesn’t do every single task; they hire experts to handle different departments.
When you outsource blog content, you’re not admitting defeat. You’re making a smart, strategic decision to leverage other people’s skills.
This allows you to focus on the big picture—your vision, your strategy, and connecting with your audience. It’s the ultimate power move for any blogger serious about growth.
The Benefits of Outsourcing Blog Tasks
Why should you consider handing over parts of your beloved blog? The rewards are profound.
Reclaim Your Time: The most immediate benefit is getting your time back. Instead of spending hours on tasks you don't enjoy or aren't good at, you can focus on high-value activities. This includes brainstorming new income streams, forging partnerships, or simply taking a break to avoid burnout.
Access Professional Quality: You might be a fantastic writer but a novice designer. By outsourcing blog writing to a wordsmith or blog design to a creative pro, you elevate the entire quality of your blog. This professionalism builds trust with your audience and makes your content more shareable.
Increase Your Output: Consistency is key in blogging. With a team behind you, you can publish more frequently without sacrificing your sanity. More high-quality content means more traffic and more opportunities to make money. This is the first step in building a team that can help you achieve scale.
How to Identify Which Tasks to Outsource First
You don’t need to outsource everything at once. Start by conducting three simple tests on your weekly tasks.
1. The Time Drain Test
What tasks are repetitive and suck up a disproportionate amount of your time? These are prime candidates for delegation. Common time-drains include:
Creating social media graphics for every post.
Sourcing and resizing images.
Basic research for article ideas.
Formatting blog posts in WordPress.
If a task feels like it takes forever and doesn't directly use your unique genius, it's a time drain.
2. The Skill Gap Test
Be honest with yourself. What tasks are outside your zone of expertise? If you dread doing something because you know you’re not good at it, the final product probably suffers.
Examples include:
Technical SEO and site speed optimization.
Professional-level graphic design or video editing.
Proofreading and copy editing (it’s hard to edit your own work!).
Hiring an expert for these tasks instantly improves your blog's quality.
3. The ROI Test
This is the most important test. Ask yourself: "If I delegate this task, what could I do with that freed-up time that would make more money?"
Could you write a premium ebook? Land a sponsored post? Develop a new course?
If the financial potential of what you could be doing outweighs the cost of hiring someone, then outsourcing is a smart investment.
This is how you truly start to scale your blog from a hobby into a sustainable business.
A Guide to Outsourcing Blog Writing
Content is the heart of your blog. Handing it over can feel scary, but with the right process, it can be transformative.
Finding Blog Writers
You can find writers on dedicated platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Contra. Look for writers who have experience in your niche.
Don't just rely on their portfolio; read their samples. Do their writing style and voice feel like a natural fit for your blog?
A great writer understands the principles of SEO writing, crafting content that is both engaging for readers and optimized for search engines.
Creating an Effective Writing Brief
A clear brief is your best friend. It sets expectations and prevents endless revisions. Your brief should include:
Topic and Goal: What is this post about, and what should the reader do after reading it?
Target Audience: Who are you speaking to?
Keyword: The primary SEO keyword.
Outline: A basic structure with main headings.
Tone and Voice: (e.g., "Conversational and friendly, like you're advising a friend.").
Examples: Links to 1-2 posts on your blog that embody the style you want.
Managing a Freelance Writer
Treat your writer as a partner. Set clear deadlines from the start. When providing feedback, be constructive. Instead of "This is bad," try "The introduction could be stronger.
Can we hook the reader with a personal story here?" This approach builds a positive, long-term relationship, turning a freelancer into a valued member of your team.
A Guide to Outsourcing Blog Design
Great design builds credibility and makes your content more engaging. You don’t need to be a Photoshop whiz to have a beautiful blog.
Finding Graphic Designers
Platforms like Behance and Dribbble are fantastic for discovering talented designers with stunning portfolios. Look for a designer whose aesthetic aligns with your brand.
Do they use colors and fonts that you love? Have they created graphics for other blogs in your space?
Creating a Design Brief
A design brief ensures you get what you envision. Be specific about:
Brand Guidelines: Your logo, primary and secondary colors, and brand fonts.
Dimensions: The exact size needed (e.g., "Pinterest graphic: 1000x1500px").
Style Preferences: (e.g., "Minimalist with lots of white space," or "Bold and vibrant").
Content: The exact headline, text, and any specific images to include.
For a deep dive into what makes a graphic effective, you can provide your designer with this handy checklist on how to create a powerful design brief.
Managing a Designer
Use collaboration tools like Trello, Asana, or even Google Docs to share briefs and feedback.
Most designers will provide a first draft. Provide clear, consolidated feedback (e.g., "Can we make the title font larger and change the background to light blue?") and trust their expertise on what looks best.
A Guide to Outsourcing Blog Editing
A second set of eyes is invaluable. An editor polishes your work (or your writer's work) to make it shine.
Finding Editors
First, know what kind of editor you need:
Proofreader: Catches typos, grammar, and punctuation errors.
Copy Editor: Fixes grammar and also improves sentence flow and clarity.
Content Editor: Provides high-level feedback on structure, argument, and overall engagement.
Creating an Editing Brief
Clarify the level of edit you want. You might say, "I need a light copy edit for grammar and flow, but no major structural changes are needed."
Also, specify if you want them to check for SEO elements like meta descriptions and keyword usage.
The Editing Workflow
Establish a smooth process. This could be as simple as: You (or your writer) complete a draft in Google Docs -> The editor is granted access to the document -> They use the "Suggesting" mode to make changes -> You review and accept or reject the suggestions.
This creates a clean, transparent workflow for everyone.
How to Find and Vet Reliable Freelancers
Finding the right person is crucial. Here’s how to do your due diligence.
Best Platforms for Finding Talent
Vetting Candidates
Always, always review their portfolio. Does their past work excite you? Then, conduct a short interview (via video call).
This helps you gauge their communication skills and enthusiasm. Ask them about their process and how they handle feedback.
The Paid Test Project
This is the non-negotiable final step. Before committing to a large project, hire them for a single, small task. Pay them for their time.
This allows you to assess the quality of their work, their reliability, and how well you collaborate. A smooth hiring process is the foundation of effective workflow management.
Budgeting for Outsourcing: Costs and ROI
Let's talk about the part that makes most of us hesitate: the money. Viewing outsourcing as an expense is the biggest mental hurdle you need to overcome.
Instead, I want you to reframe it in your mind: Outsourcing is an investment in your business's growth and your personal sanity.
The goal isn't to spend money; it's to buy back your most valuable, non-renewable resource—time—and convert it into higher earnings.
Understanding the Cost Spectrum: What You Actually Pay For
Costs aren't one-size-fits-all. They vary dramatically based on the freelancer's experience, location, and specialization. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
1. Blog Writers
Beginner/Generalist: ($50 - $150 per post). Often found on broader platforms. Good for straightforward, non-technical topics but may require heavier editing.
Niche Specialist/SEO Pro: ($150 - $400+ per post). This is where you see a major quality jump. They bring existing expertise in your field (e.g., finance, SaaS, sustainable living) and understand how to write for both readers and search engines. The higher cost often means less work for you and a better-performing article.
Project-Based vs. Retainer: Some writers charge per word (5-25 cents), but per-project is most common for bloggers. For consistent work, a monthly retainer can secure a better rate and priority access.
2. Graphic Designers
Per Graphic: ($25 - $75 each). Suitable for one-off projects like a new ebook cover or a set of Pinterest pins.
Package Deals: ($150 - $500 per month). Many designers offer monthly packages that include a set number of graphics (e.g., 10 social media visuals, 5 blog post featured images, and a newsletter banner). This is often the most cost-effective for an active blog.
UI/UX Web Designers: ($75 - $150+ per hour). For more complex tasks like a full website redesign or custom landing page development. This is a higher-tier investment for a major site upgrade.
3. Editors
Proofreader: ($25 - $50 per post). Catches typos and grammar mistakes. The most basic and affordable level.
Copy Editor: ($50 - $100 per post). Your best value for money. They fix grammar and improve sentence flow, clarity, and consistency, ensuring the piece sounds like you at your best.
Content/SEO Editor: ($75 - $150+ per post). The premium option. They provide high-level feedback on structure, argument strength, and SEO optimization, often acting as a strategic partner.
A Practical Framework for Calculating Your True ROI
The return on investment isn't just about the money you make from the outsourced piece. It's about the total value created. Use this two-step framework:
Step 1: Calculate Your "Hidden" Hourly Rate for a Task.
Let's say formatting a blog post, finding images, and creating social graphics takes you 3 hours. In that same 3-hour period, you could have:
Pitched and landed a $500 sponsored post.
Recorded a lesson for a $200 course you're creating.
Done a deep-dive strategy session that identified a new affiliate stream.
By doing the $0/hour administrative task yourself, you've effectively lost the opportunity to earn that $500. The true cost of you formatting that post is $500, not $0.
Step 2: Weigh the Cost vs. The Value.
Scenario: You hire a designer for a $200 monthly package to handle all your graphics.
Cost: $200.
Value: This buys you back 8-10 hours of your time per month (the time you used to spend struggling in Canva).
ROI Calculation: You now use those 10 hours to write a comprehensive affiliate post. That post generates $300 in commissions its first month.
Your Net Gain: $100 ($300 earned - $200 spent). And that's just the first month! The post continues to earn, making it pure profit moving forward.
You've also avoided burnout and improved your blog's professional appearance.
Smart Strategies for Starting on a Small Budget
You don't need a massive budget to start. You just need to be strategic.
Start with Your Biggest Pain Point: Don't outsource everything at once. Which task causes the most dread and consumes the most time? Start there. If it's editing, hiring a copy editor for one post a month is a low-risk, high-reward entry point.
Use the "One Task" Rule: Commit to outsourcing just one recurring task this quarter. See how it impacts your workflow and income. Use the profits from that newly freed-up time to fund the next outsourcing project.
Offer Clear Briefs to Save Money: A vague brief leads to endless revisions, which costs you time and money. A crystal-clear, detailed brief (like the ones we discussed for writing and design) helps any freelancer—regardless of their rate—deliver exactly what you need on the first try, making your investment more efficient.
Consider a Virtual Assistant (VA): A general VA can often handle a mix of tasks—basic image resizing, email management, Pinterest pin scheduling—at a lower hourly rate ($15-$30/hr) than a specialist. This can be a great way to bundle several "time-drain" tasks.
By shifting your mindset from "cost" to "strategic investment," you unlock the true power of outsourcing.
It’s the financial lever that allows you to move from being a hands-on technician to the CEO of your growing blog business.
Conclusion: Your New Role as Strategic Director
You started your blog as a writer, editor, designer, and marketer. But to grow, your role must evolve.
Outsourcing blog tasks is the pivotal step that transforms you from a doer into a director—the visionary who guides the ship.
You built this blog from the ground up. Now, it’s time to build the team that helps it soar. This month, identify just one task that drains your time or falls outside your skillset, and take the first step to delegate it.
Your future, scaled-up business—and your sanity—will thank you for it.
Ready to take the next step? Learn exactly how to scale your blog and build a business that lasts.
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