Your Guide to Outsourcing as an Influencer
Are you juggling dozens of tasks as an influencer and finding yourself constantly overwhelmed?
You can choose to sit back and let things continue to pile up on your to do list, or you can make moves that will benefit you and your business long term.
If you can’t keep up with everything you have going on as a creator, it's time to consider outsourcing.
As a seasoned content creator with over 10 years of experience, I've totally been there—watching emails pile up and having days fly by where I feel like there was still SO much more I could have accomplished.
I remember wanting to hire help and thinking it wasn’t for me and while I was falling behind on my posting schedule, I could have been looking for solutions.
In this post, I'll share my insights on what exactly to outsource in your influencer business, types of outsourcing (probably more than you think!), and my top tips to make outsourcing work seamlessly for your influencer business.
Why outsource?
Let’s start out by answering the obvious question here—what are some of the benefits of outsourcing?
Outsourcing is your ticket to regaining focus on high-level strategies that drive brand growth.
Many people are hesitant to outsource because hiring costs money.
But when you think about what you get in exchange for paying for help, outsourcing becomes much more appealing.
Here are three big reasons to outsource:
1. Save time
Your time is invaluable, so consider how much time you spend on tasks like editing content, social media engagement, and brand outreach.
Outsourcing these tasks can free up hours for essential business aspects.
2. Streamline your business
Streamlining processes with outsourcing allows you to run your business efficiently.
Consider automating tasks like email sequences to save time and generate leads.
3. Delegate tasks you don't enjoy
Want to know one of the best parts of being the boss of your own content creation empire?
Getting other people to do things that you struggle with.
When it comes to outsourcing content creation, if you dislike certain tasks (like email inbox organization, your business finances, etc.), you can outsource them to experts who excel in those areas.
When you outsource, hire experts for what you don’t like to do
Types of outsourcing
If you’re thinking about outsourcing, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go from 0-100 and bring on a full-time employee.
In fact, there are ways to explore your options and start small with hiring help that you should definitely test before thinking about hiring for a more permanent role.
Let's explore four levels of outsourcing, from most cost-effective to more comprehensive approaches:
Software and content creation tools
Utilize various content creation softwares to create automations and efficiency in your business.
While software may lack the personal touch of hiring a person on your team, it's a cost-effective solution and great for tasks like scheduling and content creation.
Tools like ChatGPT and Later are helpful, and many influencer tools are now starting to harness AI for content creation to speed up our processes even more.
One-off contractors
Hire freelancers for specific projects. This offers flexibility without long-term commitments.
Managing multiple projects requires coordination and explaining your brand to new people, but can be rewarding for specialized tasks like web design or branding.
I did this with a virtual assistant during the launch of my digital course, The Influencer Income Accelerator, and it was great to have help during the craziness of getting my course up and running.
Recurring contractors
Work with contractors on a regular basis. This builds consistency and familiarity, and they become part of your team.
Ensure contractors manage their workload for effectively while balancing their other clients, and you’ll be set for success.
Full-time employees
The ultimate commitment, hiring full-time employees means consistent support.
However, it comes with higher costs and potential business structure changes.
Tips for successful outsourcing
Once you find the right people and programs to incorporate into your business to take some tasks off of your plate, next you’ll want to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success.
Follow these tips to make your outsourcing experience smooth and fruitful:
1. Leverage free trials
Who doesn’t love the word free? Take advantage of software free trials. They're a great way to test tools before committing financially.
As a creator, I have unique links to free trials for softwares like Later for content scheduling, Canva Pro for graphic design, and more on the tools page of my website.
2. Test the waters
One of my biggest hiring tips for solopreneurs is to propose a paid test assignment for contractors.
It's a win-win situation that lets you assess compatibility and you can set the parameters and expectations for a few potential outcomes of the test project.
3. Provide onboarding materials
Share clear guidelines and expectations with contractors. This enhances collaboration and ensures a consistent brand experience.
When I onboarded my video editor Shaun, I sent him a Google doc with all of my brand colors, preferred fonts, and formatting notes to help him get familiar with my visual brand.
4. Offer constructive feedback
Regularly communicate feedback to contractors—both positive and constructive. This builds rapport and fine-tunes their work to your vision.
Your business, your rules
Outsourcing is a game-changer for influencers looking to manage their workload effectively and focus on growth.
It is a natural step for many traditional businesses in order to grow their teams, but as influencers and content creators it’s different because it’s much more personal.
Our processes and the content we create happen in a certain way with a certain style and the fear of someone not being able to replicate that exactly can sometimes hold us back from hiring help.
However, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, no one can replace YOU.
You are the secret sauce and without you, your audience wouldn’t be following along with you.
That being said there are plenty of areas of your content creation that you can outsource from video editing to email marketing.
Experiment with different outsourcing approaches and remember that, ultimately, it's about finding what works best for you and your business.
I'd love to hear about your outsourcing experiences.
Are you currently using any of these approaches, or do you plan to in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Remember, outsourcing is an investment in your business's future success.
I can confidently tell you I wish I had started outsourcing sooner, so this is your sign to give outsourcing a try!
yours,
Austen
Photographs by Jessie Alcheh