I’m seeing more and more multi-author blogs out there these days and, as a visitor, I think they’re great. They usually cover a broader topic range and there’s a lot of variety to the content. If you’re thinking about starting one yourself, though you’ll want to read these five pros and cons about multi-author blogs. Because if it was that easy, everyone would do it.
Five Reasons For Making Your Blog Multi-Author
More Content For Your Blog
Obviously, with more writers you’re going to have more content for your blog, which means more URLs and keywords, which equals more traffic and more opportunities for sharing and engagement.
Broader Coverage
Having multiple authors also allows you to broaden your scope. Of course, depending on your niche and your business plan you may not want to expand. But typically multi-author blogs cover several categories under one large niche. For example, you might focus on family issues and have different writers cover family finances, parenting, menus/recipes, entertainment, education, and so on.
Additional Promotion For Your Blog
If you bring on writers who know a thing or two about working online they’re going to be just as enthusiastic about promoting their content as you are. Most good writers already have their own networks built up and they won’t just be sharing their articles, they’ll be promoting your whole blog.
Sharpen Your Business Skills
If you think you were learning about business before, just wait until you add on more writers and you have to start managing, editing, coordinating promotions, and settling disputes. You’re going to learn a lot about business now!
Increase Your Rank
All this additional activity is bound to start attracting attention from other bloggers, too, and you’ll see an increase in your incoming links, which in turn means an increase in ranking.
Five Reasons Against Making Your Blog Multi-Author
You Have To Learn To Manage
There’s a lot to do when you start adding authors. Someone has to decide on posting schedules and special promotions. Somebody has to coordinate keywords for internal link building. Someone has to edit and format, answer emails, and pay the writers! And yeah, that someone will be YOU.
You Have To Give Up Some Control
Any writer worth their salt provide much better content if you just leave them alone and let them write. Make sure they know your goals and keep the lines of communication open, but if you’re a control freak you’re going to be in trouble.
You Have To Be Willing To Adapt
Once you start bringing on multiple authors your blog is going to change in so many ways. You might see complaints from some of your readers because they don’t like the new “voice” in some of your content. Your writers are reaching out into new niches so you’ll have to do the research to meet these new market needs. All kinds of things can change when you start mixing up your content so be prepares: You’ll need to be adaptable, but still remain in control. After all, it’s still your blog and you’re business.
You Have To Compensate Your Writers
Any writer worth his salt will want to be compensated, too. Very few will stick around and write for free, or for the “exposure.” One solution is to give each author an adblock within their own content and let them use their own Adsense code, but however you handle it, they’re going to want to make money, too.
You’ll Have Less Time For Writing
I enjoy the writing that goes along with blogging. If you make your blog multi-author you’re going to be busy managing and directing and editing and scheduling and, well, you’re just going to be busier, that’s all. You’ll definitely have to give up some of your personal writing time because you’ll have too many other things to do. In the end, though, you’re going to have a much larger business, reaching a much broader audience, in a lot less time than if you’d done it all by yourself.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!