There is a reason buzzwords like “Content is king!” are thrown around in online marketing reports, blog posts and discussion boards.
Content is king. Everything we see and do online is driven by some kind of content, from tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram photos to viral YouTube videos and Vines.
At its most basic, content creation involves the written word, with content marketing emerging as one of the most effective channels for digital marketing, yielding several benefits when done right.
That last bit is important. While content marketing can be incredibly effective, it requires patience, diligence and expertise to keep things from getting out of hand and causing you to waste time and money.
To keep up with increased demand for original and high-quality content, many organizations have turned to outsourcing as a solution. The idea of outsourcing content creation and marketing can be scary. But with preparation and the right people involved, it may very well turn out to be your best marketing decision.
However, it is worth noting that you can outsource certain types of content safely, and others you should not. To get the most out of your content marketing agency, it pays to focus on outsourcing the following types of content.
Weekly blog posts
Weekly blog posts are generally safe to outsource as long as the content is original, relevant and genuinely valuable to readers. A reliable writer with years of technical writing experience will usually be capable of writing about a variety of topics. As a rule of thumb, it is best to request a few trial submissions so the writer can synchronize with the client’s desired style and output.
Blog posts are most effective if done frequently, creating a steady stream of content for the benefit not just of readers but also of search engines that rank websites according to the quality and freshness of original content.
An important caveat, though: If the client’s blog is a personal blog where his or her personality plays a huge role, outsourcing content could lead to a revolt by readers. Talk to your client to see if outsourcing is a viable option. Hiring a ghost blogger could still work, but finding the perfect writer may take time.
Social media content
Many companies simply do not have the time to manage multiple social networks themselves. They may not even have time to handle a single channel. It generally takes several hours a month to maintain a social media presence effectively.
Hence outsourcing may be the more efficient option. Any social media professional worth his salt will have the skills and experience to take control of a social media channel and post content users will want to interact with.
You can outsource social media updates easily and safely. It is important that you and the social media manager understand what the client needs on its social media profiles. If social media posts mainly involve event and website updates, blog posts, promotions and other general happenings, outsourcing should be a foolproof option.
Email marketing content
In the case of email marketing, many businesses have a good idea of what message they want their email newsletters to convey – they just do not know how to connect the dots among their ideas or how to produce solid copy.
Outsourcing a client’s email newsletter is a practical option if:
1. You do not have talent who can design high-quality graphics. If your agency does not have experienced graphic artists, photographers and software to produce original graphics, it will be hard to provide clients with powerful newsletters.
2. You can collaborate with an email marketing expert. Outsourcing content creation for an email marketing campaign to a specialist is more cost-effective than doing it in-house.
3. Newsletters need to be sent frequently. If a client wants to send newsletters on a regular basis, outsourcing to a professional firm guarantees they will be sent out regularly, as planned.
Web content
A client’s website offers one of the most critical opportunities to share the brand’s story. But the clients don’t necessarily have to write web copy themselves.
Outsourcing website content to a capable team of writers and SEO specialists is a reasonable solution. These writers can create copy based on the client’s profile, history, industry, products and services.
Outsourcing web content creation is effective if you have a professional copywriter who knows the best practices for web content writing.
A copywriter does not need to know the client’s full and exhaustive history, vision and mission – he or she just needs to know enough to be able to write these values into a strong and relevant narrative.
What about other types of content?
For types of media not included in the list above, such as in-depth articles or case studies specifically related to your industry, your clients will need to create their content in-house or with the help of a content creation specialist like Tempesta Media.
Because most digital marketing agencies are under pressure to outsource content other than blog posts and the like to freelancers, you are going to require an expert within your client’s industry to produce content with solid insider knowledge of the topic. And finding one is no easy task, especially on demand.
Working with a trusted partner specializing in expert-level content creation lets you provide in-depth pieces to clients. It also gives you access to expert editorial capabilities and critical support functions. This includes the ability to interview key industry people for an article or perform original research. These are tasks that your average freelance writer would find logistically and financially challenging.
If you have a content marketing program, or are planning one, download our ebook: 100 mistakes businesses make when starting, optimizing and scaling content marketing programs. Learn from the mistakes of hundreds of other companies. 100 mistakes walks you through common and uncommon challenges that they faced with their content marketing programs.
Now that you know what types of content you can and cannot easily outsource, it is time to get to work and ask questions. What is the better option: creating content on an in-house basis, or outsourcing to an expert custom content firm like Tempesta Media? Learn more.
