Today, more traditional channels of marketing are being lost in the clutter of everything consumers see.
This is why it is so important for businesses to turn to content marketing. Relevant and quality content targeted specifically for your audience helps convert casual readers into potential customers.
When your business focuses on anything other than content marketing, it can be difficult to keep up with the demands of producing all the content necessary to properly market your company.
Deciding to bring in experts to do the job is a great first move. Unfortunately, looking for the perfect writer isn’t always an easy task, especially if you want someone who specializes in your niche.
The challenge
At least one piece of content each day is necessary, say 60 percent of marketers surveyed by eMarketer. That one piece may be a blog post, long-form article, case study, guide or white paper. It can even include infographics, videos or a podcast.
Whatever is posted should be consistent, quality work and, hopefully, customized for your audience. In fact, KEYDifferenceMedia says 78 percent of consumers will trust your brand if you create more customized content.
Maybe you have one or two people on staff who create content, but not every writer is best for every piece of content. While one person may write spectacular blog posts, that same writer may not be able to pen formulaic and concise white papers when you need them. Technical writers who may be fantastic at conveying vital information in an e-book could struggle when you need a more feature-driven or biographical piece written.
If your in-house staff is small (or non-existent) and cannot keep up with the demand for cranking out great content, outsourcing these tasks becomes an obvious option. But where should you start the search for those writers?
Freelancers
Hiring individuals to take on your content marketing seems like a no-brainer. That is, until you really start thinking about all the steps necessary to find those writers.
- Recruiting. Where will you post your ads to gather interested writers? What kind of writers do you need? Where will you go to find experts in your field? Will the number of applicants meet your need for content generation?
- Vetting. Once you receive resumes and writing samples, there’s the time and energy you have to devote to reading the work and weighing your options. Depending on how many applicants you get, that could be a lot of reading.
- Hiring and retaining. After narrowing down to a select few candidates, bringing them into your circle may seem easy. Of course, you’ll need to be sure they will write for the fees you’ll pay. Also, you have to see whether they will sign a non-disclosure and/or non-compete terms. It’s a good idea to be sure these writers have you high on their list of projects. Remember, most freelance writers have more than one client. If they don’t find that you provide enough work or there are other difficulties in working together, you may drop from their list. If and when that happens, that leaves you again searching to replace that writer.
- Fulfilling requirements. Hiring freelancers means staying on top of them. Are they understanding the assignments? Are they meeting deadlines? Are they open to requests to rewrite pieces? What steps do you take when projects are incomplete, don’t meet deadlines or are never sent in at all?
If all these tasks are too much to take on, there is a solution: turning to a content provider.
Content providers
Outsourcing your content needs to a provider is one of the best returns on your investment. In fact, Adweek surveyed 745 marketers and discovered that 76 percent of them believe ROI or brand lift could be increased by as much as two to five times when using an expert team producing high-quality content.
When you team with a content marketing provider such as Tempesta Media, you get professionals who can help you develop your content strategy. They not only help you understand what content you need, but where you may most need it depending on your overall marketing goals.
You will not have to spend time recruiting possible writers because the provider has many writers they can tap. Not only will these experts be vetted for quality and professionalism, but for expertise as well. The provider can align their specialized writers for your exact needs. They will write the content that is specifically relevant to your target audience to order to engage them. Additionally, these experts are skilled in content that works best for marketing, including keywords and information that leads to better SEO.
When you work with a content marketing provider, there is no need to stay on top of writers to make sure they are writing what you need. The provider turns your request into an essentially automated system. You set your requirements and your deadlines.
The provider will take care of assigning the work, reviewing the content and making sure the pieces are delivered on deadline. This high-quality content is delivered at rates that meet your budget.
