“Content is King.”

But is it time to outsource the kingmakers?

Creating engaging and entertaining content is a serious business and requires writers and designers to keep their thinking caps on for the better part of the day. It is an art that requires them to look within their inner depths and thoughts and create an audio-visual experience that matches none.

Given the complexity, time, and efforts required to create engaging content, it makes immense sense for businesses to outsource this specialized function to an outsourced team who is trained and experienced in it.

In this blog, to assist businesses in creating content that works wonders for their organization, we will take an in-depth look at the world of content creation.

We will analyze the different types of content and the role they play in growing a business. We will also share the reasons companies need to outsource web content writing in their organization.

The different formats of content

Content writing skills are not limited to just writing blog posts.

It is much more than that.

Any communication that is given a makeover, with the intent of making it more attractive and engaging, to an audience can be defined as content.

Written Content

Content is a term that usually refers to creating written content such as blogs, newsletters, white papers, and case studies. However, it also includes other forms of written content are web pages, landing pages, press releases, presentations, etc.

Within blogs, there could be stories that share personal experiences or feedback on products & services that one has been using. Blogs can also be reviews about your favorite holiday destination or a review of the restaurant you love frequenting on weekends.

Newsletters are a popular format among companies who love sharing their latest product and service updates with customers.

Case studies are perfect for sharing details on how your expertise or product/service helped solve a business problem.

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Images, Videos & Podcasts

Yes, social media posts with images and videos can be defined as content along with podcasts. All these visual and audio mediums are usually created with the sole intention of attracting the audience’s attention and motivating them to know more about the company or try out its products/services.

Audio-visual content is considered more effective than written content and is usually preferred for social media channels.

Content plays an important role in growing your business.

The role of content is not just to entertain but to create a bond between the targeted audience and the business. A bond will grow strong over time as the audience seeks out the content you create and wants to know more about you, your brand, and products/services.

Good content will keep your audience returning for more and gradually convert them into loyal customers, who will also promote your brand to others.

However, creating good content is not easy and requires the help of content experts. It is precisely why you need to consider outsourcing the content creation role in your organization and hire a content writer.

If you are unsure about hiring a virtual content writer, check the below-mentioned reasons. They will help you understand the role content outsourcing can play in a business's success.

Top 10 reasons why businesses should outsource content.

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1. Keeping up with what's trending

Like everything we create, content needs to be published at the best time suitable for it. Keeping up with what's trending and making news is the best way to understand what type of content to create and maximize its reach.

As a business owner with much more things to focus on, it may not always be possible for you to create and share content as quickly as possible to keep up with the trends.

It will result in your company missing out on the best content sharing opportunities and creating a negative image of your brand, which is not up-to-date with the times.

Content outsourcing ensures you have a reliable resource to fall back on, who can create and share the content on time so that your business gets the maximum mileage from the ongoing trend.

2. Timely Deliveries

One of the best advantages of working with an outsourced team is that you can be assured of timely deliveries due to their high commitment and quality standards.

Professional content writers know how to plan their content writing work effectively and schedule their assignments accordingly. They also buffer adequate time for researching the content. That helps them meet the deadlines set up by clients and avoid late deliveries.

The US, India time zone difference also works as an advantage since you could assign tasks at your EOD and get them delivered when you start your next working day.

With assured delivery timelines, you can also schedule the content you create in an organized and well-planned manner for maximum reach and effectiveness.

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3. Professional, High-Quality Content

With Lead Generation (59%), Thought Leadership/Market Education (43%), and Brand Awareness (40%) being the primary goals of content marketing, every organization needs to use adequate resources to create high-quality content.

The writer you outsource your content to is trained and equipped to produce high-quality content. In addition, the content is well researched and as per the client's guidelines. That helps avoid sending the created content back-n-forth for revisions.

High-quality content helps in increasing your social media presence and building a loyal customer following. It gets more social media engagements and creates a positive impression about the brand among customers and competitors.

Well-written content can also generate better quality sales leads that you can follow up with to grow your business.

4. Well Researched Content

As a businessman, you have a wide range of responsibilities to attend to, leaving you with very little time to research the content you create. You no longer need to worry about this task, thanks to a content outsourcing team.

Your outsourced team will ensure that they have thoroughly researched the content they create and are relevant to your business. They will also include quotes from prominent figures associated with your industry so that people can relate to the topic covered in the content.

They ensure that they include relevant statistics from verifiable sources to create authentic and engaging content that connects with your audience and adds credibility to your brand.

5. SEO Friendly Content

While sharing content you create via your social media channels is the accepted norm, you can ensure it reaches a broader audience by making it SEO-friendly.

Using the right keywords and placing them strategically within your content can boost its search engine rankings and ensure it is among the top search results in search engines.

Creating SEO-friendly content is something that outsourced content writers can easily do, so you can rest assured that your content will reach the maximum audience possible.

6. Cost-Effective

Outsourcing your content requirements to an outsourced writer is more cost-effective for your organization. Hiring an employee to create just content is not viable due to the hiring costs, rising salaries, and expensive health-related benefits.

When you hire a outsourced content writer, you need to pay them just for the hours they put in to create content for you without worrying about any overhead costs.

If you compare the cost associated with an outsourced content writer v/s the number of content pieces they create, you will always find them more cost-effective for your business.

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7. Get more time to focus on your business

One of the biggest challenges that small business owners and start-ups face is getting enough time to focus on growing it. Small but necessary tasks like corresponding with clients & suppliers or creating content for their social media profiles often take too much of their limited, precious time.

Outsourcing content creation, you can delegate all your content creation tasks to him, including sharing the same on your social media profiles. It will result in immense time savings for both you and your organization.

You can spend that time more fruitfully on other core tasks, grow your business, and network with potential clients.

8. Wider range of topics

While you may be experienced in 2 to 3 different industries or have working experience in diverse fields, there is still a limit on the type of content you can create yourself. That is due to limited domain knowledge about other fields or industries.

It would also take considerable time to research and create content on those topics. Therefore, compared to the time you would need to spend on the task, the content output would not be worth the effort.

When you outsource your content creation to an outsourced team, you can select them based on their domain and industry experience. So, you can hire 2 – 3 different content writers with unique domain experiences to create a diverse range of content based on different audiences.

Sharing content that has been created specifically for different industries and audiences will help you engage better with them and create a community of followers that are aligned together based on their interests, industries, etc.

Apart from creating diverse content, you would also be creating more content than that which would be possible on your own. Having more content to share also helps you explore more avenues to share it and reach a wider audience than before.

9. Get a new perspective

It's easy to get into a steady, monotonous writing style if one creates content on the same topic every day. Then, gradually, there are no new perspectives to add, and it starts looking similar and not so engaging.

Content marketing outsourcing helps you avoid this pitfall with the content you create and share. In addition, it adds a new, outside view to your existing business models, products, and services.

As a writer with training in content writing, the team will look at things more from the audience's perspective. They will seek out facts, which are more important and informative for customers and use them to create an engaging story that you can use to connect with your customers.

This new perspective adds a freshness to your content and ensures that it is always relevant to your customers, helping you build a stronger bond with them.

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10. More value for your dollar

Content marketing generates 3x the leads, per dollar spent, as compared to traditional marketing. Given this fact, wouldn't you like experts managing your content marketing campaign?

You are in business to satisfy the needs of your customers, not create content for them.

Leave that to the experts, and let them do their job professionally and efficiently.

A content outsourcing team will ensure that he understands your company, its products/services, and target audiences completely before creating content that appeals to your customers.

Content that will appeal to your targeted audiences and help push them through the conversion funnel, and also become brand advocates.

In today's competitive times, your content must stand out from the competition and creates a positive impression about your brand.

Only then will you be able to maximize the effectiveness of your marketing budget and get a better value for every dollar you spend on marketing?

How to outsource Content Writing?

Outsourcing content writing can be a strategic decision for businesses looking to scale their content marketing efforts or access specialized expertise. Here are detailed points on how to outsource content writing effectively:

1. Define Your Content Strategy:
   • Before outsourcing, define your content objectives, target audience, brand voice, and overall strategy.
   • Determine the types of content you need (blogs, articles, whitepapers, social media posts, etc.) and their frequency.
2. Identify Your Requirements:
   • Clearly outline the topics, keywords, and desired length for each piece of content.
   • Specify any formatting guidelines, SEO requirements, and desired tone/style.
3. Research and Select Providers:
   • Research potential content writing services, freelancers, or agencies through online platforms, referrals, or industry associations.
   • Evaluate their expertise, portfolio, client testimonials, and pricing structure.
   • Consider factors like turnaround time, scalability, and communication channels.
4. Communicate Effectively:
   • Clearly communicate your expectations, requirements, and brand guidelines to the selected content provider.
   • Provide detailed briefs for each project, including objectives, target audience, key points, and any supporting materials.
   • Encourage open communication and provide feedback to ensure the content aligns with your vision.
5. Set Clear Expectations:
   • Establish timelines, deadlines, and delivery schedules for each project.
   • Define the revision process and clarify any additional charges for revisions beyond the initial scope.
   • Ensure both parties agree on payment terms, including rates, invoicing procedures, and payment methods.
6. Review Samples and Testimonials:
   • Request samples or portfolio pieces from potential content providers to assess their writing style, quality, and relevance to your industry.
   • Seek references or testimonials from past clients to gauge their reliability and professionalism.
7. Negotiate Terms and Contracts:
   • Negotiate terms of service, including rates, project scope, ownership rights, confidentiality agreements, and termination clauses.
   • Document all agreements in a written contract to protect both parties' interests and minimize misunderstandings.
8. Monitor Performance and Provide Feedback:
   • Regularly review the quality and effectiveness of the outsourced content against predefined metrics and objectives.
   • Provide constructive feedback to help the content provider improve and align their work with your expectations.
   • Address any issues or concerns promptly to maintain a positive working relationship.
9. Evaluate ROI and Adjust as Needed:
   • Track the performance of outsourced content in terms of engagement, traffic, leads, conversions, or other relevant metrics.
   • Evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of outsourcing content writing compared to in-house resources or other marketing activities.
   • Adjust your outsourcing strategy as needed based on performance, budget constraints, and evolving business priorities.
10. Build Long-term Relationships:
    • Cultivate strong relationships with reliable and talented content providers who understand your brand and industry.
    • Consider offering recurring projects or retainer agreements to incentivize loyalty and ensure consistent quality over time.
    • Explore opportunities for collaboration and expansion of services beyond content writing, such as content strategy development or content distribution.

Best Practices: Working with your outsourced content team

Establish Clear Communication Channels: Establishing clear communication channels is essential for effective collaboration. Utilizing email, project management tools, or communication platforms like Slack can facilitate clear and efficient communication. Regular check-in meetings or calls should be scheduled to discuss project updates, feedback, and any questions or concerns that may arise.

Provide Detailed Briefs and Guidelines: Providing detailed briefs and guidelines is crucial to ensure that the outsourced writing team understands the project requirements. Offering comprehensive project briefs that outline the objectives, target audience, key messages, and desired tone/style is essential. Additionally, specifying any specific formatting requirements, SEO guidelines, keywords, and references can help ensure alignment with your brand and content strategy.

Encourage Collaboration and Feedback: Encouraging collaboration and feedback fosters a more productive working relationship. Creating an environment where writers feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and providing input is key. By fostering open communication and collaboration, you can leverage the expertise of the outsourced writing team to enhance the quality and effectiveness of your content.

Establish Clear Expectations and Deadlines: Establishing clear expectations and deadlines is critical for managing project timelines and ensuring timely delivery. Clearly defining project timelines, deadlines, and delivery schedules helps keep the outsourced writing team on track. Additionally, providing feedback promptly and constructively can help address any issues or concerns that may arise during the writing process.

Build Trust and Rapport: Building trust and rapport with the outsourced writing team is essential for long-term success. Cultivating strong relationships based on mutual respect and trust can lead to better collaboration and results. Recognizing and appreciating the contributions of the writing team can help foster a positive working relationship and encourage continued excellence in content creation.

Your business needs to outsource content writing to be more effective and successful.

Outsourcing content is not just about saving time or a few dollars.

It's more about creating an effective organization that is finely tuned to its customer's needs and knows how to engage with them.

It's about creating a positive persona both about you and your business so that your targeted audience, potential customers, and industry leaders can resonate with you and your brand.

Make content outsourcing a part of your organization's growth strategy so that you can reap its benefits for years to come. Don't utilize it as a short-term solution to get over time-management issues or create a databank of content, but instead, implement it as a tool to achieve your long-term goals.