We all love content. And that’s what makes it an imperial member of the digital marketing ecosystem. No matter what you do, you can’t abstain from content marketing.

However, it isn’t as simple as it may sound. To propagate results, collaboration with the right skills and knowledge is indispensable. That means either you can hire people or join hands with someone having specialized talent.

But…

In the current scenario, not all businesses want to reserve resources concentrating on content marketing. In fact, 49% of B2B organizations outsource a minimum of one content marketing task. Out of which, 86% of organizations prefer outsourcing content creation tasks.

It’s a huge number!

That’s what creates a space for outsourcing. And today, we will be talking about this topic, but precisely inline with content writing.

Here’s a practical guide to outsourcing content writing.

First, let’s answer the question, without which everything else would be void.

What does Outsourcing Content Writing mean?

It’s nothing like making a nuclear-powered engine, not even close.

Outsourcing content writing is an option that businesses leverage to get relieved of an arduous but vital task, the process of writing content like blogs, articles, video scripts, case studies, web copy, et Cetra.

Great Idea!

“The other part of outsourcing is this: it simply says where the work can be done outside better than it can be done inside, we should do it”.

 

Alphonso Jackson

Should you outsource content writing?

Now, that’s a hard question for sure.

Why?

Because the answer to this question depends on various factors. So, let us check out those factors.

Goals

In the absence of clear goals, you can’t decide whether to outsource content writing task or get it done in-house.
You need to be clear in terms of what you want to achieve. What do you expect to see on the other end of the journey? How fast you want to achieve results? So, the SMART goal is the first factor. It will allow you to understand what type of content you need, in what quantity, and when.

Capacity

Next, do you already have all the needed skills & expertise in-house? If not, then do you have the capacity to expand your resources?

Why you even need to consider it?

Because still, 35% of B2B and 27% of B2C organizations don’t have even a single, full-time/dedicated member to work for content marketing.

It feels content writing isn’t to be talked about here!

Well, do you have someone to look after content marketing? Or are you planning to hire someone?

Hiring someone with the right skills & knowledge, then expecting him to manage all the content marketing tasks is an option.

But is it a feasible one?

It’s like using a mobile phone with just one app installed and assuming to get all your work done through it. Sounds absurd!

Okay! To resolve this issue, you can hire more people.

Here’s arrives a crucial business aspect- budget, which needs strict monitoring.

Budget

So, as we were talking, you need to pay heed to the budget.

Here, the budget you have for marketing, and the proportion you are willing to allocate for content marketing would act as determinants.

Do you have a budget to hire dedicated content writers for every niche/segment?

And, if so, will you be able to efficiently use your resources by hiring different people for fragments of work?

Take time, analyze, and then decide what suits you.

In case you decide to go with outsourcing, then, the next question would be in your mind!

What are the Advantages of Outsourcing Content writing?

Flexibility

By opting to outsource, you allow your workflow and management to be a bit more flexible. You can work on projects without being worried about hiring or firing a need-based workforce.

Expense Reduction

By collaborating with the right team on the outsourcing front, you ensure you don’t have to have full-time personnel to produce quality work. Not just that, retaining extra resources (human, financial, etc.) that you need occasionally, no more remains a concern for you.

Expert Individuals

Outsourcing allows you to save all the costs you may have put into, first hiring and then training an employee to bring that individual to the required expertise level. Moreover, it provides you with the right to get both experience and quality, without putting in any additional effort.

Time-Saving

By outsourcing content writing task, you can save all the time you or your business puts in hiring, training, and managing content writers. And the same could be diverted and used for your core business.

Save Resources

Often, companies put multiple responsibilities on an efficient worker. That, in turn, makes that person not just irritated but less-efficient too. It impacts the productivity of your business and dents the ROI figures. Outsourcing saves you from a situation of resource burnout, which is fatal for any organization.

All these advantages would look imbalanced without talking about the cons of outsourcing content writing.

What’s that? Let’s see.

What are the Drawbacks of Outsourcing Content Writing?

Communication and Quality issues

These are the reasons why most people avoid outsourcing. But, I feel these aren’t outsourcing issues. Instead, these are the flaws of individuals or organizations. Not all organizations work the same way, and generalizing these issues would be wrong.

If you choose a professional, well-managed, and quality-oriented partner to outsource your content writing task, you will never face such issues.

For example – If you are working with someone like Contentgy, you assure on-time communication, cooperation, and of course, excellence. All your work passes through multiple stages of quality checks before getting delivered to you, which means impeccable outcome. This way, you confirm that outsourcing always remains a swift experience for you.

How to outsource Content writing?

4 Step Stress-Free Formula to Outsource Content Writing

Define Expectations

Before starting to look for someone to do content writing task, you should have goals. So, start with deciding what you need to accomplish, followed by the timeline, budget, and quality expectations. Yes! We are talking about the SMART goals we talked about before. It is time to define those goals to scan and examine the task(s) you want to outsource. Also, have a clear idea of the money you are willing to spend on this particular task, and calculate probable ROI beforehand.

Detailed Outline

Okay! You know everything, and you have achievable expectations, but wait! You haven’t documented the expectations in regards to the procedure, deadline, and outcome🙄. That’s where outsourcing falls flat. As businesses often fail to convey these details to the person who will be handling the task. Result! Selecting the wrong person and beating productivity black and blue.🤕

Search & Test

Then, look for the right person and prepare plans to test them. Thoroughly examine whether you will get a write-up as per your guidelines or not. It becomes even more necessary while working with individual writers as there’s no one to manage work for you. You are the only one who’s going to handle all the issues, whether regarding quality or deadlines. So, be aware of the time you will have to put into, after the project starts, in management-errands. That doesn’t mean you should spare marketplaces and agencies from this 🙂. Whatever the path is, while outsourcing, double-check, you aren’t compromising on quality. Because at last, quality is what matters the most in content marketing.

Hire📌

Don’t get lazy at this stage. Never! Yes, you read that correctly! Never hire someone without proper documentation. This act of yours can push you into the abyss filled with troubles. Right from not getting the work to receiving crap in the name of content and even worse like your vital business information and plans getting compromised; anything can happen. You will hardly have any recourse. So, not taking the shortcut is the best when it is about legally binding the involved parties. Superb, you are good to go!👍

Wrap Up

Outsourcing is a great way to unload work baggage or get the work done for which you don’t have an expert. It’s easy and fun, but with some strings attached. I feel, after this read, now, you would be feeling confident for hitting the road of outsourcing.
Before I take your leave, I would like to share the last cautionary note.
Outsourcing is like a plant; be cautious while selecting the soil to sow seed, give time like manure, and supply communication like water. Then there’s nothing that can stop you from reaping the benefits of outsourcing.

Have something to say or need questions to be answered! Comment or Contact and I would be glad to have a conversation with you.