Content Outsourcing Guide 101: Outsource Content Marketing the Right Way

Introduction

There is no doubt that producing valuable high-quality content is the best way to prove your expertise, engage with your audience, and convert them to customers. 

But sooner or later, every company faces a dilemma when deciding who should produce content: in-house writers, content freelance writers, or agencies. That said, determining the best option for your company is crucial to keeping up with the latest content trends and gaining an edge over competitors.

What Is Content Outsourcing?

Content outsourcing is a way of having content created or edited by an outside party. When you outsource content creation, you outsource the job to freelancers, agencies, or marketplaces to produce original content for your content marketing channels.

When Should You Consider Content Creation Outsourcing?

1. Keep Your Focus on the Funnel

Generally, companies find it easier to outsource content creation when the stakes are lower, and precision is less important than creating large amounts of unique, SEO-ready content.

In terms of the marketing funnel scheme, this often relates to "top of the funnel" or TOFU-level writing. Not all companies rely on this concept to generate traffic, but if you use large numbers of TOFU pages to build SEO rankings, this is often a place to start outsourcing.

Further down the funnel, it is still beneficial to look outside your team, but balancing quality and convenience may be an issue. So look for content creators you can rely on.

2. Monitor In-House Team Work to Detect Overload

It's also important to know when your team has become saturated with work and can no longer expand to meet your business needs. It can happen surprisingly quickly when sales spike or web traffic grows for any reason, and it can be an obstacle to continuing growth.

If you see the performance of individual texts starting to falter, or your ROI on content isn't what it should be, there may be a case for content outsourcing. An overworked team is usually a poorly-performing team. By bringing in experts to supplement their work, you can allow yourself and your staff to work smarter.

3. Outsource After Creating a Solid Marketing Plan

Another thing we've learned at greatcontent is that choosing to outsource content creation isn't enough in itself. Companies should also have a vision of how third-party content will fit into their overall SEO strategy. If not, additional content may duplicate existing assets or fail to meet brand goals.

Because of this, it's always unwise to outsource content before you have come up with detailed plans about how each piece of content will function. It goes beyond keyword research, touching on brand reputation, site architecture, and how texts connect with existing pages.

This plan also gives content creators a clear idea of what you want them to do. Detailed but easy-to-follow briefs and supporting documents will polish and refine the work you commission.

What Are the Benefits of Outsourced Content Marketing Strategy?

1. Turn Great Ideas into Long-Term Strategies

Outsourcing your content strategy will enable you to take advantage of specialized editorial planning services. This, in turn, will allow you to transform a cluster of great blog ideas into an effective, coordinated, and planned campaign with measurable results.

Editorial planners can help you develop the kind of blog content that connects with customers. Whether you sell vitamin supplements or drone camera work, it's possible to make huge gains by running regular and engaging content, but not all companies know how to execute it. That's where these planning services can help.

2. Outsourcing Frees Up Valuable Time without Compromising on Quality.

When you run a business, time is a precious commodity. Many business owners, therefore, fail to allocate enough time to creating and managing their content strategies. Sometimes, there simply are not enough hours in the day to write the blogs you need. Let alone conceptualize them, fine-tune them for SEO, and draw up an effective publishing schedule.

We know that longer, better-researched content trumps rushed blogs that sacrifice quality to meet deadlines. It's common knowledge that long-form content ranks much higher in search results than shorter alternatives.

But writing long-form content is challenging and time-consuming. Especially if you are distracted by daily management tasks. Content marketing strategy outsourcing solves that problem by letting dedicated writers focus all of their attention on each project.

3. Content Marketing Strategy Outsourcing Brings in Expertise Where It's Needed

Content creation isn't as simple as writing fluent, enjoyable blogs or articles—if only that were the case.

In reality, content creators need to factor in their knowledge of keyword frequency and SEO ranking systems and their understanding of issues like how often they should blog for SEO. Content writing companies that offer editorial planning services will specialize in this kind of expertise. And use them to maximize their clients' content reach.

And they can often do so better than their clients. According to Provoke Insights, 42% of companies report that they lack the resources and skills to create and publish valuable content (and those are only the respondents who are honest about their capabilities). So: external help matters.

4. Specialist Writers Can Bring Your Ideas to Their Full Potential

Not all digital marketers are professional writers. By that, we don't mean that they can't turn a phrase or write persuasive - even beautiful, blog content that excites customers.

No, the thing about professional writers is that they are devoted to content writing and the world of online content. They mix literary skills with knowledge of SEO. They learn online research skills, network with the best in their field, and hone their craft to deliver whatever clients demand.

And that can make a huge difference. It doesn't matter how well you write; if your mind is on fiscal reporting, marketing, or staff management, you will never develop the kind of laser-like abilities that dedicated, professional content writers, possess. And when you outsource content, that's what you'll get.

5. Increases Content Publishing Frequency

One of the benefits of outsourcing your content marketing is that you can publish more content with increased frequency and consistency without hiring a new writer. It is possible because marketplaces like greatcontent have many freelance writers on staff, so they can easily accommodate your publishing needs.

Outsourcing also gives you access to an agency's or third-party's knowledge and expertise in creating specialized campaigns that will benefit your business. So, are you looking to increase your content publishing frequency? Without sacrificing quality or hiring another writer, outsourcing is the ideal answer.

6. Articles Produced By Topic Experts

Outsourcing companies typically have a team of experts who specialize in different topics. When looking for a writer to produce articles on a specific topic, it's crucial to ensure that the company has someone with the necessary qualifications or experience.

For example, you sell puzzles for kids and want to write about the importance of puzzles for child development. You should find a writer with expertise and experience in child education or psychology.

7. Build Relationships with Your Audience

One of the most important goals for any content marketer is to develop a relationship between their business and their audience. The most effective way is through content marketing, - subtle advertising that entices customers by providing them with valuable and beneficial knowledge. When you invest in content marketing, you show that you care about your customer's needs and take the time to help them solve their problems.

In today's digital world, most customers won't buy anything before doing a thorough online investigation. Thus, you should do your best to create awareness and buzz around your product through various content types: blogs, infographics, white papers, etc.

How to Know When to Outsource SEO?

1. Not All Businesses Are Equipped to Master SEO

The first reason to outsource SEO work is simple: most companies have the expertise to sell the products they make or the services they provide, but they are not as skilled at creating digital content that reaches customers.

It is partly due to the complexity involved in SEO. Achieving high search rankings is about more than keywords. As Google's algorithms shift and new technologies like voice search become mainstream, the route to SEO success changes constantly. Keeping up with those changes requires focus and expertise—two things that ordinary businesses can't guarantee.

2. If You Can't Write Like the Pros, Focus on Your Core Strengths

Another reason to outsource SEO content production is that SEO content demands skills from its creators. Writing well comes naturally to many marketers. Even medium-sized firms may have a few fluent writers to author their web pages or blogs. But writing that satisfies SEO requirements? That's a different story.

If you've tried to promote a corporate blog and failed, or if your landing pages have fallen short, you'll appreciate the value of writing to both human readers and search engine crawlers. Outsourcing agencies that strike this balance is often the only solution.

3. Outsourcing SEO Can Lead to Cost Savings

If you don't outsource SEO, you'll still need to pay for SEO marketing. That's unavoidable in today's marketplace. But in-house marketing isn't always a cheaper alternative to outsourcing. If internal teams are not efficient and properly trained, their mistakes can lead to duplicated work and suboptimal outcomes. And that will dent your bottom line.

Outsourcing can ensure that even huge batches of work (such as product description databases) are processed with high skill and at a minimal cost. You may lose a little control, but the cost savings will be huge.

4. Outsourced SEO can be a Much More Efficient, Quicker Solution

Speed is another benefit associated with outsourced SEO. Again, this mainly comes down to differences in skill levels. A team of 20 outsourced professional writers and SEO analysts can usually work through bulk content orders faster than internal marketers, simply because all of their focus can be devoted to the task.

External agencies and marketplaces can mobilize talent pools with more flexible working practices than salaried workers. It ensures that tasks can be completed rapidly, whenever content creation is needed. And in a dynamic, ever-changing marketing environment. That is a huge advantage.

What are My In-House and Outsourcing Options?

In-House Content Writers

In-house writers are salaried employees who will curate content creation full-time. They will always be available to discuss potential changes and edits and strategize production. So if you have sufficient resources - time, budget, and the cost of hiring full-time writers, you can go for this option.

But, before you start doing anything else, create the content strategy and integrate it within the organization. Then, you should nominate the person responsible for content curation: managing, scheduling, and implementing. That will help you keep things under control.

It is worth mentioning that companies should decide what type of content they want to create and then find the appropriate writer to help them create it.

Pros of Outsourcing to In-House Writersdeep understanding of the brand

Cons of Outsourcing to In-House Writers

Freelancers

Freelancers are independent workers who take on projects and jobs that align with their interests. Rather than being employed by a single company, they have different partners and work on several projects.

You can skim through the endless list of freelancers on renowned platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.

Pros of Hiring Freelancers

Cons of Hiring Freelancers

Agencies

A content writing agency is an organization that offers professional content services to other organizations. These agencies are typically responsible for managing editorial calendars, creating engaging blog posts, optimizing content for search engines, etc.

Most agencies have transformed their services into an all-in-one package. Typically, they offer inclusive plans like SEO services, content strategy, translation, localization, managed services, etc.

Pros of Hiring Agencies

Cons of Hiring Agencies

Content Marketplaces

You can also address content creation platforms and marketplaces like greatcontent where you can connect with hand-selected and approved SEO copywriters, editors, and translators. They are classified by language, experience level, and industry expertise.

Do you want to understand the best option for source content creation? Check the article here.

Hybrid Model Content Writing - Marketplace + Managed Services

Do not limit yourself between insourcing and in-house content production. You can choose the hybrid method and mix both of them.

Your in-house writers are "the home team." They understand the ins and outs of your business and should be the people who do your editing and who create your essential content.

Your in-house writers are more acquainted with your company. They understand the ABC of your company and could be valuable for the following content permits

• Hygiene content- About us, FAQ, Product Descriptions
• Hub content- Social Media Posts, Landing Pages, Blog Posts

You can free up some of your duties and concentrate on what matters for you or is less time-consuming. Instead of slaving away over huge and complex content, you can outsource it. 

Outsource writers can produce excellent content perfectly tailored to the briefing

• Hero Content- Whitepaper, E-book, Ultimate Guides

This is a reminder that this is just one example, and you can try several options. It depends on the skills of team members. Vary the duties between insourcing and outsourcing teams and come up with the best version.

Pros of Hybrid Content Writing

Cons of Hybrid Content Writing

What Are the Challenges of Outsourced Content Production?

Difficulty Finding Suitable Writers

One of the biggest challenges in outsourcing content is finding writers possessing the necessary skills and knowledge. It is difficult when it comes to finding writers with industry-specific knowledge or hands-on experience. Many times, outsourced content marketing teams produce high-quality content; however, the content they write about can be disconnected as they haven't worked in all of these industries. Quality control becomes an issue because, without that first-hand experience, it's difficult for them to understand all aspects of a business.

Too Much Communication and Explanations for External Writers

Many organizations are now turning to external writers to help them produce content. However, this can often be challenging, as the organization should provide clear instructions and explanations to the writer. It can take up a lot of time and can lead to frustration on both sides.

Brands should:

• Provide clear briefs
• State their writing goals
• Explain who is their target audience

Low Content Quality

Businesses usually expect high-quality results from content writing agencies, but the results can be disappointing. It is often due to a lack of communication between the company and outsourcers or the pressure to produce a lot of content from multiple clients.

Businesses also need to understand that editing work will likely be required when outsourcing content writing services to an agency. It is because most agencies have a team of writers, and not all writers are equally skilled in editing. In addition, new writers who are just starting may be assigned to your project. If you did not employ external editors, carefully review the content before publishing it on the website.

Lack of Consistent Writing Style

When you outsource content writing, you often get a variety of writers who may not be familiar with your brand's voice or style guide. This issue can lead to inconsistency in your content and a lack of cohesion across your website or marketing materials. No surprises, as it is hard to keep a consistent tone when various voices and diverse opinions are involved in the production stages.

Missed Deadlines

Just like with low content quality, sometimes your outsourcing content partner may not meet your deadlines. Again, freelancers are working with other clients just like agencies do. But, in content marketplaces, you can connect with the desired writers and offer them appropriate terms which will keep them assigned exclusively to your tasks.

How to Outsource Content Writing?

Define Your Brand Goals

Before you contact any potential writers, sit down and write out a clear definition of what you want to achieve with your content writing. It will help you articulate your goals and give potential writers a better understanding of what you are looking for.

Almost all businesses have one high-level objective they want to achieve through their content - earning leads, bringing in more sales, increasing brand visibility, or engaging social media followers. It is crucial to identify this goal before beginning the content writing process.

Additionally, it is helpful to know which type of writer you need for your project. For example, some writers specialize in electric content for mass consumption, and others are suited for more targeted and niche audiences.

Create Style and Requirement Guidelines

When outsourcing content writing, it's crucial to create style and requirement guidelines for the writer. It will help ensure that all blog content is in line with your brand. Some tips on these guidelines:

• Explain the context - company name, background, value proposition.
• Define your audience.
• Writing style - tone of voice, how to address the reader, text style, terminology, sentence structure, and paragraph structure.
• Do's and Don'ts
• Keywords - what are the primary and secondary keywords to use

Also, one of the most important things is to create a clear definition of what you want to achieve with content writing - increased brand visibility, more social media followers or leads from B2B customers. From there, provide writers with the information they need TO produce engaging, high-quality blog posts that support your bottom-line growth.

Set the Budget Plan

When it comes to content writing, many organizations consider outsourcing to keep expenses down. The price is often the main reason for this decision. However, simply setting the budget without any plan can be counterproductive.

A study by Content Marketing Institute showed that more than 15% of respondents spent 50% or more of their marketing budget on content marketing. It indicates that a well-thought-out budget is vital if you want your content strategy to be successful.

You should know what you're looking for and how much you can spend before negotiations. Having this information up front will help avoid any surprises down the road.

So, coordinate your actions with the upper management and finance department to avoid potential lapses.

Choose Between Freelancer Teams, Agencies, and Content Marketplace

When it comes to outsourcing content writing, there are three main types of providers you can choose from: freelancers, agencies, and content marketplaces. Take a look at each option to decide which is best for your business here.

Choose the Relevant Writer

Choose the appropriate writer for the job depending on the content you need to produce. For example, journalists are not skilled in writing sales copies. But, they are a go-to option for creating press releases.

On the other hand, copywriters are experts at producing engaging and compelling sales materials. They know how to capture a reader's attention and hold it until the end.

Ask Them to Write Test Sample

During the selection, ask potential candidates to provide you with test samples. This step is crucial for laying the foundation for future long-term relationships. You will be able to see their skills in action and better evaluate your options.

But, you cannot simply ask for a sample and hope that the writer will provide one. Commission their test samples - they will have the motivation to demonstrate maximum powers. Most good writers are in high demand and won't' volunteer for free samples unless they are beginners. If you pursue free samples, you will likely narrow your search to only a few possible writers.

It is better to commission one or a few possible writers and evaluate them thoroughly before making a final decision.

Make Focus on Your Deadlines

When outsourcing content writing, keep your deadlines in focus. Center your content calendar centered around your target launch dates. Be clear that your priority is meeting deadlines and keeping a steady publishing pace.

Keep in mind to request quality assessment during the draft phase. It will help guarantee that you're happy with the final product and that your deadlines are met.

Define Success Metrics

When outsourcing content writing, it is important to define success metrics. That way, you track the writing progress and ensure they meet your expectations. A few things you may want to consider measuring include:

• SEO ranking
• Web traffic
• Average time on page
• Bounce rates
• Generated backlinks
• Conversions

How to Choose the Best-Suited Writers for Outsource Content Creation?

Pay Attention to Niche and Industry-Expertise

When looking for a writer to create content for your business, it's crucial to pay attention to their niche and expertise. At a greatcontent marketplace, you can filter copywriters with their niche and industry expertise.

Subject-matter experts are qualified writers who better understand the topic and meanwhile possess outstanding writing skills. They can deliver the story with conversational writing, easily understood by the readers, and strengthen your topical authority.

Also, they will need less time composing the texts, as subject-matter experts allocate less time to the research. Thus, you will be able to improve the publishing frequency and cover all related topics with more pace than your competitors.

Check Referrals and Feedback from Previous Clients

Marketplaces and freelancing platforms allow you to check your candidate's job success rating and feedback from previous clients. Looking at them, you will minimize the risk of hiring an incompetent writer or a person with a hard-to-work personality. 

Look at Their Personality

Alongside expertise, you should look at the writer's attitude and personality. During the phases of the initial relationship, you will be able to understand how responsive your potential candidate is.

Plus, the writer should have the motivation and will to take on the task with responsibility. If the writer asks questions or generates content development ideas, it should be a great fit for your project. 

Besides that, you will be able to sense their enthusiasm and work ethic, even though much communication will be held online. 

Look For Someone Who Can Relate to Your Target Audience

Select someone who can resonate with your target audience. Look out for writers who have similarities with your personas—share common interests, are in the same age group, etc.

Content is about walking in the reader's shoes and connecting them logically and emotionally. If you want to convert readers to customers, you should match them personally, give away valuable information, and someday it will click! You will improve your conversion rates. 

Find the Right Partner for Content Writing Outsourcing

If your operations are ready to expand and you can't create the content required, it's probably time to outsource content creation. If executed properly, it's a smooth, flexible, and painless supplement to corporate operations. And it can be a very cost-effective alternative to hiring fresh staff to carry out in-house work.

At greatcontent, we are ready to help. So feel free to reach out to our content experts for more information on how the whole process of outsourcing content creation works.