11 Benefits of outsourcing content creation for your business

Key takeaways:

• Why outsourcing content creation is a flexible and cost-effective solution.
• How to overcome challenges in content outsourcing, from finding talent to quality control.
• Actionable tips for successfully managing freelance content creators.
• The top 11 advantages of outsourcing content creation, including saving time, enhancing quality, and boosting scalability.

If you are like many content marketing managers, you want to do more without spending extra time. Over three-quarters of marketing teams say they need help to keep up with the speed of their content production schedule.

Nearly the same number say they cannot keep up with the volume.
So, it’s hardly surprising that 84% of brands outsource content creation at least in part. When you outsource content creation, it’s like improving a website’s SERP ranking or growing a social media following. It sounds easy, but it is not.

Contentoo is Europe’s first freelance content creation platform. We have a strong history of connecting brands with freelance subject-matter experts. So, we’ve got you covered with lots of insider tips and tricks on how to get the most out of outsourcing content writing. Read on to find out.

Why are so many brands outsourcing content creation now?

There are plenty of good reasons why over 8 out of 10 brands are outsourcing content creation. The top reasons for most brands are simply a matter of efficiency:

• Content creation is time-consuming, and you don’t have the staff in-house to produce content fast enough.
• Hiring new full-time employees is too expensive for many marketing teams.
• Your content creation needs can change. Sometimes, you will need more help than at other times. This means you need a flexible workforce.

Some marketing teams try to fill in the gap by asking subject-matter experts within their company to provide content.

If you have tried this, you may have noticed it is not very efficient. It takes too much time for the experts, and they often cannot prioritise it. Plus, even though they’re brilliant in their fields, they may not be the best writers. And they probably don’t have much expertise in SEO, marketing or branding either.

To keep high-quality SEO content coming, marketing managers are turning to freelance talent. Content outsourcing via writers helps solve all the issues described above. They also fill in critical skill gaps in your own marketing team, such as native-language skills. When you outsource article writing, the freelancers bring fresh market perspectives and storytelling skills, which help build your brand’s reputation and thought leadership.

What are the main challenges of outsourcing content creation?

At first glance, freelance content creation talent seems like the perfect solution. It offers marketers a seemingly endless supply of subject-matter experts to choose from. These creative professionals bring extensive experience in creating on-brand SEO content. Working with them is much more affordable and flexible than hiring your own team of content creators.

Yet outsourcing content creation brings some challenges of its own:

• It’s time-consuming to scout for freelance talent that’s got relevant experience in your industry and market.
• Managing a team of multiple freelance content creators creates additional work (for example, handling multiple invoices or multiple workflows)
• There’s no quality guarantee. If you are not happy with a writer's work, you will need to find a new one and start all over. 
• Ensuring access to available talent when and where you need it can be challenging. Freelance writers don’t prioritise your projects over their other clients' work.
• It can be challenging to get freelance content creators to follow your brand guidelines and ensure a consistent tone of voice.

How to Outsource Content Creation Effectively

Many of our clients have run into similar challenges in the past. We have worked with them to develop our unique content creation platform, which is designed specifically to avoid pitfalls like these and maximise your ROI when investing in freelance talent. Here are the most important steps to make outsourcing a success for you.

Step 1: Onboard external talent

In our experience, the best way to start a professional relationship with a freelance content creator is to onboard them, almost as if they were a new employee at your company. We create hand-picked talent teams for each of our clients. Each new client relationship begins with an onboarding session where you can meet your content creators, discuss your marketing strategy and introduce them to your company culture.

Giving freelance talent an onboarding makes them feel more invested in your company and its success. It also helps them understand their role and what you expect of them. And simply having a personal connection with you (a face to match the name) is a powerful psychological motivator that encourages them to give their best.

Step 2: Automate your workflows

Managing your in-house team is challenging enough. The time management and organisation becomes even more complicated when you’ve got 4 or 5 freelance content creators to keep in the loop. This is why it’s valuable to have an automated workflow in place. Our clients benefit from using our content creation platform, which gives them a one-stop overview for managing all their content creation projects.

If you’re not using a platform, then at least consider including your freelance content creators in your team’s regular workflows. Give them guest access to your Slack or Teams channel, for example. Also be sure to set clear rules for handling practical matters, such as invoices.

For example, instruct freelancers to only send one invoice per month, covering all the projects completed. Connect them directly with your company’s finance department, so they can submit invoices according to your usual procedure.

If you work with a platform like Contentoo, you also benefit from having all your projects collected onto a single monthly invoice, no matter how many different freelance content creators you worked with in that month.

Step 3: Have a strong quality-screening process in place

It may sound obvious, but proper background-checking is often overlooked in the era of freelance content creation. If you put out a call for freelance talent via LinkedIn or a freelance job posting site, be specific up front about what you’re looking for.

Treat it like any other job listing. Specify the number of years of experience the ideal candidate should have. And stipulate that they provide a portfolio of at least 5 relevant—and recent—pieces of content.

Anyone can call themselves a freelance content creator. But only a true professional can readily provide a portfolio of relevant content.

When evaluating the content, focus more on whether the content creator is good at their craft: writing, storytelling, making an impact. If they’re an excellent writer, then they are probably also adaptable and quick to learn about your brand and product, even if they don’t have 100% of the subject matter expertise the minute they respond to your call.

Step 4: Start with a trial period and think long-term

Once a freelance content creator meets your requirements, remember to onboard them as mentioned above. Start the relationship with a trial period in which you outsource relatively manageable tasks to them. Let them prove themselves and gain your trust before you start relying on them to handle larger projects.

Freelance content creators thrive on repeat business, and many are willing to even offer special rates if you can guarantee a minimum amount of work throughout the course of a month or year.

Building long-term professional relationships is beneficial to both sides: the content creator benefits from having your company as a loyal customer, and you benefit from knowing that the content will keep improving with each project, as the writer gets to know your brand, product and audiences better and better.

Step 5: Have a content strategy and a clear purpose for outsourcing

Lastly, make sure that your content strategy is carefully worked out. It’s a good idea to condense it to a one-page PDF that you can share with your freelance content creators.

Having a crystal clear strategy means knowing your audiences, understanding your personas and having clear goals for what you want to achieve. You probably have different goals for different types of content. And different KPIs for seeing how well your content is performing.

If you want your freelance content creator to write like an insider, then it’s important to let them in on your strategy. This enables them to share your goals and work with a greater sense of purpose. That way, they can deliver the quality that you expect.

With these tips in mind, let’s dive into some of the top advantages that you can expect when outsourcing your content projects.

Advantages of outsourcing content creation

So, why are the world’s leading brands all shifting their focus towards outsourcing content creation? It’s because they’ve discovered powerful strategic advantages like the ones we list below:

1. Outsourcing saves you time

Writing a news article, a white paper, or a good social media post can take many hours. This includes research, writing, and editing. By delegating those tasks to experienced professionals, you free up valuable time.

2. Outsourcing adds more value to your content

Original, professionally written content always reflects well on your brand. It showcases your company’s thought leadership and helps you build all-important trust with your target groups. Professional content creators specialise in creating rich, high-quality content that truly adds value. 

Good quality makes your content easier to find on Google. Helpful pages that answer questions get more visitors and rank higher in search results.

3. Outsourcing gives you a steady supply of content

Quality should always be the main focus of your content creation. But quantity matters too. A study of 13,500 B2B and B2C companies found that companies with over 400 blog posts get three times more leads. This compares to companies with only 0 to 100 posts.

Bringing in external help enables you to create a regular stream of original content. This means you can maintain a fuller content creation schedule and publish more frequently.

4. Outsourcing is cheaper

As you know, content creation is time-consuming. Most companies lack the budget to hire a team of full-time content writers. Outsourcing involves far fewer costs than hiring permanent employees (no employer tax, social security, insurance costs, holiday pay, etc.). When you outsource, you pay for exactly what you need, and nothing more.

5. Outsourcing is more flexible

In addition to being cheaper all-around, outsourcing is also more flexible than working with in-house writing staff. Say you want to update your company’s blog once a week and create a white paper once each quarter. That’s a lot of work, but it’s certainly not enough to justify having a full-time content creator. With outsourcing, you can simply delegate your content creation tasks to suit your schedule.

6. Outsourcing is more scalable

Along with the flexibility also comes the ability to quickly increase or decrease your content creation output. Say your company is expanding into a new market. You need to quickly create new content and transcreate and localise existing content. 

Or what if you want to amplify your output during your company’s peak season or a special event? By outsourcing, you can bring in as many content creators as you need to get the job done.

7. Outsourcing brings fresh perspectives

Professional content creators come from a wide variety of backgrounds. They bring diversity, fresh perspectives and new ideas to your content. Many of them have worked as insiders in your industry. So, they understand what makes your customers tick.

8. Outsourcing expands your range

Each type of content requires a different skill set. By outsourcing, you have access to a wider talent pool. This means you can find content creators who focus on the writing styles and channels you want. This includes blogging, long articles, news pieces, and social media posts, among others.

9. Outsourcing enables you to focus on strategy

We all have different talents and interests. If you’re a marketing manager, chances are you love developing marketing strategies, monitoring performance and fine-tuning campaigns. Outsourcing your content creation gives you more time. You can focus on important activities that add value to your department and company.

10. Outsourcing makes your life easier

If you’re like most professional marketers, you could probably use a break! Marketing is a fast-paced, constantly changing, busy field of work. Another benefit of outsourcing is that it reduces your workload. This helps you and your team feel more satisfied and less stressed at work.

11. Outsourcing is a better investment

Lastly, and maybe most importantly for business, outsourcing gives you a better return on your marketing investment. You enjoy all the benefits mentioned above. You also create more engaging content. This helps you reach your goals faster, cheaper, and more efficiently.

Ready to get more accomplished with outsourcing?

As you can see, there are a few challenges to keep in mind when outsourcing content creation. But one thing is clear: the benefits of successful outsourcing far outweigh the risks.

Many companies today use outsourcing for content creation to meet their marketing goals. A 2020 study found that 84% of B2B brands and 55% of B2C brands now depend on outsourced content creators. Those brands have already discovered the many benefits of outsourcing content creation.

To learn how to improve your content marketing ROI when outsourcing, schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Talk to one of our experienced content advisors today.