A Simple Guide to Outsourcing Content Writing
Developing your online presence creates a never-ending demand for content. Whether it’s social media posts, blogging, updated web copy, or white papers – it’s like a hunger that can never be satisfied. Outsourcing your content writing, or one aspect of it, therefore, is an excellent strategy for:
- Improving Engagement: Writing for your own business is hard. You’re inside it, so it’s difficult to see it from the customers’ point of view. A content writer can offer you a new perspective, and a fresh energy.
- Increasing Output: If your business is doing well, you won’t have time to write everything. A content writer can help with your content strategy. So maybe you write one opinion piece each month, and all the rest is taken care of.
- Innovative Ideas: Taking a step back allows you to be more creative. Instead of grinding out the weekly blog, maybe you could produce a White Paper, or an e-book? Perhaps you could ask your customers what they would value?
How to Outsource Content Writing
First and foremost, jump before you’re pushed. Recognise early on that you’ll need to create budget for outsourcing content creation and you put yourself in the driving seat. Finding the right content provider is key to maximising return on your investment. So here’s our quick guide to finding the right person for the job.
1. Create a Good Brief
When you hire a content provider you need to let them know exactly what you want. The first step is to create a brief that gives them the information your writer needs. This should include:
- Type of post: eg. blog, social media post, opinion piece, magazine article
- Brief outline: eg. “What is Bitcoin?” for small business owners
- Reference article: indicating tone and length
- Keywords to focus on: you may have some SEO keywords that need to be included
2. Use Editing to Develop the Partnership
Early on, your content creator needs detailed feedback on their first drafts. Why? So they know what it is you want to see. However clear your instructions, they can’t include everything. Knowing how you describe things, or how your business works with customers, is an incredibly important learning process. Work closely with your content creator on the first few blogs, and you’ll save time in the long run.
3. Set High Standards
Don’t accept generic, or bland writing. It is possible to hire subject specialists, and good content creators see research as part of their job, so set your expectations high. As a baseline, your content should be well written, informed, and without spelling or grammatical errors. Anything less than this isn’t acceptable. A good content creator will follow your brief to the letter, deliver to deadline, and learn quickly to write in your tone.
Outsource Your Marketing Can Find Your Content Writers
The OYM team can make the whole process even simpler by finding your content provider for you. We work with a professional network of content providers, all of whom fulfil our criteria for excellent service, skills and professionalism. Because we work with them regularly, we are able to find the right person for the job, and the most competitive pricing for their services.
