I’m going to assume that since you’re reading this blog, you have some familiarity with inbound marketing, and understand its value. I’m also going to assume that you know that inbound marketing is also sometimes known as “content marketing”, as so much of the inbound process centers around using valuable content to attract, retain, and convert members of your target audience into customers. Today, I’d like to look at the idea of outsourcing that content creation, including blogging, to an inbound agency.
The Dilemma
Again, I’m not trying to sell you on the concept of content marketing or inbound marketing. I expect that you already know that it’s far less expensive than old-school “outbound” marketing, while generally producing dramatically better results. You’re probably also aware of the challenge, however. The heart, if you will, of inbound marketing, is in content creation. For the process to be effective, you’re going to need a constant stream of high quality content, and that’s going to take time, as well as some expertise. Let’s examine the ways that you can manage the process of creating and publishing a high volume of meaningful content.
Write It Yourself?
Perhaps you’re doing this already. If so, I applaud your efforts. If you’re managing a small business, I’m not surprised. Most small business owners I work with have what I like to call a “DIY mentality”, which is in some ways an essential part of building up a startup. In the earliest days of the business, one tends to do as much of the work as possible oneself, until revenue justifies paying other people to do it. Honestly, it’s a great idea, particularly in the area of content creation. Whatever your line of work may be, it was your love and passion for it that motivated you to start up the business, and who would be better qualified than you to do blogging on that subject matter? However, there’s one pitfall to this approach, and it’s a big one: time. Again, if you’re like most owners of small businesses, you’re already wearing a lot of hats, and your time is spread thinly across more activities than you can realistically manage. If you’re in that boat, it’s time to delegate some of those responsibilities to other people.
Hire In-House Writers
The first and most obvious option is to keep a skilled in-house writer on staff. If you can find a someone who is both masterful at their craft, and understands the nature of your business, that individual would certainly be an asset to your team. It’s great to have someone who’s “always on”, so that when a need arises, they’re ready to take the ball and run. This becomes even easier as your staff writer develops more familiarity with your work and topics that are relevant to you and your customer base. However, there’s some degree of burn-out associated with writing on the same topic, day after day, and you may find that the quality of writing becomes more workmanlike over time. Add to this the fact that maintaining an in-house employee comes with a host of costs, from payroll taxes and benefits to desks, computers, software, phones, and so on, and the prospect of hiring a staff writer may not be as attractive as you initially thought. Another thought to consider: what happens at those times in the cycles of your business that there’s not enough work to keep a full-time staff writer busy? Paying a salary for someone to sit around, underutilized is not an attractive option, nor is laying someone off and having to rehire when the workload increases.
Freelance Writers?
There are certainly some excellent freelance writers out there. It may take a fair amount of trial and error, however, to find the ones who are proficient at your type of content creation, and responsible enough to stay on track with your blogging schedule and deadlines. Keep in mind, too, that unlike employees, freelancers are not necessarily beholden to you, and that their personal schedule may fill up with other projects, leaving them unavailable when you have a sudden and pressing need.
Outsource it to an Inbound Agency (like Rhino!)
As I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, this article has been leading up to a recommendation that you outsource your marketing efforts, including blogging and other content creation, to an inbound agency, like the pros at Rhino. For starters, I hope you’re not put off by the use of the word “outsource”, which has gotten a pretty bad rap in the media in recent years as it relates to jobs which are lost to overseas relocations. We’re simply talking here about the practice of delegating business processes to an individual, or, in this case, an agency, who specializes in that type of work. Let’s look at some of the advantages of outsourcing your content creation.
- It frees up your time
Without knowing the specifics of what you do and how you operate your business, I’m going to take a guess that if you’re the owner of a growing company, you already can’t find enough hours in the day to manage everything on your plate. The whole idea of outsourcing is that if there’s an entire process that can be managed by someone else (like your blogging and other content creation), that it’s going to leave your time more open for better uses. Chances are that you’ve already got enough demands on your time, energy, and finances, as it is.
- High quality, professional writing, all the time
I’m sure you’re good at what you do, and equally capable of writing or talking about it. But there will be times when you experience “writer’s block”, or just aren’t feeling inspired. You may have difficulty finding the right topics to blog about, for example. Outsourcing to an inbound agency will bring fresh perspective to planning and strategizing, and a team of professional writers, always poised to create high quality content on your subject matter.
- Content designed to produce the results you need
Most importantly, working with an inbound agency will ensure that your blogging and content creation on the whole will be properly aligned with your marketing strategy. There are undoubtedly other ways of getting quality written content, and you could, of course, always stay up late and crank it out yourself, in a pinch. But if you’re finding that your blogs are not producing the results you’re looking for, it may be time to consider using the services of an inbound agency. By “results”, I’m referring to increased traffic to your website, and of course, the ultimate goal of more sales. The best way to achieve that goal will be to work with a team that understands your business and marketing plans. They’ll create content which, based on their experience, will attract and appeal to your target audience, and ultimately, convert them into buyers of your products or services.
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