The decision to outsource content creation is a big one – and it shouldn’t be made lightly. Everyone knows “content is king” – and agency workers also know how time-consuming it is to create quality material.
Content is the foundation brands are built on. It showcases a personality with messaging that connects businesses to customers. Eventually, growing agencies get to a point where they need to lean on external writers. But knowing how to outsource content creation the right way is not always easy.
The good news is the talent pool of content creators is MASSIVE. Finding an exceptional writer can be the answer to your problems. But what are the signs that indicate you need to search for talent externally?
In this post, I want to discuss five of the biggest indicators that scream “outsource content creation!”
1. Your Client Volume is Growing Fast
2. Clients Are Asking About Content Writing Services
3. Writing Is Not Your Forte
4. Your Content Writing Needs are Sporadic
5. Hiring In-House Writers is Not Currently Feasible
Let’s dive into it.
1. Your Client Volume is Growing Fast
This is the clearest sign it’s time to search for an outside writer. The growth phase of an agency is an exciting (and extremely stressful) time. On one hand, seeing more projects come in than you have bandwidth is a sign you’re doing awesome work.
On the other hand, you’ve got a dilemma:
- Turn down new projects due to low bandwidth; or
- Take new projects and risk quality issues and delayed timelines.
Neither of these options are appealing – and piling more work on an overwhelmed staff is not the solution. I speak from experience on this one: an overwhelmed mind is not a creative mind.
If hiring in-house is not feasible, outsourcing content creation is the only option.
2. Clients Are Asking About Content Writing Services
As a digital agency, content might not be your primary service. In fact, very few agencies start as content writing agencies. Many started their journey by providing a single service – like web design, development, SEO, or advertising.
Content creation is a common denominator in nearly all digital agency services. Once you complete a website or map out an SEO campaign – you may be asked about content services like blogging or sales copywriting.
Now, the beauty of selling blogging services is consistency. It’s recommended that businesses produce at least two keyword-focused blogs per month for SEO. This keeps clients on a retainer, rather than a one-off web project.
If clients are asking about content or copywriting services, having a trusted content writing agency partner in your back pocket can be instrumental in your sales process to generate ongoing revenue.
3. Writing Is Not Your Forte
From an outsider’s perspective, writing looks like a quick process. It’s easy to glance at a 500-word landing page and think “I could whip that up in 20 minutes tops!”
Anyone can slap words on a page. However, writing quality content that gets results takes an expert touch – in addition to strong fundamentals. To reiterate, most digital agencies do not start as content agencies. Many are rooted in website design & development, SEO, or paid marketing. Content is a core component of each of these marketing services.
Some of these agencies opt to have their clients provide the content – whether it be web copy, blog posts, or ad messaging. More often than not, this approach leads to poor results. Content creation, SEO, web design, and paid ads go hand-in-hand. The move to outsource content writing is a crucial move to maximize the value of your services.
Finding skilled writers to complement your service offerings is not an easy task. Everyone wants the best work for the lowest price. The freelance writer pool is overflowing with talent – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Moreover, you never really get a feel for a freelancer’s ability until you’re deep into the actual project.
When you opt for a white label content creation agency, you’re paying for more than just a writer. On a baseline level, you’re paying for:
- A proven writing process with digital agencies
- Strong, white hat SEO writing practices
- Flexibility to meet your needs
- Knowledge of various project management platforms
White label content writing agencies have designed their business model around helping agencies like yours. They should be happy to provide references, case studies, and other information to put your mind at ease.
4. Your Content Writing Needs are Sporadic
You may not have huge, consistent volumes of content requests. Or, your needs are on a project-by-project basis. For example, you may only need content creation services when you are designing a new website.
When a new project comes up, you need a good, reliable writer in your corner to jump into action. Unfortunately, freelancers aren’t always available – especially the good ones. It can take weeks – or months – for a coveted freelancer to fit your project into their busy schedule.
When you outsource content creation to a white label agency, they’ve got a team of proven writers available to help you. Regardless of the situation, the content writing agency will work with you to develop a plan to complete the project.
The difference here is relationships.
When you work with a freelancer, you are simply a client to them. For a white label content writing agency, you are seen as a partner. No matter how consistent or sporadic your needs might be, they’ve got processes and staff in place to make sure you are taken care of.
5. Hiring In-House Writers is Not Currently Feasible
In-house talent does not come cheap for digital agencies. On average, an entry-level salary for an in-house content writer is around $41,000 plus benefits. Moreover, the writer may not yet have the skills to meet your high-level quality demands.
Skilled copywriters and content writers are extremely valuable across the ENTIRE business world. The exceptional ones know their value and demand a premium salary, which is tough for growing agencies to accommodate.
If you’ve got a growing need for quality content writing – but don’t yet have the resources to hire a writer in-house – outsourcing content creation to a proven white label agency may be your best bet. Most of these providers operate with a flexible business model to meet the evolving needs of growing digital agencies. This means no long-term contracts, predictable pricing, and flexibility to scale up or down as needed.
When the time comes to hire an in-house writer, the content writing agency can still be used to pick up the slack and empower your in-house team.
Pro Tips Outsource Content Creation
- Don’t downplay the importance of quality content.
- Don’t choose the cheapest freelancer option – you’ll pay for it in the end.
- Work out a budget before reaching out to a writer or content writing agency.
- Working with content creators is a relationship. Start with baby steps.
- Be overly specific about your scope, process, and expectations.
- Create a style guide or writer’s guidelines.
- Be flexible with communication.
- Give credit where credit is due.
The Wrap
The decision to outsource content creation is one that every digital agency will face. As you’ll quickly learn, quality content writers do not grow on trees. Most of the exceptional ones have been plucked off the freelance market and are working for other agencies or companies.
The good news is white label content creation agencies are made up of rockstars from the freelance world. They provide growing agencies with a fantastic middle ground between rolling the dice on freelancers and hiring a writer in-house.
At Razorcopy, our team has been proudly serving agency partners for nearly a decade. We’ve spent years fine-tuning our process, pricing models, and quality assurance to help agencies put their best foot forward in every project.
Are you ready to outsource content creation to a proven white label agency?
Get in touch with us today! Fill out a form online or email Kevin – Director of Content Strategy – directly at kevin@razorcopy.com.
