What is Content Outsourcing?
Content outsourcing is the delegation of certain (or all) tasks about your content marketing strategy to outside resources like a team of freelance workers or a content agency. While content outsourcing might sound like a “nice to have” or something for businesses with a large marketing budget, according to the Content Marketing Institute, half of the surveyed marketers outsource at least some of their content.
The demand for content has never been higher, and choosing to outsource some or all of your content production can ensure you’re delivering quality content on a consistent schedule without leaving any gaps.
Why Should You Outsource Content?
Outsourcing your content creation is one of the most effective ways to maximize the full potential of your budget. Outsourcing content allows you to forego all the overhead costs of assembling an in-house team and jump straight to content creation.
But the real value lies in the cross-section of cost-effectiveness and high-level talent. Just look at these advantages of content outsourcing:
- Saving money by outsourcing work to freelancers
- Building your team faster by skipping the hiring process
- Accessing top-tier talent by contracting experts in their field
- Shortened campaign timelines
- Increased adaptability
- Tapping into a global talent pool
- Easing your team’s workload
- Diversifying your content strategy
Simply put, you save time and money by expanding upon your current team’s capabilities (and limitations!). Working with experts is worth the investment, every time.
How Do You Determine What to Outsource?
Not all content is created equal, and not every aspect of your content strategy may benefit from outsourcing. Every content type serves a unique purpose. Identifying which content to outsource is your first step in the process.
Take a look at the current state of your content production. Let’s say your in-house team grapples with tight turnarounds and can’t afford to immerse themselves in extensive research. Outsourcing more complex, time-consuming content like eBooks and white papers can be strategic.
On the other hand, you might need a steady production of fresh blog posts and social media copy over a long period of time. Partnering with a content creation agency can infuse new energy and momentum into your strategy while ensuring all the content is consistent and high-quality.
Perform a comprehensive internal review, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your in-house and its workflow. This will give you a starting point.
From there, you can determine your current content gaps and identify which types of content will be most beneficial for your business to outsource. For reference, here are the six types of content most frequently outsourced:
- Blog posts
- Infographics
- Social media posts
- Product descriptions
- Email lead nurtures
- Video
Once you’ve identified which types of content you’ll be outsourcing, you may also wish to consider whether you’re outsourcing work or outsourcing roles entirely. (Is your head spinning a little bit? It’s okay. ClearVoice has you covered.)
Benefits of Outsourcing Content vs. In-House
While we’re confident we’ve done a pretty good job of outlining the benefits of outsourcing content, there is something to be said for creating content in-house:
- In-house teams work closely within the company’s ecosystem, ensuring a strong alignment with the brand’s vision and culture. This collaboration fosters a unified approach to achieving overall goals.
- Managing projects in-house allows for more control over each aspect of the content creation process. While outsourcing can offer flexibility, keeping specific projects in-house provides direct oversight, ensuring projects align with company standards and objectives.
- With in-house teams, there’s an opportunity for more frequent quality checks, which help keep projects on track, within budget, and up to standard. The proximity allows for a more hands-on approach, monitoring and maintaining quality throughout the production process.
These benefits come with a cost, however. Not just individual salaries, benefits packages, and potential overhead of workspace but the tools, systems, and technology required to implement content production and distribution.
Do the benefits of an in-house team outweigh the cost? Only you can answer that question for your business, but most marketers find they can “do more with less” by outsourcing their content.
How Does ClearVoice Help Me Outsource My Content?
Content creation services come in many shapes and sizes, just like your business needs are different from any other. That’s why ClearVoice creates a custom plan built around your needs and your resources. With a ClearVoice Content Plan, you’ll know we’re producing precisely what you need for your marketing efforts. Now, you can focus on what matters and not pay for any content you don’t need or won’t use.
With ClearVoice as your managed content solution, you’ll get the content you need, aligned with your strategy for YOUR industry. It starts with a simple conversation. Talk to a content strategist today!
