So you’re just starting out in business, and you realize you don’t know what the heck you’re doing. You’re listening to podcasts and find out about this new marketing hack you should try out. You know you need a website set up and should’ve gotten it done like, yesterday. And now you learn that you need to be pumping out good quality content or else you won’t be able to bring in more clientele, and the kicker is -- you hate writing.
It’s not necessarily that you don’t know how to write, it’s moreso because you don’t know what you should be writing about or you’re running out of ideas. Also, it takes you forever and a day to “sit yourself down”, then you stare at a blank screen for another hour twittering your thumbs, getting distracted with what’s on TV or what’s going on social media. And when you finally DO come up with what to say and how to say it, when it’s all said and done, you still don’t feel that confident because you’re not sure if it’s even good enough or effective enough to attract or convert your ideal clients. Aye. aye, aye.
Let’s break that cycle.
If you’ve built up a lot of resistance towards writing content yourself and you’re stuck spinning your wheels coming up with what to say in your marketing so you can actually grow your business, then listen up.
Below you’ll learn the pros and cons of outsourcing content writing and discover when it’s a good time for you to take this important step in your business -- even if you’re just starting out.
The Value of Content Writing
Now, before we get started, I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that content is king in the world of online business. But just in case you didn’t know, I’ll go ahead and reiterate that indeed it is a powerful skill to have in this digital age. The way people are doing business now has changed. We live in a gig economy where more and more people are choosing to do business with people they find outline that they know, like, and trust. For this reason, it’s the best content marketer that wins big in the world of online business.
Before going full-time in business, I worked in corporate America as a content marketer. I saw first-hand what some of the big dogs were doing when it came to their marketing. They were pumping out tens of thousands of dollars towards their content marketing campaigns and getting multi-millions of dollars back in return. Realizing this changed the game for me.
Powerful and quality content can help you attract your ideal clients, generate leads daily, and inspire your perfect-fit people to want to do business with you. If you want more clientele, you need more content published and distributed to educate your audience about who you are, what you do, who you serve, and the value of what you offer.
Outsourcing Content Writing: Pros and Cons
Time
Pros: Can you say time freedom? Yes, when you outsource content writing, you are able to free up more of the time you would've spent creating the content from scratch and instead focus on other areas of your life and business that matter most. Instead of spending hours, days, or weeks spinning your wheels being stuck in your head trying to figure out what to say or how to say it. When outsourcing, you can get content that’s done for you so you can get your time back and do what you actually love like serving your clients or enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation with your family.
Cons: Depending on who you outsource your content to, you might find that you may still have to invest time into the execution of your project. Time from your end such as coming up with the fine details, what you want to say, relaying important information about your business to help the writer understand it, filling out questionnaires, or spelling out exactly who your ideal client is (unfortunately, some may not ask for this information - which is a big red flag).
After the content is delivered, some content writers may upload or scheduling out the content for you while with others this may not be the case. For this reason, it's important to ask the right questions you need to know upfront to make sure all the grounds you hoping for gets covered.
Veteran content writers have streamlined this process to quickly get the information they need from you without you having to invest that much time on your end. For example, to work with me, I have my clients complete a project application form (takes 2-3 mins.), we hop on the phone to discuss their business and needs more in depth as well as to discuss options (about 30 mins.), and if they enroll, they take a voice personality quiz (2-3 mins.) and we do a client kickoff call so I can ask specific questions to uncover their brand’s identity, story, ideal clients, offers, goals, vision, etc. (90 mins.) And boom. That’s it on their end. I take it from there to pump out content for their website, email, social media, blog, you name it. They can kick back and focus on serving their clients, spending a vacation with their family, or getting in some much needed self care. The last step for them is to review the content that was done for them, say it's approved, or offer feedback (if needed).
Energy
Pros: Save the energy you would’ve spent being dedicated to watching tutorials, guessing at what you think your ideal clients want, or questioning yourself every inch of the way. Instead, get the expert guidance, support, and confidence you need by outsourcing your content writing and content marketing. Not only will it help you maximize your efforts, but you could get professional recommendations on what you may have been doing wrong and what you could be doing right. You may also get inspired ideas on what more you can say in your marketing to sign on your next client, which could save you MONTHS of time and energy in the long-run. You may also benefit from having a template you can now follow when you create content for your business going forward.
Cons: Sometimes when outsourcing tasks to freelancers listed on gig websites like Fiverr, you may find that you will have to take the lead on what you believe your business needs, which may not always be to your best interest. Some freelancers assume you know what your business needs and focus strictly on delivering what you request. This works for businesses who’ve figured out how to attract their clients and sales or need a blog written about a specific subject matter. This approach may not work for beginner entrepreneurs who really need an expert to take a deeper look at exactly what’s going on so they can get the appropriate recommendations and are not pumping out random and ineffective content all willy-nilly.
Not all content writers are the same, so if you have not been very successful at making sales online, that’s an indicator that you need to ask for market research to be included or you need to consult with a content strategist for a game plan so you can nail down your ideal clients.
Veteran content writers know that rule #1 in creating quality writing is knowing your audience. If you have not yet nailed down your audience (you'll know if you haven't seen much success in sales), then it would be helpful to consult with a marketing strategist before outsourcing your content so you can make sure the content you're distributing will actually help you get closer to your revenue goals.
Money
Pros: No matter what sized budget you have, you can find a content writer that is able to help take the load off, deliver your project, meet your needs, and help you grow your business. When outsourcing sales content to experienced writers, you can expect more than just creativity, but also copy to help you turn a profit for the lifetime of the content’s use.
Cons: You get what you pay for. Sometimes if you’re too cheap or outsource content to interns, VAs, or beginner writers who do not yet specialize in the particular content form or understand the fundamentals of sales writing, you might end up investing more time, energy, and money in the long-run correcting their mistakes. Some content writers charge lower rates because they are in another country and are not native English speakers. Some lower their rates because they are inexperienced and are not confident about the value they're delivering. For this reason, it’s important to interview content writers and ask the questions you need in order to make sure that it’ll be a good fit for you both.
As you can see, there are many upsides and downsides to outsourcing content and there are different types of content writers that exist. All and all, it’s always good to do you due diligence on the company or writer you decide to use. It’s also important to note that whether you decide to outsource content writing or not, it’s still going to cost you time, energy, or money every single day you don’t figure things out.
Time is your most valuable resource, and we all know time is money. Rather than spending hours or even weeks trying to do all the things yourself like social media posts, email newsletters, sales copy, blog posts, etc., figure out what’s a priority for you, take back your time and life.
If it’s taking you too long to get the sales you believe should be achievable, don’t stay stuck. Get the help you need, when you need it so you can create more freedom, get content that converts, and grow your business starting today.
Hi, I’m Jasmine – award-winning journalist, author, Editor in Chief, and certified Content Marketing Strategist. For over 8 years, I’ve been helping businesses create content that's clear and true to their authentic voice, helps them gain visibility, attracts their ideal clients, and grows their business!
I realized in my own business (and with my clients), the right words meshed with the right systems can be a game-changer.
That's why I teach people how to have freedom in their business by leveraging content and their brand's messaging to attract their most valuable payers (without losing themselves, sleep, or sanity). Learn more here.