How to Outsource Content Creation Without Sacrificing Quality

Creating original, relevant content for your audience on a regular basis can be a chore. While you might love what you do, chances are that you will become bored of the repetition and research at some point. Most companies tend to outsource their content creation to a third party.

What most managers and CEOs are worried about is the legitimacy of the content creators on the internet and their ability not to whack up your website even further. According to studies, 62% of companies today outsource their content instead of creating it in-house. Whether this is a freelancer or a marketing agency varies from case to case.

However, the general consensus is that outsourcing is a very good idea for any company with an online front that doesn’t know much about content creation or SEO. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of outsourcing as well as the best places to check out for your needs.

Why outsource content creation at all?

The most important aspect of outsourcing is to understand what it means in the first place. Outsourcing your content to a third party means that you are about to trust someone else with your website’s longevity. Companies that focus on niches unrelated to digital marketing, writing or design often do this out of necessity.

These companies simply focus on different products and don’t understand how content creation and optimization works. So what are some of the signs that point towards outsourcing and why should you take them into serious consideration?

Your traffic is low

Low website traffic means that very few people come across your site nowadays. This can be attributed to poor marketing but also to a lack of SEO optimization. There is nothing to optimize if there is no content present on the site in the first place however. If your traffic is low and shows no signs of going up, outsourcing might be a good idea for you.

You don’t know about SEO

You might have a few topics and articles in mind for your site but that isn’t enough. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a huge part in whether or not your content will be seen by anyone. If you don’t know anything about content optimization and how to rank better with search engines, it might be best to look for outside help.

You don’t have time to write

Even if you operate in the digital marketing niche, you might not have time to write yourself. Leaving your website to dry without any content to back it up won’t bode well for your ranking or traffic. Don’t postpone your content calendar just because you don’t have time to write anything personally. Create a neat brief and look for third party help for your content.

Content outsourcing brief

Before we dive into the benefits and platforms for outsourcing, let’s take a look at how we can define a brief for our content creators. As you know, content creators will always create content according to our specifications. This means that you should always pay close attention to every element in your brief and whether or not you will be satisfied with having such content on your site.

• Make your brief easy to understand and to the point – use bulleted lists and short sentences.
• Outline the content you want created – don’t be afraid to write the title and subheadings for your brief.
• It’s always a good idea to include samples of your past content and examples you found online.
• Set a strict deadline and don’t stray from it – give your content creator ample time to prepare and create the content.
• Clearly define the budget and payment methods you are prepared to implement – avoid any misunderstanding at all costs.
• Lastly, don’t be afraid to look for revisions – the better your content is, the more people it will attract.

Benefits of outsourcing

Sometimes it’s better to face the music early on instead of being in the dark. The truth is that you may not be able to produce quality content for your site if you are doing something else as your primary occupation.

Websites that sell products, provide engineering services or legal consultation don’t have the tools necessary to create quality content. That being said, there is a multitude of benefits to be had by outsourcing your content creation to a third party without the fear of your website becoming worse for wear:

More traffic and activity

Outsourcing your content is a good idea if you want to drive traffic and activity on your website. Most companies don’t have blogs or relatable content that users can check out while browsing their products.

This is a major disadvantage especially in today’s competitive climate. More content means more traffic directed at your website. As a result, this can bring activity, discussion and word of mouth to your site that you would otherwise pass up on.

Good RoI on your content

Investment and return on investment is what most managers have in mind when considering outsourcing. It’s true that outsourcing costs money but you will get a lot of content for your expenses. There is no way to promote your site in a better way than you will do with your own content.

Marketing campaigns, social media ads and other types of exposure will only go so far. Once your visitors realize that the website they just visited is barren and without content, they will quickly walk away. Outsourcing can provide you with a great RoI very quickly.

New partnership opportunities

The rumor is that you have to look for new writers every time you want new content to appear on your website. Companies that outsource their content creation usually do it a constant basis. This means that the writers and content creators you employ and are happy with might stick around for a while.

Working with individuals that you have come to know and have an understanding with is a great benefit of outsourcing. Once you create a workflow with your agency or freelancers, you will easily cooperate as if they were your employees or partners.

More focus on clients

Lastly, outsourcing your content will free up a lot of your time and energy in the long run. This energy can be channeled to clients and projects so that you can do your job better. Your content creators will take care of the contend side of things on your site will you can safely focus on maintaining your clientele and revenue streams.

This is one of the most important and relevant aspects of why you should seriously consider outsourcing. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the most predominant and useful platforms and websites that can help you outsource your content properly.

Content creation platforms and websites to consider

99designs

If you need visual assets, branding or any other type of design work done, then 99designs is the place for you. The site specializes in everything visual, from logo design to illustration and web design respectively. Studies have shown that the two most outsourced types of content are design (41%) and writing (44%), respectively.

Posting a new project and defining what you are looking for is all it takes to get started. You will be contacted with propositions from professional designers shortly afterwards. Using 99designs is fast and intuitive, so make sure to check it out for any visual content creation you might need.

Writing companies reviews

Finding good writers for your content can be difficult, especially with so many platforms available on the internet. Online Writers Rating is a platform that allows you to choose from a plethora of websites and services that specialize in writing.

Finding professional content writers for your specific niche and content type is very simple and straightforward with this platform. All you have to do is define what it is you need and go through the services listed on Online Writers Rating. The obligatory reviews and ratings (hence the name) will ensure that you always get the best possible content for your money.

Upwork

Upwork is an all-in-one platform dedicated to connecting companies and content creators. What differentiates Upwork from others on our list is the fact that you can find freelancers and agencies of many different calibers.

You can find virtual assistants, 3D rendering experts, programmers and even writers and designers on Upwork. The fact that Upwork stimulates you for long-term projects is a good incentive to try the platform out and see if you can find someone to work with.

 

Pond5

Lastly, Pond5 is a platform that allows you to find, buy and order different types of video material. There is a huge library of ready-made materials available for purchase if you are shopping for stock videos.

However, you can easily contact individual producers and order custom-made content per your specifications. Pond5 is a definitive platform when it comes to video content creation and outsourcing, so make sure to check out their library of content before you turn away from it.

Draw the line

Coming to terms with the fact that you need help with your content can be demoralizing. However, once you discover freelancers that are willing to work with you and have the enthusiasm and creativity you lack, you will quickly change your mindset.

Content creation for websites is not something anyone can do. Don’t be afraid to look for help and think about all the benefits you will receive in doing so. Once the outsourcing process is underway, any doubt you might have had will be swept away in an instant.

 

About the author

Jessica Fender, professional writer, independent blogger and chief content officer at OnlineWritersRating.com. She is passionate about wise team management and self-development as a leader. Featured on Freelancer.com and Addicted2Success.