I recently made a big confession on Peapod’s Instagram page. It led to some necessary shifts in my thinking. I’m going to do the same thing here, so I can hold myself accountable.
Here it is, the big confession: Creating great content is hard.
The operative word there is “great”. Creating content I think is worthy of my clients, worthy of my rates, and worthy of my time. It’s hard to change the mindset that I can do better “if.” If I had done more research. If I had worked over the weekend. If I hadn’t gone out and done something for fun, like get a manicure with my mom or go to a greenhouse and spend an afternoon buying ALL the plants. If I had more time.
There will never be enough time, and our well-being should always come first. Let’s face it, most “ifs” are just excuses to blame ourselves for a problem that only exists in our mind.
I say all of this because I’ve been thinking a lot about self-care. More companies are just now realizing how burnt out their staff is. The consequences of this burnout have led to The Great Resignation, or The Great Reclamation, or The Great Reawakening. To minimize losing staff, self-care practices are becoming the norm in many companies, large and small. Outsourcing certain necessary functions to ease the workload on staff is one of those practices.
One of the things I always say in client calls is that like Niko in The Velvet Underground, I am my clients’ mirror. Peapod’s clients are visionaries with big ideas, and our role as a marketing and communications agency is to use our tools and talent to reflect those ideas in the best possible way, through engaging and thoughtful content. It’s what they deserve. However, I also know how hard it can be to get over the “we should be doing everything ourselves” hump — and come to the realization that someone else could create our content for us — and possibly do it better. If we can get over this mental block, why shouldn’t we use outsourcing for content creation? Now there’s a useful “IF”.
What is outsourcing?
When you outsource content creation, a freelance writer or a content creation agency writes targeted original content for your digital channels. The projects could be a blog post, social media posts, email newsletters, or web content. The writer writes in your brand voice and tone, so it sounds like the information is coming from you. With a really good creator, you should be able to repurpose one piece of work into several forms. This process is very much like a partnership. With the right information and collaboration, an outsourced content creator can become an extension of you and your brand.
All of this sounds wonderful, right? Think of all the time and stress you’ll save by outsourcing your content. It’s easy to understand why 84 percent of B2B marketers outsource content creation. But aside from the self-care issue, there are plenty of other reasons why outsourced content creation can benefit your business.
Gaining the time to plan
You are a leader with a lot on your plate. Your business success depends on your strategic plan. Do you have one? When was the last time you sat down to review it, where you are, how you are doing, and what you need to do for the future? Part of the joy of being an entrepreneur is the freedom to do it all your way. But no business will be successful without a strong business plan and a strategic roadmap. The best CEOs make time regularly to review it and course-correct when needed. When you outsource your content creation, though, you enjoy the blissful feeling of knowing your content creation is taken care of and the freedom to focus on core business issues.
Having more content available at the time you need it
Great content takes time to create. By finding a writer or two whose sole job is to create content for you, you’ll receive all of the content you need on the timetable you want. You can create a more solid content calendar and can easily flex when something topical and time-sensitive happens. Instead of dropping everything you are doing to respond to the issue, you can outsource the job and get relevant content back ASAP.
Higher quality content
Here’s another hard truth. There are better writers out there, and you probably didn’t get into business to write anyway. Your passion is in your mission and your product. First, I have to give you props for understanding that distinction and for embracing the truth about your strengths and weaknesses.
While it may seem important to write your content yourself, that does not always make the most business sense. A good writer will reflect your passion for your product. It’s better to stick to the activities where your strengths lie and leave content creation to a professional. Your content will be so much better for it.
Your content will also be more consistent. Great writers know how to build content that feels like a progression of your brand. Every piece will be consistent with the last. This consistency makes your content engaging and memorable. Your readers feel part of your brand. That is so critical to success.
A different lens and point of view
Sometimes we are just too close to a topic, and it’s hard to write about it objectively. This is when using an outsourced writer is an important business decision. I look for creators who have some experience with the topic or are great researchers who can learn quickly. They write content that is informed and informative without the baggage of non-objectivity.
When you are stressed and feeling pulled in a million directions, it can be easy to lose some of the gusto you feel for your business, which can make it hard to write. Or you may struggle to think of new content ideas. This will show in your writing. Content creators can find new angles or details to write about to engage and motivate the audience.
Outsourcing is less expensive
When you hire a full-time content creator, you will pay an average salary of around $65,000. You will also pay benefits, IT and other equipment costs, training, and all the overhead costs that come with a traditional employee.
When you outsource your writer, you pay for your content, no benefits or laptops. Outsourced content is written by freelancers or writers employed by agencies that incorporate the cost of your content into their contract rates. Those agencies may also help you with graphic design, web design, and marketing strategy. You will either pay per project, per word, or per hour. These independent contractors are usually way less expensive than adding to your staff.
And….back to self-care
The pressure that we (myself included) put on ourselves to constantly create content is so not necessary. I’ve shown you that taking this task off of your already over-flowing plate is actually beneficial to your business. Outsourcing will save you and/or your team time and energy, and you don’t have to feel bad about it. That is the best type of self-care, peace of mind. No more “If I skip yoga, I’ll have time to write another blog this week.” Let it go! Think of the things you can do with that extra time (but not work-related) and peace of mind! Don’t make me come over there and make you relax!
The benefits of outsourcing content creation for your business are clear. When you choose an expert content creator you receive content that is cost-effective, relevant, and fresh, and you won’t sacrifice quality. Best of all, you’ve given yourself and your team the gift of time, the ultimate source of self-care.