We recently revealed 18 compelling reasons why you should blog more frequently; but according to the Content Marketing Institute, 50% of B2B marketers are challenged with producing content on a consistent basis. On the other hand, about 64% of B2B marketers outsource their content writing. I’d venture to guess that there is some significant overlap between that other 50% who have no problem creating enough content and those who chose to outsource their content.
For companies that struggle to produce a steady flow of content and want to jump on the outsourcing bandwagon, here are three things to keep in mind:
1. Hire a Writer with Pre-existing Industry Knowledge
There’s always going to be an initial learning curve when bringing on someone from outside your organization. However, the length of that learning curve is variable, depending on how well the writer is already versed on your industry. Your content needs to speak to your audience. The writer of your content should know the jargon used in your field, as well as have a baseline understanding of the types of products and services you offer. Otherwise, you’ll often end up with content that is too oversimplified for your audience, resulting in a decline in readership.
2. Beware of Low-Ball Pricing
As the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for.” Naturally, budgets are always top of mind and while it may be tempting to save a few bucks by outsourcing your content writing to India or a freelance site like ODesk, with writers willing to help you for $.02 per word, it will cost you more in the long run. If English is not their first language, you will likely end up with awkwardly worded sentences that may be grammatically correct, but simply aren’t written in a way that sounds natural. You’ll then have to invest time into heavily editing the work that you’ve just paid for. And do you really want to put the key messaging behind your valuable brand into the hands of someone who doesn’t even command the minimum wage for their work? Not only do you need to publish content consistently for your overall content marketing strategy to be effective, but you also need to publish content that is engaging, which takes a skilled writer to produce.
3. Write for Humans, Not Robots
While SEO is important to keep in mind, it should not be your main focus. It’s great if your piece of content ranks high in search engine results, but it’s even more important that people read it, enjoy it and link to it, which will ultimately make your piece rank higher anyway. Having an SEO strategy is important, and providing your writer with a list of your top ranking keywords is totally acceptable. However, those keywords should only be used when it feels natural and appropriate to do so. Forcing a million SEO terms into your copy will only turn off your audience and hurt you in the long run.
Whether you’re looking to outsource your entire content marketing program, or simply the writing aspect, opting for a service provider that knows your industry should be your number one priority. Also, adjust your budget to ensure that you have the ability to hire someone with the specialized knowledge and skill set that you need, while avoiding anyone offering rock bottom prices. Lastly, focus less on how to cheat Google’s search algorithms (they’re probably much smarter than you) and focus more on delivering information that brings real value to your readers.