How Outsourcing Content Production Can Save Your Marketing Budget
History will remember the 2010s for its significant trends – those that remain popular (the rise of the Marvel and DC universes, hipster fashion, social media) and those we’d like to forget all about (planking, anyone?).
In marketing circles, the decade marked a giant leap in the evolution of content marketing. Much of the shift can be traced back to Google’s Zero Moment of Truth study, which found that 88% of consumers research products and services before purchasing. This study amplified the need for better search engine optimization (SEO) across brands of all sizes and, of course, more content to fuel those SEO efforts.
Fast forward to 2023, and content marketing has cemented its role as a cornerstone of B2B marketing strategy. According to CMI’s research, some 71% of B2B marketers say content became more important to their organization (compared to the previous year), and year-over-year investments in content increased, as well.
Alongside the rise in the importance of content came the need for brands to create more of it. That means adding more production capabilities and resources – and more content creators with specialty skills. As brands juggle these demands, how do marketers continue to expand their content without exceeding their budgets?
11 core benefits of outsourcing content production
- More content, same spend. With the right partner, outsourcing often results in more bang for your marketing buck overall. Rather than spending money and resources on recruiting, training, and overhead, companies can use their resources to produce and distribute more content, which results in better ROI.
- Expertise, on-demand. Outsourcing enables you to hire industry experts fractionally, facilitating higher-quality and more accurate content. Building the same expertise in-house is time-consuming and expensive. A good partner has access to a proven network of expert talent.
- Scalability without new headcount. Your content needs may change throughout the year – sometimes you need a little content; other times, you need a lot! Outsourcing offers the flexibility to ramp up or down as needed. Look for a partner with a deep bench of talent to ensure this strategic benefit.
- Enough content to fuel needs across the enterprise. The marketing group isn’t the only team that needs regular content. Sales, internal communications, human resources, and other organizational functions might have varying content needs, which an outsourced solution can support. Outsourcing allows for consistent content across departments, whether it’s HR’s recruitment materials or sales’ product information one-sheets.
- Unwavering consistency. Creating great content requires a clear and consistent content production process codified through learning and repetition. Content agencies and other outsourced solutions like ClearVoice have developed their workflows by producing thousands of pieces of content. These standardized workflows ensure content remains consistent in quality, tone, and style – a critical factor in maintaining brand identity and trust.
- Quality assurance and control. Well-managed content production agencies have robust quality control checks in place. From editors to fact checkers to proofreaders, they ensure the content is polished and error-free and meets your needs and specifications, saving you the headaches of rounds and rounds of revisions.
- Time added to your day. For most marketers, one of the most time-consuming aspects of content creation is the actual production – from ideation to writing to editing. With the right content creation partner, your team can focus on core business tasks and additional business growth campaigns.
- Fresh perspectives. The ability to incorporate unique points of view into your content is a crucial differentiator for brands, but that can be difficult to achieve when your in-house team is stretched thin. By outsourcing, you bring in a new set of eyes and fresh perspectives to ensure your content remains engaging for the audience.
- Access to advanced tools and analytics. With the right content partner, you inherit their expertise – and access to the software, tools, and analytics they regularly use. Your brand can benefit directly without making an additional investment.
- Timely turnarounds. Content production providers have efficient workflows in place to deliver high-quality content on time, every time. This ensures that your marketing campaigns stay on schedule.
- Reliable feedback loops and iterative improvements. With expertise on demand and seamless workflows, you can provide and receive feedback quickly, allowing you to implement and continually optimize your content strategy easily.
