The Insider Guide to Hiring Content Writing Agency

Are you overwhelmed by the idea of creating a comprehensive content strategy? Are you unsure about the ROI of your content marketing efforts? Are you feeling stretched by the constant publishing tasks?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then you are not alone. It is probably time to look for a content writing agency.

The truth is that outsourcing to a content agency can seem expensive and complex, but it's actually one of the best ways to maximize your return on marketing efforts while you're focusing on your core business.

This guide will provide all the information you need about hiring a content-writing agency.

• How to tell if you have one
• Outsourcing has many benefits
• What services can you expect from a content agency?
• What are the qualities of a good agency?

Let's get started!

Quick Takeaways

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  50% of companies and two-thirds large companies outsource content marketing.
  

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  Hiring an agency to write content optimizes your content strategy and allows you to concentrate on your core business.
  

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  Some signs that you might need to outsource are a lack of ROI on your current content, feeling overwhelmed, and consistently missing deadlines
  

• 
  Outsourcing content marketing to an agency offers many benefits, including greater flexibility, lower costs and consistent KPI reporting.
  

How to tell if it is time to hire a content-writing agency

As a business owner, it's easy to want everything to be done in-house. It's tempting to want total control over your content strategy and production, especially when it comes to content. What if you could hire an agency to write content for you?

It doesn't mean that you are letting content fall off your priority list or giving up on it. It's actually the opposite. Outsourcing can work in your favor because your content strategy receives more attention and time, while you are able to refocus on what you do best: serving customers.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, 50% of companies and 35% of large corporations outsource content marketing.

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There are a few surefire indicators that will tell you it's time for outsourcing.

You feel like you are in control

It can quickly become overwhelming if you don't have all the resources and knowledge necessary to successfully execute your content strategy. These gaps can be filled by content writing agencies that will help you manage your strategy, from conception to execution.

You don't know if your content is seeing results, or if it is.

Are you still producing content but not seeing the results that you desire? Perhaps you don't know if your content is producing results.

It doesn't matter what your content strategy is, you may be missing key components such as keyword research and SEO content. Content writing agencies are experts in all the components that make content work.

Your internal team is too stretched

Overloaded employees can lead to dissatisfaction and demoralization in their jobs. Do not let this happen to your employees!

Outsourcing is a great option if your team struggles to keep up with your content strategy, especially if they lack the appropriate content experience.

You are missing deadlines or don't have them.

How consistently you publish content is a key factor in whether your content strategy is successful. Hubspot research shows that brands get the most traffic if they publish between 11-16 blogs each month. Companies that blog 16 or more times per month average 3.5x the traffic compared to those who only blog four times per month.

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This is a lot of writing. You'll continue to struggle with your content if you don't meet your deadlines or publish content on a regular basis. Content writing agencies are equipped to produce content on a regular basis and at a large scale when needed.

There is no in-house expertise

It makes sense that your core business competency doesn't include marketing. This would make it difficult for you to have the expertise necessary for a high-performing, content strategy.

This means that you may not have the necessary knowledge to optimize your content's performance if you don't have an in-house team of content marketers. It is possible to get it from content writing agencies.

Outsourcing has many benefits

Let's now see how to determine when it's time for outsourcing.

You have more time to focus on your core business

This is a benefit of outsourcing content. I have already mentioned it. It's obvious that researching, writing and publishing content takes time. It can reduce the amount of time you have to focus on your core business activities if you do it in-house.

One is not better than the other. You don't have to sacrifice one for the other when you outsource content. Instead, you can leave the writing to marketing professionals and focus on the most important aspects of your business.

Increased publishing frequency and greater consistency

All resources are dedicated to creating content for clients by content writing agencies. They have more writers, SEO experts, and support staff that can produce more content consistently.

Google ranks consistency as a key ranking factor. It is important to not let it slip by. This risk can be eliminated by outsourcing.

Lower costs

Yes, outsourcing can often help you save money over the long-term. Full-time content team members can be expensive. These teams require high-quality salaries, benefits, management, as well as additional office space.

Outsourcing saves you money and allows you to pay only for those services that directly benefit your company. This will help you earn more revenue.

Clear and consistent reporting of performance metrics

You can measure performance metrics to determine if your strategy is producing results. A content writing agency should report on KPIs regularly and consistently to show the exact ROI of the services it provides.

Respect deadlines

Your content writing agency must meet deadlines. It's easy to change priorities when other projects arise, but your agency will keep your content schedule at their top.

Greater flexibility in strategy and scale

A content writing agency usually has more content resources than an internal company team. This gives you the opportunity to try out many content types and strategies (such as blogs, videos and infographics), for your client. It is possible to scale up or decrease the content creation process as your business requires, without needing to adjust full-time staff.

What can a content agency do for you?

You are ready to hire a content agency. How do you choose the right one?

There are many excellent agencies out there. Finding the right agency for your brand and you comes down to personal preference. Before you hire an agency, do your research.

However, there are certain traits, services and competencies that you need to ensure your agency has. These are the things you can expect from a content writing agency:

SEO strategy

93% of online interactions today begin with a search engine. It doesn't matter if people are searching for brands, asking questions, or simply browsing the web, 93% of all online experiences begin with Google.

Your content won't rank on the SERPs if it isn’t. This will make you invisible to your target audience. SEO expertise is something you should look for when looking for a content writer agency. You want to be confident that all content you publish is optimized, regardless of whether they are actually managing your SEO strategy.

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Best content writing agencies can demonstrate how they integrate SEO strategies into content creation and development. They will include steps like keyword research, content auditing, and technical SEO analysis.

Optimized content

Your content writing agency must optimize all content. A good agency will be able to give you examples and show that they have a track record of success using their content, and/or case studies from clients. B2B companies need to be aware of this. Your agency must be able create content that is easy to share on social media, and should be able crawl, index, and rank by search engines.

Consistent, frequent delivery

So that you feel confident about your content schedule, content agencies should include publishing and delivery. For the best results, agencies should deliver content every week.

Management of paid promotions

Paid promotion can be included in other content services. Paid promotion can give your content an instant boost and it is very cost-effective if done correctly.

You should not have any trouble finding a content agency that can help you with paid promotion if you are planning to include it in your digital marketing strategy.

KPI-focused strategies

The best content agencies will tell you when and how they report on their performance metrics. It's a sign that they are not addressing it or don't respond to your questions when you ask.

KPI reporting helps everyone be accountable, keeps strategies on track and shows value to the agency providing services.

What you should look for in a content agency

There are likely to be many content writing agencies that possess these key business skills. There are many other factors that you need to consider before making your final decision. These factors may not be as easy to measure but are crucial to your ability and willingness to work with your agency in the long-term.

Partnership

Your agency must be your partner because content marketing is a partnership. Understanding a company's mission and brand voice is essential in creating content.

You want an agency that asks lots about your brand. This shows they are interested in working with you, not just for you.

Fit

Your ability to work long-term with an agency is greatly affected by cultural fit. Do you feel comfortable communicating with your agency? Are you able to agree on the best business practices? Are your processes well aligned? These factors can have a significant impact on how successful your working relationship will be over time.

Transparency

Agencies cannot be all things to all people. Although many agencies offer a wide range of services today, they are not all-inclusive. The best agencies will share their knowledge, skills, and limitations with you. Make sure you are clear about what you expect from the agency and that they will not overpromise on any expectation.

Follow-through

This one can be difficult to evaluate at first, but there are many ways to assess it. Is the team of your potential agency showing up on time to meetings? Are you getting returned calls? You can email back promptly. These are signs that an agency will be there for you long-term.

I advise agencies not to give up on promises of services. Move on to another agency if they don't deliver from the beginning.

Get help today from an outsourcing company to kickstart your content strategy

You probably don't have the time or energy to manage your blog strategy and write blog posts if you are a business owner. Outsourcing can help you do what you cannot do in-house.

Partnering with professional content strategists and creators can help you build a more powerful blog without the need to go through all of the costly and time-consuming trial and error that comes with business blogging. 70% of brands outsource content creation to specialist content agencies.

You'll also save money. Outsourcing allows you to pay only for the services that you require and scale up or down as needed. You are more flexible and ready to pivot.

You can get more visitors to your website by publishing quality content consistently. Contact us today to learn more about our SEO Blog Writing Service.