Outsourcing Content Creation

1

Essential Questions For Choosing The Right Partner6

ContentsIntroduction 3

1. What’s Their Company History? 5

2. Do You Share a Similar Company Culture? 8

3. Do They Use Off-Shore Teams? 11

4. Do They Have In-House Writers? 14

5. What Are Their Standards for Hiring & Training? 17

6. How Do They Manage Quality Control? 20

Conclusion 23

Outsourcing Content Creation 2

Outsourcing Content Creation 3

3

92% of marketers agree that employers view content as a significant business asset.

Content Marketing Institute

IntroductionBy now, there's little doubt you're aware of the

power of content marketing.

But if you know the value of content, you also

know that producing it takes time, talent and

specific skills, all of which can be hard to come

by. That's why more companies than ever are

outsourcing their content marketing, with

writing projects making up 44% of outsourced

tasks.

Outsourcing Content Creation 4

4

A More Efficient Option

More efficient than hiring and training an internal

team or working with individual freelancers, content

creation firms offer a great way to build your

business through content without diverting your

staff from their essential daily work. But choosing

the right firm is a big decision.

Find the Best Content Partner for You

If you're ready to begin working with an outside

content provider, there are 6 essential things to

consider to help you find the best partner for your

business’s needs.

Question #1What’s Your Content Partner’s Company History?

Outsourcing Content Creation 5

Com

pany

His

tory

Outsourcing Content Creation 6

Think about the hiring process you use for your

own employees. It probably involves at least a few

in-person interviews, a careful review of résumés

and portfolios and references from past

employers.

After all, you don’t want to rush into a commitment

with someone who’s not the right fit and doesn’t

understand your business.

The same holds true for hiring content partners,

and if you’re finding it challenging, you’re not alone.

1

Over 80% of businesses find it difficult to choose the right content talent.

Kapost

Don’t rush into a commitment with a bad fit.

Get To Know Them

Com

pany

His

tory

Outsourcing Content Creation 7

1There are a number of variables to consider

when choosing a content creation firm, but

experience is an excellent place to start. Some

questions you can ask include:

How long have they been in business?

Experience points to a few important

positives, including a strong knowledge of

content marketing, the ability to manage

multiple projects and a seasoned staff.

Do they have diverse experience?

Working in only a few fields can lead to

shortfalls in subject knowledge that might

cost your internal team valuable time and

effort in bringing the content creators up to

speed. While anyone can scan SERPs, a

widely experienced team will have stronger

research strategies in place to hit the ground

running.

Question #2

Do You Share a Similar Company Culture?

Outsourcing Content Creation 8

Outsourcing Content Creation 9

Com

pany

Cul

ture

2

At the end of the day, you might think you just

care about the quality of your content, not the

environment that produced it.

Company culture can be a bit of a buzzword

these days, but it’s worth considering.

Understanding how your content partner’s staff

works together gives you a clearer picture of

how they’ll work with you.

Studies show great culture leads to better productivity, and companies with engaged employees outperform less-engaged businesses by 202%.

TruPath

Company culture is a great first look at how a company gets things done.

How They Work

Outsourcing Content Creation 10

Com

pany

Cul

ture

2 Learn About Their Team

Most successful businesses have a story to tell,

and those with a strong culture typically include

their team in that story. It's important to see

how all of the players involved in your content

will collaborate for your success.

Are You a Good Match?

You may also find a firm that shares your

values to be a better match overall, because it

will be much easier to build the kind of rapport

that ensures a strong, productive relationship.

If they buy into your values and understand your

approach, it's likely that communication will be

simpler as well.

So if your potential content partner is reticent

about their culture, remember it could be a sign

that they’re not entirely up front about how their

company works.

Question #3Does Your Content Partner Use

An Off-Shore Team?

Outsourcing Content Creation 11

Off-

Shor

e Te

ams

Outsourcing Content Creation 12

3

If they promise to meet your deadlines with

top-quality content at an unbeatable price, it

seems foolish to quibble about where their

offices are.

Off-shore workers are a popular cost-cutting

solution for many U.S.-based content

companies, with a majority of work sent

overseas to be completed at a much lower

price.

Does it matter where your content partner is located?

On-Shore vs.

Off-Shore

Off-

Shor

e Te

ams

Outsourcing Content Creation 13

3

59% of customers won’t do business with companies that publishgrammatical errors on their websites.

RealBusiness

Reducing cost is definitely good for your

content partner, and it may seem great for your

budget at first glance. But consider these

points:

• Language barriers can present enormous

problems for the quality of your content,

especially for technical matters, like medical,

legal and financial topics.

• Inaccuracies in complex information can have

huge ramifications legally and on your

reputation.

• Grammatical errors — even small ones — can

create immeasurable damage to your

reputation and online presence.

Question #4

Does Your Content Partner Use In-House Writers?

Outsourcing Content Creation 14

Outsourcing Content Creation 15

In-H

ouse

Writ

ers

4

It’s important to determine whether a content

agency maintains a full-time, in-house team or

relies on freelancers (and if so, to what degree)

to complete projects.

Consistency is key to successful content

marketing, and all your content should speak to

consumers with a unifying voice. If a firm is

farming out assignments to a variety of

freelancers, you’re going to lose the consistency

and style that will give your brand a distinct

voice.

How a company handles staffing makes a big difference.

Consistency is Key

Outsourcing Content Creation 16

In-H

ouse

Writ

ers

4 When you partner with a content firm, you’re not

just buying writing services. You’re also getting

management of your content project – from

time management to quality control. There’s no

guarantee a freelancer will manage your

content – or their time – to suit your

requirements.

When you hire a partner with full-time writers, you’re hiring a dedicated staff that’s trained to specific standards. A full-time staff will devote considerable time and attention to your project.

So working with an agency that maintains a full-

time copywriting team minimizes the risk of

losing that investment should freelancers fail

to deliver.

It also means your team will be more adaptable

should your content requirements change

during a project.

Question #5What Standards Do They Have forHiring and Training?

Outsourcing Content Creation 17

Hirin

g &

Trai

ning

Outsourcing Content Creation 18

5

You’ll also want to know more about how their

writers are selected and prepared to do their

jobs.

The truth is, writing is a complex task that

requires a special blend of talent and acquired

skills, something that’s no doubt become

obvious as you’ve worked on getting your

content initiative off the ground.

However, not all firms use the same standards

when hiring writers.

Not all writers are equal. Make sure your firm employs good ones.

Writing is a Craft

Hirin

g &

Trai

ning

Outsourcing Content Creation 19

5 Your best bet is to look for a company that hires

across a wide range of fields, but selects

candidates based primarily on writing ability

and experience.

Educational standards matter as well, and

writers with four-year degrees and training in

technical writing, communications and

marketing are all good bets for achieving

content that presents you as an authority in

your field.

51% of companies using content marketing report that they lack the time to write content.

You should also know about training and

internal structures. For example, writers should

be conversant in SEO best practices and

understand the balance between writing content

for search engines and human beings.

Otherwise, your content may prove ineffective.

Holger Schulze

Question #6

How Does Your Partner Manage Quality Control?

Outsourcing Content Creation 20

Outsourcing Content Creation 21

Qual

ity C

ontr

ol

Creating content isn’t the only reason you need

a content partner – they should also provide the

editorial services necessary to ensure that

everything you publish represents your brand in

the best possible light.

Suffice it to say, running spell check is not

quality control. Instead, your content provider

should have a thorough system in place to

catch and eliminate errors that relies on checks

at multiple levels.

6

Content is your business’s front-line. Make sure it impresses.

Quality Matters

Outsourcing Content Creation 22

Qual

ity C

ontr

olQuality at Every Level

Having quality control staff involved at every

step of your content production also ensures

greater consistency. It allows them to closely

and more consistently adhere to any brand-

specific style standards and tone.

What’s the Worst That Can Happen?

You might be thinking, what’s the worst that

could happen if errors appear in my content? At

best, you run the risk of presenting a sloppy

image to your customers that diminishes their

assessment of your professionalism.

You may also drive sales away by appearing

untrustworthy – after all, if there are

grammatical or spelling errors, who’s to say

what else might not be as it seems? And at

worst, you may find yourself in legal trouble

due to errors that misrepresent important

details.

6

Conclusion

Outsourcing Content Creation 23

Like any business relationship, choosing a content

partner is a serious commitment that can have

long-lasting repercussions on the success of your

company.

Keep in mind that the company you select will be

responsible for presenting your brand to current and

potential customers in a way that drives growth and

builds your reputation.

It's a significant responsibility, which is why it's so

important to make sure that you choose a firm that

understands your mission and is not only prepared,

but excited, to help you fulfill it.

AboutVirtucom Group

Outsourcing Content Creation 24

Virtucom Group is a leading content partner for some of the world’s biggest brands.

We specialize in creating smart, unified and effective content that produces results and drives profits.

We have one of the nation’s largest teams of seasoned and trained digital content specialists, with over 15 years of experience under our belts.

Looking for Content Packages?

We have flexible packages to meet a wide range of requirements.

Jumpstart Your Content Now