There are two similar companies offering the same or a similar service. One has compelling, well-written content that is perfectly tailored to your needs. The other doesn’t.
Who do you decide to work with?
Your brand is built on every piece of information your target audience read about you. If what they read isn’t consistent, strategic and flawlessly executed – you’re professionally tying one hand behind your back.
You could go ahead and ask your head of marketing to write your content, but there are several reasons why you probably shouldn’t.
Content Pro v Content Amateur
There’s some appeal to personally writing your own content or delegating the task to a colleague. You know your business the best, you’re industry experts and allowing someone else to write for you could be a risk. Cost is also an obvious factor and it might be cheaper to write it yourself. It can’t be that hard, can it?
YOU KNOW YOUR BUSINESS BEST
You know your business and have a wealth of knowledge and experience, it’s your area of expertise. In the same way that you know what works and why in your industry, a professional content writer knows what works best in content.
Writing for digital, blogging, social media, company brochures, press releases – they all have a unique formula/strategy and require a special skill-set. Regularly creating fresh, inspiring content is not a gift that everyone is blessed with.
INDUSTRY EXPERTISE
A professional content writer may already have knowledge of your industry; however, this isn’t a necessity.
A professional executes meticulous research, planning and delivery. Your content needs to engage, give the audience value and build trust. Hiring a pro guarantees understanding of your USP, business, goals, industry and (above all) your angle.
Your angle is essential. It directs your content and brings your subject matter to life. The angle of your content is what quietly leads a trail of persuasive bread crumbs that compel your target audience to act. It keeps them reading, steers them to your website, signs them up to your mailing list and recruits loyal customers. Without an enticing angle, your content won’t tap into the emotional and logical buying needs of your target market.
We all prefer to do business with a company that reflects our own ideals and ethos – a company that ‘speaks’ to us. It’s your content that does the ‘talking’.
IS HIRING A CONTENT WRITER RISKY?
Poor quality content is a risk to your business and reputation so the decision of who writes for you is key. A professional content/marketing company mitigates this risk. They’ll guide you through a process that is simple, proven and achieves the ideal content for your business and audience.
The combination of your business acumen and their knowledge of what works best (and why) makes a powerful partnership.
A WRITER MIGHT BE EXPENSIVE
Hiring a professional content writer is often the most cost-effective route. You only pay for what you need and harness their experience, creativity, and ability to produce regular, powerful material that wins your audience around.
If you hire an in house specialist you will have to recruit them, manage them and pay them at least part-time hours. For most small to medium businesses, you don’t need even a part-time content writer in-house. If you ask an existing team member to write the content you will have to pay them their hourly rate to write the content which may well take them longer than it would take a professional. However, as well as the time you have to pay for you also have the opportunity cost of them working on content rather than working on other things that play to their strengths.
HOW HARD CAN IT BE?
The saying ‘I’m lost for words’ is popular for a reason but often the opposite is true when it comes to content.
Amateurish content tends to be poorly researched and blithely waffle on; failing to have an angle, swapping tenses, failing to hyperlink, exhibiting low readability, overusing industry jargon, having spelling and grammatical errors – the list goes on. Spell-check can only save you from so much. Demand the absolute best from your content; it can drive inbound leads, attract followers, boost your brand and win business for you.
Growthlabs are B2B marketing and content specialists. We enable ambitious businesses to identify their target audience, connect and arouse interest. Using integrated digital techniques combined with traditional approaches we deliver exceptional results across a broad range of sectors. Whether your blog page needs reviving or your website isn’t performing – professional content will pack a powerful punch and support your business aims.
To arrange a quote or a call back to discuss your content requirements, please get in touch with one of the Growthlabs team.
