Most B2B companies are faced with the dilemma of scaling up their content marketing program without sacrificing quality and ensuring that the message they are conveying resonates with the intended target audience.
An article writing service provider can help your organization reach scale quickly, and the right article writing service provider can ensure that the quality of your requirements is not lost either.
Company dilemma – how to scale content marketing without sacrificing quality?
Companies start by writing the content internally and that content generally tends to be spectacular. It’s well-written, it’s articulate, and it clearly zeroes in on the target audience.
When companies attempt to write more than one or two pieces of content a month, they run into the challenge that they are not a publisher. They may not have the internal capabilities to scale beyond that. But in order for a content marketing program to truly scale, companies need to produce, publish and distribute at least one piece of content every business day. And 99% of the companies out there just don’t have the wherewithal to do that.
So when these companies begin to look at outsourcing providers, they’re frequently disappointed. And some of the major areas they run into are issues around quality and scaling. So they may be able to outsource it to some providers, for example, content marketplaces. But when companies do that, they often receive quality that is nowhere near where it needs to be.
They run into other issues as well, including:
- How to manage these freelance writers.
- How to deal with the workflow.
- How to make sure that content is turned in on time.
- How to make sure that content is edited professionally and with the level of quality that you expect.
All those factors start to crash down when you begin looking at outside solutions.
Many companies have had their content marketing programs stunted because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They no longer have the option to just put their content marketing program in slow-growth mode. Some are now actively searching for solutions, as a content marketing program is absolutely needed to grow their organization and to maintain the revenue that they had at pre-pandemic levels.
In this article, we’re going to talk a lot about article writing service providers and, specifically, managed services providers like Tempesta Media and how they can work to bridge the gap between quality and scale.
Advantages of managed article writing services
Content marketplaces have significant drawbacks in that the quality of the content is usually subpar. It requires a significant amount of work on the part of the company to manage the writers and the relationship itself. Ensuring that there’s an adequate workflow when using an agency can also be challenging.
The challenge here is not so much the quality, but the actual cost that goes with it. When dealing with agencies, the cost for pieces of content can be $500 and up, and if you’re trying to scale up a content marketing program and produce a piece of content every day, it’s not uncommon for companies to spend $5k, $10k or more per month just on content production. There is a better way.
How to set your vendor up for success
A new group of companies has emerged to solve the issue of quality content at scale. These are called managed content services providers. What makes them successful and an effective solution is their ability to combine all the best capabilities of what you would expect in the marketplace with all the capabilities that you find in an agency. They then deliver that combined solution at a price point that is significantly better than the agency model.
What do you need to know about managed content services providers?
First, there is a technology stack or platform that automates many of the manual tasks that agencies find themselves doing and billing to their customers.
Second, there is a managed services layer. So you have a customer success manager or project manager who manages your writing team, your editorial team, and your content strategy team, all on your behalf.
Third, they’re able to tap into a highly vetted network of writers specific to the industries that you’re in and that you focus on. So you’re able to get a much better quality writer than what you normally would get through a marketplace. And you’re able to have multiple writers quickly assembled and placed on your specific writing team so that you’re able to scale up very quickly.
3 tips for using a managed article writing service
If you’re going to deploy and use a managed article writing service or an article writing service provider, here are a couple of tips that can help you set that relationship up for success:
- Understand what types of content you’re going to keep in-house and which types you’re going to deploy through such a provider.
Great options for outsourced content are:
- Blog content.
- News.
- Commentary.
- Social posts.
These content options are excellent candidates for being outsourced.
- Appoint a person within your organization that can manage the relationship, external managers, service providers, and content programs.
3. Develop an editorial calendar. Editorial calendars are an excellent vehicle for focusing your external article writing services provider and making sure they are providing content to you on time, on schedule, and under budget.
In summary
Managed services providers and article writing service providers are an excellent option for scaling your content marketing program while preserving scale. Make sure that you set the program up for success by following the rules we’ve laid out in this article, and you’ll be able to scale up quickly and achieve the results you’re looking for.
Need help?
If you have a content marketing program or are planning one, download our eBook 100 Mistakes Businesses Make When Starting, Optimizing and Scaling Content Marketing Programs.
This eBook will walk you through the mistakes of hundreds of other companies and the challenges they faced in implementing their content marketing programs. To learn more about how Tempesta Media can help you streamline your content creation process and deliver quality content at scale, contact us today.
