Creating Social Media and Blog Content

Creating Social Media and Blog Content: Should You Keep It In-House or Outsource?

In today’s digital landscape, content creation is no longer a luxury but a necessity for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re building a blog, posting on social media, or creating thought leadership articles, content is the key to driving engagement, building authority, and attracting new customers. But with the demand for high-quality content growing, one question looms large: should you create your blog and social media content in-house, or should you outsource it?

The answer isn’t always straightforward. It often depends on the nature of your business, the resources you have available, and how much you’re willing to invest. Let’s explore some of these considerations in more detail.

The Time and Effort Behind Content Creation

First and foremost, content creation is time-consuming. Writing a well-researched, original article can take hours, particularly if the subject matter requires in-depth knowledge or niche expertise. Even for those familiar with the topic, crafting a quality blog post can easily take 1–2 hours. For more complex topics, the time commitment increases further due to the necessary research.

If you’re committed to publishing regularly, whether it's weekly blog posts, daily social media updates, or monthly newsletters, the time you spend creating content can quickly add up. And if you’re a small business owner—or any type of business owner—this time is precious. Content creation, though crucial, often takes you away from more immediate tasks such as marketing, sales, and client engagement. These are the activities that typically generate more revenue for your business.

So, while creating content yourself might seem cost-effective, it could actually cost you more in the long run by taking you away from higher-value activities.

Why Outsourcing Content Makes Sense

For many businesses, outsourcing content creation can be a smart, strategic move. It allows you to focus on the core aspects of your business while still maintaining a strong online presence. Outsourcing offers several benefits:

• Efficiency: Professional content creators are typically faster at producing high-quality content. They know the process and often have a system for delivering well-structured, engaging posts.
• Expertise: Many content writers specialise in specific industries, meaning they may already have the knowledge needed to produce informed, authoritative content without an extensive learning curve.
• Scalability: As your business grows, your content needs may grow too. Outsourcing allows you to scale your content creation efforts without increasing your internal workload.

However, outsourcing isn’t without its challenges. If your business operates in a specialised niche, finding a writer who understands your industry well enough to create coherent, authoritative content can be tricky. Your online content is often the first impression potential customers get of your business, so it’s vital that the tone, accuracy, and messaging reflect your brand’s expertise and professionalism.

The Challenges of Finding the Right Writer

One of the biggest frustrations with outsourcing is finding the right writer. It can be a time-consuming process, and you may need to go through several writers before finding someone who truly understands your business and can produce content that aligns with your brand voice.

Many small business owners, in particular, find themselves spending more time vetting writers than actually benefitting from the content itself. This leads to the temptation to write everything in-house, despite the time constraints, to ensure the quality and tone are on point.

Solutions for Overcoming Content Challenges

If you’re serious about scaling your content marketing efforts, it’s important to persevere. Delegating content creation is crucial if you want to focus on high-priority tasks like generating leads, closing deals, and managing business operations. After all, if you’re trying to do everything yourself, the business is running you, rather than you running the business.

Here are a few strategies to overcome the common challenges of content creation:

1. Hire and Train an In-House Writer
   Bringing a writer in-house could be a long-term solution, especially if you can train them to understand your business thoroughly. This option allows you to maintain more control over the tone, voice, and accuracy of the content. Entry-level employees can also be trained, which not only provides them with valuable skills but also ensures that the content is consistently aligned with your brand.

2. Outsource but Provide Clear Guidelines
   If you decide to outsource, it’s essential to be as specific as possible with your instructions. This includes providing detailed briefs, suggesting the angle or tone you want, and offering ample research material, such as links to authoritative sources or your own internal documents. The more input you give at the start, the better the final result will be. You could even provide keyword suggestions to ensure the content is optimised for SEO.

3. Consider Hybrid Models
   A hybrid model, where you outsource the bulk of the writing but have someone in-house to edit and ensure consistency with your brand’s voice, can be a great compromise. This allows you to scale content creation without sacrificing quality or branding.

4. Build Long-Term Relationships with Writers
   If you find a freelance writer who understands your business, hang on to them! Skilled content writers who can consistently produce high-quality work are invaluable. Once you’ve established a good working relationship, the time spent on revisions and instructions will decrease, making the whole process more efficient.

The Role of SEO in Modern Content Creation

Another important factor in today’s content creation landscape is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Modern blog posts and social media content need to do more than just inform or engage—they need to be optimised for search engines to increase visibility and drive traffic.

When outsourcing, ensure that your writers have a solid understanding of SEO best practices. This includes using relevant keywords, writing compelling meta descriptions, and structuring the content in a way that makes it easy to read and navigate. By combining well-written content with strong SEO, your posts are more likely to rank higher on search engine results pages, which can bring more organic traffic to your website.

Final Thoughts

Creating effective social media and blog content is an essential part of running a modern business, but it’s also a demanding task that requires time, skill, and strategy. Whether you decide to keep it in-house or outsource it, the key is finding a balance that works for your business.

Outsourcing may be a great solution for many companies, but it’s important to do your due diligence. Provide clear guidance, communicate your expectations, and invest in building a relationship with the right writer or agency. For those who can afford it, hiring an in-house content creator may provide the most control and alignment with your brand.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure your content adds value to your audience, showcases your expertise, and strengthens your brand’s online presence. Whichever route you choose, prioritise quality, consistency, and relevance to ensure your content works as hard for your business as you do.

Posted By Michael : Digital Marketing Transformation Expert
For those of you who choose spIT as your development partner you will be in expert hands as Michael (MA E-Commerce, MA Marketing, BA Hons Marketing, DMI Expert, CDMP) will act as your Project Leader and support you through the development process, answer any questions and work with the rest of the spIT team to ensure you receive the best result and gain access to his wealth of knowledge in the e-Commerce and Digital Marketing space.

Updated : 5th October 2024 | Words : 1134 | Views : 4389