Content marketing still remains one of the most popular marketing strategies for B2B companies. Around 82% of marketers actively use content marketing to drive traffic and boost conversions. The need to hire content writers is on par with its popularity.
In fact, short articles, including blogs, ranked in the top three content assets for results generation in 2021. Despite the increasing popularity of video content, written content still takes the cake.
So, B2B companies need content marketers. However, hiring a content writing team in-house is a lengthy process, and salaries continue to increase. Recruitment is challenging, but it can take time to fully see the results of content marketing so you need to get started as soon as possible. What’s the alternative to an in-house team?
Regardless of how you manage your marketing, outsourced content writers can give your marketing strategies the boost they need to begin generating traffic and leads. Hire content writers today, to begin building your content library for tomorrow.
This leaves one final question, should you hire freelance or agency content writers?
Freelance Content Writers
Freelance content writers are experienced, independent copywriters who offer their services for a set price. They might have degrees in content writing, marketing, journalism, or something similar. They handle their own clients, business hours, workflow, and other business management.
Freelancing is continuing to increase in popularity, with many in the creative industries deciding to become their own boss. Around 35% of the US workforce is now freelance.
Ideally, you need to ensure you’re happy with the level of experience that your freelance writer has. Therefore, it’s important to view their portfolio before making decisions. Websites like Fiverr and Upwork provide a platform for freelancers and companies in need to connect. But, how do you know a freelance writer is the right choice for your company?
Benefits
The first, and usually most attractive, benefit of hiring freelance content writers is the reduced cost. Unlike in-house teams and agencies, there are few overheads to cover. Employed writers require a full yearly salary, with monthly payments, and agencies have to cover their own employment and business costs. Freelance writers typically charge per piece, or a set amount, meaning that they can be extremely cost-effective.
Hiring freelancers is also a relatively scalable approach to content writing. Assuming that you don’t need an entire team ASAP, freelancers can help give your content creation the little boost it needs. You can take them on for as long as you need content production, without a lengthy contract in place, as they benefit from flexible working.
Freelance writers are often specialists in their field. Specializing allows them to stay focused, and align with companies on their goals and content vision. For instance, content writers in the beauty industry will have a better depth of expertise for companies in the beauty industry, providing better quality content.
Challenges
While there are benefits, hiring freelancers to handle your content writing can present challenges, depending on your requirements. As mentioned, freelancers are able to specialize in their fields. Unfortunately, this also means that you may need to hire multiple freelancers to produce the content that you really need.
For instance, chances are your content writer cannot create an entire formatted design – so you would need to hire an outside designer. Needless to say, costs can quickly rack up.
Due to the lack of long-term contract, hiring freelance content writers can be risky. Ultimately, they aren’t loyal to your company or to your content needs. If another contract comes along, they are far more likely to go elsewhere. It’s also worth noting that this means they don’t necessarily take the time to align with your company and your content goals.
Depending on the location of the freelance writer, communication can become a challenge. If they have to work evenings or weekends in order to align with your time zone, they are more likely to charge extra. Otherwise, they may work odd hours, and be difficult to reach outside of these hours.
Content Agencies
Content agencies are very much their own business. They have teams of content writers in-house that are prepared to work for a variety of clients. The agency handles all employment, business expenses, and allocation of work within their own teams.
Agencies might be able to offer a variety of skillsets. They often hire content writers, designers, video editors, SEO experts, and more. The agency manages the team to provide a tailored product offering to each client. Hiring an agency typically requires a longer-term commitment than freelance writers, but this will depend on the individual agency.
Benefits
As mentioned, a key benefit of content agencies is the breadth of their skills. Unlike freelancers, one agency has access to a whole team of talent. While they can offer content writing, many marketing teams need more than that. Utilize their entire team to supplement your own, with graphic design, video, SEO, and more.
Since they have their own team, their production times are typically a lot quicker. Essentially, five content writers can produce more work, faster, than one freelance writer. For fast-moving companies with clear marketing targets, this is particularly important.
Agencies are typically better at communicating. These contracts have set expectations, meaning you can take regular strategy calls, or catch-ups to keep on top of content production. They are managing their own workflow, demonstrating their ability to project manage and communicate clearly. This communication means they can align more effectively with your business and your goals.
Finally, while they might be more costly than a freelancer, agencies can provide an entire marketing team for that cost. Despite this, they are still likely to be considerably more reasonable than the costs associated with hiring an entire in-house team.
Challenges
As mentioned, the agency itself handles the majority of the content production and project management for your allocated work. This means that you have less control over your content writers. You cannot pick and choose who works on your content creation. This is why it’s crucial to find a content writing partner that you trust to provide the best talent.
Depending on your contract and project size, agencies cannot guarantee prioritization. By nature, agencies work on multiple different projects at once. The best agencies will put 100% effort into each project, regardless of size. But it’s important to do your research and find an agency that really suits your needs.
Finally, content agencies are typically less flexible. They are more likely to work within your business hours, but this means they aren’t accessible outside of those hours. Freelancers may be able to work to meet pressing deadlines on evenings and weekends, but agencies cannot guarantee this from their own employees. However, bear in mind that this is less likely to be a problem with more sizeable teams, that work quickly.
Hire Content Writers for B2B Tech
Before you hire content writers, you need to consider your goals and your business needs. B2B tech companies need a tailored and cohesive marketing strategy. Do you just need content writers to back up your existing teams? Or, would you benefit from a variety of skills? It’s important to understand what you’re looking to achieve in a partnership.
Nituno is a marketing agency for B2B tech companies. Hire content writers from our team of experts, or work with us to generate a scalable marketing strategy for real growth. Get in touch with us to discuss content creation that meets your needs.
