Content is king. A phrase you’ve likely come across in every single blog you’ve ever read about content marketing.
While the phrase itself has the distinct flavour of the internet’s favourite unreliable source (ChatGPT), its sentiment is certainly true.
Content plays an undeniably significant role in your clients’ success.
An effective content marketing strategy can help:
- Boost online visibility and SEO rankings
- Drive audience engagement
- Convert website traffic into customers
- Establish authority and brand recognition
- Earn customer trust and loyalty
- Make any brand stand out
Truly, the list goes on. Not to mention that a hefty 58% of digital marketers saw a boost in sales and revenue as a direct result of content marketing efforts. Content creation is incredibly important for businesses of all sizes, but it doesn’t always get the level of care and respect a so-called ‘king’ deserves.
With so much competition out there and so many benefits on the line, writing content yourself – even with the help of the aforementioned (and the dreaded) ChatGPT – simply isn’t going to cut it.
From crafting engaging social media posts and optimising for SEO to putting your client’s best face forward on their company website, content strategy is a delicate balance to strike – one that’s best left up to the professionals.
But after years of toiling away, crafting written content on your own, are you ready to work with a content agency? So long as you find the right one for you and your needs (** ahem ** that could be us!), then the answer is categorically yes.
Understanding how to work with a content agency can make the experience so much smoother for everyone – you, your writer, and your clients. Not to mention you’ll get even better results, too. Before we help you prep for working with a content agency, let’s first take a look at why you should opt to work with an agency over a freelance content writer in the first place.
The great debate: Content agency vs. freelance writer
You work hard at creating a sophisticated online presence for your clients. So, why let the copy fall short?
Professionally-written content will take your projects to the next level and really wow your clients, and if that’s your aim, there’s no question that a content agency is the right option to get it.
And there are probably plenty of freelance writers out there who could do a great job on your client’s copy.
But working with a content agency is certainly easier, and you’re more likely to get better copywriting results, no matter what industry, niche, or content type your client needs copy for!
We’re not biassed, promise.
Here’s why:
- Diverse skills: Content agencies have access to multiple writers. This means, whatever your brand voice, industry, or niche, they’ll be able to assign the most qualified writer to your project to really get the most out of your content.
- Higher capacity: Access to multiple writers means access to scalable workflows. So, whether you’ve got multiple projects or one whopper project on the horizon, you know they’ll be able to handle it within your timeframe.
- Access to editors: Content agencies often have an in-house editor (ours is the magical Mia, professional Word Witch and Editor Extraordinaire) to comb through each piece of work, so you don’t have to worry about any mistakes slipping through the cracks.
- More reliable: From heavy workloads to sudden sicknesses – life happens. When you hire a single writer, it can be harder for them to meet deadlines when challenges like this arise. Hiring a team of writers means your work gets across the line on time, no matter the situation.
- Better communication: As single-person operations, freelance writers have to split their time between writing and admin tasks like answering emails or returning calls. Response times can be slow and inconsistent compared to working with an agency. Content agencies often have a project manager on staff to make sure all clients are happy and up-to-date on their projects. (We would be well and truly lost without our project manager, Riley ‘The Spine’ Barry. They’re the backbone of our team!)
- Broader services: There’s only so much that one person can offer. A freelance copywriter usually delivers just that: written copy. But when you work with a content agency, you get access to content marketing services beyond content creation, like content strategy, content audits, and copy editing. Check out our services here!
That’s a lot to love about content agencies!
If you’re ready to start outsourcing content to a professional content agency, first, you’ll want to get to grips with how to best work with an agency to ensure the smoothest process and the best possible results for everyone.
8 tips for working with a content agency
1. Have a clear understanding of your goals
Before you start your hunt for the perfect content agency, it’s essential that you first have a very clear idea of your clients’ goals and how content creation will help achieve them.
Do they want to expand their reach by driving organic traffic to their website? Are they hoping to establish their authority by climbing the ranks on search engines? Do they want to see more engagement on social media?
And before creating any content, it’s best to help your clients get a firm grasp on the core fundamentals of their business, too. Their USP, target audience, and unique brand persona will all inform the kinds of content creation services that your clients need to help them get where they want to go.
2. Research professional content writing services
When you’re ordering from a content agency, high-quality content is always on the menu. But what kind of content writing service do your clients need, exactly?
If your client is looking to boost SEO and climb search engine rankings, then a long-term blogging strategy might be right for them. Or maybe they’re hoping to grow their social media following, in which case social media marketing is the way to go.
Whatever their needs, odds are, they might need a variety of content marketing services to cover all bases. Decide what you think might be most useful to each of your clients – or better yet, reach out to us and we’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about our content writing and content strategy services.
3. Find an agency that reflects yours
Hiring a content agency can take the headache out of content creation for your digital agency and your clients. But if you partner with an agency that isn’t the right fit for yours, then you’d best keep the aspirin handy, because that headache is about to get a whole lot worse!
Pay close attention to each content agency’s brand persona and messaging when doing your research. Do they seem like the kind of agency you could see yourself working alongside for the duration of a project and, ideally, on future projects?
Once you find a good cultural fit, make sure the agency you’re looking at has the expertise to craft written content that aligns with your clients’ brand and industry. Some content agencies specialise in a specific niche, while others have built a diverse team of writers who can target a broad range of audiences. (Like us and our lovely writers!)
4. Gather all the information for your project
Once you’ve selected a content agency that offers all the content marketing services your clients need, it’s time to set your projects – and your partnership – up for success.
It’s on you (and your clients) to establish clear expectations, outline project details, and provide enough relevant information for your content agency to be able to deliver the goods. Whether you need web content writing, blog writing, or a series of social media posts, make sure to gather as much information as you possibly can from your clients upfront to help your content agency really nail the content.
Make it easy for your writer to channel your client’s unique brand voice, understand and engage their target audience, and create content that positions your clients as experts in their field.
5. Make communication a priority
From setting up that first project to providing feedback on deliverables, good communication really is the foundation of powerful content creation.
It’s important to uphold high standards of communication across the board when working with your content agency. Whether that’s responding to their check-ins, answering their questions, or asking questions yourself, try to be as clear and responsive as possible so your writer can do their job as efficiently as possible.
And remember, we may have a super-human capacity for writing engaging content, but we’re people, too. Always treat your content writers with the same level of respect you’d expect to be treated with. Being kind is an absolute must here at The Content Lab. We’re all about that positivity!
6. Provide feedback in a clear way
Your content writers are responsible for crafting expert copy that seamlessly blends SEO writing with your client’s unique brand voice, delivering content that delights audiences and search engines alike. But at the end of the day, content creation is a collaborative process.
That’s why any content agency worth its salt will have a streamlined process for giving and receiving feedback to make sure you and your clients are 100% satisfied with the results.
Whether you’re reviewing a blog article or inner web pages for your client’s new website, make sure to follow their feedback process carefully and deliver your feedback and comments as clearly as possible to avoid confusion and ensure everything is done right.
For example, instead of flagging something and saying “this doesn’t seem right”, give specific reasons why it doesn’t seem right to you. Has the writer missed the mark in terms of tone, or are certain details or elements irrelevant in the context of your client’s business? Whatever it is, get straight to the point to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth when it comes to edits and revisions.
7. Trust the expertise of content writers
If you’ve been writing content for your clients up until now, it might be a bit scary to let go of the reins.
But it’s important to remember that when you’re working with a content agency, you’re getting direct access to some of the most talented and qualified content writers out there. Lucky you!
Content agencies have long and thorough hiring processes, requiring writers to go through many rounds of interviews – including test piece writing and the all-important vibe check – before joining the team.
So, if you’re hiring a quality content agency like ours (we’ve even won several awards for our wonderful work!), then you can trust that you’re hiring experienced, expert writers who are ready to get the job done right.
Don’t let the fear of handing over the responsibility hold you back. Trust us, once you read our client copy, you’ll wish you’d let go sooner!
8. Build a long-term relationship
The beauty of working with a reliable content writing company is the potential to take the weight of content marketing off your plate for good.
Content marketing can be a major cause of stress for digital marketers – especially when it’s not their particular forté. So why not partner up with a content agency that gets your groove to remove that problem going forward?
When you entrust a content agency with your content needs, you get more than incredible copy. You get hours and hours of your precious time and energy back. Instead of panicking over content deadlines and struggling to write copy that never seems to hit the mark, with a committed content agency on your side, you can focus on doing what you do best – delivering the best possible service to your clients.
Taking the headache out of content creation for digital marketing agencies
At The Content Lab, we partner long-term with clients around the world. If you like what you’ve heard so far, then we’d love to hear from you!
What are you waiting for? Get in touch today and let’s get a good thing going!
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