Rashida
Content is once again at the heart of marketing. While some larger businesses may be able to afford an in-house team, but many businesses of all sizes opt for outsourcing their content creation. The two primary sources for outsourcing your content creation are dueling for your dollars: freelancer vs agency. Each source brings its own advantages, and you will likely find yourself asking which one is right for my business?
In this article, we will explore the benefits and considerations of freelancers and agencies so you can make the best choice for your business.
Hiring a Freelancer
Up first for the content creation showdown is the freelancer. A freelancer is an individual who you can hire for a specific project. Freelancers typically have specific skills, so you can hire different freelancers for different tasks depending on their expertise.
Benefits
- Freelancers tend to have a strong specified skillset, so you can find the freelancer best for the task. You can assign the project to the freelancer who is the best fit.
- Freelancers can be contracted to handle projects for a limited time, so you can hire them only when you need the help.
- Typically, freelancers are less expensive than agencies due to lower overhead costs.
- There are many job sites for finding freelancers of all kinds, including Upwork, Freelancer, Craigslist, and Fiverr.
Considerations
- Typically, freelancers must juggle numerous projects and clients. This can lead to your business fading to the background.
- Sourcing a strong team of freelancers is challenging. Managing multiple freelancers takes more time and can be quite difficult.
- Each time you choose a freelancer, you must endure a time extensive process to select a qualified candidate.
- Freelancers may not always be able to deliver the same analysis and planning as an agency when it comes to evaluating the competition and developing your content strategy.
- While many freelancers are very diligent, the time frame for delivery can vary widely based on the individual’s workload and abilities.
- Even an experienced freelancer has a limit for the amount of work they can handle.
- With an area of expertise, a freelancer will likely have a smaller variety of services and may be limited in the tasks they can take on.
Hiring an Agency
Next up in the content creation showdown is the agency. While a freelancer is a one-man team, agencies are composed of a team of people. The kicker? An agency may even be a group of freelancers who work together. Agencies can range in the number of team members, but they are able to easily handle multiple projects.
Benefits
- Because they are composed of more people, agencies can offer a wider variety of skills. A writing agency can pair writers with businesses or projects based on their experience and interests.
- Not only can an agency pair you with a writer who is a good fit, but they can also offer other options if the current situation is not working out as predicted. You can easily find a better match through an agency without having to endure the time-consuming freelancer hiring process.
- Quick turnaround. Agencies can divide and conquer to make sure all deadlines are met.
- An agency is a one-stop-shop where you can take advantage of a variety of services in one place.
- Flexibility. Agencies can handle changes in workload much easier than an individual and tailor their services to the unique and ever-changing needs of your business.
Considerations
- Agency services typically cost more than hiring a freelancer. However, there are many affordable agencies who are willing to work with you to meet your content needs and budget.
- You may be concerned that the content you get back from an agency will not be a match with your brand voice, industry, and target audience. The easiest way to ensure you receive back content you are happy with is to offer clear guidelines and work with the agency to find a dedicated writer who is experienced in your field.
- Just like with freelancers, agencies handle many projects at the same time, and you may be worried your projects will not receive the dedication they deserve. Reputable agencies value quality and will ensure you receive the proper quality on every project.
So Who Wins?
Outsourcing your content writing has clear benefits for your business, like the ability to consistently produce relevant, engaging content for your target audience. Both freelancers and content agencies have the potential to bring a lot to your organic content marketing strategy, so who should write your content? Who wins the freelancer vs agency showdown greatly depends on your business needs, budget, and preferences.
One thing is for sure, Content Cucumber can help you write the content that people want to read. We give you a dedicated writer to bring all of your content ideas to life in the form of a compelling newsletter, blog post, product description, or web copy. Take your content to the next level today with Content Cucumber by heading to our website HERE.
