Who's producing all this content?

Who’s producing all this content?

As part of your marketing strategy, you’ve determined that you need content – even lots of it. So just how and where are companies sourcing all of this critical material? We take a look at three approaches today’s organisations are employing.

1. We’re producing content in-house

   When looking at creating content, many organisations understandably first turn their gaze inward. Within a company, there are a number of content sources from which to draw:

   • Marketing teams: Often, the onus for content generation falls to the marketing team itself.
   • Content teams: In today’s changing landscape, many businesses are choosing to create their own content teams, which may include such resources as in-house writers, subeditors, designers, videographers, social-media managers, and so on.
   • Internal subject-matter experts: Leverage your insider information. Are you a recruitment company? Draw on the expertise of your recruiters for your blog. Are you a law firm? Let your lawyers share their knowledge on video or in writing.
   • Content curation: Put someone – or a team of someones – in place to curate content for you. Doing so takes the burden of producing content off your organisation but still allows you to deliver timely and relevant content to your customers.
   • Existing content: Take an inventory of the content you already have but may not be using to its full potential. Do you have some in-house presentations, case studies, or white papers you could put online to share with your customers?
2. We’re engaging an agency

   You may not have the right – or enough – resources and budget to produce all of your content internally. Or you just may decide your staff’s time and effort are better served elsewhere. Whatever your reasons, you may choose to outsource some or all of your content production to an agency, who does have the resources to get the job done. Though it can be nerve-racking to delegate such an important task to someone outside your organisation, working with the right agency – one with a proven track record – can bring fresh eyes to your content objectives and can free your team up for other key tasks.

3. We’re working with a team of freelancers

   Sometimes, you may not need all the bells, whistles, and costs – for planning, strategy, and analytics, for example – that come along with agency relationships. Sometimes you just need a solid stable of high-quality freelancers for your content-creation needs. Freelance contributors generally stick to the task at hand – writing or designing, for instance – and are often willing to negotiate price. What’s more, freelancers can often get things done sooner, without you having to go through the sometimes-cumbersome (albeit often necessary) onboarding process that you’ll face with an agency. Plus, among the pool of great writers out there, you can usually find some that are experts in the content areas you need covered.

So which one of these approaches is the best option? The answer will vary from company to company and from project to project based on your vision, your needs, and your customers. It may be that one option is right for you, or you may need to use a combination approach. In the end, what you want is great content that will help you deliver on your organisation’s goals.

What content-creation approach is your organisation using?