How to Find Reliable Writing Agencies for Your Content Marketing Needs
There are two ways you can find content writers for your blog: you can either use in-house writers or outsource to a writing agency.
In-house writing is generally discouraged as it is faced with some challenges that are hard to overcome.
First, you have to train the writers, which is time-consuming and costly.
Secondly, in case you need industry writers for a certain field, you will still have to outsource to industry expert writers once in a while. Lastly, in-house writers are affected by fatigue, reducing their content quality over time.
Outsourcing to content writing services is preferred as it guarantees quality content at an affordable price. This is because agencies train their content writers on the latest SEO content trends and engage subject matter experts for different niches.
For these reasons, we recommend outsourcing writing services to a content creation agency.
3 Ways You Can Find a Content Writing Agency
Conduct a Google Search for “Content Writing Agencies”
After searching for “content writing agencies” on Google, the results will include a bounty of writing companies. There are also a few blogs that have written on the topic. All you have to do now is research the listed agencies and find one that best suits you.
Go through the results and find out which agency has the best terms and conditions for your content writing needs.
Additionally, check out popular forums such as Reddit and Quora. Forums help you get first-hand reviews from clients who’ve used a certain marketing agency before.
Ask for Referrals From Other Businesses
Another way you can find content companies is by asking fellow online business owners who provides their content creation services.
This is a great way of finding writers through first-hand information on the company’s quality of service. Additionally, some content marketing agencies may offer discounts when you join their platform from another client’s referral.
To ask for a referral, simply send a professional email to the business.
Find Blogs You Like and Contact the Authors
Are there any blogs in your niche with high-quality content that you like?
If so, go to the blog posts and check out the author’s name. Do this for different posts and compile a list of your favorite blog authors.
If the blog hosts different authors, there’s a high likelihood that they’re freelance writers. You can find and approach them via LinkedIn.
However, if it’s the blog owner’s name set as the author name for every post, it could mean that the posts were ghost-written. In that case, contact the blog owner and ask what writing agency they use to create their blog posts.
How to Choose the Right Content Creation Company
Research the Agency
To choose the most suitable writing agency, you need to conduct research on the company before hiring them for your content writing solutions.
When researching the company, you should:
- Read the company’s policies under the Terms and Conditions.
- Find out if they include extra in-house services such as article revisions, proofreading and editing, plagiarism reports, and more.
- Read through client testimonials.
- Learn about the payment methods. Some agencies may not support certain currencies or payment modes due to your location.
- Read the company’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
A good company should also be up to date with the trends in digital marketing and create a content strategy that fits the client.
By conducting research, you learn how the company operates along with its strengths and weaknesses. You also get an idea of the company’s reputation to decide whether you want to work with them.
Going Cheap Isn’t Always the Best Idea
Writing great content is a tough task that requires lots of time and effort. Be ready to spend a decent amount of cash for original and well-written content.
When it comes to content creation, don’t make price your main consideration point. Rather, quality content should be your top priority.
Content writing companies have standard pricing that differs slightly from one company to another.
If you find a company with incredibly low prices and fast turnaround times — give it a wide berth, as the content quality is likely quite low. It means there’s a high chance of plagiarism or the use of spinning software, which kills the authority and trustworthiness of your blog.
Always choose a reputable company with a predetermined pricing plan to avoid these issues.
Prioritize Reliable Communication
You need to consider how fast the agency responds to client queries.
When you order content, how fast does the company respond? Do they take a few days or a few hours? As a client, you need a company that responds quickly and interacts regularly with its clients.
Furthermore, you can test their communication by contacting them and observing how long they take to respond. You can also check out what other clients are saying in the testimonials section.
Another point of consideration is the channels of communication offered by the agency. This can vary from a typical work email to a 24/7 live chat support service.
Forums also play a significant role in communication. Essentially, it’s where the agency shares key updates with its members, and where members can share and get solutions to their problems.
If an agency has an active forum and participates by constantly answering its members’ inquires, it’s added proof that they likely offer reliable communication to clients.
Subject Matter Expertise
For a writing agency to continuously create high-quality content, they need to have a deep understanding of your industry and market. An agency cannot deliver expert content if it does not understand the challenges your customers face.
In addition, you shouldn’t be paying an agency to learn your business, as they should do so on the agency’s own time.
The next logical question is then: How do you gauge subject matter expertise?
There are three main ways to do this:
- Ask for previous samples done on your industry.
- Check for depth of knowledge when the agency responds to online discussions and forums.
- Speak with other clients.
Ensure the Agency Can Meet Your Writing Needs
Here, you have to ensure the company deals with the types of content you want to publish. This includes product descriptions, white papers, sales copy, and others.
Many content marketing agencies state what types of articles they produce. If the team of writers handles the content you need, then you can consider them for outsourcing.
On top of that, you also need to consider whether the agency matches your brand voice.
A consistent brand voice means that the articles should sound like something customers would say, in terms of tone and language.
You can check whether a marketing agency matches your brand voice by reading samples of their past work along with client testimonials.
CopySmiths
I'm Katrina McKinnon, founder of CopySmiths and Small Revolution. In my 20 years of experience, I have helped online businesses create high-performing content specifically on an eCommerce store's blog. Find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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