Ever heard of the phrase ‘content is king’?
It’s become a massive cliché in the world of digital marketing. But it’s true. Your website’s content is the primary driver of organic traffic, leads, and (most importantly!) revenue. It’s crucial that you get it right. Which is why, just like so many other business owners, you may be wondering – should content creation be kept in-house, or is it wise to outsource it to an agency?
There isn’t really a right or wrong answer to this question. Ultimately, it depends on you and the nature of your company, and whether you have the know-how and inclination to do it yourself.
Here we take a look at some of the main pros and cons of a DIY approach.
3 advantages of in-house content development
1. Industry knowledge
Of course, you (and your employees) know your business better than anyone.
Not only do you have unparalleled knowledge of the industry and the products that you sell, you also have a deep understanding of your customers and their needs. You’re the experts. And, when it comes to content creation, this puts you in an incredibly strong position. You can tap into the specialist knowledge found in-house and produce content that is truly informative and reliable.
2. Independency
One of the main benefits of a DIY approach is independency. You don’t have to rely on a third-party.
Let’s face it, as a business owner, you’re used to taking the steering wheel and driving your own success – and, by creating your own content strategy, you get to be in control. There’s no need to manage expectations or chase anybody up to see how things are going. You decide what content is produced (and when) and can ramp things up or slow things down as necessary.
3. Cost
It’s obvious. Keeping content in-house means you’ll have one less bill to worry about each month. In most cases, you won’t even need to have a separate budget for content creation. Your employees will already be on a salary and producing regular content can simply become part of their job.
However, it’s worth pointing out – if you need to hire a new member of staff to write and manage content, in reality, outsourcing to an agency can often turn out to be the cheaper option.
3 disadvantages of in-house content development
1. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) expertise
Getting your content to perform well – and rank high on Google – can be tricky. It’s not just a case of writing a couple of blogs and stuffing them with keywords. You need to have basic knowledge of key SEO principles (at the very least!), as well as a focused and long-term SEO content strategy.
Whilst this can be very difficult to achieve in-house, it’s second nature to a content creation and marketing agency – such as ourselves. Here at Paramount Digital, we know exactly how to write content for SEO. It’s what we do – day in, day out. And, by applying our expertise, we can ensure you rank highly for your target keywords and see a healthy ROI (Return On Investment).
2. Time-consuming
It takes a lot of man-power to create and implement a successful content strategy.
To show that your site is active and relevant, the content on each page needs to be unique and updated regularly. But this can be very time-consuming, particularly for e-commerce sites, with hundreds of product pages. Staff may be too busy to contribute. And even if they do find the time, writing content takes them away from other valuable tasks – such as chasing leads and closing sales.
In most cases, businesses find they need a ‘content manager’ to keep everything on track.
3. Not everyone can write
Your staff may have industry knowledge. But, do they know how to write a blog?
Contrary to popular belief, writing effective and engaging content isn’t easy to do. Lots of people find it difficult to apply their expertise and put it into words. Creating a new post isn’t just about documenting the latest company event. It’s about answering your customer’s questions (in an interesting yet informative way), piquing their interest and encouraging them to read on. And by creating sub-par content, you run the risk of losing their loyalty and getting penalised by Google.
Not sure if in-house content creation is for you?
That’s absolutely fine. The DIY approach for content creation is perfect for some people. But it does have its drawbacks. And if the reality of managing an in-house content strategy seems too daunting, outsourcing may be the best option for you. So, why not get in touch with our agency?
Here at Paramount Digital, we have numerous dedicated and talented content writers, who have significant experience in this area. By getting to know you and your business, essentially, we can become an extension of your in-house team – and produce clear and engaging content, that is both relevant to your industry and designed to improve your SEO.
Be sure to check out our recent blog on the benefits of outsourcing content creation. And to find out more about how we could help you, either give us a call on 01744 747474 or send an email to marketing@paramountdigital.co.uk.
-
Millie is a skilled content writer with over three years of experience writing compelling, SEO-optimised content for a range of B2B and B2C clients.
She has a passion for delivering impactful messages that resonate with audiences and help drive results.
Posted by: Millie McDonagh
July 4, 2023