Who Should You Hire For Content Writing Services – Agency Or Freelancer

Content is the foundation for every digital marketing strategy. This can take the form of blog posts, articles, e-books, white papers, infographics, videos, etc. As a brand, unless you have a content specialist on your team, you should ideally outsource content generation to an expert. The choice typically is between a freelancer and an agency that specializes in content writing services.

Here are some of the key differences between the two:

1. Experience and Expertise

When you hire someone to generate content for you, they should have relevant experience backing their skills. Given that they have more people on the team and can take on more simultaneous projects, agencies tend to have more experience as compared to freelancers. Their experience also tends to be more varied. While a freelancer may have experience only in one form of content such as written content or videos, agencies tend to have experience in generating and promoting many different types of content across different channels.

2. Service and Reliability

A freelancer is one person and hence can do only so much. If he/ she falls ill or has a technical issue with their computer or internet connection, your work may have to be paused. This is not the fault of the individual and such situations are often out of anyone’s control. On the other hand, an agency will have a team of people working on your project. If one of them falls ill, there will always be someone else who can pick up the slack. Similarly, if one computer has an issue, there will be another one that can be used. The result is that your work has a higher chance of continuing seamlessly.

3. The Cost Factor

There is a marker difference in fees charged by a freelancer and an agency. The latter is typically higher. That said, the scope of work deliverable should also be kept in mind. If you want to publish different types of content and want to work with freelancers, you will need to employ one person for written content, another for SEO, yet another for videos and so on. You will then need someone on your team to coordinate work between all of these individual. However, an agency can offer you many different types of content writing services. They will have one point of contact on their team who will ensure that all the content created by different departments follows the same theme and style. Thus, it is not only easier to manage but also more comprehensive.

Whether you choose to work with a freelancer or an agency for content writing services, never let price be your only consideration. Look for someone who you can see yourself working with for years to come. Thus, top content marketers and content agencies should have experience, a good style of content, good communication skills, a pleasant personality and definitive KPIs. Make sure you meet them face to face before signing a contract and if possible, try working on a trial project. This gives both the agency and your company a chance to assess and align themselves to the same goals.