Ready to take your business to the next level?
Maximise your content potential with our expert writers and tailored, dynamic marketing strategies.
Get a Quote Today!Freelance Content Writer Vs Content Agency: How To Select?
High-quality content is an integral part of any marketing strategy. It not only helps your business gain more visibility on search engines, but it allows you to engage, inform, and educate potential customers, making them more likely to buy your products or services.
Over 82% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing in 2023 because of its ability to bring high-quality leads and sales for businesses.
If you’re interested in kickstarting a content marketing campaign, you have three options available to you. Hiring an in-house marketing team (a significant expense), hiring a content agency, or outsourcing to a freelance content writer.
In this article, we’ll explore how to decide whether an agency or a freelancer is best suited for your business needs.
Key Takeaways
- Businesses can use tailored copy like blog content, video scripts, press releases, and podcasts to attract high-quality leads and sales.
- Without a clear marketing strategy, many businesses fall under the radar and struggle to establish a loyal customer base.
- A freelance content writer is a self-employed contractor who works on an agency or organisation’s behalf and writes content.
- a content writing agency is a business that provides content writing services to organisations for the purpose of increasing their online presence.
What is Content Writing?
Content writing involves planning, writing, and editing online content, primarily for marketing purposes.
Businesses can use tailored copy like blog content, video scripts, press releases, and podcasts to attract high-quality leads and sales by informing and engaging readers.
In competitive industries, sometimes thousands of companies fight to win the same audience’s attention.
To cut through the noise, businesses need to provide high-quality content that resonates with the right people, builds their brand identity, and ultimately pushes readers to complete an action – whether that’s to subscribe to a newsletter or buy products or services.
How Important is Content Writing for Business?
So, does your business need web content?
The short answer is yes!
Content creation is essential to establishing business authority, building brand awareness, improving the visibility of website content, engaging with your target audience, and driving sales and leads.
Without a clear marketing strategy, many businesses fall under the radar and struggle to establish a loyal customer base. Content writing allows new and established organisations to tell their brand story, highlight why their products or services outshine the competition, and cement their business as trustworthy.
Here are the main reasons why hiring a freelance content writer or content writing agency will benefit your business:
- Establish knowledge & expertise: Content writing allows businesses to establish their industry expertise by creating informative content that showcases their knowledge and experience of a relevant topic. This helps to build trust with potential customers and ultimately increases sales.
- Build brand recognition & awareness: Content writing helps organisations stay relevant in their target audience’s eyes, building brand awareness and recognition over time.
- Improve visibility: By writing SEO-friendly content, businesses can improve their search visibility and make it easier for potential customers to find their business offering online.
- Engage with the target audience: Content writing allows businesses to engage with their customers with high-value blog content that answers commonly asked questions or pain points.
- Drive leads and sales: Valuable and engaging content writing attracts more visitors to a business’s website, increasing the likelihood of generating leads and converting casual site visitors into customers.
10 Content Writing Statistics You Should Pay Attention To
- According to research, 70% of B2B marketers increased their content marketing budget in 2022 as it brings three times more leads than traditional marketing strategies.
- 75% of large companies outsource their content writer team.
- Publishing content writing 2-6 times a week gets 50% more clicks.
- 97% of marketers think content writing is integral to marketing success.
- Content marketing generates over 3x more leads than outbound marketing and costs up to 62% less.
- 53% of shoppers say they conduct research before purchasing a product or service to ensure they make the best possible choice.
- 70% of shoppers prefer to get information from blogs than traditional advertisements.
- According to Google Cloud, 82% of shoppers look for a brand whose values align with theirs.
- Social media is the best channel to reach Gen Z consumers. Around 93% of Gen Z spend over four hours a day on social media, and 57% of Gen Z purchased a new product they saw on social media within the past three months.
- 55% of marketers say creating more content and posting frequently helped most with getting their content to rank on search engines.
What is a Freelance Content Writer?
A freelance content writer is typically a self-employed contractor who works on an agency or organisation’s behalf and writes content for key projects.
They will typically work for multiple clients simultaneously and will have experience writing different types of content, including (but not limited to) sales pages, product descriptions, website copy, and SEO-friendly blog posts.
A freelance content writer will likely have a niche or specialism in certain industries and will be able to provide high-quality work that appeals to a target demographic or customer base. Depending on their skills, a freelance content writer may be able to provide content ideas for your business and post content to your website or social media platforms for you.
What is a Content Agency?
Unlike a freelance content writer, a content writing agency is a business that provides (you guessed it) content writing services to organisations for the purpose of increasing their online presence.
Typically, they will have a team of content writers, strategists, and senior marketers who will provide a range of services, including content writing, content strategy, marketing, distribution, and analytics. They will create and publish the content on behalf of a business, providing regular feedback on how it’s performing.
Similarly to freelance content writers, agencies will specialise in providing a range of business content, including product descriptions, posts for social media platforms, website copy, and SEO-friendly blog posts.
However, since a content writing agency has a larger team, it may be more competent at implementing and overseeing key projects.
For instance, if your business requires a new social media strategy, a content writing agency can develop content ideas and provide you with a detailed editorial calendar.
Content Writing Agency vs Freelance Content Writer: Which is Better for My Business?
So, you need a content writer to transform your current marketing strategy. But do you choose an agency or a freelancer?
To decide which is best for your business, you need to evaluate what you actually want to get from your content writer by asking yourself:
- What’s your budget?
- How complicated is the project?
These questions will help you determine which professional would best suit your needs and budget.
What's your Budget?
Hiring a freelance content writer tends to be more cost-efficient if you’re on a tight budget. Since they work alone, they have lower overhead costs associated with their work and can afford to charge less for content creation.
In Australia, the hourly rate of an experienced freelance content writer is around $49.75 per hour.
If your budget stretches more, a content agency might be better for you. While they cost more upfront since agencies must pay for their staff and tools, more professionals contribute to your key projects to ensure you receive high-quality writing every time.
An agency won’t just hire content writers, either. Many professionals comprise a team, including SEO specialists, content strategists, editors, and project managers.
So, while you’ll pay more for a content-writing agency, you’ll also gain the skills of multiple marketing professionals, all making sure you reach your business goals.
How Complicated is the Project?
During the process of content creation, many skill sets are needed – it isn’t just about being a good writer. An SEO-friendly blog post needs in-depth keyword research, visual elements such as infographics, and editing to ensure the written element is up to standard.
If your marketing project is made up of many moving parts, such as posts for social media platforms, product descriptions, or website copy, you’ll likely need multiple professionals to carry out the work.
While hiring more than one freelance content writer is possible, this could become costly in the long run and leave written content feeling disjointed – especially if the content writers don’t have an open line of communication.
Instead, consider hiring a content writing agency that will have no problem running multiple marketing projects at once. Rather than hiring an SEO specialist, content writer, and designer, an agency will have all the experts you need to start boosting your marketing output.
However, if you’re a smaller business that requires weekly optimised blog posts, there’s nothing wrong with hiring one freelance content writer to complete the work.
How Do I Find the Right Content Agency for Me?
If you’ve decided on hiring a content writing agency, you’re now facing the daunting task of choosing the right fit for your business needs.
There are over 9,000 content agencies in Australia alone, and with so much choice, it’s hard to identify the content creation specialists best suited to you.
Luckily, we’re here to highlight how you can find a reputable agency to give you a return on your marketing investment.
- Define your content requirements: Do you need blog posts, a social media strategy, landing pages, or something more complicated? What is your budget? Do you have clear content goals? Having these requirements in mind will help you narrow down your lengthy search.
- Research and compare agencies: Look for content agencies, either online or through word of mouth, and make a list of those that look suitable. Visit their websites, read their blogs, and carefully review their portfolios. It’s best to look for agencies that have experience with your industry or niche.
- Check their reviews: Chances are that the agency will have many reviews from happy clients. To get an accurate picture of their success rates, check online. This can help you get a better idea of what it’s like to work with the agency and whether they deliver high-quality content that garners results.
- Ask for a consultation: Once you’ve narrowed your list to a few potential content agencies, schedule a free consultation with them. This will allow you to ask questions, discuss your content needs, and understand the agency’s approach.
- Go with your gut. After multiple consultations, you’ll probably know which agency best fits your work style, needs, and requirements. Rather than going for the agency with the most impressive client list, choose the content team that you gelled the most with.
If you are considering a content writing agency for all your content writing needs, we are here to offer our services.
At Bough, we have a proven track record delivering informative and engaging content that gets results across a variety of industry niches.
Reach out today to discover how we can help implement content strategies tailored to your business needs and goals.
FAQs
Does a content writer write website content?
Yes, a content writer will be well-versed in writing website content, including text, images, videos, and other elements that make up a webpage. A content writer is responsible for creating the written content that appears on a website, such as landing pages, product descriptions, and blog posts.
Are sales pages part of content writing?
Yes, sales pages are a major aspect of content writing and are designed to promote a product or service. A content writer creates effective sales pages by undertaking target audience research and promoting features and benefits to them.
Can freelance content writers help with my marketing strategy?
A content writer is responsible for helping businesses with their marketing strategy by creating valuable content that appeals to the right demographic. Typically, a freelance content writer will have experience working with various businesses and industries, bu they shouldn’t be the lead on your overall marketing strategy.