When it comes to creating content for your business, the age-old debate of in-house vs outsourcing continues to be a hot topic. Both options have their pros and cons, and understanding these is crucial to ensure that whatever you choose, aligns with your goals, objectives, and your resources.
In this blog, we look at the pros and cons of in-house vs outsourcing content creation so you have all the information you need to be able to make an informed decision. Let’s look at the pros and cons of outsourcing content first.
The pros of outsourcing content creation
If you’re looking to take your online presence to a new level, outsourcing content creation to a digital agency, like Fifteen, can provide many benefits as we highlight below.
It can be cost-effective
Outsourcing content creation can be more affordable than hiring full-time in-house staff, especially when you factor in costs such as salaries and training. Most agencies can often deliver high-quality content at a fraction of the cost, meaning you don’t have to waste time or money training and paying staff to create content.
You get access to expertise
By outsourcing, you can tap into a pool of specialised experts who have extensive experience in creating high-quality content. Agency teams work across all types of industries on projects that range from blog creation to email marketing, social media marketing to website copy, meaning agencies can offer a plethora of dynamic solutions. It also ensures that your content is professionally created and aligns with industry best practices.
It’s time-saving
Creating high-quality content is time-consuming, and outsourcing it allows your in-house team to focus on other tasks such as strategy, business development, or customer engagement, rather than spending time writing blog posts, creating videos, or managing social media accounts. Specialised content creators are often able to produce content more quickly, allowing you to meet deadlines and maintain a consistent flow of content.
You can get fresh perspectives
Agencies are always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to help their clients. When you outsource content creation, you’ll often have fresh new ideas brought to the table and a new perspective to your content. This kind of creativity and different viewpoints can help differentiate your content and keep it engaging and innovative.
Access to tools and technology
Agencies are often results-driven, which means they use advanced tools and technology for content, SEO, design, and analytics for example, to create and build campaigns aimed at your needs. This type of approach results in transparency across all channels and at all levels.
The cons of outsourcing content creation
As with all things, outsourcing content creation can have its drawbacks that are important to consider. Some cons include:
- Dependence on external companies – relying on an external team can create dependency and if they become unavailable for whatever reason, it could cause disruptions.
- Lack of industry knowledge – if you have a particular niche or are a highly-specialised company, it may mean needing in-depth knowledge to fully understand the nuances of your industry.
- Reduced internal development – when you outsource content creation, your in-house team may not develop their skills in content creation, potentially leading to a knowledge gap and internal expertise.
- Possible delays in content production – as agencies often work with multiple clients, if you have a particularly tight deadline, there could be a delay in delivering content due to other priorities.
Outsourcing content creation can be a highly effective tactic for many businesses, but it’s important to weigh out the pros and cons of it to make sure it aligns with your organisation’s goals and objectives. Remember, clear communication is key to a successful partnership.
The pros of in-house content creation
Just like outsourcing content creation, in-house content creation also has its benefits, as we explore in more detail below.
You have complete control over your brand and industry
With an in-house team, you have full control over the tone, style, and messaging of your content, and the team is clued up on your brand’s personality and values. This is particularly beneficial in industries where technical know-how is essential.
Easier collaboration
As everyone is in the same workspace – whether that’s physical or digital – it creates smoother collaboration, as you can have spontaneous meetings, quick feedback sessions, and stay in constant communication to ensure the content aligns with your overall strategy.
There’s seamless integration with other departments
An in-house team is better able to collaborate with other departments within your organisation, such as sales and customer service. This integration helps ensure that your content aligns with overarching campaigns, product launches, customer feedback, and other business initiatives.
Flexibility for last-minute changes
If you need to amend your content quickly due to a change in strategy, a new opportunity, or breaking news, an in-house team can do this much faster. The ability to respond swiftly without relying on external agencies can be a big advantage.
The cons of in-house content creation
While in-house content creation has its advantages, there are some disadvantages which need to be considered, which include:
- Higher costs – you’ll need to factor in the cost of salaries, offering workplace benefits, and potentially invest in training and tools for your in-house team, which can be more costly compared to when you outsource content creation.
- Limited expertise – your in-house team may have a solid understanding of your brand, but they may lack specialised skills such as SEO, graphic design, or video production.
- Resource constraints – your in-house team may face resource limitations which is particularly so for smaller businesses, and they may not be able to handle multiple content formats at once (such as blogs, videos, social media posts etc.).
- Risk of burnout and overwork – the pressure to constantly create content can be overwhelming and this can lead to burnout and a decrease in productivity.
- Less time for other activities – content creation is time-consuming and if you decide to do this in-house, it may take away the time to work on other business activities that could contribute to strategic growth.
- Time-consuming recruitment process – you have to find the right talent to build a strong in-house team, and once hired, you’ll have to spend time training them on your brand, audience, and content strategy, which may take a while.
Speak to us for your content creation
As you can see, there are several aspects to consider before deciding where you should outsource content creation or keep it in-house. Content creation isn’t just copywriting either, it’s video production, social media marketing, graphic design, and more, and most businesses don’t have the time or resources to maintain a steady flow of content. But that’s where we can help.
If you’d like to learn more about how our award-winning digital agency can help with your content creation, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We have decades of experience in the online space and can create insightful campaigns for your business; all designed to drive traffic, increase engagement, and boost conversions.
