The significance of content in today’s world cannot be emphasised enough. With the advent of several platforms, particularly digital and social media, it is content that now rules the roost when it comes to effective communication, considering how 78% of customers tend to trust brands that create tailored content. Since consumers’ reactions are being generated in real time, brands have begun to focus on sharing quality content that helps them stay relevant. As a brand looking to gain an edge in the market and win favour with your audience, would you rely solely on in-house talent or also take help from external content agencies?

It is a tricky decision to make. Before you decide, you might want to look at the scale of your organisation, your audience, the kind of message you wish to put across, project costs, the strengths of your team etc. Gauging these factors will put you in a better position to decide.

But those are the internal variants. You also need to consider the following four motivators to ensure that you make a well-rounded decision when the time comes:

1. Content agencies are specialists

Hiring external content specialists makes sense because they are exactly that – specialists. An external agency that is in the business of content development comes with invaluable experience. The team works with multiple clients and has a better idea of the kind of content that works across platforms and consumer crowds.

A skilled content developer will more often than not give you more purposeful and better content than an in-house team.

Usually, internal teams are smaller, and might not have at hand all the required resources and know-how. An experienced external agency can dedicate more resources in terms of people and tools to your project. Moreover, it is also often made up of members with specific and relevant qualifications that might prove to be very useful.

Additionally, external content agencies often have access to numerous analytical and listening tools that make their product sharper; something in-house teams might not have access to all the time.

2. They are used to a constant inflow of work 

Coming from a different work culture, internal teams, as able as they might be, can often be caught in the fatigue of daily duties. Moreover, they might often be pulled into tasks beyond their scope of work. This could prove to be detrimental to the quality of the output, particularly in the creative process of content development.

External content agencies, in this case, comes in with a fresher perspective. A content agency sees a constant shuffle of work and can hence afford to give you alternative options with a sharper approach. Such a team dedicated to your project will focus all of its attention on the task at hand, leading to better quality work.

3. You get what you pay for

Taking forward the previous point, with an external team you are sure to get more value because it has a more focused approach towards your project. With an internal team, there are bound to be distractions in terms of other routine work that needs to be prioritised. However, when bringing in an external specialist, you can be assured that complete attention will be given to your brief till it is seen through.

Deadlines are more sacrosanct than ever. A hired external hand knows it has to deliver a product within the assigned timeframe. While everything might not always work like clockwork due to a number of unforeseen circumstances, timelines are usually respected by an agency that you hire for a particular job.

All of this ensures that you get the best value for money when getting an external team on board.

4. Better communication with consumers

An internal team is too close to the business. Intimate and specific knowledge is often the desired thing to look for in your team’s skills, but sometimes the audience might find it difficult to understand your language. And there’s not much merit in marketing your product if you can’t convey your message to the audience.

External content agencies score here. Specialist teams are constantly building content for a varied audience. It is their job to reach out to consumers in a language that is lucid, comprehensive, and suitable, based on the guidelines. They know exactly what works with a particular kind of audience and your brand message is bound to be conveyed better.

Conclusion

Usually, it is a better idea to have a healthy mix of internal and external teams on your projects. Your in-house team may possess greater insight into your business and can take a more macro approach towards the content that is needed. However, external content agencies come in with the expertise and experience to give your content the edge it needs.

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