Your brand’s blog is a chance to express personality, provide value to readers, and connect with many audiences. The trouble is, it takes a heck of a lot of time. And you probably don’t have time to spare. If you’ve ever thought about outsourcing your blog to a “ghost blogger” or third-party content creator, you’re not alone. Nearly half of all B2C and B2B marketers outsource content creation, including blogging.
Of course, handing over the keys to your brand’s blogging kingdom does have its drawbacks. Before you decide to outsource your blog, carefully consider the “whys” and “why nots” of doing so.
Pros & Cons of Outsourcing Your Blog
Pro: Outsourcing Takes Something Off of Your Plate
Score one for outsourcing. If someone else is responsible for your brand’s blog it’s one less thing you have to worry about. Outsourcing can include everything from researching subjects or topics to writing the posts, and from finding images to managing promotion.
When you outsource, you’re free to worry about other important business matters, such as what market to tackle next, which vendor is the cheapest, and, more importantly, what you’re going to eat for lunch.
Con: Who Knows What You’ll Get?
Have you seen the internet lately? There are a lot of crappy blogs out there. Deciding to outsource your brand’s blog can be a bit like rolling the dice or playing Russian roulette. You can’t really be sure of the outcome until it happens.
You could end up working with a company that promises A but ends delivering Z (where Z is a blog post riddled with factual and grammatical errors). Worse, you might end up with a bunch of blog posts that are clearly scraped from another blog.
Of course, there is a way to avoid getting stuck with terrible outsourced content — vet the company you’re considering before hiring them. Ask for samples and clearly define your expectations before you end up with a grade C blog.
Pro: You Get to Work With a Team of Professionals
Granted, there are a few bad apples out there. But, for the most part, people who work in content creation for a living do it well. They’re professionals, and they know the ins and outs of blogging and content marketing.
Con: Loss of “Your Voice”
You’ve got something to say and you want it said in a certain way. When outsourcing your blog, you give up some of your voice. One risk might encounter is ghost bloggers have trouble capturing your preferred tone.
Developing a style guide can be one way to work around the voice issue. Letting writers know what tone you prefer (chatty or professional, for example) before they start creating blog posts can also help.
Pro: Outsourcing Your Blog Can Be Cost Effective
If your business is on a shoestring budget, outsourcing your blog can give you the chance to get grade A content and professional expertise at a discount price. It’s often less expensive to work with a content marketing agency or to hire freelance bloggers than it is to hire a content marketing team full time.
One last thing to remember: You don’t have to hand over full control of your blog when you outsource. You’re still free to create blog posts when you feel that you’ve got something important to say and that you’re the best one to say it. Outsourcing your blog can help you fill in content gaps when you’ve otherwise got too much going on.
