That isn’t my desk in the photo
I’d love to be writing this from a beach in sunny Thailand. Instead I’m making do with a dining room table and a view of a green, but very overcast garden in middle England.
The picture is actually to make a point about perspective, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
Do you write all your copy in-house?
Lots of businesses create their own copy, content and communications. And, if you do, I’m not about to criticise you for it.
But there’s value in outsourcing your writing projects that you might not have considered before — and you deserve to know about it.
So let’s look at some of the reasons why outsourcing is such a good idea.
New perspective
I told you I’d get back to the perspective point.
No matter how much you love your business, there are aspects of it you’ll become blind to over time. Things that are so ingrained and accepted, they may become invisible and unremarkable to you.
But an outsider will always see your business differently. To them, it will be fresh and fascinating. They’ll find interest and intrigue in those things you no longer see — and breathe new life into them for your customers.
I know every inch of the garden I’m looking at right now. But put me in front of a seascape like that and I’ll come alive with insight and observations. Such is the power of a different perspective.
Customer focus
Every communication should be created with your customers in mind — because they’re the ones who’ll be reading it.
It should:
- ‘Speak’ their language
- Tell them what they need to know
- Explain terms that may be unfamiliar
- Tell them what’s in it for them
- Talk about ‘you’ rather than ‘we’.
But sometimes that’s easier said than done — especially if you’re too close to your business.
You can’t reset your brain to the time when you knew nothing, so it’s easy to assume your customers’ awareness levels, skip important details and forget who you’re actually talking to.
An outsider is instantly more objective. They’ll take the time to get to know your customers from base level, so they can write for them informatively, naturally and effortlessly.
Targeted skill set
Who’s writing your communications right now?
You? One of your employees? A member of your family?
If you’re running a small or medium-sized business, it’s probably not a dedicated and experienced copywriter. But it could be.
If you outsource your writing projects, you can hire a professional copywriter. Someone who makes their living writing and who understands what it takes to create targeted, informative and engaging communications.
This means you’re not relying on people who don’t have the time, skills or inclination to write the copy your business really needs. And you won’t need to pay to train them in these skills.
It also means you’ll get a better result that’s more effective in achieving your primary goals — whether that’s selling, generating enquiries or getting more sign-ups.
More time for your own jobs
Writing effective communications can be time consuming — even for someone who does it every day.
If you, or the person you’ve delegated the writing responsibilities to, are not spending your time writing, you’ll have more time to spend on the things that really need and deserve your attention. The areas where only you can make a difference to your business.
Lower costs
This is true if you’re outsourcing any kind of work.
Let’s say you’re taking on a new project. If you bring someone in-house to do it, they’ll need somewhere to work and equipment to work with.
If they’re contracted, you’ll be paying them. Even if your project stalls for some reason and they have nothing to do.
And, with any kind of equipment, there’s always a risk that something could go wrong and you’ll be liable to fix it.
But if you hire a freelancer, they’re already self-employed, so they won’t be on your payroll and they’ll have their own equipment, which they’ll be responsible for.
You’ll only pay your freelancer for the project deliverables. Which sounds better, doesn’t it?
Larger talent pool
Hiring an outsider means you can look way beyond your geographical area and find exactly the copywriter you want for the job.
There’s a wealth of talent out there and the technology to facilitate and deliver any writing project with ease.
No company bias
Even the most successful businesses can sometimes be affected by lost contracts, redundancies and office politics. These things can cause stress, strained working relationships and low morale.
Hiring a copywriter outside your company means they won’t be influenced by things that are going on inside it.
They’ll see your company as you want your customers to see it.
Sustainable growth
If you’re thinking about growing your business, outsourcing work will give you the extra capacity you need. And it will help you achieve more without making permanent changes or investments.
This will help you grow incrementally, at a steady and sustainable pace. So you won’t have to invest in new staff, equipment or larger premises until you’ve seen the growth you need to support that.
Are you thinking about outsourcing?
If this post has convinced you on the benefits of outsourcing your copywriting and you’re thinking of giving it a go, I’m here to help you.
I’m Jenny Lucas, a freelance copy and content writer based in Leicester, UK.
I can help with all kinds of writing projects, including:
- SEO copy for your website
- Articles for your blog
- Creative copy for your marketing
- Sales and promotional copy.
You can find out more about me and how I can help you on my main website.
Or get in touch if you have a project you’d like to discuss.
I’d love to hear from you.