When it comes to running a successful business, content writing is an essential part of any content marketing strategy. But creating compelling, high-quality content can be a time-consuming and daunting task. Outsourcing content writing is a great way to ensure you get the quality (and quantity of) content you need, without having to go through the hassle of creating it yourself. In this blog post, we will discuss 5 reasons why you should outsource content writing for your business.

Before delving into content writing, it’s well-worth zooming out and defining content marketing. Content marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on creating, publishing, and distributing content for the purpose of driving customer engagement, generating more leads, and increasing sales. It is a strategic approach to advertising that utilizes valuable, relevant content to reach and engage an audience. It includes things like blog posts, social media posts, podcasts, and other types of content that share information with customers.

Content marketing is an important tool for businesses because it allows them to, amongst others, create brand awareness, boost website traffic, and establish trust with their target audience. It can also be used to promote products and services, as well as build relationships with customers. Additionally, content marketing can be used to help position a company as a thought leader within its industry.

As you might have gathered by now, content writing is one part of this big whole. Content creation and writing is often outsourced to freelance writers who specialize in that specific field. By using experienced writers who are knowledgeable about SEO best practices and content marketing trends, businesses can ensure that their content is high quality and effective.

Content writing is the art and science of creating content for a specific purpose and target audience. Content writing can take many forms, from website content and blog posts to product descriptions, e-books and articles. Content writing typically involves researching a topic, coming up with an engaging angle, keyword research, writing the content, and then editing it for accuracy and readability. Long story short: content writing is an integral part of your content marketing strategy. 

It has the potential to help your business reach its goals by educating customers, boosting traffic to your website, and increasing conversions. As content marketing has become more popular, most freelance writers have also gained expertise in various areas such as SEO, social media marketing, copywriting, and copy editing – all of which can be highly beneficial to you when outsourced to the right experts!

Why you should care about content writing

As I mentioned before, content writing is an important part of successful content marketing strategies. In essence, it’s material that’s optimized for web publication that increases your online visibility and helps promote your business specifically. In addition, you can create unique, engaging, and informative content that resonates with your target audience and provides value to them. In the hypercompetitive age of search engines, this is what will make you stand out from your competitors.

Content writing is a skill, so it’s important to work with experienced freelance writers who understand your goals and can help you achieve them. When done correctly, content writing can be a powerful tool for growing your business. It can be used to boost organic search rankings and attract more customers. Content writing can also help you build trust and establish yourself as an authority in your industry, which is often overlooked by aspiring entrepreneurs. 

By outsourcing content writing to a professional writer, you can save time while still ensuring that the content you produce is of the highest quality. With that saved time, you can focus on your core competencies without distraction. Oftentimes, it’s also a cost-effective marketing channel that’s less pricey than hiring full-time, in-house content writers. That’s particularly evident as you scale your company; you can access a wide pool of talent that specialize in different types of content creation. 

So, if you want to maximize the potential of your content marketing efforts, investing in freelance writers is definitely worth it. That said, let’s dive deeper into the 5 reasons why you should outsource your content writing.

5 reasons why you should outsource content writing

Content writing can be a time-consuming process, especially if you are creating content from scratch. If you outsource your content writing to freelance writers, you can save a lot of time and energy that you can use to focus on other areas of your business. There’s no doubt that it’s an effective way to reach new customers and increase sales, but it takes a lot of time and effort to create top-notch content. By outsourcing it, you can free up your valuable time so you can focus on other core competencies.

Given that freelance writers dedicate themselves to writing content, they can help you create a high volume of content quickly and efficiently. They will be able to provide content faster than if you created it yourself, allowing you to get your content to market quickly and efficiently. This means that you don’t have to worry about coming up with ideas, researching topics, trying to 

 , or spending countless hours perfecting the content. Instead, you can leave it in the hands of professionals who know what they are doing and can get the job done quickly and effectively. For better or worse, both quality and speed are key when it comes to content creation.

Outsourcing your content writing to freelance writers can be one of the most cost-effective ways to get high-quality content. Hiring a content writer on a part-time or full-time basis can be expensive, and you may not always get the desired results. How expensive, you ask? In the U.S., 

With freelance writers, you can get customized services that are tailored to your needs. You can get more targeted and higher quality content at a fraction of the cost of hiring an in-house content marketing team. Not to mention you can outsource to multiple writers, each with a unique skill set that you may need for different forms of content. Moreover, there are no additional costs such as taxes, benefits, vacation pay, etc. associated with working with freelancers. You can also optimize costs by working with freelancers on a project-by-project basis, giving you more flexibility when it comes to budgeting for content marketing campaigns.

3) You can focus on your core competencies

Nowadays, content marketing is an integral part of any successful business, but it's not something everyone has the time - or expertise - to take on themselves. Content writing can be a tedious process, and outsourcing it allows you to focus on the parts of your business that require the most time and effort. By hiring freelance writers to create content for you, you are freeing up your own time to focus on what you do best. This is especially beneficial for companies with limited resources or specialized skill sets, as they can prioritize their operational to-dos and leave content writing to the subject matter experts.

Hiring freelance writers to create content for you can be an invaluable asset, allowing you to stay focused on the core of your business while ensuring your content marketing strategies don't fall by the wayside. Freelance writers have the experience and knowledge to create content that will drive traffic to your website and help you grow your business. With the right freelancer, you can rest assured that they will produce high quality content that’s geared specifically to your product. Content marketing is all about building relationships and trust between your company and potential customers, so having exceptional, persuasive content from experienced freelance writers is a must. 

Outsourcing content writing also gives you access to multiple perspectives on topics related to your business which can lead to creative solutions that wouldn’t have otherwise been considered. In addition, it also gives you more control over how content is created; because you’re the one who hires the freelance writer, you’re able to decide exactly how much input the writer has in creating content, so you’re sure to get exactly what you need.

Most freelance writers will give you access to valuable insights into current industry trends which can give your content a competitive edge. This will consequently reflect in search engine results pages. Ultimately, when done properly, outsourcing content writing is a great way to maximize your content marketing strategy.

4) You get access to a wider pool of talent

Another perk of outsourcing content writing is that you have access to a much larger pool of freelance writers than you would if you were hiring someone internally. Outsourcing gives you access to experienced content marketers who specialize in different types of content writing, from blog posts and long-form content to social media posts and email marketing campaigns. It’s not hard to find talent, either. In fact, there are a number of 

platforms you can utilize to find content writers

One option is to use an outsourcing company/service, where you don’t have to worry about finding the right person for the job or dealing with scheduling conflicts. You can swiftly find vetted and qualified freelance writers who can produce high-quality content at an affordable rate. 

Most marketing agencies also offer content writing services, as well as project management services, so that you don't have to manage all of your freelancers on your own. This makes it easier to keep track of deadlines, assign tasks, and ensure that all deliverables are completed on time. Plus, these companies often provide valuable feedback on the content produced by their writers, which helps you ensure that it is up to your standards. 

All in all, by outsourcing content writing, you gain access to skilled content creators without having to dedicate internal resources to managing them yourself.

One of the most pertinent reasons to outsource your content writing is that it allows you to scale up quickly and easily. As your business grows, you may find yourself needing more content than you can produce in-house. This is where freelance writers come in handy. Hiring freelance writers helps you ramp up production without investing in new hires or additional staff. This allows you to stay on top of content demands while staying within your budget.

Furthermore, outsourcing content writing can help you reach a wider audience. Content marketing is an effective tool for reaching potential customers and engaging them in meaningful conversations, and by outsourcing your content writing, you can create content tailored to the needs of your target audience. Over time, this can significantly increase your visibility and help you gain a larger following. With the right content strategy, you can attract more visitors and potential customers to your website and drive conversions considerably. 

Additionally, it will help strengthen relationships with existing customers by providing valuable content that they can use. And with the help of freelance writers, you'll be able to create more content faster and cheaper than ever before.

Content marketing also enables you to showcase your expertise in a particular industry by sharing informative content with your readers, which may establish you as a thought leader. So if you're looking for ways to take your venture to the next level, make sure you incorporate freelance content writers into your content marketing strategy.

In an era where search engines and social media strategy can make or break a company, it’s crucial that the content you publish is on point. That’s no easy feat, however. The truth is that writing high-quality content can be time-intensive and potentially costly, so outsourcing it may be an effective alternative. Generally speaking, content writing is an increasingly-important component of one’s overall content marketing strategy. Why is that? Well, simply put, it’s becoming harder and harder to stand out in today’s marketplace. You and your competitors are vying for potential customers’ attention, and that attention is difficult to attract…let alone maintain.

With that said, there are plenty of talented people out there that can keep you ahead of the rest. Although you can hire full-time content writers, it may be worthwhile to consider using freelancers instead. Firstly, it may save you lots of time. High-quality content takes substantial research, SEO knowledge, and creativity to get right. If you don’t have the time to invest in that, hiring a freelance writer is a wise choice. After all, they can dedicate the time you would take – and probably more – to ensure you’re getting both the quantity and quality of content that you require. 

The time you save can be used to focus on what really matters: your business itself. At the same time, outsourcing content writing saves money by avoiding overhead costs associated with hiring full-time team members. 

Finally, outsourcing content writing projects can give businesses access to a larger talent pool. With so many talented freelance writers available, businesses can find writers with specialized knowledge and experience in specific industries or topics. This makes it easier for businesses to produce content that’s aimed towards their target audience and tailored to their specific needs. Overall, outsourcing content writing projects can be extremely beneficial for businesses looking to leverage content marketing for success. With so many advantages, there’s no reason not to outsource your content writing.

5 reasons why you should outsource your content writing

If you're an entrepreneur, you're probably familiar with the 10-14 slides that make up a typical 

 for investors. But do you actually know why you need a pitch deck at all? Or what to include in your pitch deck to increase your chances of financing?

We have helped many start-ups with building their application, but also with setting up a pitch deck to grow with the help of VCs and angel investors.

Today we are going to explain 5 steps that you should not miss before you start making a pitch deck.

 That's the average time a VC spends reading a 20-page pitch deck at an early stage. 12 seconds per page - if the investors read it at all.

It's a big misconception that you should cram everything

 - all the details about what makes your idea unique - into your pitch deck. The reality is very different. When you work with so little time and attention, information overload is your worst enemy.

Instead, you should build your pitch deck with one goal in mind: to grab the attention of investors, and quickly. VCs receive hundreds of decks each year and have very limited resources. They quickly flip through, inviting about 50% of companies for a 30-60 minute initial meeting or meeting with a member of their investment team. If you have focused the energy and time on the right investor, your chance of a first meeting is as good as 90%. So much more favourable!

Scoring a second meeting is the real challenge: VCs invite less than 20% of the companies they meet to a second meeting, where investors really get to work.

 In a second meeting, several members of the investment team will meet and discuss the core of your business proposal. They will then spend several hours verifying your story and assessing your company's potential (this is called "soft" due diligence). Finally, they will have an in-depth internal discussion to continue the process. Only 10% of companies go to the next stage (or 1% of all companies that have applied) - term sheet, full due diligence and finally receiving an investment.

After many years of working with VCs and looking at thousands of pitch decks and building our own pitch deck, I can tell you that there is only one way to go from the first meeting to the second: your pitch deck needs to be an engaging and authentic story.

Yes, you read that right. The key to scoring an investment is a good story, full of intrigue, excitement and adventure. 

VCs are people after all, and people love stories

. Stories tap into our gut reactions, and we all—including VCs—use our guts to make the kinds of decisions that will make or break your company's chance at a second meeting.

Building on my extensive experience on both sides of the table, 

I've developed a five-step process to turn your company's story into a winning pitch deck

. Inspired by DevOps, I call it "Content Design" because it merges storytelling ("Content") and pitch deck design ("Design") from scratch.

But before you can tell your company's story in such a way that investors sit up and pay attention, you need to find your company's story. That's what we'll focus on here first.

First, I want to share insights from neuroscience and human psychology that will help you understand why stories matter and make a difference.

, responsible for things like thinking and speaking. We like to think that our rational neocortex does most of our thinking. However, it turns out that 

we make most of our decisions emotionally and then justify them logically

. Our brains are so good at it that we don't even know we're doing it.

There's a good reason why we don't use our neocortex anymore. Every day we all make a huge number of decisions, small and large. If we had to consciously process them all, we would burn a lot of energy. Compared to other organs, the human brain is an energy guzzler and is responsible for about 20 percent of our energy consumption.

So our body looks for shortcuts to save energy. For most decisions, the brain reverts to familiar patterns stored in the subconscious mind. Cognitive resources are used only when clearly needed, such as in a second VC pitch meeting. Usually we only operate with the reptilian and limbic brains, which ask only two questions: "Is it safe for me?" And: "Do I like it?"

Emotions influence how people eat, help, trust, delay, or praise different products. They are also a critical factor in how investors make initial decisions.

Not sure how to find the right investor for your start-up? 

So what does this mean for your pitch deck?

Stories elicit an emotional response - excitement, anger, sadness, empathy, or enthusiasm. A good story makes us feel something for the person telling the story, which helps to create connection and trust. 

Stories go straight to our reptilian and limbic brains and answer their questions with a firm YES - this is safe and I like it!

People, including VCs, listen to stories. They also remember them, and more importantly, they remember how the story made them feel. Stories and emotions live long after the presentation is over.

Often I see presentations that try to influence investors to invest or bribe customers, by presenting lots of facts and figures and a graphed argument. Yet 

Science tells us that people usually make emotional, not rational decisions!

Ouch, that hurts. Especially if you are a software engineer (like me...) who has been taught to believe in the overarching power of math, physics and good technology products. But trust me, the sooner you embrace these ideas, the faster your pitch will be noticed.

your goal with your pitch deck is not to convince the investor to invest, but to schedule a second meeting

. Therefore, do not present a series of facts and figures, but rather tell a very good story.

So the big question is: what is your story?

A good story has all the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster

: drama, excitement, vulnerability and triumph. Each screen-ready story has a hero taking on a villain. The two confront each other, and in the end the hero wins, and then lives happily ever after.

If you think about it, you can also find these elements in your company's story. In your case, you may have encountered old, outdated products (the bad guy) that got in the way of productivity in your industry. But your start-up's innovative product (the hero) came by to take on the bad guy. In the end, the hero (your product) will prevail and make us all happy. 😉

From our own experience working with many start-ups in both the Netherlands and America, 

the hardest part of the process is turning the textbook idea I outlined above into YOUR own original story

When we advise a start-up looking for their story, I like to use 

 to get my client to think about their story.

The first focuses on you, the entrepreneur, and the second focuses on the customer

. These two stories are always there - you just need to find them. Once you've come up with both stories, you probably have an idea of ​​which story is stronger, or maybe you decide to choose a combination of the two.

The first story, highlighting the founder, is the classic tale of the hero's journey. In this story 

the focus is on WHY you decided to start the business, where you come from and what motivates you

. Making the story personal gives you the best chance of bonding with your audience.

A classic founder-centric story might sound like this: "I've been a hobby pilot for 20 years. It may not be that well-known, but flying a helicopter is just as dangerous as riding a motorcycle. So if I get in the helicopter, I ask my passengers to help me spot other air traffic - because there is no aviation system that can do that. Every year, a lack of traffic and terrain detection causes many victims worldwide. That is why I decided to start a company that is developing an autonomous pilot system.This system will gradually improve, starting with assisting the pilot and eventually replacing the pilot”.

In that case, the pitch deck will not focus on the specifics of your product, 

but instead it will be about sharing your vision of the world. By changing the frame and connecting the story to a greater good, people feel connected

Find your "why". People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do just proves what you believe.

. During the 'why' journey of discovery, you start by collecting stories and sharing them. By looking at your company's past and unearthing the most important discussions—the experiences you shared together, the people you've been influenced by, the lives you've changed (in a positive sense)—you can identify patterns. These themes form the basis of your WHY statement. You can then prepare and refine your WHY statement (To ... (your contribution), so that ... (your impact)). The next step is to state your HOW, and that's the way you bring your WHY to life. While other companies may express their WHY in a way similar to yours, it's HOW that makes you unique.

Finding your WHY is not the full story. But it is the beginning and will be the overarching story for the entire story.

The second approach to storytelling I take with my clients is 

. This approach to your story does not begin with "I am," but instead describes a major fundamental change that is taking place in the world. The message, in fact, is that change is imminent and will have an impact on all of us. Those who don't adapt will disappear. But if you adapt, you will reach a promised land of better performance and success.

Just think of the companies that could work from home long before COVID-19 and had made the right adjustments such as video conferencing and digital offices vs. those who chose not to.

This approach is less emotional than the first, but it will add a sense of urgency to your story

. Another advantage is that it puts you in a different league than your competition (because you're targeting the "The New Game" world, while your competitors are stuck coming up with "Old Game" like solutions).

Once we have both stories, it's time to begin combining the two. 

A good way to combine the two approaches is to start with the big change at hand, then say you've seen the change for yourself and tell your WHY

As you will see, your story encompasses all elements of your business and is in fact strongly related to your company's strategy (such as sales and go-to-market strategy).

Whatever approach you choose to tell the story (usually it's a mix), 

remember that your story isn't about what products can do, but what people can do with those products, how it affects them

This is also how you should think about the story of your start-up: who are my customers? Why are they buying my product?

If you're raising money for your start-up, a pitch deck is an important part of your fundraising toolkit. 

As counter-intuitive as it may be, the purpose of your pitch deck is not to raise money. Rather, you want your pitch deck to spark interest in your business and get you a second investor meeting

 (where investors really start to listen and engage).

Science tells us that the best way to grab people's attention and engage in meaningful conversation is to tell a compelling story. Still, finding your own compelling story may not be easy. I like to use the Hero's Journey method to figure out the right story.

The next step is to turn your story into a winning pitch deck.

Startup

5 reasons why you should outsource your content writing

5 Steps to Make a Perfect Pitch Deck