Quality doesn’t usually come cheap, especially when it comes to content. If your business has been using writers or bloggers for hire to create impressive content for your website and other marketing material, you might be a little blown away by the price. While you can get content for bargain basement prices, it’s usually not in line with what you want your marketing to convey or how you want customers to perceive you.
While getting top-notch content and working with a team of talented writers all while keeping a close eye on your budget isn’t easy, it’s also not impossible. If you choose “good” and “cheap” from the project management triangle, you can get top quality writers working for you without busting your budget.
Less is More
When it comes to getting good quality content on a budget, it’s a good idea to follow the mantra “less is more.” Think of it this way: Would you rather have one amazing blog post on your site each week, that people read and share, or 10 mediocre (or worse) blog posts that don’t get much traction or that end up turning people off? If you only have $100 to devote to content each week, for example, it’s often better to put that $100 towards getting the best content possible, rather than getting the most content possible.
Have a Goal
When your goal is to trim your content budget but keep the same level of content quality, you need to start paying attention to what your content is doing and what you want it to do. For example, your company might want to boost sales. One way to do that is to hire a writer to create excellent copy and product descriptions for the products you sell, so that people take a quick read of those descriptions and think “I must buy that right now!” If you are more interested in establishing your company as an authority in certain areas, working with a blogger who can write informative posts or who can interview people in your company can be particularly helpful.
Stick with What You Know
Once your company has been in the content game for some time, it’s easy to get swept away in current trends and start ordering blog posts or other services any time something becomes popular online. While you do want to make sure your content is relevant and appealing to your readers, trying to stretch your writers thin by having them post something in response to any trending story won’t help your content strategy and will damage your budget.
Instead of trying to be a blog-of-all-trades, focus on posts that highlight your company’s expertise and experience. That’s why people are looking at your blog in the first place. They want to find information about your services or products, not necessarily your blogger’s opinion on whether the dress was blue and black or white and gold.
Find Ways to Fill in the Gaps
If you do need to trim your content budget and cut back on the number of posts your writers create for you, there are ways to fill in any gaps in your content schedule that might arise. For example, you can start an “Employee Spotlight” series, during which a different member of your staff writes a new post each week. You won’t be getting rid of the writers you’ve grown to love working with or sacrificing quality, but you will have found a way to make your content budget that more affordable.
Writer Bio: Amy F is a freelance writer available for projects at WriterAccess.
