You’ve got an idea and a brand, and you’ve set up a blog or social media presence for your business. Now for the hard part: writing quality content for your website. For that, you likely need a good content writing service.
If you find yourself scratching your head, wondering how to reach your audience, you’re in good company. One of the hardest things about promoting a brand is finding customers, and to do that, you need to know the ins and outs of content marketing.
As the name implies, content writing services will create content, like blog posts and web articles, that generate interest in your brand or product.
In the following sections, we’ll go into detail about what content writing services are, how they can benefit you, and which are the best—and most affordable.
Your guide to content writing services
A quick Google search for content writing or content marketing services shows that content writers are in high demand. Before hiring a service to help you write your website copy, however, it’s important to understand what content writing actually is and when you need to hire a writer.
What are content writing services?
The term content writing is often used interchangeably with copywriting, but in reality, the two serve different purposes. While copywriting is used to specifically sell a certain product or service, content writing provides readers with information or entertainment to generate interest in the brand.
A copywriter might write a Facebook ad. In contrast, a content writer might write an informative blog article that you would post on your website.
By posting quality content on the internet, you’re personalizing your online presence. Moreover, content creation can give audiences a sense that you know what you’re talking about.
What can you expect from content writing services?
While you focus on other areas of running your business, professional content writing services can provide you with content that matches your brand’s tone.
A good content writing service will provide you with content that is professional, clear, and engaging to read. They will also write with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. SEO content makes it easier for your website to get exposure.
In order to have the best experience with a content writing service, it is important to communicate. Discuss your needs and wants, the tone you want your content to have, and the image you want your brand to project.
What options do content writing services offer?
Content writers come in all sorts of flavors. A content writing service might have blog writers who create content such as articles, interviews, and blog posts, or long-form writers who write e-books, white papers, and case studies. Scriptwriters can script videos and podcasts, technical writers may create how-to guides and FAQs, and social media writers will create content such as quizzes and social media posts.
These are just a few of the kinds of services content writers provide. Whether you’re working on email campaigns for your content marketing strategy or looking for someone knowledgeable about article writing, there’s a content writing company out there who can help you write quality content.
Benefits of content writing services
Some business owners may be tempted to write website content on their own. But what happens if you’re struck with writer’s block or have other responsibilities to deal with?
What if you don’t have the time to research, write, and edit content to meet a deadline?
And how do you write for a blog, website, or social media site anyway?
That’s where content writing services come in. They allow you to work with a professional who can write well—and whose sole focus is on creating great content.
How do content writing services improve SEO rankings?
Many professional content writing services use software to figure out which keywords they should incorporate into their work. They also understand things like linking—both to pages within your website and to other websites—which boosts your relevance in search engine results pages.
Content writers understand how to write readable web content for their audience. Many of us skim through articles on our phones instead of taking the time to fully read them (hey, it’s a busy world). Content services use certain techniques, such as writing in short paragraphs and using simple language, to craft SEO content writing with wide appeal.
How do content writing services increase website traffic?
A professional content writing service’s knowledge of SEO is crucial to increasing web traffic. But more important than that, web content is vital to connecting with your audience.
Because almost 26 percent of internet users in the United States have ad blockers on their devices, content writing is one key way to organically gain web traffic. When a content writer writes a blog post for your brand, for example, that post can be circulated on social media. As that post is shared across social media sites, it reaches more viewers. That means more people will visit and spend time on your website.
How can a content writer help you improve your conversion rate?
Demand Metric found that, on average, companies with blogs produce 67 percent more leads per month than those without. A larger supply of well-crafted, keyword-optimized content leads to more exposure. And because people who have read about a product are more likely to buy that product, more exposure means more sales.
Clearly, content writing services are invaluable to the success of any business. Now it’s time to look at how to find a writer.
Affordable content writing services
When evaluating what content to outsource, determine what your needs are. What skills do your in-house team members already have? What’s your budget? Are you looking for a generalist writer or someone to fill a niche? Knowing these things will help you construct a clear, focused content strategy and make the most of outsourcing content.
What types of content services should be outsourced?
Anything you can’t easily do in-house can be outsourced, whether you’re looking to create graphics and videos, promote your social media accounts, or write web articles.
Once you’ve decided what you need to outsource, create a company style guide. Describe things like the desired word count or length of a video, formatting specifics, and guidelines for linking to outside sources. This will help the people you’re hiring match the tone and style of your brand.
Provide samples and stay in touch so your content creators can ask you questions if needed. By respecting your content creators and discussing your expectations, you can develop a positive relationship with the people creating your content.
What skills should an affordable content writer have?
Though content writing services can vary in price depending on the level of expertise you’re looking for, every content writer should have the same basic qualities:
- Flexibility: Content writers will be able to follow your company’s style guide and match the voice of your business.
- Knowledge of SEO: As mentioned, quality content creation helps boost your online presence—but if your content isn’t search engine optimized, you’re not going to get a lot out of it.
- Research skills: Fact checking from credible sources is a must. No one wants to be the source of misinformation. Posting a rumor or citing unreliable sources can seriously damage your company’s reputation.
- Quality writing: Web content should meet the target word count, engage the reader, and be grammatically correct. Web content usually ends with a call to action that encourages readers to check out your brand.
- Communication and organizational skills: It’s important that content creators meet the deadlines you agreed upon and reach out with any questions they may have.
How much do content writing services typically cost?
Outsourcing your content creation generally has a lower risk and is less costly than using in-house content creators.
The cost of content writing services differs based on the level of expertise, quality of writing, and length of posts. Some content writers charge by the hour, word, or page. Others charge a flat rate by the project. Still others charge a retainer fee for ongoing work.
The type of content affects price as well. In general, online writing is the least costly, while marketing-related writing, such as copywriting and press releases, pay at higher rates. Services that require a specific skill set, such as medical or scientific writing, will be more expensive.
Another factor that influences the price is whether you’re hiring a freelancer or working with a marketing agency.
When do you hire a marketing agency versus a freelancer?
Marketing agencies act as an in-between for freelancers and businesses, hiring freelancers to handle tasks for the clients they work with. They tend to be more expensive than freelancers, but they come with the benefit of overseeing the content production process.
Freelancers are generally cheaper and more open to negotiating price. Building a relationship with a freelancer also means you may work with them on multiple projects.
However, because freelancers work on multiple assignments for different clients, a particular freelancer’s availability may not always match up with yours. They may also need in-house editors to look over their work.
There are a lot of factors to take into account when hiring a service and not a lot of straightforward answers. Luckily, many content writing services will have a section on their website where you can get a quote for how costly your project will be.
Top content writing services
Let’s say you’ve found a few potential content writing services to hire. Which one do you choose? Here are some things to keep in mind.
What do the best content writing services have in common?
The best content writing services embody all that it means to be a good content writer. They make sure that their writers have the skill and focus necessary to create quality content—with an emphasis on quality. The best services are also rigorous in their revisions: no sending out content with missing commas or misspellings.
They’re organized and offer a quick turnaround. They’re flexible and hire a wide array of writers who can tackle different kinds of projects. They can meet your needs by identifying your target audience and matching your brand’s presentation style.
A good way to tell a high-quality content writing service from a poor one is to look at the work they’ve done so far. Investigate which brands they’ve worked for, and evaluate any samples of work they provide.
Does their website feature testimonials that show how they’ve helped other clients in the past? Is the writing on their website consistently good, or is there one interesting article sandwiched between other less-than-stellar posts?
How does a content writing service differ from a blog writing service?
You might have guessed this from the name, but a blog writing service focuses primarily on blogs. As such, the style of a blog will be a little different than that of other types of content writing.
Content writing is a broad field, but ultimately, a content writer’s job is to write about a particular topic for their client. While content writing can be entertaining and informative, writers will keep in mind the fact that they’re trying to get people interested in your brand. They might not be writing advertisements, but they do want to pique their reader’s curiosity about your products or services.
Conversely, blogging is much more specific. Rather than write in a multitude of styles about different topics for a client, blog writers focus on regularly adding material to a blog.
A blog writer’s goal is to share their thoughts or educate the reader on a topic rather than strictly market a company’s services or increase web traffic the way an SEO content writer would. As such, blog articles tend to be more personal or casual compared to other forms of content writing.
Blogs are also updated more frequently than other types of site content. For example, a landing page on your website doesn’t need to be updated three times a month, but a blog that features consistent updates will encourage more web traffic.
How do you choose a content marketing services provider?
Choosing the right content marketing provider is a big decision. You’re entrusting somebody with your time, money, and brand reputation. The quality of the provider can make or break your brand’s success. That’s why it’s important to do your research.
You can start by checking out a service’s website. Does it look good, and is it free of spelling errors? If it looks like they’ve put little effort into the website, that’s not a great sign. Content marketing services should appeal to an audience. If their own website is unappealing, who knows how the content they create for your brand will turn out?
If possible, take a look into their past work. Does the provider have experience in your industry? What brands have they worked with, and what sort of relationships have they built and maintained with past clients?
It’s also a good idea to ask for a sample. That way, you can get an understanding of how quickly the provider can respond to your needs, how easy it is to communicate with them, and how well-written their content is.
Finally, help them help you. When you’re approaching a content marketing services provider, be as clear as possible about what services you need, what your ideas are for the final product, who your target audience is, and what resources (such as budget and time line) you have. Even the best content marketing services providers can’t read your mind.
At the end of the day, this is a partnership between you and the provider. It can be a wonderful opportunity to connect with professionals who will help your business bloom.
Content Writing Services to Help You Grow Your Brand
Now that you’ve learned all about the world of content writing services, you’re prepared to take on the task of building an effective content marketing strategy.
At Elite Editing, we offer a variety of services that can help tighten up your writing or build your brand—and we have the flexibility and expertise necessary to make your writing shine.
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