“I ain’t no Shakespeare, though” - Is it worth learning to create your own content?
Everyone knows that great content is vital if you want to reach out to your customers but where does that content come from? do you learn to do it yourself, outsource it, or do the minimum possible (or use terrible AI text) with what is probably the most valuable resource you have when it comes to converting customers? Clearly, the last choice shouldn't be in the running, so let’s take a look at what your options are.
Everyone knows that great content is vital if you want to reach out to your customers but where does that content come from?
There are important, and sometimes difficult, decisions to be made around content. Do you learn to DIY? Do you outsource? or do you risk just 'filling pages' to get things done?
The pros and cons of outsourcing content or doing it in-house.
Before you read on, let’s get one thing out of the way. You don’t need to be Shakespeare to create usable written copy or Hitchcock to produce acceptable video content. If we all stopped doing something because we weren’t in the elite top producers we would never get anything done. On top of which, look at this from your customer's perspective. Do they really expect you to be producing a masterpiece? If you are an accountant, why would people also expect you to be a professional writer? It’s not your job and not what you were trained to be. I’ll let you in on a secret, most writers are rubbish when it comes to using Xero for the same reason. As long as you can produce content to a reasonable, working level, you will be fine.
So, that brings us to the first point to think about... quality. So, will the content you create be as good as it would be if you were a professional writer or video producer? No, of course, it won’t. That is always going to be part of the trade-off between the two options. The question is unfair though, the choice is not about the quality as such, it is about suitable levels of quality for your needs. It stands to reason that if you move away from professional outsourcing you are potentially reducing the quality of your content. The question isn't about that, it's about how much the balance matters to your readers, viewers, and visitors.
I’m not going to lie to you, deciding to outsource your content is a difficult choice. Unfortunately, so is the decision to create your own. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone (for example someone who provides both options) could just cut to the chase and let you have an easy breakdown of the pros and cons of both options?
Hey, no problem, here you go. A pros and cons list.
Disclaimer - Clearly, things are rarely as simple as reading five-point list no matter how informative, this is just meant to give you a starting point. If you want to really talk things through with a view to deciding a by you/for you route, we do a free 30-minute initial consultation.
1. In-house is lower in cost, isn’t it?
PRO - For many SMEs the obvious first question will be about cost. Paying your outsourcing bill will be a factor in the decision to DIY things. Doing things in-house means your investment will be the ongoing time and probably the initial cost of training.
CON – What seems the most obvious benefit, lower cost, can quickly become a false economy. The time needed to create content needs careful monitoring. Even writing a short blog can take hours. Using AI may cut that time down a little, but not much, and don’t get me started on the quality of AI generated content… let’s just say, it will need a lot of refining. You are also taking time out of your business or giving up personal time to create the content you need. You need to be aware of the true cost of all that effort.
THE DECIDING FACTOR? In this case, it’s easy to make the decision. If the financial cost of outsourcing your content creation is too high, then clearly, you need to do it in-house. If the cost is too high in terms of your time, then you should outsource as much as you can. There is a simple way to work this out. Carefully measure how long it takes you to create something, for example a 1000-word blog, then multiply it by your personal hourly cost. Don’t forget to add in time for thinking about what titles work, revising and rewriting and so on. Now double the result because you are also losing valuable time that you could spend on other areas of your business. If that number is higher than the cost of outsourcing, then you have your answer for this point.
2. The quality of the content
PRO - In-house creation should, in theory at least, produce content that is more authentic and have a consistent voice. That should continue even if you hand the job over to a specific employee.
CON – Professionals should be able to create in your voice. They will also bring additional expertise and keep abreast of the changes in content SEO, public attitudes and so on.
THE DECIDING FACTOR – Quality is about skill so, do you think you can create great content, or employ someone to do it for you? If you don’t have that skill or employee option, are you happy to train to a level where your content is consistently good or invest in training for an employee? A yes for either of these two questions is probably telling you to bring it in-house.
3. Personal development
PRO – By creating your own content you will be learning new skills and increasing your understanding of how best to market your business.
CON – These are skills you may not need in the long run, and ask yourself, did you go into business wanting to develop these skills?
THE DECIDING FACTOR – You can only do so much personal development so ask yourself if this is where you want to spend some of your focus.
4. Creativity to a timescale
PRO – Doing your own content means you can create when the inspiration hits. You set the timelines and you decide when the deadlines are.
CON – Those deadlines and timescales are important and still need to be hit.
THE DECIDING FACTOR – One of my favourite quotes is ‘I only write when I’m inspired, so I see to it that I’m inspired at 9 am every morning’. Setting your own timelines is fine… as long as you are actually going to do the work. If not, or your production is sporadic, then maybe look to outsource.
5. Controlling your content
PRO – This hardly seems worth mentioning. Clearly, if you are doing the creation, you are controlling the message.
CON – Everything is your view. If you hand over some control to a professional you will still oversee the final content, but you will also be bringing in some new perspectives.
THE DECIDING FACTOR – If you ask a creative about collaboration, they will usually sing the praises of input from others. So, I would suggest there are 2 factors here. Firstly, do you have people around you who will tell you if you are off beam? Secondly, can you take criticism on board as a positive, developmental experience? Take your time before you say yes to these questions. Also perhaps ask a few people who will be honest with you, if you are quite as open to criticism as you would like to think you are before you decide.
These are just suggestions and, to be frank, most business owners only need the first two to know which way to go.
That said, beware of the status quo bias. This is where something that is familiar has an exaggerated importance to us because it doesn’t mean stepping out of our comfort zone. Fear of developing the skills to produce your own content shouldn’t be a factor. Many business people I know now have well-honed skills in areas they would never have thought possible before the need demanded it.
So, to blog or not to blog?
That is the question. Whether tis nobler in business to suffer the slings and arrows of outsource creation or, to produce your own and by doing so, end them.
Yes, alright, I can hear you muttering ‘Stop it with the silly Shakespeare stuff’. The question is pretty well summed up there though. It's all going to end up being about the balance that works for you. Weigh the pros and cons and go whatever way the scales tip.
Hopefully, those five areas have helped you narrow it down and you can now decide one of two things. Is it worth outsourcing? (In which case we are here to help you) or would you be better off learning to create your own content? (In which case we are here to help you).
As a final thought, one of the unique things we can offer at The Content Generator is a blended approach. That balance you need could be that you train with us, then take on the bits you enjoy and let us do the rest. Mix and match. We can also help with your ongoing content design on a consultancy basis if that works. Call us, let’s chat about how we can help.
