Content marketing format range matters.
I’ve written about the importance of content marketing before. In short, it’s an important way for companies to establish themselves as thought leaders and build trust with their audience, which helps them sell more stuff.
But when you go looking for a company to help you create your content marketing, there are a lot of options out there. And if you don’t know what to look for, you can easily end up wasting money on something that doesn’t do what you want.
So in this post, I’ll explain how to choose a content writing service that actually delivers good results for your business.
Why Content Marketing Format Range Matters
There are many different formats that you can use for content marketing:
Blog posts
Videos
Infographics
eBooks
Whitepapers
Social media posts
Podcasts
And so on.
Not every content writing service offers all these formats. Some might only offer blog posts and social media posts, while others may offer videos, infographics, and eBooks.
When choosing a service, you need to make sure they offer the formats that are most useful for your business. For example, if you’re targeting B2B customers, then whitepapers and eBooks are probably going to be more effective than videos or infographics. If you’re targeting younger people, then social media posts and videos might be better.
The key is to find a service that offers the right mix of formats for your business. You also need to make sure that the writers are experienced enough to produce high-quality content in those formats.
What Buyers Should Evaluate When Comparing Services
When comparing services, buyers should evaluate the following features:
Writer quality: The writers should be experienced and able to produce high-quality content.
Content variety: The service should offer a wide variety of content types, including blog posts, videos, infographics, eBooks, whitepapers, social media posts, podcasts, etc.
Industry specialization: The service should specialize in the industry that you’re targeting.
SEO-friendly content: The content should be optimized for search engines.
Brand voice alignment: The content should match the brand voice of your company.
These are just some of the things that buyers should consider when choosing a content writing service. Ultimately, the choice will depend on the unique needs and goals of each individual buyer.
Realistic Pricing Tiers for Content Writing Services
Pricing tiers vary by content writing service. Here are some realistic pricing tiers for content writing services:
Self-service: This is typically the cheapest option, but it requires the most work from the buyer. Writers usually charge around $85 for a 500-word blog post, and prices scale accordingly.
AI-assisted content: AI-assisted content is slightly more expensive than self-service, but it requires less work from the buyer. Prices start at around $700/month.
Managed service: Managed services are the most expensive option, but they require the least amount of work from the buyer. Prices start at around $999/month.
Agency websites often hide pricing behind discovery calls, so it’s best to contact agencies directly to get an idea of what they charge.
Choosing between these pricing tiers involves a trade-off between control, volume, and support. Self-service gives you the most control, but it also requires you to do the most work. AI-assisted content is slightly more expensive than self-service, but it requires less work from the buyer. Managed services are the most expensive option, but they require the least amount of work from the buyer.
The Myth of Paying More = Better Content
Some people believe that paying more for content means you’ll get better content. But this isn’t always true.
Editor reviewing ~2 long-form digital pieces per day for a decade
In fact, editor reviewing ~2 long-form digital pieces per day for a decade, publishing New York Times–quality article unlikely to deliver extra value over consistent high-quality piece
In reality, the best content is produced by experienced writers who are able to produce high-quality content consistently. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get better content if you pay more for it.
Instead, aim for high-quality content on time, consistently. It’s much easier to get a reliable agency to produce high-quality content on time than it is to get a perfect piece of content.
Treating Writers as Interchangeable Undermines Your Content Strategy
Some people treat writers as interchangeable, thinking that any writer can write a good blog post or video script. But this is a myth that can undermine your entire content marketing strategy.
Believing writers are interchangeable identified as myth most likely to undermine entire content marketing strategy
If you treat writers as interchangeable, you’re not going to get the best possible content. Instead, you’ll get mediocre content that doesn’t align with your brand.
You should instead treat writers as experts who understand your brand and your target audience. Familiarity between buyer and writer improves brand alignment and content effectiveness.
Expectations About Publication-Readiness From Any Writing Service
Finally, you should expect to have to do some editorial review of the content that a writing service provides. Expecting perfect, immediately publishable articles is a myth.
Reliable agencies using writer-and-editor teams achieve near-perfect content at best
Reliable agencies using writer-and-editor teams achieve near-perfect content at best. So even if you hire an agency, you should still plan on doing some editorial review of the content they provide.
So what’s the takeaway here? When choosing a content writing service, make sure they offer the right mix of formats for your business, have experienced writers, and specialize in your industry. Also, remember that paying more doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get better content. Finally, treat writers as experts who understand your brand and your target audience.