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In or Out - Choosing the Content Service for Your Brand
by Enzo F. Cesario
Business Skills Articles
Published on this site: August 26th, 2010 - See
more articles from this month
It's only a bit of an exaggeration to describe the debate over
in-house writers vs. an outside content service as "raging."
For any organization dedicated to producing written content as
part of its brand, it is an important matter that eventually will
need to be addressed. Each method, of course, has its advantages
and disadvantages; there are no quick answers. But here are some
considerations that should make the decision a little easier:
- In-house - Also Known As "One Big Family":
There is a theory of economic activity known as the vertical
consolidation model. It derives from something practiced by
Andrew Carnegie back in the early industrial age. In short, this
steel baron made sure that his company had a hand in every part
of the steel manufacture process. He owned and operated mines,
processing factories, refineries, mills and stores, all in his
name. He never had to go outside his own business for any part of
the process, and could directly affect - and make money from -
each part of the business for maximum effect.
Maintaining an in-house writing team duplicates the strengths and
weaknesses of this approach.
The element of direct control and involvement is one such
advantage. The writing team is drawing its paycheck from your
organization, and is an integrated part of the team. The
writers' success depends on the success of the entire venture,
broadly speaking, so they have a certain vested interest.
Similarly, their time spent on the matter allows them a deep
familiarity with the different aspects of the company requiring
their writing talents. This allows them to discover and use
subtleties in their writing that cater directly to the needs of
the company.
On the other hand, familiarity does breed a certain degree of
contempt. No organization is immune to office politics or the
overexposure effect. Being part of the day-in, day-out routine of
the brand might limit your writers' talents, leading them to
miss vital cues. The in-house approach requires very specific
management to ensure all levels of the group are functioning
together and in harmony.
There's also the danger of missing the forest for the trees.
Writers produce a lot of content in ideal circumstances. Some are
very good at what they do, and can belt off a solid article in
short order. It's not uncommon, then, for teams to take their
writers for granted, or for writers to feel unappreciated for
their effort. Make sure that if you integrate, you do so in full
measure and that they feel like an integral part of the whole.
- Hiring Contractors - Also Known As Let the Barbarians Have Rome:
There are a lot of people with very good ideas, and as much as
you might like to, you won't ever have them all under your
employ. This is where expert, externally-hired writing teams come
in handy. On the other hand, some organizations just don't have
the ability or the need for a full-time writing staff, and turn
to outsiders for help and good ideas.
In either case, a fresh perspective is often the most immediate
benefit. Someone looking at your material from outside the group
can see it in a brand new way, bringing it all together.
Alexander Graham Bell didn't invent the telegraph or the
phonograph; rather, he looked at the two of them and saw a
potential others hadn't. Thus, we have the telephone (and the
cell phone... and the Internet...). Take advantage of a fresh
perspective to get ahold of some new ideas.
Additionally, there is the advantage of flexibility in hiring an
outside team on a writing contract. If you hire on an in-house
team, you have more obligations to them. An external team can be
evaluated on more of a trial basis, or for a specific project on
which you need their expertise. It leaves you room to make
decisions without commitments, and can be a strong benefit.
However, a team outside the organization might lack the necessary
commitment to its goals, which is natural. They're around to do
a job, not to specifically meet your mission statement. More
effort is required to get them on board with what you need done
than might be the case with someone drawing a paycheck from human
resources.
- Other Concerns - Entertain the Absurd:
The biggest key to success in modern branding and online business
is flexibility. Times change rapidly, demanding adaptability and
a readiness to change with them. Be aware of additional
opportunities that may or may not be readily evident when you
first make your decision, and don't let one decision lock you in
entirely.
Consider a team of outside writing experts that you hire for a
few projects. They do a good job, and you keep bringing them in
for future opportunities, expanding their role and the money you
pay them over time. If the relationship is continuing to grow,
and you expect it to continue... change your mind. Make an offer
to keep them on as full-time writing staff, since they're so
successful.
Alternatively, maximizing the effect of outside perspectives
remains a good idea, so make sure each project employs at least
one new writer every time they can. This will keep the content
fresh and prevent the kind of stagnant writing that gets
organizations into a rut.
Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist
and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content
agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos
and social media in the "voice" of our client's
brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more
recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to
http://www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at
http://www.iBrandCasting.com/.
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