Choosing The Best Content Writing Company
Regardless of how clichéd may it sound, but it is the ultimate truth that “content is king.” If you are into any business you need to put due attention towards content marketing also for enabling your audience to reach you. And for that, you put faith into a content writing company of your choice. But there are a good number of agencies claiming to provide the best content writing services. How do you choose from them? You need to look out for certain qualities.
If you are a content writing agency yourself, this article is for you too. Know how you can make clients return to you time and again with more and more projects or assignments. Nurture yourself and develop these qualities in you and make your niche in the content marketing world. Remember what Gary Vaynerchuk said, “Content is king but marketing is queen”. So, look out for what we are about to tell you.
In this article, we have hand picked top 10 qualities that a content writing company must have to call itself reliable.
What makes a content writing agency hire-able?
1. Quality of content
No two views here. All a company wants from its content writing service provider is quality which is dependent on many factors. The determinants of a piece of good content are:
- Relatability-
The target audience specified must be able to relate to the content written. - Tonality-
A content becomes relatable when the right tone is set. The content writer must have an understanding of B2B, B2C customers and write accordingly. - Originality-
Content with zero plagiarism. Any form of spun content is a strict no-no. - Correctness-
In terms of information and grammar. - Usefulness-
The content shouldn’t be all fluff and no substance. Tips and views shared should be actionable. - Readability-
To be written in simple language - Keyword optimisation-
Sometimes content writing companies are provided with a list of keywords by their clients. They have to use them logically and optimise each piece of content. Or else, they are required to do both keyword research and optimisation at their end. - Ability to follow guidelines-
More or less every big company that outsources content writing to agencies have their own content guidelines and list of best practices in place. The content writing service provider must be able to follow those guidelines and produce content accordingly.
2. Cost
“Competitive pricing” is the keyword. Whether you are charging a fixed rate or hourly rate, per word-basis or per article/project basis, you should do your market research well and then prepare your price list. It’s all about how you position yourself as a content writing agency in the market and whom do you choose to work with. That the lowest rate-giver wins the project is not always true.
3. Deadline matters the most
It is named “deadline” for a reason. Fail it and you are dead for your client. Reliability is built on the ability of the content writing company delivering on or before the deadline. The setting strategy of the deadline might be varied, but once it has been set, it has to be met. Delivering content on time is essential. Choose a content writing company which has writers who can do so without any hiccups.
4. Understanding your idea
The agency providing content writing services must be able to catch up with the client company’s branding and marketing strategies. In short, understand readily what the client wants.
Identifying the unique trait and style of the client and creating content incorporating that uniqueness- does your content writing company do that? Rely on it blindly.
5. Writers- the more, the merrier
Having a writers’ pool helps the content writing company swim through the market of content writing like a pro. More writers mean more hands to deliver work on time. Also, with varied backgrounds, the specific need of yours as a client can be met. For example, if you are updating your website of online career counselling, writers from various academic backgrounds can ace the content. So, if your chosen agency has that wide a network of writers, go with it.
6. Digital and content marketing knowledge
Though content writing is not everything about SEO, digital optimisation or marketing boost, a content writing company should know at least a tad bit about that so that the content they provide helps you get higher ranks in SERP. Thus, strong knowledge about digital marketing is one quality that makes a content writing agency stand out among the crowd. But then again, the content writers must ensure that their content writing is not “too optimised”, instead as natural as possible but apropos digital marketing techniques.
7. Unique content every time
Content writing often calls for article rewriting or developing content on the same topic several times as the websites are updated. This is understandable since the importance of dynamic content in new age media is immense. So, thinking out of the box and stretching the boundaries of creativity is essential. The content should be able to engage the readers and potential customers every time while keeping the central idea the same. Do you do so as a content writing company? Welcome on board!
8. Vetting of writers
Does the content writing company arrange a written test before hiring writers? Do the writers need to showcase their knowledge in a subject-specific way? Is there a transparent vetting process involved? Are all these information available on the website of the provider of the content writing services? If the answers to all these are ‘yes,’ the content writing agency calls for a trial. Look out for the FAQ section of their website.
9. Easy communication between client and the agency
It doesn’t matter whether you are the service user or the content writing service provider but communication must be effective and efficient. If you have further edits to do, content writing services should have channels ready to convey the demands to the writers. A smooth flow of communication between the writer, content writing company and the client is essential so that the desired outcome can be achieved in the fastest possible time.
10. The content writing company’s willingness for an agreement
That a content writing company is willing to enter into a legal agreement somewhat proves their credibility. They should certainly be given preference over other agencies. However, abiding by the clauses stated in the agreement should be a both-way thing. That strengthens the client-agency relationship and makes the industry more inclusive and a better place for businesses to thrive.
Surely not all content writing companies are the same. But these can be considered as the top qualities one could look for to mark a content writing agency reliable and use their services. Content writing is centred on the idea that it would meet the goals of the client and reflect their values simultaneously. Companies doing that with the support of the writers are here to reign.
To outsource your content writing, reach out to us at [email protected].
