You see a doctor when you’re feeling sick. You go to the dentist when you have a toothache. You seek out a great barber when you’re in the market for a fresh cut. So, why would you not work with professionals to ensure your content is firing on all cylinders?

It’s an interesting question. Perhaps a large part of the answer is perception. Content is one of those things that everyone thinks they can do. It’s simple, right? How hard can it be to whip up a few blog posts and some website content? Well, if you actually want to generate new business — it can be pretty difficult.

Many people still view content writers the same way they do a novelist, for example. They see them as creative writers who simply put together a string of nice words on a desired topic. Reality couldn’t be further from that. These are highly specialized writers who write specifically for businesses. They understand how to take on a brand's voice and sell their product or service in inventive and unobtrusive ways.

That brings us to another important point about the nature of content. Every piece of great content is ultimately meant to sell a product or service, but the approach is what creates the need for content writers. Most businesses already have designated salespeople who can give you a product or service pitch without blinking. That’s not what great content does. The overarching idea is, above all else, to inform a customer and answer specific questions they have. You're already one step behind if your content doesn’t do this.

Because of this, there has been a recent influx of budding content agencies on the market. There’s a reason why so many businesses have turned to them for help. Don’t think it’s effective? Consider this: content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing programs. It also generates approximately three times the lead volumes. In other words, the power of quality content cannot be understated.

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Do you still need convincing? No problem. Sit tight as we guide you through some of the most important reasons your business should be working with a content agency.

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Content Agencies Understand Your Business

The best content agencies are built on phenomenal researchers. They don’t start writing content blindly and hope something sticks. The process begins long before any fingers hit the keyboard. An agency needs to know you to create high-quality blog posts, social media posts, email newsletters, and website content.

A great place to start is to understand what your business is all about. What do you stand for as a brand? What is your brand voice? What sets you apart from your competitors? A great content agency will dig in to uncover these types of questions. It also forces your business to look at itself and construct a concrete definition of its identity.

The next thing a great content agency will want to know is who your customers are. Who are you looking to target? Who are your existing customers? Where is the biggest opportunity for growth? Knowing your brand is one thing, but the customers pay the bills. Equipped with this information, an agency can tailor your content for these customers and create highly detailed audience personas.

The last, and perhaps most important, step in this process for content agencies is understanding your specific business goals. Is it driving traffic and generating leads? Is it becoming an industry influencer? Is it even as simple as having a consistent flow of regular content? There can be any number of reasons your business needs content. It’s up to the agency to help your company define those goals and build an appropriate strategy based on them.

But here’s where things get really juicy. Take something seemingly trivial as having a consistent blog with a recurring schedule. Small businesses with blogs have 126% more lead growth than small businesses without. If that’s not enough, 61% of American online consumers also make a purchase after reading a blog. If you want to talk about measurable results, the proof is in the pudding when it comes to content.

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Content Agencies Build Strategies That Work

This is usually where you start losing people. Some businesses can produce high-quality content but need help figuring out what to do with it. Remember, the content you create needs to serve a purpose. Whatever that purpose should be clearly defined strategically. How can you expect increased engagement if you’re just writing content without any focus?

Strategy is any great content agency’s real bread and butter. High-quality content is always at the core, but it needs to be supported by a strong strategy. Some businesses are sitting on a pile of great content but have no idea how to roll it out. A content agency can also help you repurpose existing content and give it new life as an effective content marketing tool.

If you’re building a content strategy from scratch, your content agency will likely run a competitive analysis as one of their first steps. They’ll start by asking who your business views as its primary competitors on the market. This is done for two reasons. One is to be aware of who your competition is and what they’re doing. The second is drawing inspiration and identifying gaps in their content that you can take advantage of. For example, maybe there’s a fresh angle on a blog topic none of your competitors have considered that your audience would love to hear about.

Another critical part of your content strategy needs to be focused on SEO efforts. Having a content agency guide you through this process is invaluable. SEO is a highly technical process that can increase the quality and quantity of website traffic. This is done by increasing the visibility of a website or a web page to search engine users. Based on this process, a content agency can help you identify the keywords and topics you should rank for within your industry. For example, websites with a regularly updated blog have 434% more search engine-indexed pages than websites without. That means something as simple as having a consistent blog running can automatically increase your ranking on Google searches.

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Content Agencies Provide Quality and Convenience

A lot of things to pay attention to, right? The truth is that running a successful content strategy takes many man-hours that your business probably doesn’t have. Your focus should be on growing your business, not picking apart the nuances of a content strategy. Hiring a content agency can help you solve this easily and efficiently.

The first thing you’ll find working with a great content agency is that the level of the content itself is high. This is exactly what you want and need to grow your business. With all due respect to smart C-Suite members and extraordinary salespeople — they’re not usually natural content creators. Having a writer devoted to flushing out your content is crucial. Not only can they provide high-quality content, they also understand various content trends to remain dynamic in a competitive market.

High-quality content also adds authority. Things that you may think are small, like the occasional spelling mishap or grammar gaff, can hurt your brand’s image. Imagine rolling out an expensive marketing campaign with a brand new website, only to find it poorly written with plenty of mistakes. That reflects poorly on your business. Content is your initial introduction to a potential customer, and you only get that one chance for a first impression — make it count.

Even if you’re able to produce some quality content, can you do it consistently? Consistency is vital when it comes to a successful content strategy. Many businesses will put out the occasional semi-viral social media post or a blog post that gets people talking, but can they sustain that over time? The goal isn’t to have one or two great pieces of content; it’s about producing consistent content that is always on the same level.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, content agencies typically assign writers based on the needs of your business (at least WE DO). If you’re in tech, they won’t assign someone with a long resume in retail. They will find the most suitable writer for your business and industry. These writers already have years of experience writing for businesses like yours. They’ll be able to understand the technical nuances of your business and industry to create content that reflects your audience's demand. In the end, this will save your business time and money.

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If you’re looking for a trusted agency to help take your content to the next level, Ghostit is always here to help. Our team of experienced content writers and content strategists can help your business build a personalized content strategy to increase leads and establish industry authority. Find out more about the services we provide and get in touch with us at hello@ghostit.ca or give us a call at 250-415-3093.

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