Why Hiring Remote Writers Makes Good Business Sense
Has this ever happened to you or your team? You’ve gone over your content so many times that you can’t seem to find a fresh angle to create a more engaging read. The words blur on the screen, and you’re just not even sure where to go from here.
It’s not your fault or that of your in-house writers. It’s the nature of the business; you’re just too close to the message. Maybe it’s time to ignite your content marketing strategy and hire independent contractors who can offer a fresh perspective (because let’s be honest, you don’t have to write it yourself either).
So, what can these contractors do for your content? They can ask better questions, offer a more versatile knowledge base, operate with more flexible schedules, tap into a higher focus, and add more integrity to your overall content.
1. They're Not Supposed to Be the Experts
Think about it. If your years-long in-house writer continually writes under the assumption that your audience knows x, y, and z (when they actually don’t), then you’re missing an opportunity to clear things up and understand your readers better. Hiring an independent contractor means they come at your product without having the institutional knowledge of your staff.
When they come in without knowing all the history, they ask different questions. They have new ideas. They read your old content and know what sounds confusing. When jargon doesn’t make sense, they can wordsmith a more accessible way to communicate it.
They may even find a new way to create an emotional response with your reader because they know how to read like a customer who is new to your business. Plus, you build a great social connection when you help your readers see themselves reflected in the content. This ‘outside take’ creates a more human-focused product with the potential to create new business. Sometimes, you need to step back to write more clearly. That’s what independent contractors can offer.
2. They're Constantly Building Their Knowledge Base
Independent contractors draw from a more robust knowledge base because they work with different companies and topics all year round. It’s like carrying around the best cocktail party topics at all times, but in a way that makes your business grow.
Similar to the vast topics journalists write on, independent contractors bring a wide variety of ideas to each assignment because their work requires them to be nimble in how they research, learn, and retain information. That means they often have more ideas to apply to each marketing piece and they're making new connections to thought leadership topics as they get new assignments.
3. They Know Their Best Time to be Productive
Independent contractors aren’t limited to a 9 to 5 schedule. Neither is their inspiration. The great thing about independent contractors is that they have flexibility built into their work schedules, and it’s often based on their own energy timeline. While an in-house worker might not have continuous motivation from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., contractors schedule their work when they feel inspired, which means they can tap into their energy more deliberately and be more efficient with that time.
Plus, productivity doesn’t necessarily equate to working longer hours. Creating thought leadership content is more efficient when people can come at it more directly as a task to finish, not as an 8-hour shift to finish. You can offer feedback and ask questions on your timeline instead of competing for limited work capacity throughout the day. That type of productivity brings faster results.
4. They're Focused on You – and Only You
When you hire a remote content marketing agency, they have a better capacity to approach your project with a deliberate focus than someone who is in a workplace culture five days a week. Doughnut Monday has its place, sure. Still, there are other parts of workplace culture that get in the way of an employee’s focus.
No longer constrained by ‘forced fun’ work activities, toxic workplace culture, or getting interrupted by a chatty coworker or multiple office meetings, contractors come to you ready to work — without distraction. In fact, a Stanford study reported in The New York Times found that employees who worked from home were 13% more productive than their peers who worked in-house (often because they weren’t interrupted as much). Cutting out the unnecessary parts of office life means you get a closer, more detailed effort from the start.
5. They’re the Real Deal
There’s a saying in the writer’s world, “Good content is invisible.” In other words, the best content comes to you free of typos, void of grammar mistakes, and lands with a clearly stated message. It tells a story and drives your readers to take the desired next step, whether that’s to consume more content, request a demo, or purchase a product.
At Comma, we make it our business to deliver high-quality, engaging content right to your inbox. As a content agency, our team of professional writers will save you time — leaving room in your schedule to attend Doughnut Monday. Sign up for a free 15-minute consultation to get help with your content marketing needs.