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10 Benefits of Hiring a Content Manager to Support Your Outsourced Content Team

10 Benefits of Hiring a Content Manager to Support Your Outsourced Content Team

by | Oct 15, 2024 | Content Marketing, Content Strategy, Website Content

The demand for consistent, high-quality content has never been greater.

As businesses seek to grow their online presence and engage with customers through blogs, newsletters, and social media, many turn to outsourcing to meet these demands. Outsourcing offers flexibility and scalability, but it also brings challenges. This is especially so when managing large teams of writers, editors, and designers. That’s where a dedicated content manager becomes essential.

A content manager can be the key to getting the most out of your outsourced content team by ensuring quality and efficiency. Let’s explore the top 10 benefits of hiring a content manager. 

10 Benefits of Hiring a Content Manager to Support Your Outsourced Content Team

In business, you don’t have to do it all alone. Your best bet is to build a skilled team that can lend their support as you build your brand. So, if you’re outsourcing content creation, you need a content manager to lead the way. Here are 10 reasons why you could benefit from hiring a content manager.

1. Ensure Consistency and Brand Alignment

A major challenge when working with multiple freelancers or agencies is maintaining a consistent brand voice. Without someone managing the process, you may end up with content that feels disjointed or off-brand, which can confuse or alienate your audience.

A content manager is responsible for ensuring that every piece of content aligns with your brand’s tone, style, and values. They create and enforce brand guidelines, ensuring consistency across all platforms, no matter how many different people contribute to the final product.

By maintaining this cohesion, your audience experiences a unified brand presence that builds trust and reinforces your company’s identity.

2. Streamline Communication Between Teams 

When working with an outsourced team, communication can easily become a bottleneck. Freelancers and agencies often work remotely, in different time zones, and on varying schedules. Without proper coordination, this can lead to delays, misunderstandings, or overlooked instructions.

A content manager acts as the central hub for communication, ensuring that writers, editors, and designers all receive clear direction and feedback. This streamlined communication helps prevent mistakes, keeps the team aligned with your goals, and ensures deadlines are met without confusion.

3. Improve Workflow Efficiency and Organization 

Content creation involves many moving parts, from initial brainstorming to writing, editing, revisions, and final approvals. Without proper oversight, this process can quickly become chaotic, especially when managing multiple freelancers or agencies.

Alternatively, some teams don’t have enough people to lend a hand with many roles left unfilled. About 58% of B2B content creation teams struggle with a lack of resources. Not having the right people, the right tools, and an ample budget can create a lot of frustration.

A content manager designs and implements an organized workflow that suits your business’s unique needs. By developing a customized content creation process, they ensure every task is completed on time, in the correct order, and with minimal issues. This efficiency leads to faster turnarounds and higher-quality content.

4. Provide Personalized Content Strategy

One of the biggest advantages of having a content manager is the ability to develop a long-term, personalized content strategy. Rather than focusing solely on individual content pieces, content managers look at the big picture. They assess your target audience, business goals, and current market trends to create a content strategy that drives long-term results.

This strategic approach ensures that your content isn’t just filler. Instead, it’s actively working to achieve your business goals.

At Express Writers, we take this personalized approach seriously. Our dedicated content managers work closely with clients to build custom content strategies that address their specific needs and help them stand out in their industry.

5. Review Content and Quality Control  

Quality is non-negotiable when it comes to content marketing. Whether it’s blog posts, social media updates, or email newsletters, every piece of content reflects your brand. With an outsourced team, you need someone who is dedicated to maintaining high-quality standards across the board.

Content managers ensure every piece of content meets your standards for accuracy, grammar, tone, and style. They’ll also make sure your content is optimized for SEO so you can trust it’ll perform well in search results and reach the right audience.

6. Facilitate Scalability

As your business grows, so does your content production. However, scaling content efforts can quickly become overwhelming without proper management. A content manager ensures that your team can grow without sacrificing quality or efficiency. They manage the influx of new content requests, ensuring that your team scales smoothly and continues to deliver top-notch content on time.

7. Save Time and Reduce Stress

Managing content creation can be a full-time job. Business owners, marketing managers, and executives must often juggle content production alongside their core responsibilities, leading to burnout and reduced productivity in other areas.

By hiring a content manager, you offload the day-to-day coordination of your content efforts. They handle everything from communicating with writers to managing deadlines, allowing you to focus on high-level strategy and business growth.

8. Facilitate Long-Term Content Success

Content marketing is a long game and success doesn’t come overnight. A content manager looks beyond short-term goals, focusing on long-term success. They continuously monitor and analyze the performance of your content, adjusting as needed to improve results over time.

This forward-thinking approach helps you stay ahead of trends, adjust to changes in your industry, and continually refine your content strategy to ensure long-term success.

At Express Writers, our content managers are committed to building long-term partnerships with our clients. We adapt strategies over time to keep your content fresh, relevant, and effective.

9. Provide a Single Point of Contact

When you work with an outsourced content team, you often have multiple freelancers or agencies involved in different aspects of the project. This includes writers, editors, designers, SEO experts, and more. Coordinating between all these individuals can be overwhelming.

A content manager serves as your point of contact, streamlining communication and ensuring all team members stay aligned with your goals. This single point of accountability makes the content creation process smoother and more manageable for you.

10. Boost Return on Investment (ROI)

High-quality content that is well-managed can significantly boost your return on investment. And it’s safe to say most people would agree. Around 82% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing because they know it’s essential to long-term growth and success in the business world.

Pie chart showing the percentage of marketers investing in content marketing.

Source: Ahrefs

A content manager ensures that all content aligns with your business goals, engages your target audience, and drives conversions. By overseeing every step of the content creation process, from strategy to execution, they help you maximize the impact of your content and achieve a higher ROI.

Express Writers: More Than Just a Writing Service

When you work with Express Writers, you get more than just a writing service. You get a complete content management solution. Our dedicated content managers are the backbone of our team, overseeing everything from strategy to execution. They work closely with you to create a custom process that fits your unique needs and schedule.

  • Tailored Content Strategy: We build a personalized content plan based on your business goals.
  • Complete Oversight: Our team handles every aspect of the process from coordinating writers and designers to managing deadlines and ensuring quality control.
  • Long-Term Success: We’re committed to helping your business succeed with long-term content strategies that drive real results. 

Take the Next Step in Maximizing Your Content Efforts

Hiring a content manager is one of the smartest investments you can make for your business. Whether you’re struggling with managing an outsourced team, need help scaling your content efforts, or simply want to save time and reduce stress, a content manager can transform your content marketing success.

At Express Writers, we offer more than just writing. We offer complete content management services to help you achieve your goals. Ready to elevate your content strategy?

Contact us today to learn how we can drive content success.

Content Marketing in 2024: The Top Trends You Should Know

Content Marketing in 2024: The Top Trends You Should Know

by | Jan 2, 2024 | Content Marketing

As we step into 2024, the landscape of content marketing continues to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for businesses looking to make their mark in the online space.

In a world where attention spans are fleeting and consumer preferences are ever-changing, mastering the art of content creation and delivering quality is essential.

In this article, we’ll explore the top trends for content marketing in 2024, highlighting the importance of short and long-form video content, the staying power of long-form blog content, and more.

Staying Ahead: Why You Should Be Aware of the Trends

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, staying on top of trends is a must for crafting a successful strategy. Trends provide insights into evolving consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, etc. By embracing this information, businesses can then align their strategies with the needs of their audience to ensure relevance and resonance in their field.

However, it’s not just about adapting to market changes. It’s also about seizing opportunities for growth so you can have a bigger impact within the online landscape. By staying ahead of the curve, you’re also decreasing your risk of getting lost in the crowd. You must be able to keep up with what’s happening in the world and adapt accordingly if you want your brand to stand the test of time.

Content Marketing in 2024: The Top Trends You Should Know

Here are the trends you’ll want to consider as you map out your content marketing strategy for the year ahead:

1. Quality Long-Form Blog Content: The Evergreen Anchor

As a team of skilled, professional writers, it should come as no surprise that we are always going to encourage businesses to embrace long-form blog content. While the digital landscape shifts toward dynamic and immersive content formats, the importance of quality blog posts remains strong.

In-depth articles not only establish expertise and credibility in your field but also significantly contribute to search engine optimization (SEO). If you want your business to be seen online, you must be consistently putting out quality content that has been optimized to rank high in search results.

If you want to master content marketing in 2024, you need to make sure you invest in creating comprehensive, well-researched blog content that will not only attract organic traffic but also provide lasting value to your audience.

Need help creating top-notch content for your company blog? Let us help! We offer different levels of content writing to suit your needs and budget. Visit our Content Shop to learn more.

2. The Dynamic Duo: Short and Long-Form Video Content

Are you tired of seeing video content on every list of content marketing trends? Well, let that be proof that video isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. So, if you have yet to jump on board, now is the time!

Video content has been a cornerstone of digital marketing for years, but as we head into 2024, it’s becoming even more diverse. Short-form videos on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels are embracing brevity and creativity to captivate their viewers. These easily digestible videos are perfect for capturing attention in a world where time is a precious commodity.

Simultaneously, long-form video content is enjoying a comeback. Platforms like YouTube are still seeing a demand for in-depth, informative videos. As a result, brands need to find a balance between short and sweet videos and longer formats. This will help cater to diverse audience preferences and ensure you’re reaching as many people as possible.

3. Podcasts: The Steady Growth in Popularity

If you’re feeling a bit camera shy, you can always add a podcast to your content marketing in 2024. Podcasts have transcended the niche status they had once upon a time and have emerged as a mainstream content medium in the last few years.

US Podcast Listeners

Alt Text: Graph showing the growth of podcast listeners in the United States from 2013 to 2023.

As shown by the graph above, the amount of podcast listeners in the United States continues to grow year after year. And since podcasting shows no signs of slowing down, there’s never been a better time to get started if you and your audience are interested in audio content.

Whether commuting or multitasking, podcasts offer a unique opportunity for brands to engage with their audience on a more personal level. This is your place to share industry insights, tell stories, and cultivate a more intimate connection with your listeners, fostering a true sense of community. It’s safe to say we can expect to see even more businesses leveraging podcasts as a tool to build brand loyalty and thought leadership.

4. Social-First Content: Meeting Your Audience Where They Are

There’s no denying that we’re in an era that’s dominated by social media. That means having a social-first strategy is kind of a non-negotiable for businesses these days. But wait! What exactly does that mean? To put it simply, having a social-first strategy is all about creating content with social media in mind. You need to be strategic when considering and crafting your marketing companies to see success.

Tailoring content specifically for each platform and understanding the nuances of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok is crucial for maintaining a strong online presence. Otherwise, you risk getting lost in the crowd. And if you’re putting the time and effort into creating amazing content, you don’t want that to happen. You want to be recognized and you deserve it, too!

Social Media Marketing Benefits

Graphic from Oberlo sharing increased brand exposure is the top benefit of social media marketing.

This is why you want to figure out where your target audience is spending the most time online so you can meet them where they are. Put yourself on the platforms they’re using the most. Then, you can use that platform’s features to publish quality content that’s going to grab their attention. Before you know it, you’ll notice one of the key benefits of social media: increased brand exposure.

Did you know we have social media experts who can create captivating, highly engaging content for your brand? It’s true! Our team can create social media posts for Facebook, Instagram, and more. Get all the details inside our Content Shop.

5. Topic Clusters: Elevating Your SEO Strategy

Are you familiar with topic clusters? If not, they can be a transformative strategy for your content marketing in 2024. Breaking away from the traditional keyword-centric approach, topic clusters are focused on a pillar content piece linked to a cluster of related subtopics. Now, this doesn’t mean keywords aren’t important. But topic clusters provide a benefit for search engines and your readers.

By adopting topic clusters, you’re able to boost your SEO authority and deliver even more relevant content to your audience. This strategic linking of related content within a cluster signals to search engines that your website is a trustworthy, authoritative resource on a specific topic. And topic clusters are aligned with the need for search engines to prioritize user intent.

Now, how do you get started with topic clusters? You’ll first want to identify a comprehensive pillar which your brand can center its content around. You will optimize this pillar for a primary keyword and then link it to cluster content, which explores specific aspects of the main topic. You’ll want to make sure you’re linking content internally, which is helpful for both readers and search engines.

Master Your Content Marketing in 2024

As we navigate the complex and ever-changing world of content marketing in 2024, it’s clear that having a diversified approach is key. Luckily, Express Writers is here to help with all of your content needs. Whether you’re looking for blog content, social media posts, or anything in between, our team of skilled writers can craft quality content your audience is sure to love.

Visit our Content Shop to learn more about our available offerings.

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Mastering Your Email Marketing

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Mastering Your Email Marketing

by | Nov 4, 2022 | ContentWritingChat

When building a brand, nurturing your relationships with those in your target audience is crucial to your success. You need to be able to position yourself as an expert in your field, as well as become a trustworthy resource of information. And you need to ensure you’re doing this consistently by staying in touch with your audience regularly.

But how can you do this effectively? Through email marketing!

Email is a powerful way to connect with your audience and build relationships over time. Instead of fighting with tricky social media algorithms, you can reach people where it matters the most: their inbox.

However, you might find it’s a bit tricky to truly master email marketing when you consider you need to build your list, create a welcome sequence, and develop a newsletter. Luckily, we’re here to help! That’s exactly what we talked about in this #ContentWritingChat.

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Mastering Your Email Marketing

This month’s #ContentWritingChat was packed with valuable tips that will help you become a true email marketing master. Whether you’re just getting started or email has been part of your strategy for a while, you’re sure to find some great advice here.

Q1: Why is email marketing important to a brand’s overall marketing strategy? What benefits does it provide?

As Andrew said, email is one of the most effective forms of digital marketing today. It provides an easy way for brands to communicate with their audience while delivering content that’s tailored to their needs and interests.

Joana feels email is fantastic for creating a strong connection between you and your community of subscribers. And that will go a long way when it comes to your brand’s success!

Another great element about email marketing is that it can keep your brand top of mind with your audience if you’re consistent when it comes to sending emails.

Email subscribers are often warmer leads than those who merely follow you on social media. That’s because your subscribers have taken that extra step to provide their name and email in order to receive a freebie and access your newsletter.

Q2: The first step to email marketing is building your list. What’s your advice for getting more subscribers?

A freebie is going to be essential to getting people on your email list. Everyone wants to know what’s in it for them, so give them a reason to sign up. This could be a short ebook, free training, or anything else they might enjoy.

Once you’ve chosen your freebie, don’t forget to write a powerful call to action and make it easy for people to join your list.

Q3: Once you’ve started building your list, you need to send captivating content to your list. How do you know what to write about?

As Carla said, you need to pay attention to what your subscribers are responding to. Give them more of what they’re interested in and they’ll want to stay on your email list.

Andrew suggests sharing research studies, blog content, promotions, event details, helpful tips and tricks, industry information, and the latest news. Ultimately, it’s about providing value to your audience.

Nicole recommended sharing interesting statistics, promotional content, and updates on the happenings within your industry.

Q4: Inboxes get crowded! How do you write a subject line that grabs attention and gets people to open your emails?

Your subject line will get cut off in an inbox, so you want to keep it short and sweet.

Andrew said to make a statement with your subject line. You can even try incorporating a call to action to entice people to open your emails.

It’s also helpful to pay attention to the latest data on what makes an effective subject line. Then, you can test and see what works best for your audience. And as Kat said, a great test is to ask yourself if you would actually open your own emails.

Joana suggested asking questions or using emojis in your subject lines. Both can be very effective at increasing your open rates.

Q5: Are there optimal times to send your emails? How can you find out what works for you?

As Andrew said, you can do research to find the best times to send emails, but it’s ultimately going to depend on your audience. Run some A/B split tests to determine your ideal da and times to send your newsletter.

Nicole feels mornings are the best times to send emails, as this is when many people check their inboxes. Give it a try and see how it works for you!

Carla takes her own time zone into consideration when sending emails. She opts for 12 pm and 5 pm and they generate the highest open rates for her.

Q6: How can you keep your subscribers engaged, ensuring they regularly read and interact with your emails?

Great subject lines and captivating content are essential if you want to keep your subscribers engaged. Don’t. forget to monitor your analytics to see what performs the best as well.

Send content that’s relevant to the lives of your subscribers. This will give them a reason to stick around.

Make sure you create a schedule and stick to it. This will create consistency for you, as well as your subscribers. They’ll always know when to expect a new email from you.

Take it a step further and create a nurture sequence that’s personalized to your subscribers. You can send a welcome sequence to introduce them to your brand and warm them up to potentially make a purchase, for example.

Q7: What’s your favorite email marketing platform? And what are the main features you suggest someone look for when choosing a platform to create and send newsletters?

ConvertKit is a popular option due to its robust features and affordability.

Carla uses ConvertKit as well, but has also used MailChimp in the past.

Want to join the next #ContentWritingChat? Mark your calendar for the first Tuesday of every month at 10 AM Central and follow @ExpWriters on Twitter for all the latest!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Mastering Your Email Marketing

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Establishing Yourself as a Thought Leader in Your Field

by | Oct 7, 2022 | ContentWritingChat

By now, you’ve probably heard the phrase “thought leader” thrown around quite a bit.

But what exactly is a thought leader? And how can you become one in your field?

That’s what we talked about in this month’s #ContentWritingChat! So, if you’re ready to establish yourself as a well-known industry expert, keep reading for all the tips!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Establishing Yourself as a Thought Leader in Your Field

Our community offered some valuable advice in this month’s chat. It’s everything you need to know if you want people to see you as a go-to resource.

Q1: In your opinion what does “thought leadership” actually mean?

To establish yourself as a thought leader, you want to consistently offer new and unique information for your community to consume.

A huge element of thought leadership is sharing your ideas and encouraging others to get involved at the same time, so don’t be afraid to speak up!

Q2: Why would someone want to establish themselves as a thought leader in their field? What benefits does it provide?

Building the Know, Like, and Trust Factor is crucial for creating success as a brand. When people view you as a thought leader in your industry, they have developed a trusting relationship with you and will be more inclined to support your business.

As a thought leader, you’ll have a certain level of credibility and respect in your field. This is great for getting your content shared widely, but it can also lead to tons of new opportunities for your brand.

Q3: What are some of the top qualities you feel thought leaders typically possess?

Thought leaders have a desire to help others through their content. They are also confident and willing to adapt over time.

Adaptability, flexibility, focus, and accountability are all characteristics you’ll want to have if you desire to be a thought leader. You also need to have a willingness to teach others, plus a desire to learn and grow.

Q4: What are the first steps in building a thought leadership strategy?

First, you need to set goals. What do you hope to achieve by becoming a thought leader? It’s also smart to research other thought leaders so you can learn from them.

Creating a thought leadership strategy starts with knowing who your audience is, what their pain points are, and what kind of expertise you have that will serve them. From there, you can begin creating content that appeals to their needs.

It’s important to have conversations with your community and other experts in your field. This is a powerful way to learn what others are looking for and what gaps currently exist in your industry that you can address.

Q5: Creating high-quality content is an effective way to position yourself as a thought leader. Is there a certain content format that’s best for doing this?

Always create content that showcases your strengths while also appealing to how your audience likes to consume content. You can also repurpose your content into multiple formats to reach a wider audience, as we all like to learn in different ways.

Be flexible with your content formats and remain open to trying new things to see how they work for you. There are tons of options available to us today, so it’s smart to experiment.

Q6: Part of becoming a thought leader is getting your content noticed. How can you increase traffic and impressions on the content you’re publishing?

Getting your content noticed starts with SEO. Make sure you’re taking the time to optimize your content so you can rank higher in Google’s search results.

Cross-promotion is another great tactic. If you can collaborate with other bloggers or podcasts, you can generate tons of traction for your brand and its content.

Make sure you have a digital marketing campaign in place if you’re serious about generating brand awareness. You may also want to contribute to leading publications in your industry for more exposure.

Q7: How will you know if you’ve successfully established yourself as a thought leader? Is there any way to measure this?

If you notice people are reaching out to you for help or advice, that’s a good sign! It shows they value your opinions and consider you a trustworthy source.

Focus on putting your best content out there and serving your audience and you’re on the right track to becoming a true thought leader.

Want to join the next #ContentWritingChat? Mark your calendars for the first Tuesday of every month at 10 AM Central and meet us on the @ExpWriters Twitter account!