Lately we’ve been talking a lot about the idea of a content agency of record and why it’s so valuable. So many of the clients we work with come to us utterly frustrated with the content sourcing process. Their need for quality content is sky-high, but they can’t seem to find a consistent and reliable method for actually procuring assets that deliver results.
Working with a team that’s dedicated to you—and you dedicated to it—brings many advantages. You build a relationship with writers that grows over time, while helping you get off the treadmill of wrangling freelancers, dealing with in-house limitations, resigning yourself to sub-par efforts, and so much more.
In this post, we’re going to break down three key benefits of working with a copy agency of record. Let’s begin.
Gain direct access to writers.
This benefit speaks to a very prevalent problem in the content world: nameless, faceless writers who are tucked away behind project managers or strategists. These writers work from a brief and have no direct contact with clients; in fact it’s often prohibited. But the problem is, a brief can only do so much. The best content is born from conversations—meaningful discussions where assumptions can be tested, angles probed, and stories extracted.
This is because the most critical details may not be in the brief—but locked inside your SMEs. And the insights they reveal during exploratory interviews are essential to making the content come alive. When writers aren’t able to speak with marketers directly, it’s easy for things to get lost in translation. The process fails and the work is non-optimal—and won’t get stellar results.
Tap into versatility.
Some copywriters tend toward long-form copy, like ebooks or articles. Others are short-form creatives, great at punchy ads, taglines, infographics, landing pages. The needs of some marketers are more narrow—so these limitations are okay. But the minute you start crossing departments, you really need a writer or team that can do it all. This is what a good content agency of record offers—a deep bench of talented copywriters that can stretch and adapt to meet a wide range of content needs.
And this versatility doesn’t just apply to formats; it applies to topics and tone as well. The ability to adapt to a topic or voice or viewpoint is crucial. If the writer can’t hit the target, your audience won’t engage. With a content agency of record, you don’t have to worry about whether one particular freelancer or in-house writer has the skill to do it all (and they literally can’t). You can rest easy knowing whatever your needs are, there’s a writer who can fill in the gap.
Scale up and down as needed.
Like high tide and low tide, content needs ebb and flow. It’s just a fact of life. It’s important for writing resources to move flexibly against these waves, so they can meet demand when content needs to flow. Alternatively, it’s just as important for resources to pull back when needs recede. Which actually saves the company money, too. And if you’re in a headcount environment, then scaling down might mean letting someone go. So the ability of a solution to scale down without layoffs keeps morale high and processes smooth.
Finally, markets move fast and success is often a matter of who can respond first, making on-demand access important. A strong content agency of record provides the on-demand availability you need to respond to whatever content need arises.
If a content agency of record sounds like something that would benefit your organization, let’s talk. MarketSmiths offers a proven system for copy procurement that’s hassle-free and guaranteed to perform.
