Somethings never change. Prospective clients still tell me their partners and staff can produce all of the content they need. That’s the same argument I heard from my very first accounting firm client.
And it’s true, but at what cost?
Back at that meeting many years ago, the practice group leader was introducing my firm to the team and explaining that we would be working with them on their newsletter. One partner objected to the cost.
The PGL responded with the best argument in favor of hiring professional writers I’ve ever heard. It went something like this:
He asks the objecting partner, “You wrote an article for the last newsletter, right?”.
The partner answers in the affirmative.
“And how many hours did that take you?”
“Five hours,” the partner responds with obvious pride.
“And what is your billable rate?” the PGL asks.
Spoiler alert: It was a lot more than my firm was charging.
Now, it is possible to force partners and staff to work more hours in a day, but at what cost? Not just in billable hours, but in work/life balance. Do you really want to burn out your best producers doing work that could be outsourced and performed just as well?
I might even argue that a good business writer will produce better content. Not only do they bring a high degree of diligence to their research, but they also produce writing that is more engaging since business writers are trained to write in a clear and compelling way that will attract and retain and audience.
Finally, using an outside writer will ensure that your content program is posting material on a regular and consistent basis. An audit, transaction or trial always comes first for your inhouse professionals. Not so a business writer.
So to summarize, with an outside writer you get cost-effective, compelling content on a consistent basis and your partners and staff get to have dinner at home a bit more often.