Don’t worry - you’re not alone. Delivering consistent, engaging content is hard, particularly if you try to do it all yourself. That’s why businesses turn to agencies. But even that has its issues.  Managing outside teams takes time and effort and can be expensive, particularly on one off projects. Is there a middle ground? I think so. 

There are several advantages to using a content production subscription scheme:

More content, more often

An outside team, particularly it they are trained journalists, can work with you to discover the stories you might have missed. Think of the old adage, ‘If only company X knew what company X knows.’ In other words, there are dozens of great stories floating around just waiting to be discovered by someone who knows what makes great copy. An external team can mine these insights and use them to develop your content marketing strategy. They’ll also establish the most efficient way to produce your content. In this way you can be sure of a regular flow of material to drive leads and conversions.

Cost effective plans

A subscription plan offers better value for money than ad hoc content generation. Why hire a film crew for a day to make one video when they could be producing several? The B-roll they shoot won’t be used once and then sit on a hard drive doing nothing. A monthly subscription means your sales and marketing teams will have a constant stream of conversation starting content.

Effort saving

Why go through the effort of asking for quotes every time you need an article written or a video recorded? Instead of arguing for a fresh slice of someone’s budget every time you have a bright idea you can simply set the wheels in motion. That way you’ll save your time to concentrate on developing the strategy and message behind your content marketing.

Consistent outcomes

Every time you work with a new agency you have to explain your company’s brand values and tone of voice. Wouldn’t it be easier to work with a team who already understands the business? That way you guarantee the outcome you want, quickly and easily.

Flexible terms

The best subscription schemes offer flexibility. Everyone knows that things can change even at the best-run companies so if you want to spend more one month and reduce your budget the next, that shouldn’t be a problem.

In-house external agency

An in-house team is always on hand to help out and financially you know where you stand, but can be left behind as the industry moves on and fashions change.  An external agency offers you flexibility and different skills at a price. But a subscription model offers the best of both worlds - you have a team that understands your business but also brings budget certainty and creativity.

Paul Curran, a former BBC TV reporter, is Lead Creator at Word and Pixel (which happens to offer a subscription service for content) http://unspun.agency/agencies/word-and-pixel