The SaaS Entrepreneur's Handbook for Outsourcing Blog Content Creation

Published January 27, 2024.

Introduction to Outsourcing Content Creation for SaaS

The SaaS industry is highly competitive. In this landscape, content marketing is fundamental. It helps build trust and awareness while establishing authority for SaaS businesses and companies. However, there's a significant hurdle: producing consistent high-quality content needs a considerable input of time and resources. Enter the strategic option to outsource content marketing.

For SaaS businesses, outsourcing content marketing offers several advantages:

Expertise on Demand: SaaS companies can tap into the experience of professionals without an in-house team requirement. It reduces overhead and gives access to a range of knowledge and creativity.
Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing can help businesses save by avoiding workspace, equipment, and recruitment expenses. This fact comes from the insights of LinkedIn, which highlights both cost savings and an increase in content marketing budgets in 2023.
Scalability and Focus: Outsourcing can enable scalability on demand, adapting to content needs' ups and downs without the fixed costs of an in-house team. At the same time, it keeps the SaaS businesses free to focus on core business activities.

Experts like Jimmy Rodela and Zacharias Xiroudakis emphasize the need for financial prudence and strategic oversight. The choice to outsource isn’t just about cost-cutting. It’s about using external expertise to improve content quality and achieve business goals.

However, there are certain drawbacks to consider:

Remote teams may bring communication challenges and the importance of establishing effective communication channels and cultural differences.
It may be demanding to find the right partner with the required skills.
Ensuring quality and consistency in outsourced content requires good management tools.

The SaaS industry is dynamic, with a median growth rate of 22% for public companies and 35% for private ones as of March 2023 (Vena Solutions). Given these rates and the fact that 82% of companies use content marketing (Blogging Wizard), the choice to outsource content marketing can be significant. With a focus on a strong content strategy being clearly essential for growth.

To sum up, each SaaS business should make the decision to outsource content marketing carefully. While it can offer a strategic advantage in scalability, expertise, and financial efficiency, it has its challenges. Both potential benefits and difficulties must be understood for making an informed decision.

Best Practices for Hiring SaaS Blog Writers

Embarking on a journey, including hiring writers such as SEO copywriters, in the SaaS content marketing landscape, from website content to social media posts requires recognition of your niche's specific demands. SaaS enterprises face a delicate balance. They must maintain content quality while outsourcing content marketing tasks. Zacharias Xiroudakis underscores this in his piece, "Outsource Content Marketing: A Guide for SaaS Companies". He emphasizes the importance of a careful selection process when hiring writers.

When outsourcing content marketing and hiring writers, consider these steps:

Assess Expertise: Ensure the writer or agency's expertise aligns with your SaaS brand. As illustrated by Jimmy Rodela in "B2B SaaS Marketers Win Big by Outsourcing Content Creation", leading writing agencies employ subject matter experts, including B2B SaaS copywriters. Their knowledge assists in crafting authoritative content for your SaaS brand.
Streamline the Hiring Process: Begin by reviewing portfolios and conducting interviews. Assigning trial tasks is also beneficial. As Minuttia suggests, this approach helps you find an efficient match.
Emphasize Brand Consistency: Implement a cohesive style guide for your brand. Ensure all hired writers follow this guide for consistent brand image across contents.

Over one-third of small businesses have outsourced a business process. And 52% plan to outsource soon (Exploding Topics).
SaaS outsourcing has increased as a cost-reducing method that also encompasses hiring process improvements for efficient outsourcing blog writing and content creation leveraging web-based services (devabit).

Outsourcing content creation has effects:

It provides up-to-date, relevant content without detracting from other business areas (NYTLicensing).
Costs can be budget-friendly. For basic content needs like blog posts and articles, charges range from $0.01 to $0.20 per word (LinkedIn).

To summarize, knowing the specific content marketing needs of SaaS, outsourcing content creation effectively, and implementing a robust hiring process are critical. These steps help you maintain high-content quality, align content with your brand, and resonate with your target audience. The result? Raised brand authority in the competitive SaaS marketplace.

Developing a Content Strategy and Setting Goals

A successful SaaS content marketing strategy hinges on meticulous content creation. The process must also be guided by a clear and realistic set of goals. A detailed content strategy acts as a meaningful roadmap. It directs your content in a way that aligns well with your marketing objectives. Without a defined strategy, efforts in creating content may become scattered. This can lead to failing to grab attention or yielding tangible outcomes.

Semrush reveals notable differences in the effects of content strategies. It states that 80% of successful marketers document their content strategies. On the contrary, 81% of marketers who face challenges in content marketing don't have a strategy. This data establishes the need for a well-organized approach for content creation in SaaS businesses.

Knowing the type of content that connects with your audience is fundamental. For SaaS companies, the preferred content types include:

How-to guides
Video tutorials
Case studies
Industry reports

Each of these content forms, serving as beginner examples of content writing, engage potential customers differently. They are crucial at different stages of their journey. Thus, it is important to choose the right mix to accomplish your marketing goals.

Setting SMART goals is also critical. A practical example for a SaaS company can be targeting a 20% rise in website traffic in the next three months. This aim can be achieved through targeted blog posts and whitepapers.

To sum up, SaaS businesses venturing into content marketing should focus on two key areas. First, they need to document their content strategy. Second, they need to define precise, measurable goals. These steps not only simplify the process of content creation but also ensure your content serves a specific purpose. As a result, this leads to meaningful engagement and rising conversion rates.

SaaS businesses also need to measure the success of their content in content marketing. It is crucial to understand and monitor important metrics like:

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) for checking the overall health of the business.
Pages per session to measure the quality of content strategy.
Various content marketing metrics (organic search traffic, click-through rate, and social shares) for evaluating the effectiveness of content marketing strategies.

SaaS content is not just about outlining software capabilities. It's about creating narratives that connect, prompt conversions, and foster trust. At the same time, it's also about highlighting the benefits of the software.

On average, a SaaS company assigns around 26% of its total marketing budget to content marketing. The most successful ones spend up to 40%. This fact stresses the significant role content marketing has in the growth and success of SaaS businesses.

Navigating the Costs and Pricing Models of Outsourced Content

Understanding different pricing models is pivotal for SaaS businesses planning to outsource blog writing or content creation. It helps align efforts with both budget and SEO strategies. The common pricing structures include:

Hourly rates
Per-word charges
Project-based fees

Freelance content writers, on average, charge about $29 per hour. Per-word rates may vary between $0.05 to $1.50, depending on experience (Copyblogger). However, top content writers' rates on Upwork range from $15 to $80 per hour. This range shows the spectrum of potential costs (Upwork).

To budget effectively, SaaS companies should:

Define content needs.
Select the appropriate pricing model for these needs.
Predict the content complexity and volume along with the expertise required.
Negotiate for value and quality.

Hidden costs may arise, much like revisions or rush charges. As Zacharias Xiroudakis mentions in "Outsource Content Marketing: A Guide for SaaS Companies", proactive negotiation with outsource agencies can mitigate these costs.

Being well-informed is crucial when SaaS businesses outsource content marketing. Understanding general rates for content creation (LinkedIn, Upwork) and familiarizing oneself with typical SaaS marketing budget allocations (Early Stage Marketing, Crunch Marketing) are essential. This strategic overview assists in developing a cost-effective strategy to balance budget management while achieving SEO (search engine optimization) optimized, high-quality content to foster SaaS business growth.

Effective Communication and Workflow with Freelancers and Agencies

For SaaS entrepreneurs, exploring outsourcing blog writing and content creation is a crucial step. Zacharias Xiroudakis suggests in Outsource Content Marketing: A Guide for SaaS Companies that effective communication channels with external teams should be established. They warn, "Poor communication can lead to subpar results." Consider using platforms such as Slack, Trello, or Asana to interact seamlessly with content creators.

Successful Outsource Content Marketing involves these key steps:

Establish Clear Workflows: Define the workflow for each project, including quality expectations, deadlines, and feedback mechanisms. As Xiroudakis emphasizes, a clearly defined workflow is essential so each party involved knows their roles and responsibilities.
Handle Communication Proactively: Develop a strategy for conflict resolution and create a clear feedback channel to quickly resolve communication issues and keep projects progressing. This approach helps prevent delays and misunderstandings and keeps minor issues from becoming major obstacles.
Outsource Content Marketing Strategically: Consider the motivation behind outsourcing content creation, be it improving efficiency or focusing on core competencies. With 27% of small businesses outsourcing for efficiency (Invedus), it's evident that strategic outsourcing through hiring a freelance professional or an outsource agency offers significant benefits.

A study by McKinsey & Company, referenced by PitchGround, reveals that only 20% of SaaS companies survive past five years. This statistic highlights the importance of a robust content marketing strategy, including efficient outsourcing, for success in the competitive SaaS landscape.

SaaS companies can improve the quality and efficiency of their content marketing efforts by implementing these strategies. This contributes to long-term success and growth.

Monitoring and Improving Performance of Outsourced Content

Attaining effectiveness in outsourced content marketing hinges on concentration towards critical success metrics. These include tracking page views, engagement rates, and conversion rates. These measurements serve as indicators of your content's resonance with your target audience and its contribution to customer engagement. They also assist towards enhancing brand awareness and lead generation or generating leads. As noted by Minuttia, understanding these metrics can offer valuable insights to SaaS owners about the impact of their content.

The alignment of content with brand guidelines and communication strategies is also a vital element. This coordination can be achieved with regular reviews and feedback. Here are a few methods you can employ:

Content Quality Check: Evaluate if the content meets your brand's high standards.
Brand Guideline Adherence: Verify that all content aligns with your brand's voice and essence.
Communication Effectiveness: Study how effectively your content engages with your target audience.

Strategize according to performance results. If certain content formats or topics engage your audience more, lean into those. Conversely, dig into the root causes of underperforming content and make strategic enhancements.

SaaS companies can boost their outsourced content marketing impact by reviewing regularly and adapting strategies as per performance. This proactive stance promotes engagement, conversions and ensures that the content marketing efforts remain dynamic and responsive.

Consolidated Insights from the SaaS Industry

SaaS Growth Rates:
- The median SaaS business experiences monthly growth of 2-2.5%. High-performing businesses can see rates of 5-7% in the initial months, which usually stabilize to 3-5% thereafter, emphasizing the variance in growth potential across the industry (ChartMogul).
- The application of the Rule of 40 is a strategic benchmark, where successful SaaS companies aim for a combined revenue growth rate and profit margin of 40% or more to ensure sustained profitability (CloudZero).
Customer Retention Metrics:
- Renewal Rate: Boasts a significant figure of 100% by value, showcasing that understanding and optimizing renewal rates are crucial for SaaS operations (Maxio).
- Churn Rate: It's imperative to have a quality product, as monthly churn rates are reported between 3-8%, and annual rates can soar to 32-50%, leading to substantial revenue losses if not managed appropriately (Woopra).
Content Marketing in SaaS:
- A strategic approach is essential, with a heavy focus on building long-term customer relationships over direct product sales, ensuring the success of these efforts in enhancing brand awareness and supporting sustainable growth (SaaSpirin).