Answering reservations about outsourcing content...Trust and control...

The discussion that led me to write this series of blog posts (you can see the previous entries in the "Answering reservations..." series here, here and here) contained two very similar opinions:

"But I think I'll always write the majority of my own content, because I don't trust anyone else to say what I want to say in the way I want to say it!"

--and--

"I too write my own. If you want to appeal directly to people, then only you can put your emotion, excitement into that article - you personalise it."

I can understand why people would have these reservations. The prospect of turning a the production of a message over to third party could certainly be unsettling.

However, that perspective fails to recognize the difference between giving responsibility for content creation to a randomly chosen person and a professional writer. People have a tendency to believe they are well-positioned to produce content because they are intimately connected to their project. That feeling may be instinctive, but it isn't sensible.

It's a feeling that usually seems strongest when an operation is small and new. Those who run bigger outfits understand where they need to spend their time and why. They recognize their skill sets and relative limitations and don't pretend that complete individual self-sufficiency is an optimal business model. Having learned those lessons, they have found writers, used them and liked the outcome.

Maybe those who have an "I'll do it all myself" attitude just aren't quite ready to hire a content writer. More likely, they just need those of us in the industry to present a strong case so that they can try that first project and learn just how well it all works out in the end.

Some people are more than capable of writing their own content. The two people quoted above may be perfect examples of that. However, the question isn't just one of capability. It is also a matter of opportunity cost and online business management. It is also a question of relative skill levels and their importance in terms of that context.

People in the do-it-yourself camp are often the hardest customers to nab. It requires an ability to understand their concerns while simultaneously presenting the strongest possible argument for third party content creation.

Part of that argument involves clearly demonstrating that a freelance provider can produce emotional, compelling and exciting content--and that he or she can do it more effectively than anyone else.