As we discussed in a previous blog, having a thorough content strategy is crucial today in order to attract the attention of potential customers, and turn them into actual clients. However, having a good content strategy means having excellent content, and for many industry professionals, this can be difficult to pull off.

For one thing, busy senior executives are strapped for time. Certainly, the subject matter experts within an organization are intimately familiar with their business and broader trends across their industry, but few have the time to even write a short blog post, much less a 2,500 word whitepaper. While most understand the value that content can bring to their organization, it is simply not something that will fit on the plate for most executives.

That’s why so many firms have looked to agencies to help build out their content strategy. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 56% of B2B marketers outsource at least one content marketing activity to a third party. And that number is surely growing as each day passes.

However, just using an agency won’t solve your problems – it could potentially even could add to them. Time-starved marketers and subject matter experts don’t have the time, nor should they need to take the time to explain every intricacy and complex detail of their business to an agency. That’s why it’s imperative to work with a partner that understands your business, the industry landscape, and topical subjects, no matter how niche it is. Generalists likely do not know even the basics of how hedge funds operate, the latest trends in fintech or insurtech, or how technology is disrupting the real estate industry.

Another benefit of partnering with an outside party can also help with the investment you have allocated to content and marketing needs. Marketing budgets are tight and bringing on a full-time writer, editor or designer, especially talent with the industry expertise and ability to write thought provoking content, can be expensive and difficult to find. By outsourcing this content, you pay only for the high-quality content and strategic planning you need.

A good agency can also work with you on an ongoing, multi-layer strategic content plan. This involves not only coming up with new ideas for topics, but also repurposing existing content in new and innovative ways; for example, using statistics from a whitepaper to create an infographic or transforming information from a live webinar to create a blog; leveraging snippets from a whitepaper to create shorter-form pithy blogs on tangential subjects, etc. – the goal is to find ways to make subject matter and industry expertise live on in different formats.

Ultimately, there are a wide range of benefits from working with a partner that both knows content and understands the complexity of your industry. These include:

• Less time spent educating an outside partner on your specific business niche by working with people who have expertise in your industry
• Consulting work to help you create and implement a robust content strategy
• Limit the time strain on your team’s bandwidth
• Ongoing strategic assessment: working with a firm that can help come up with ideas to leverage the information you already have in compelling and new ways

These and many other factors are why so many marketers are partnering with outside experts to create content. While not all agencies are created equal, working with one that has the expertise and experience to create and amplify compelling content is vital so your brand can stand out in a crowded marketplace.