Some years ago you may have had to convince people that content marketing was useful, or even more importantly, that they might need it for their own businesses.  That’s not the case anymore.  Content truly is king in this era of the internet, and even the search engines have learned how to (mostly) parse the good content from the bad.In this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast, I welcome Sofie Couwenbergh of Let Me Write That Down For You, which, as you can guess from the name, is a content creation firm. Sofie has had that business for eight years now.  Before that Sofie was the in-house copywriter for an international publisher.  Not content to write for a living, Sofie also does it in a side business, her travel site Wonderful Wanderings.In my different businesses, content creation is key and I wanted to hear Sofie’s take on whether this should be an in-house priority or something that is hired out.  She immediately asked:
How much content do you need?
Do you need it consistently?
The answer to these questions will indicate whether you are looking at a one-shot project (outsource) or something that you’re going to need consistently (consider a dedicated contractor or a hire).  “Google is always changing, your competitors are always updating their content: if you’re not giving content serious attention, you’re going to be left behind,” Sofie shared.So what about hiring people and how to find great writers?  Sofie gave some great tips on what to do if you do end up using a large marketplace like Upwork.  But she also shared a little known place where you can find great writers without having to pay Upwork’s fees.  We also agreed that the more you pay, the likelier you are to get “publish-ready” content that doesn’t require a lot of editing.  You can save money by hiring someone cheaper, but you’ll spend that in the time you need to spend getting their work up to par.Sofie also shared that when you do bring someone in the house, you don’t want to throw everything at them at once.  Document all the steps (hopefully because you have modeled them yourself) via documents or videos, and make sure your hires have everything they need to succeed.  Sofie’s passion for getting her client’s messages right (she calls herself a “straightforward perfectionist”) is palpable and after listening to this episode you’ll have a better sense of some of what goes on behind the scenes in creating high-quality content and corresponding high rankings in search results. Key Learning Points:1. Sofie talks about the choice between doing content in house vs outsourcing it - 2:452. Sofie discusses the importance of content - 5:203. Sofie shares the challenges of hiring in a large marketplace like Upwork - 7:454. Sofie gives us a lesser-known place to find great writers - 8:445. Mads discusses the advantage of using someone who consistently writes for a living - 12:496. Sofie offers pointers about training someone for in house content - 19:13 Connect with Sofie Couwenbergh:1. Let Me Write That Down For You