Read this to debunk some outsource myths

Need quality content for your newsletters, websites and other communications? You have two options: create it in-house or commission a specialist agency.

The answer to this, and many other business questions, can sometimes be found in ancient Greek mythology. For proof, just consider the Iliad, Homer’s epic poem about the Trojan war, featuring Ajax, Achilles and other great warriors.

So who are the real heroes? Not the warriors but the deities, also known as outsource agencies.

For example Chryses, a Trojan priest, called upon Apollo for help to rescue his daughter from the Greeks. Apollo, the agency chosen to perform the task, did so with complete success. Job done and for a reasonable retainer: ongoing piety.

If you assume that outsourced content creation is expensive, you are almost certainly mistaken. In-house content creation always costs more because you need staff whom you have to train, feed and water – plus you have to pay tax to keep them on the payroll.

Agencies are a more efficient way to use resources. You can switch them on, or off, at will. They provide what you need, when you need it.

Or how about Perseus, another example? His team task was to kill Medusa, the snake-haired Gorgon with a petrifying gaze. He needed professional outside help which arrived from the experts on Mount Olympus. A mirrored bronze shield from wise Athena, winged sandals from Hermes the messenger and a helmet of invisibility from Hades, ruler of the Underworld landed by his side. Next thing he knew, the project was complete.

There are those who fear that no content agency can ever have the deep and detailed knowledge required to craft quality work. In fact it is far better that an agency approaches your project with an open mind and then extracts the required information from your staff. That’s the secret of good content: impartial journalistic skills.

A reputable outsource agency communicates with you to understand what you expect from it. Although it might not be expert in your field, it is in its specialist subjects: research, collation, writing and editing to best effect.

Impartiality, distance and perspective are the benefits which outsourcing brings to your content. A good agency cuts through jargon, says what you want to say clearly and in a manner that your customers, prospects and staff will understand.

Don’t die in the communications battle: outsource the creation of your quality content to protect your Achilles heel.