Running a revenue-based business and being creative at the same time can be stressful. Whether you are a content creation or marketing agency, there is always a need for quality content. It can be difficult to find reliable sources of content creation on the internet, especially with so many fake and untrustworthy sites.
Luckily, there is a plethora of different services, tools and platforms out there that specialize in content creation. Let’s take a look at some of the most representative examples of services that you can use to outsource your content creation.
Shutterstock
No matter how tech-savvy you are, you have almost surely heard of Shutterstock. This platform specializes in photography and vector graphics and allows people to obtain them at varying prices. Depending on your project’s size and longevity, you can pay less than you would otherwise for a full content license. You can easily contact content creators and ask for specific content that suits your own website, articles or any form of outsourcing you may have in mind. Make sure to check out the extensive and rich library already at your disposal before hiring anyone full-time on Shutterstock. It’s often cheaper and faster to get ready-made content rather than have one created especially for you.
Nostromo
Proper content management and workflow coordination is extremely important. Even if you have hired content creators through other services, you still need a way to make it all “click.” Nostromo, an online project management tool that allows you to easily delegate work, brief content creators and review projects together. Its intuitive design and user interface ensure that anyone can jump in and use it. No matter if your content is outsourced to a third-party or an in-house content creator; tools such as Nostromo play a pivotal role in making sure that you end up with quality work.
Online Writers Rating
Finding genuine and professional writers has never been easy, as text content is one of the most difficult content types to evaluate due to the length and context, as well as the subjective perception of the text as a marketing tool. Online Writers Rating offers the variety of the best writing companies with the ability to sort via price, delivery and quality. User reviews are also included, so it is quite easy to understand who is the professional.  The companies on that website offer professional content creation, editing and proofreading, and can build content strategy upon request, so now you do not need to keep an in-house team of writers that need constant evaluation and trainings.
99 Designs
Visual content, graphic element and creative solutions are what attract new audiences. 99designs is a freelancer platform specializing in all things visual. You can hire people to create UI for your website, develop new UX services for your customers and even rebrand your entire enterprise! The platform operates on a bidding system which ensures you have ample choice in who you will hire in the end. Creating a project and setting a price is all you have to do in order to attract designers and visual artists from across the world to your brand. Content creation outsourced through 99design is always legitimate and fair. There is no reason not to use designers if you have an affordable and good quality option.
Visme Information
Information is essential in ensuring that your content carries weight. There is no better way to emphasize that than through charts, visualized data and infographics. However, hiring a designer only to keep them on a payroll for occasional work isn’t financially prudent for many companies. Searching for reliable companies and the ability to read the reviews on the dedicated sources is also an important part of outsourcing your content creation. Visme is a tool that can help you outsource graphic design tasks to your in-house employees without any worries. The site is intuitive in its presentation and flexibility, ensuring that anyone can make ample use of it. You can easily create amazing infographics and presentations that can be exported and used in web content. In-house outsourcing is often a more viable solution than hiring someone from outside, especially with tools such as Visme that allow for precision design with zero previous knowledge needed.
Video Pixie
As the name would suggest, Video Pixie is a service that allows you to hire video editors, directors, writers and other professionals to create video content for you. Video Pixie offers a library of ready-made materials and the ability to post custom contests similar to 99designs. Once you are satisfied with a pitch that someone made in regards to your needs, you can hire them and work with them for as long as you need. The site is open to both freelancers and project holders alike, meaning that you can also place your own works in a personalized portfolio for others to see and review. This two-fold process is what separates Video Pixie from the rest of the content outsourcing services.
Adobe Stock
Combining most of what makes outsourcing platforms great; Adobe Stock is an all-in-one content resource platform. You can find any type of multimedia content, content creators as well as companies on Adobe Stock. If you are familiar with graphic design, you know that Adobe is one of the most popular providers of design software in the world. The platform also emphasizes full integration with said software, including tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Bridge. Adobe Stock hosts a plethora of professional content that will most likely suit your needs without the explicit need to hire a content creator by yourself. You can quickly find relevant content for your own projects and apply it without unnecessary downtime.
Pond5
Touting itself as the “world’s largest stock library,” Pond5 has a lot to live up to. However, the platform applies both professionalism and creativity in everything it offers. You can easily find audio tracks, visual and sound effects, as well as 3D models and drawings on Pond5. All of this content is available for purchase without having to wait for someone to create it. While you can and should communicate with the original content creators, it is always faster and more affordable to use already prepared content. Outsourcing your specific content creation through Pond5 is a distinct possibility although it’s completely optional. Make sure to rummage through the extensive library of stock content before investing into anything personalized.
Conclusion
With all that said, what is the best content outsourcing platform out there? There really isn’t a right answer – completely depends on your needs. Each service has a specific set of guidelines, a network of professionals and a library of content not available anywhere else. Draw a line in your business and try to think of all the types of content you might need for your site, marketing campaigns and offline advertisement. Knowing what you are looking for will make choosing the right tool for outsourcing that much easier. Also, don’t overlook the option to outsource and in-house, meaning that your employees can often create rudimentary content without the need to spend extra money on professionals. While they may not be able to create masterpieces, their subject matter expertise will often be enough to fit a specific project’s needs.
