Content marketing is a demanding approach, one that  requires a lot of work and attention. 

It's quite a challenge, but one that often pays off: the results of Content Marketing are even quite incredible:

The cost of doing content marketing is 62% cheaper than outbound marketing and generates nearly three times as many leads (source: DemandMetric).

But good content is not enough, you also need good relationships with those who provide it to you.

Agency or freelancer network?

While keeping your strategic vision for content, good partners can also provide support, whether you use a content-marketing agency, a strategy consultant or a freelancer.

Who should you be working with ?

Since launching The Super Agency, we've found that the best results - and the best achievements - have come after forging relationships over the long haul.

With the proliferation of freelance platforms, some digital project managers increasingly prefer transactional work to ongoing collaboration.

What is transactional work? 

Transactional work takes place in a limited time and context.

It involves the performance of a task in exchange for a previously agreed-upon sum of money. Once the work is done, the parties finalize the transaction and move on.

There is no such thing

There is no real investment in this type of working relationship and the tasks to be accomplished are not scaled into a larger corporate vision and culture.

Why is transactional work working so well?

The rise of transactional work can be attributed to many factors:

• Projects are increasingly oriented toward ROI. Or this one is easier to calculate with well-defined costs than by integrating the hidden costs of wage labor.

• Content marketing executives are looking to reduce their costs. They are more interested in what they spend than what they get for their investment;

• The proliferation of talent available on demand gives companies the impression that they can get anything they want;

• Some project managers are often more focused on getting a project done than on thinking around the actual relevance of getting that project done and its end result.

Limits to transactional work

Purely transactional relationships limit effective work in several ways.

• They limit problem-solving abilities. When you only understand part of the problem, it is difficult to be proactive and have a clear understanding of a client's needs. The initial request for the assignment may be poorly worded and the issues poorly explained, the freelancer will not be able to correct course in a transactional context.
• The quality of the work can suffer. With the sharp rise in freelancing platforms, creative work has become assembly line work for some. If you're commissioning the writing of articles that essentially consist of formatting a bunch of words to meet your publication quota, you're not doing anyone any favors.

Note that your content must exist for the sole purpose of strategically solving the problems of your Buyer Personas to thereby create trust and showcase your expertise in your industry.

• Work well done is not valued. Transactional work does not take into account the quality of work performed and the people behind a project are not sufficiently considered.
• This creates inconsistencies with branding and marketing. Content marketing should help you tell a consistent brand story. Too many stakeholders and a lack of oversight can hurt your brand more than help it.

Thus, by working with a content marketing agency over the long term, you avoid the pitfalls of managing an army of providers on a case-by-case basis. Everything is managed through one point of entry, ensuring efficiency and consistency