Content Creation Outsourcing: Its Services, Benefits, and Impact on E-Commerce Businesses

Content is king. It is the driving force behind engagement, especially in an industry where attention is the new currency. Whether your business requires marketing advertisements or training materials for call centers for e-commerce, the demand for high-caliber content continues to rise.

However, creating quality copy or visuals can be time-consuming and costly. Thus, many e-commerce businesses outsource content creation. This practice is highly advantageous, allowing them to streamline tasks without compromising excellence or their financial health.

This article discusses business process outsourcing (BPO) for content, its services, benefits, long-term effects, and misconceptions. Keep reading to learn more.

Content development processes e-commerce businesses can outsource

What is BPO’s role in streamlining content creation? This approach involves delegating secondary functions, such as writing website blogs, to a third-party provider. E-commerce shops outsource content creation for various purposes. For ease, let us classify BPO solutions into two main categories: marketing and customer service. 

These two services require expert writing and graphic design skills. While both contribute to a business’s overall success, they require different types of content. Below is a quick rundown of their key distinctions.

For e-commerce marketing

Planning, developing, and publishing content is crucial for any business’s growth. However, these tasks can be time-consuming without qualified expertise. Outsourcing content creation for e-commerce marketing provides you with professionals who help ensure consistent and quality materials. 

BPO teams can create the following kinds of marketing content:

• Blog posts and articles. These resources establish credibility and often cover informative and engaging content on industry trends, product insights, and customer stories. BPO teams leverage search engine optimization (SEO), topic and keyword research, and content writing and editing expertise to maximize blog effectiveness.
  
• Social media posts. Consistently posting engaging social media content can help your business increase brand recognition and establish itself in the industry. Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, company news, and customer stories can humanize the brand and build rapport with potential customers.
  
• Email marketing campaigns. These are personalized newsletters, promotional offers, and reminders. Developing a successful email marketing campaign requires scheduling, list management, workflow creation, design and development, and performance study. Your e-commerce shop can outsource this type of content creation to improve efficiency. 
• Product descriptions. These written pieces provide information about product features, benefits, and specifications. Highlighting these factors is crucial to attracting customers and keeping them engaged. Maintaining feature accuracy and a consistent brand voice across all product descriptions makes for more engaging content.
  
• Product photos and videos. Media is a powerful tool for converting leads and generating sales. In fact, 87.6% of surveyed respondents state that product photos play a vital role in shopping experiences. The right resolution, product placement, props, and lighting can increase the appeal of any product.
  
• Infographics and data visualization. Presenting complex information in a creative and easily understandable way increases customer engagement. However, choosing the right words to include, designing the visual, and publishing the content takes a lot of time and effort. Thus, many businesses outsource this task.

For e-commerce customer service

On the other hand, what is e-commerce customer service outsourcing? This process involves subcontracting inbound and outbound customer service operations, allowing third-party agents to offer consumers advice before, during, and after their purchase. 

Customers can receive support directly and indirectly. Direct customer service entails consumers and contact center agents interacting through phone, email, chat, and other communication channels.

Indirect support leverages content creation to assist with self-service portals and other resources, such as:

• Knowledge base articles. This content provides users with data to solve typical issues and explain complex concepts. It often includes step-by-step instructions and organized troubleshooting guides. E-commerce outsourcing teams specializing in content creation can make these articles easy to understand and follow.
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs) page. An FAQ page is a collection of common inquiries and their answers, which helps reduce support volumes. It is direct, focusing on relevant information and addressing the core of each question. E-commerce shops should update their FAQs regularly to reflect any changes in policies and products.
• Customer service scripts. A well-structured and consistent call center interaction helps improve customer experiences; scripts are vital to achieving this goal. They are pre-written dialogues agents follow word-for-word during specific interactions. Greetings, introductions, troubleshooting steps, and closing remarks typically follow scripts.
  
• Call center guides. Similar to customer service scripts, call guides are crucial for effective support interactions. However, they are more flexible, providing agents with only outlines and frameworks to serve as a roadmap for their processes. They allow customer service representatives more flexibility to tailor their approach accordingly.
• Email templates. These templates are pre-formatted drafts. They are used to create personalized emails efficiently, serving as a starting point and providing basic structure and critical elements. Effective email templates should include a clear and concise subject line and tone.
• Social media customer service. Connecting with consumers through social media is a powerful customer service strategy. E-commerce businesses can respond to inquiries and issues, provide information and updates, and build relationships and communities through posts. This approach lets online shops offer support on a more personal level.

How e-commerce businesses can benefit from outsourced content creation

Outsourcing offers many advantages that can help businesses scale, improve support operations, and reduce costs. These features make it an attractive strategy for online retailers.

According to Grand View Research, the global BPO market value in 2022 was $261.9 billion and can grow by 9.4% by 2030. Below are the different benefits you can enjoy through this practice, specifically in content creation.

Reduced operating expenses

Affordable call center services and business process solutions are the main advantages of partnering with a BPO provider. Outsourcing is typically less expensive than operating in-house due to various factors, including:

• Minimized overhead. Outsourcing typically involves remote professionals. Remote setups allow you to save on office space and rent. This arrangement also means you no longer have to worry about paying extra for equipment and utilities.
• Lower labor costs. Working with a BPO team that operates in regions with lower living expenses accounts for more economical wages and salaries. For example, businesses that outsource to the Philippines enjoy 70% savings on labor costs.
  
• Eliminated benefits expenses. E-commerce outsourcing providers specializing in content creation often cover their teams’ benefit packages. They provide health insurance, paid time off, overtime, and retirement plans.
• Fewer technological expenses. BPO providers leverage the latest technologies and infrastructures. Partnering with a service vendor with your required tools helps avoid costly investments, purchases, and subscriptions.

You can reallocate these cost savings to other aspects of your business, such as product development or market expansion. 

Improved access to content creators and specialists

Building a dedicated content creation team requires recruiting and retaining skilled writers, editors, designers, and videographers. 

Internal teams may lack the diverse skillsets needed to produce various content formats efficiently. Finding qualified local talent without breaking the bank might also be challenging. 

Outsourcing lets you tap into a global talent pool of specialists skilled and knowledgeable in content creation best practices and trends. BPO teams can help you create effective marketing and customer service content through their:

• Excellent command of language. Language is critical to creating compelling content and shaping customer perceptions. Every word, phrase, and sentence used has the potential to influence how customers think and feel about your shop. Third-party writers are well-versed in utilizing urgency and emotions for persuasive language.
  
• Deep understanding of target audiences. Larger and more experienced e-commerce outsourcing teams have a wider range of data and resources for content creation. This information can help them understand your shop’s target audience and pain points. Third-party professionals also use this data to predict consumer trends and demands.
  
• Effective adoption of brand identity. BPO providers have dedicated training programs that teach their teams to learn and adapt to their client’s brand voice and tone. It includes reading guidelines, creating brand-harmonious content, and using the correct assets. They also collaborate with clients to ensure accurate and consistent adaptation.

Guaranteed leverage of content management tools

As mentioned, outsourcing companies carry various technologies that can streamline marketing and call center content creation. Here are a few essential tools and software they utilize:

• Content management systems (CMS). WordPress, Drupal, and Magento provide a central repository for storing and managing all content. CMS also facilitates collaboration and workflow management, ensures version control, and enables publication scheduling, allowing you to track and maintain consistent and timely content.
• Marketing automation tools. Developing and maintaining email marketing campaigns, drip sequences, and social media promotions and interactions can be daunting. Marketing automation tools allow you to avoid manually doing these tasks. They can also personalize content for each user through platforms such as HubSpot and Marketo.
• Product information management (PIM) systems. E-commerce outsourcing lets you streamline content creation through this technology. PIM systems provide an integrated place to collect, store, manage, and update product information and catalogs, ensuring data consistency across all sales channels.
• Content optimization tools. BPO teams use grammar and plagiarism checker tool to ensure credibility and professionalism across all content. They also leverage SEO tools to improve organic visibility and traffic and content analysis software to assess and improve the performance of your website and posts.
• Artificial intelligence (AI). This technology is among the leading BPO trends and predictions due to its ability to efficiently generate marketing and call center content. In a study submitted to the National Bureau of Economic Research, generative AI increases customer support productivity by an average of 14%.

Increased service scope, scalability, and flexibility

Outsourcing lets you add or remove workers as needed, preventing overstaffing and understaffing. Additionally, the provider’s technologies allow you to scale operations up or down to accommodate fluctuating demands and volumes, which may be difficult with limited resources.

Your e-commerce shop significantly benefits from the scalability and flexibility offered by outsourced content creation. They help you adapt strategies, develop new formats, tailor materials to customer preferences, and adapt to emerging trends to remain competitive.

In addition, e-commerce outsourcing empowers you to provide multilingual, round-the-clock, and localized services. BPO providers have a full-scale and readily available team for different work periods, enabling them to work 24/7.

Partnering with a provider that operates in different time zones also allows you to cover shifts beyond your regular business hours. They find an overlap with your operating schedules but typically time in and out within the standard work times in their area.

Meanwhile, working with a team from areas that speak multiple tongues, such as Mexico, helps you easily create content in various languages. AI can also translate and localize product data for international markets.

Enhanced operational efficiency and productivity

Your business can reduce downtime with qualified expertise, sophisticated technologies, and scalable and flexible operations. You and your internal team also have more time and energy to focus on core competencies.

These features help eliminate employee burnout, promote engagement, and increase productivity. Thus, your e-commerce business can improve the efficiency of its operations by outsourcing content creation.

What e-commerce businesses can achieve through effective content

High-quality materials are powerful tools that help online businesses convert readers, drive more revenue, and improve customer experiences. Your e-commerce shop can benefit from effective marketing and self-service customer support by outsourcing content creation. 

Let us discuss the extent of each benefit below.

1. Attracting and engaging customers

High-quality content provides valuable and unique information and resources that help bring users to your website or social media page. Compelling materials, such as blog posts, videos, and infographics, can turn these visitors into buyers.

The longer they stay on your site and interact with your brand, the more likely they are to become customers. Thus, effective content allows e-commerce businesses to generate and convert leads.

2. Improving SEO rankings 

Content with relevant keywords and phrases helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Additionally, regularly publishing fresh and engaging content keeps your website active and relevant in the eyes of search engines.

Creating backlinks from other websites to your materials is essential to further boost your SEO and website authority. According to research by Backlinko, one factor differentiating the #1 Google result from the rest is that it has an average of 3.8 times more backlinks.

E-commerce businesses commonly outsource SEO-related content creation tasks to specialists and writers who can implement such strategies properly.

3. Building brand loyalty and advocacy

Content that provides valuable insights and educational resources establishes your brand as an expert in your industry. Sharing user-generated content (UGC) also helps. Whether through review pages or social media posts, customer feedback fosters community and connection.

You can also build trust and loyalty by responding to customer comments and questions. Active engagement demonstrates your business’s commitment to providing consumers with a positive e-commerce shopping experience.

4. Driving sales and conversions

Strategically worded and placed content significantly impacts lead generation, conversion, and revenue return.

For example, clear and concise product descriptions highlighting key features and benefits can persuade customers to make a purchase. Meanwhile, a compelling and adequately positioned call-to-action (CTA) button prompts visitors to take the next step, whether subscribing or buying. 

In addition, ensuring your email marketing campaigns are effective and personalized drives repeat business and improves customer retention. These benefits increase customers’ lifetime value (CLV) and contribute to your e-commerce shop’s long-term success.

5. Reducing customer support volumes and costs

Comprehensive and proactive self-service resources empower customers to find answers to their questions independently. Such materials include FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and product tutorials.

Thus, your e-commerce shop can minimize support interactions and volumes by outsourcing content creation, reducing the need for additional staff and costly infrastructure.

Addressing common misconceptions about outsourcing

If you are uncertain about outsourcing your content creation processes, your hesitations are valid. Many misconceptions and myths surround this practice due to its popularity. However, falling for these false impressions can lead to missed opportunities.

Let us debunk some of the most common fallacies about outsourcing:

• Outsourcing is only for large companies. Partnering with a BPO provider benefits enterprises of all sizes, from small startups to corporate giants. Small businesses can leverage outsourcing to access talent they may not have in-house, while larger companies can use it to free up internal resources for more central activities.
  
• Outsourcing is only about cost-cutting. While cost reduction is a potential benefit, it is just one piece of the puzzle. Your e-commerce business should consider the full-range potential of outsourcing before partnering with a provider.
  
• Outsourced work is of lower quality. The quality of outputs delivered by BPO teams depends on the BPO partner. You can ensure high-quality deliverables by thoroughly researching and selecting a reliable outsourcing company and creating a detailed service-level agreement (SLA).
  
• Outsourcing leads to loss of control. With careful planning and a transparent contract, your e-commerce shop can maintain control over its outsourced content creation processes. Communication technologies and project management tools enable collaboration and transparency, ensuring projects are up to specifications.
  
• Outsourcing eliminates jobs. While outsourcing can lead to job displacement in some sectors, it also creates new opportunities in others. Additionally, it allows companies to focus on core competencies, leading to increased innovation and growth and ultimately creating more jobs.

The bottom line

In the competitive world of e-commerce, mastering content creation is crucial to establishing a solid brand presence and improving customer experiences. Outsourcing these tasks allows online retailers to access specialized expertise, leverage sophisticated technologies, and increase scalability and flexibility.

Thus, it helps them improve efficiency without incurring additional costs. Let’s connect to learn how your e-commerce store can supercharge operations by outsourcing content creation tasks and more.