Originally published January 17, 2023 , updated on July 12, 2024

Whitepaper writing services are an attractive marketing option for businesses which can be hard to produce in-house. A 2021 TechTarget report found that 71% of business decision-makers will read text content, such as whitepapers when researching for tech purchases. Expertly crafted whitepapers can provide valuable information for your consumers as well. Due to the technical nature of the content, businesses often look to third parties to create effective whitepaper content. Plus, good quality whitepaper writing services require research skills and time, which companies often don’t have.

People often consider using freelancers risky, as you can’t guarantee the quality of the services your business will receive. On the other hand, a professional content writing company eliminates this risk by offering a team of experienced content professionals. However, freelancers tend to be the cheaper option. 

Keep reading to weigh all the pros and cons of using independent writers versus agencies for creating whitepapers.

What Does a Professional Content Writing Company Look Like

The content writing industry has grown massively over the last decade and is only projected to continue growing. This has been to meet the increasing demands of companies focusing on digital marketing efforts, largely brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Statista reveals that companies collectively spent $1.3 trillion on digital transformations. The goal was to make business processes more efficient while making consumer connections easier. More recently, Technavio data put the year-on-year growth of the content marketing industry at 15.25% between 2022-3. It further estimates that the industry will see a growth of $584.02 billion from 2023-7. With whitepapers playing a substantial role in content marketing, this promises that there will be a bigger need for services like whitepaper writing services in the future. 

A professional content writing company helps businesses use digital marketing content to connect with their target audience, driving sales through lead conversions. To help a wide range of businesses achieve a variety of goals, a professional content writing company will likely comprise writers, researchers, editors, graphic designers, illustrators, and marketing strategists.

What is the role of a freelancer?

A freelancer is typically self-employed or independently contracted and not permanently employed by a single company. They are usually paid per job, and the contract is generally short-term. A whitepaper freelance writer, for example, would be hired to write just one piece (or pieces) of content for a client. 

As mentioned, freelance writers are usually the cheaper option if you are looking to outsource your whitepaper writing services due to fewer overheads. However, they tend to work alone and hence, don’t have a team to lean on for additional experience and oversight. We delve deeper into this later in this article.

What Goes into Whitepaper Writing Services

A whitepaper is a long, technical piece of content. It typically delves deep into an industry topic relevant to your business and its audience. Whitepapers usually provide an in-depth analysis, complete with practical solutions to industry issues. As a result, whitepaper writing services require a big investment of time and skill, which isn’t a sacrifice many technical businesses can afford to make. You have to identify a topic of interest to your target audience and present it in a way that’s easy to understand. Businesses can even use whitepapers as bespoke types of content that reward customers. A 2019 report found 49% of those surveyed would share personal data to access a whitepaper. Effective whitepaper writing services can incentivise customers to stay loyal to your business.

Whitepapers can give your business the following marketing benefits:

• Establish your brand as an industry thought leader 
• Make a strong impression on consumers who aren’t familiar with your brand 
• Draw more website traffic 
• Generate qualified leads

Find out more about the business benefits of whitepaper writing services here.

Agency vs Freelancer

Outsourcing the content creation process is beneficial for businesses. That’s because it saves time and resources, which is particularly true for whitepapers, given the research requirements that come with creating the content. When deciding to work with a third party for whitepaper writing services, there are a number of factors to consider.

Quality

For whitepaper writing services, high quality is important to boost your brand image. A whitepaper should be a demonstration of your expertise and professionalism. Poor quality writing undermines this. Using a professional content writing company is more likely to guarantee high-quality whitepaper content due to the size of its team. There’s more quality control, which covers spelling, grammar, punctuation, brand messaging, SEO, accuracy, and audience appeal. 

Experience

While it’s usually the case that most freelancers are experienced content writers, agencies help guarantee this through their hiring process. Furthermore, where you’re getting an individual with a freelancer, a professional content writing company offers a team of experts. This allows content agencies to offer a more comprehensive list of business services. For instance, creating quality animations requires a particular skill set that a freelancer is unlikely to possess alongside writing ability. 

Cost of an Agency vs Freelancer

Freelancers usually set their own rates, which generally correlate to the quality of service – the lower the rate, the poorer the quality. With an agency’s coordinated team, there is less risk of poor quality work. Of course, the cost of whitepaper writing services is only worth it if the content generates a return on investment. This is where a professional content writing company has the edge when comparing agency vs freelancer. They possess deep marketing knowledge, which is used in tandem with content expertise.

Communication

A key aspect of any third-party partner is their ability to communicate clearly with your business. Freelancers typically juggle multiple projects. On the other hand, a professional content writing company devotes a hand-picked team to your whitepaper project. Think of it as an extension of your own business’s marketing team that’s completely loyal to your business’s schedule and goals.

Look No Further Than Goodman Lantern

A whitepaper is often a more complex piece of content to create than a blog or social media post. For that, you need a professional content-writing company like Goodman Lantern.  Our experts create whitepapers that can generate leads year-on-year that you can look back on with pride. We’ll help your business get its message across with content that sells.

Get in touch today.

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