Donald C. Kelly on Who Should Produce Your Content

Picture this: You notice that your dog’s breath smells awful, so you Google "dog dental care tips." One article is written by a veterinarian and mentions scientific studies. But the next one is filled with advice that seems impractical and even pseudoscience-y. By the time you finish, you’re wondering if the author has ever even owned a dog, or if they’re just a random content creator.

As more businesses invest in content marketing, the chorus of voices online has swelled. But as this scenario shows, content is only as strong as the person behind it. The right speaker — someone who’s authoritative and informed — can create content that actually resonates with customers. By contrast, the wrong voices might miss the mark entirely, or just churn out a lot of mediocre content.

“Every company should create some form of content, yes — but not everyone needs to hop behind a mic,” observes Kelly. In other words, who manages your content production is just as important as what they say.

Learn more from Donald C. Kelly, the founder and CEO of The Sales Evangelist, on setting yourself up for success by choosing the right storytellers for your brand.

Having the Right Voice

Everyone has a personal voice. It’s easy to spot someone from the Midwest, for instance, when they use phrases like “ope!” or ask for “pop” instead of “soda.” And your fun-loving Gen Z intern probably uses more emojis than a reserved 50-something sales rep.

On the other hand, most businesses aim to have a consistent brand voice. This is a recognizable personality that a brand presents across all platforms, from billboards to Instagram. While individual content producers can (and should) bring a little personal flair to their work, they should always match the brand voice.

Take Clutch for example, the B2B reviews platform focuses on publishing thought leadership articles produced by its marketing team and experienced industry professionals to bring invaluable content to browsers. These producers focus on providing insightful and data-driven content to help businesses navigate the B2B space.

Choosing content creators who fit your brand voice builds trust and recognition with your audience. They always know what to expect when they view your content, as though your brand is a trustworthy friend. Plus, a consistent voice helps your content stand out in the virtual ocean of articles and videos.

Who Should Produce Your Content?

Content production requires hands-on attention from different team members and producers. Even if you only dip your toes in a few marketing channels, the amount of content you need can add up quickly. For example, a weekly blog post and daily social media posts would total over 400 pieces of content a year — not exactly a one-person job.

Properly allocating content creation tasks for different types of content also requires you to identify the right person to work on particular forms of content.

Kelly shares his team’s experience assigning tasks and identifying the ideal people to create content “We’ve had situations like this: Jack, the marketing director, comes up with a killer concept for a podcast. The idea’s solid—but Jack might not be the best person to host. And that’s okay.

“Maybe Mary on the team has the voice, the energy, the charisma—that “it” factor to be a great host,” he adds. “Identifying the right person to carry the brand voice makes a huge difference.”

Here are a few types of content producers to consider for your team.

Founder or Internal Expert

The best people to handle your content production may already work for your business. After all, your leadership team probably has unique insights that your customers would be interested in hearing.

Content created by these thought leaders can be incredibly persuasive, especially in the business-to-business (B2B) world. According to a 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn survey, 90% of B2B decision-makers are more receptive to marketing from companies that consistently publish strong thought leadership.

Here are a few more benefits of relying on internal experts:

• You can skip time-consuming hiring and onboarding processes.
• They’re already intimately familiar with your brand voice and target audience.
• They have more authority than people from outside your industry.
• The company already pays their salary, reducing costs.

However, your founder or leadership team may not have enough time to consistently produce content. And just because someone’s an expert in, say, engineering or payroll software doesn’t mean they’re a talented writer. That means you may need to spend a lot of time editing and revising their drafts to prepare them for publication.

In-House Marketing Team

Traditionally, many companies have hired full-time or part-time marketers to manage their content production. These in-house employees work exclusively on your campaigns and become deeply familiar with your brand.

Building a marketing team has many advantages, including:

• Ability to collaborate with other departments
• More consistent brand voice
• Total control over every aspect of content production, from brainstorming to proofreading

Of course, a dedicated marketing staff is a big investment. Salaries, benefits, equipment — it’s expensive, to say the least. Plus, it takes time to hire experts, so you can’t scale up content production overnight.

Freelancers or Ghostwriters

Sometimes, businesses only need sporadic content — a few blog posts in January, an Instagram campaign in February, and so on. Hiring freelancers or ghostwriters lets you pay for content whenever you need it.

Here are a few pros of outsourcing your content production to freelancers:

• Can quickly scale your content by hiring more freelancers
• Save money by paying an hourly or per-project rate instead of a salary
• Access specialized skills, such as video editing or research

It takes time for freelancers to learn your brand voice, though. And most professionals have multiple clients, so they may not be available if you need a last-minute press release or video.

Content Marketing and Production Agencies

Content agencies have full-fledged teams, making it easy to scale production. They also handle all the hiring and talent management.

However, agencies often charge high prices for this convenience. It makes sense: you’re essentially hiring an entire external marketing team. Their creators may also lack in-depth knowledge of your industry, requiring you to fact-check and edit their content.

Thorough Audience Research

Before choosing your content production team, consider your audience’s interests and needs. This shouldn’t be a big mystery. Your customers are already talking about what they care about online, so just listen to them.

During our interview, Kelly advises brands to listen to their audiences by leveraging community forums and social media platforms. He explains “Nobody’s leaving detailed reviews or forum posts unless they care—whether it's out of frustration or need. That’s gold.”

“Use that real-world language and those real-world problems to build your content strategy,” he adds as he elaborates how marketers can maximize their findings. “Because when you do, you’re not guessing—you’re delivering what your audience is already searching for.”

Platforms like Quora and Reddit often contain a wealth of information. Pay attention to any recurring topics and concerns that you can address in your content. For instance, you may notice that people frequently ask for software recommendations on Reddit.

You could join these conversations by hiring authoritative creators to produce listicles, such as “10 Best Platforms for X.” How-to guides and tutorials can also help you engage potential customers.

Choosing Your Brand’s Content Producer

At this point, you have at least a general idea of what type of content you want to share. These best practices will help you find the right producer to kickstart your campaign:

1. Develop a clear and consistent brand voice. Outlining your ideal tone will make it easier to screen candidates and pick the right fit.
2. Define your content goals and needs. You may feel tempted to start brainstorming content right away, but consider what you want to accomplish first. For example, social media posts can help you attract Gen Z leads. Meanwhile, business executives may gravitate toward thought leadership and white papers. Choose a creator who specializes in your audience and content type.
3. Make sure they understand your customers and have “audience fluency.” That means that they can quickly adapt their content to different groups — busy moms today, teenagers tomorrow.
4. Assess their strategic thinking. Ask about how they plan content and refine it over time.
5. Feel their chemistry with your brand. Consider inviting the most promising candidates to create a paid trial piece or two to see how well they mesh with your business.

With a little patience, you can find your Goldilocks content producer who fits your brand perfectly.

What NOT To Do When Choosing Your Brand’s Content Producer

As you research content creators, avoid these common mistakes:

1. Don’t assume one person can do everything.
2. Don’t prioritize sparkle over substance. It’s better to have solid, well-researched content than stylish fluff.
3. Don’t rush the hiring process. This person will represent your brand, so choose carefully.
4. Don’t fail to align on strategy.
5. Don’t skip an audience test. After all, even the flashiest content won’t help you if your customers don’t understand it and — even more importantly — enjoy it.

The more effort you put into the hiring process, the more likely you are to pick a creator you truly love.

The Producer Is Essential to the Strategy

Content production isn’t just about using the perfect keywords or chasing trendy topics. The most successful businesses choose the right people to tell their stories. That means investing in experts who really get your audience and adapt to your brand voice.

Of course, content creation doesn’t take place in a vacuum. You should also look for producers who are eager to collaborate with your marketing, sales, and product teams. By avoiding silos, you can develop genuinely valuable content that helps you achieve your big-picture goals.

About Donald C. Kelly, The Sales Evangelist

Donald C. Kelly, is the Founder and CEO of The Sales Evangelist, helping create business development and growth strategies for small and mid-sized businesses.

About the Author

Elaine Margrethe Alcantara Content Writer at Clutch

Elaine Margrethe is a part of Clutch’s global team of writers. She is responsible for writing blogs, supporting blog processes, and content creation efforts.

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