Being a marketing agency is a tough business. You’re courting clients who refuse to pay a premium for quality work when the other agency down the lane is willing to do the same thing for half the cost. The result is an obsession with operational effectiveness — faster, cheaper, and more efficient. Win the deal. Make payroll.
In the 2010s, when content marketing was booming, the demand for content writers went through the roof. And writers, who have historically struggled to make a living because they’ve cared too much about their craft, have dabbled with journalism and other avenues to make ends meet. Content marketing helped them find a solid footing to do great work while earning a great living, but they also witnessed the rise of a new breed of “content writers,” basically anyone who knew English and could write an SMS or an email.
Now, when clients approached you, the writer, you would quote something based on the value and impact of the content they would develop. But that random dude on Fiverr.com quoted $5 an hour, while our friendly and savvy content writer will charge $10 an hour with unlimited iterations. And it’s the 29th of the month, and you haven’t scored a project yet, what are your options?
The moment you realize that you’re far better than the competition in terms of capability, and yet you don’t have an option but to compete for price, it’s a race to the bottom. And ironically, it’s a losing battle, even if you win.
You’ve probably seen this when outsourcing a project to an agency or an independent contractor — for some reason, your focus is on getting the biggest bang for your buck. So, you negotiate, hoping to get a great deal, completely forgetting about the quality that you’re looking to achieve. Why? Because in your head, the vendors/service partners are providing the exact same services. And when everyone seems to be offering the same value, price is the only differentiator.