We all know that working in comms means wearing lots of different hats – writer, proofreader, social media whizz, event organiser, project manager – and that’s before we start on the random tasks that always seem to be passed to comms, such as sorting out signage or arranging a car parking space.
by Ali Marsland
We love the variety of the role, but it can also be challenging. You’re pulled in different directions and don’t have enough time to get through your ever-increasing workload. There are press releases and blog posts to write, newsletters to send, an annual report to draft, stakeholder meetings to organise, public engagement events to promote and more; an extra pair of hands could make all the difference.
Comms pros are renowned for being able to spin plenty of plates, but if we hadn’t realised it before, over the last couple of years I think we’ve all learned how important our mental health is – and while getting a bit of extra help might still feel like admitting defeat, it can be a winning combination.
With the world of work being as flexible as it is these days, increasing capacity doesn’t need to mean advertising a vacancy and going through a lengthy hiring process. Freelancers, agencies, interim roles, part-time staff, job-shares, remote working ... extra support can come in many forms and a temporary external solution can bring a number of advantages.
In case you (or your manager) need a little convincing, here are five reasons to consider using external support:
1. External eyes offer a fresh perspective
A fresh pair of eyes is often needed in comms. From proofreading a document you’ve read over and over to taking complex information and making it easy to read, an external contractor will approach your projects from a different angle and make sure your message isn’t getting lost.
Creating a consistent tone of voice in large documents with multiple contributors (such as an annual report) can be tricky; a fresh pair of eyes can review the copy to check for tone, accuracy and consistency throughout.
It’s also easier for an external comms professional to avoid getting caught up in day-to-day issues and to stay objective; they can simply focus on the task at hand and get the job done.
2. More people means more expertise
Working with external specialists who have a range of skills and experience gives you a larger resource of brainpower and talent. Using an agency increases that resource even further as it gives you access not just to one experienced freelancer, but to a team of talented comms professionals with different specialisms and knowledge – all in one place. So, when you need detailed proofreading, creative writing, eye-catching design and a bit of video editing, an agency will be able to match their best-qualified expert to each task – saving you time and energy trying to find a ‘unicorn’ who can do everything.
3. A temporary fix can save time…
Finding, hiring and training new team members is time consuming, but an experienced external comms pro can often step into the breach and get started right away. For example, at Sorted Communications, because of our fully remote set-up and flexible approach, once we have the official paperwork in place, we can be getting started on your work the same day.
We regularly support clients for a few weeks or months while they work to fill vacancies in their teams and can step in quickly to pick up the tasks that still need to be done when you’re short-staffed.
4. … and money
Having good external support in place might even mean you don’t need to take on a new team member at all. If your workload varies throughout the year, it can be more cost-effective to outsource the work to a reliable, flexible comms professional just when needed.
And we all know how often timelines move – that project you thought was going to hit in February still hasn’t been given the go-ahead in April. By using external support, you can have extra capacity available at short notice without making a long-term financial commitment.
5. Extra hands means less work for you!
And less work for you means less stress, and better results for everyone.
When you’ve got a heavy workload or a colleague has been signed off sick, there’s a risk of missing deadlines, producing inferior work or just not getting the work done at all. There isn’t time to do everything – and do it well. Outsourcing a project (for example, producing a publication such as a newsletter, brochure or annual report) can relieve the pressure and free you up to focus on the bigger picture.
Or you might prefer to work the other way round – bring in an extra pair of hands to take care of the day-to-day tasks to give you space to focus on managing the project. Some of our clients use us an extra team member with undefined flexible hours and just ping us an email whenever they need anything.
We write a lot of case studies, blog posts and articles, edit reports and proofread all kinds of publications, but we’ve also researched contact details, checked web links, sourced translation, arranged photoshoots and even beautified spreadsheets – complete with drop-down options and conditional formatting! Working this way allows our clients to focus on the projects that really need their attention, knowing that everything else is still getting done.
If you’re struggling with wearing too many hats at once, using a freelancer or agency on a flexible contract could be the answer.
For more information have a look at some of our other blogs for advice and tips on working with an external supplier, or contact us today. We can help get your communications sorted.
Ali Marsland is director of Sorted Communications
