A content marketing agency is a company that helps businesses create, distribute, and promote content for websites, blogs, social media, paid ads, and more.

This content aims to improve every stage of the digital marketing funnel, fuel SEO, increase brand awareness and recognition, engage target audiences, build trust, and drive desired actions, such as sales or sign-ups. 72% of content marketers say that content generates more conversions and increases leads.

The agency's team typically consists of project and account managers, content strategists, content writers, editors, SEO experts, graphic designers, and other specialists.

A content marketing agency typically offers a wide range of services to help their clients achieve their marketing objectives. These may include:

• Content audit: Agency experts inspect and evaluate existing content on client’s websites, including homepages, landing pages, blogs, About Us pages, Terms & Conditions pages, and more. By identifying the site’s strengths and weaknesses, marketers can develop a strategy for improvement. 
• Content creation: To earn the trust of audiences, content marketing agencies create, edit, and publish written and visual content that is SEO-optimized, authentic, reliable, and high-quality. The types of content they produce include blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, social media posts, and more.  
• Content strategy: Content strategists craft a tailored strategy that focuses on the client’s target market and find the best methods to reach the right audience. They outline the goals, target audience (a.k.a. buyer persona), content types, distribution channels, and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement, conversion, and reputation. 
• Content distribution: Agencies efficiently distribute and promote content through various digital channels, including websites, social media platforms, email newsletters, and third-party publications. As such, a content marketing agency may also specialize in email marketing or viral marketing. 
• SEO: Content marketing agencies may have SEO specialists onboard to help optimize and analyze web content, conduct keyword research, and boost website traffic. 
• Analytics and reporting: Monitoring content performance is a significant part of a content marketer’s job. They analyze the data, measure the success of their strategies, and regularly report on their findings.

Here are some of the best-performing types of content that these companies produce: 

• Blog posts: Content marketing specialists use the right keywords and implement SEO best practices to help businesses rank higher on search engines and reach their target audience.  
• Infographics: Infographics are educational and highly engaging, driving about 40% of engagement across all visual content types in 2019. 
• Videos: Content marketers can create visual content that is easier to process and more engaging than text. According to Cisco, video accounts for 82% of global internet traffic. 
• Case studies: This type of content explains how a product can solve a niche problem, building trust with consumers, and leading to more conversions. 
• eBooks: eBooks are full of information that answers a certain question or solves a problem. Brands use these to demonstrate their credibility and expertise in their field. 

Content marketing agencies cost between $2,500 to $10,000 per month. They typically charge hourly or a monthly retainer price. The top 50 content marketing agencies on DesignRush charge an average of $112/hour. 

Content marketing agencies in the US usually charge from $50 to $275 per hour, while firms located in Eastern Europe are significantly cheaper, costing from $25 to $75 per hour.

The cost of content marketing services will differ from agency to agency and depends on the following factors: 

• Project scope 
• Number of content marketers involved 
• Type of content marketing services you need 
• Third-party charges such as paid advertising 
• Agency reputation (e.g., awards, brand-name clients, and more) 

Before hiring a content marketing agency consider your budget and industry standard. Studies show that 22% of professional B2B marketers allot 50% of their marketing budgets to content. 

Roughly 13.8% of the content marketing agencies on DesignRush accept projects with a minimum budget of $1,000, while only 2% have a $50,000+ minimum budget. 

You should hire a content marketing agency to ensure you have tailor-made content that engages your audience and drives results across all your touchpoints. Hiring professionals to produce your content can offer several additional advantages, including:

1. Professional market research 

These companies are experts in creating content that sells. Before they even start developing it, they research your audience’s behavior to choose the right content types and channels. 

2. Resource savings 

Content marketing requires significant time and effort, from research and content creation to distribution and analysis. By outsourcing these tasks to a content marketing agency, you can free up your internal team to focus on other core business activities. 

3. Expertise and experience 

Content marketing agencies typically have a team of industry writers and SEO professionals with specialized skills in content strategy, creation, distribution, and promotion. 

4. Access to tools and technology 

Content marketing agencies often have access to premium tools and software that can enhance content creation, distribution, and analytics. 

5. Data-driven strategies 

Many content marketing agencies rely on data and analytics to measure the performance of your content. This data-driven approach helps them refine strategies, optimize content, and identify what resonates best with your audience. 

6. Scalability 

Agencies are equipped to handle projects of various sizes. Whether you need a one-off campaign or ongoing content support, they can scale their services to meet your requirements. 

7. Fresh perspective 

An external agency brings a fresh perspective to your content marketing efforts. They can provide new ideas, creative approaches, and insights from working with different clients across diverse industries. 

8. Industry knowledge 

Content marketing agencies keep up with the latest industry trends and best practices, ensuring your content strategies remain relevant and effective. 

9. Return on investment (ROI) 

A content marketing agency helps you get more value for your money. It uses its expertise to create strategies that attract more customers and increase sales, giving you a better return on investment. The average ROI for every $1 spent on content marketing is $2.77. 

Below are some statistics that demonstrate the benefits of hiring a professional content marketing agency: 

• Improved search engine rankings: Content marketers are also SEO experts, optimizing your website according to the best practices and improving your rankings. Since SEO drives over 1,000% more traffic compared to organic social media, it's a valuable investment. 
• Increased website traffic: Ranking higher on search engines increases your website traffic. In fact, the #1 search result in Google receives 31.7% of all clicks. The best content marketing agencies create strategies that boost your visibility and the number of visitors to your site. 
• High-quality leads: By producing content that targets the needs of your audience, an agency can generate high-quality prospects who are more likely to convert and make a purchase. Websites that have blogs typically generate 67% more leads monthly compared to websites without blogs. 
• Higher credibility and brand loyalty: Content that answers questions and solves problems builds more trust among readers. This is confirmed by 88% of marketers who have effectively increased brand awareness, credibility, and trust through content marketing. 
• More conversions: Companies that share content have 6x higher conversion rates than their competition. By creating valuable content, the best content marketing agencies can help you outperform your competitors and drive more conversions.

Content marketing is a cost-effective investment. The sooner you start nurturing your website with high-quality visuals and text, the quicker you will see the desired results. 

This is demonstrated in a case study for customer payment software company CORE. With an old website and little know-how in digital marketing, CORE needed help to make its online presence better. In 2021, it asked Big Leap to create a new website with strong SEO and good content. 

Big Leap made a detailed plan for the website, wrote specific pages for different industries, and added high-quality blog posts. It also improved the website's speed and layout to get more traffic. After Big Leap's work, CORE's website started performing better, with an increase of 5,170% in site impressions, 26% in organic traffic, and 6,694 keyword positions.

While they may differ in branding, services, and workflow, the top content marketing companies share some similar qualities, such as: 

• They know their audience: Always look for a partner that can clearly articulate the strategy behind their market research and content creation process. 
• They are guided by data: Content marketing companies should rely on hard data to create better, more targeted campaigns and not be afraid to pivot if necessary.  
• They focus on quality, not quantity: While it’s important to push out regular content, a quality product is much more essential to your content marketing strategy. The best content marketers offer a healthy combination of both. 
• They are pros at promotion: For content to generate results, it has to be seen by the right audience. Top content marketing companies are experts at both content development and content promotion.

Choosing the right content marketing agency is crucial for the success of your marketing efforts. Here are some key steps to help you find the best fit for your business: 

1. Define your content marketing goals: Determine what specific services you need, such as content strategy, content creation, SEO, or social media management. 
2. Research relevant agencies: Look for content marketing agencies that have experience working with businesses in your industry or niche. Ask for recommendations from colleagues, check online reviews and ratings, and browse agency websites, such as DesignRush, to gather information about their services and expertise. 
3. Assess their expertise: Ensure that the agency has expertise in the specific areas you require. 
4. Budget and pricing: While cost is an important factor, avoid choosing an agency solely based on the lowest price. Focus on the value they provide and how their services can positively impact your business. 
5. Review their portfolio and case studies: Request samples of their previous work or explore their portfolio and case studies. This will give you an idea of their content quality, creativity, and the results they've achieved for other clients. 
6. Ask about their content strategy approach: Discuss their content strategy approach and how they align content creation with your business goals. A good content marketing agency should have a well-defined process for developing and executing a content strategy. 
7. Ask about reporting and analytics: Inquire about their reporting practices. The agency should provide regular performance reports and metrics to measure the success of its content marketing efforts. 
8. Communication and collaboration: Ensure that the agency's communication style and workflow align with your expectations. Effective communication is crucial for a successful partnership. 
9. Examine their online presence: A reputable content marketing agency should have a strong online presence, including an informative website, active social media profiles, and relevant content showcasing their expertise. 
10. Engage in face-to-face interactions: Schedule meetings or calls with potential agencies to get to know their team, culture, and approach. This will help you determine if there's a good fit between your organizations. 
11. Check client testimonials and references: Reach out to past or current clients of the agency to get firsthand feedback on their experiences. Client testimonials and references can provide valuable insights into the agency's performance, communication, and reliability. 
12. Shortlist candidates: Based on your research, narrow your list to up to five agencies. Reach out to them and express your intent to partner with them. Send a request for proposal (RFP) to each.  
13. Review proposals: The proposals submitted will provide information about agencies’ hard skills, but they also show their enthusiasm for researching and learning more about your brand.  
14. Arrange interviews: Get to know the shortlisted candidates personally and discuss the proposals in more detail.  
15. Make a final decision: After evaluating the proposals and interviews, choose the agency partner that best meets your requirements and budget. It should also align with your work culture and ethics.  

Need help finding the ideal content marketing partner? Go to DesignRush’s Marketplace and tell us more about your project. We’ll connect you with the most suitable companies based on your requirements – for free.

The key questions to ask a potential content marketing partner involve the following: 

Its Relevant Background 

1. How extensive are your content marketing services, team, and experience? 
2. What content platforms do you specialize in (e.g., blogs, social media, email marketing)? 
3. What are some examples of content strategies you've developed for clients in our industry? Do you have references from past clients with similar content marketing needs? 
4. Have you worked with companies within my industry, perhaps even competitors? 

Company Services and Processes 

1. What's your process for developing a content strategy from initial research to execution? 
2. What tools and software do you use for content creation, distribution, and analysis? 
3. What SEO best practices do you incorporate in your content creation? 
4. How will you promote the content that you will develop for us? 
5. How do you plan to integrate our content with other marketing activities, such as SEO, social media, emails, and paid ads? 

The Project 

1. Do you handle content marketing in-house, or do you outsource it? 
2. How much involvement is required from our team in the content creation process? 
3. What tangible results can we expect from our collaboration? What metrics will your reports include? 
4. How do you price your services for a project like ours? Do you work on a retainer, project-based, or other fee structure?

Content marketers tend to gravitate toward certain locations where they can work well and find opportunities. Typically big cities, these places offer the right environment for content creators and digital nomads to connect, access resources, and get inspired. Some of the most popular ones are:

• Miami
• New York
• Atlanta
• Los Angeles
• Chicago
• San Diego
• Boston
• Dubai
• London
• Vancouver
• Delhi

The best content marketing companies in the U.S. are: 

• Big Leap 
  • 4.8 stars on DesignRush (8 reviews) 
  • 4.8 stars on Google (73 reviews) 
  • Top clients: BambooHR, Avis, Pluralsight, Empire Today 
• Higher Visibility 
  • 4.9 stars on DesignRush (19 reviews) 
  • 4.4 stars on Google (132 reviews) 
  • Top clients: Warner Bros., eBay, Caliber Collision, BBQGuys 
• fuze32 Marketing 
  • Top clients: Missouri Vein Care, Firepot Nomadic Teas, Hodges Roofing & Siding, Winter-Dent 
• Sitemap.io 
  • 4.9 stars on DesignRush (10 reviews) 
  • Top clients: DeWalt, Rush Order Tees, CPO Outlets, Ring's End 
• Ignite Visibility 
  • 4.9 stars on DesignRush (14 reviews) 
  • 4.5 stars on Google (55 reviews) 
  • Top clients: Door Dash, Tony Robbins, Wedding Wire, 5 Hour Energy 

Scroll up and learn more about their specializations, successful work, clientele, and more. Scan through the rest of the listing and sort your options based on location, testimonials, fees, team size, and other valuable parameters.