to select the right content marketing agency

Content marketing is possible with just a few key pieces.

Businesses that blog generate 67% higher leads than those that don’t.

They also have 55% higher website traffic and 434% more pages indexed by search engines.

Problem is, how do we put the pieces in motion to achieve results?

Content marketing strategy can be confusing for the uninitiated. It can appear like a huge machine that has many cogs, wheels and whirligigs.

43% Of businesses, they don’t have a written content strategy. They perform worse than brands who do.

Imagine if content could be handed over to someone who knows the details, from creation to publication. Do you have a track record of success?

This is what a content marketing agency does.

A content agency can help you if you don’t have the experience or expertise to create quality content. This article will help you find the best content agency.

What is a Content Marketing Agency?

A content marketing agency is a team of experts that assists businesses in planning, creating, and executing a content marketing strategy.

This team typically includes project and account managers as well as content strategists, editors, content writers, editors and SEO experts. It also includes graphic designers, consultants and salespeople.

What is a content marketing agency?

Full-service agencies can handle all aspects of content marketing. This includes creating and distributing your content to your channels, as well as planning your strategy. They’ll also:

• Make content marketing campaigns.
• To find the right audience, topics and keywords for your brand, do research.
• Make a content calendar for your brand.
• You can create all types of content from blogs and lead magnets to infographics and visual social posts.
• Make sure that a brand’s website and content is search engine optimized.
• Manage your business’ blog and website.
• You can track and measure your results.

A content marketing agency can do everything, as you can see. Their teams are strong and have a wide range of skills. A content agency is a one-stop solution to help you create a content plan or get a project moving.

How to choose a content marketing agency

There are many content marketing agencies available these days.

How can you pick the best one? These are the criteria.

1. Expertise and credibility evidence

Because you’re hiring a content agency, they are supposed to have the expertise your team doesn’t. This means that you need to double-check it is there.

Check out past examples of agency work. For testimonials and case studies, visit their website. You can find a list past clients or partnerships.

Look for past work that is similar to yours. Are they often in your industry? This is especially important for brands operating in niches such as law, finance, healthcare, and law where content standards must be met.

While agencies list their industries on their websites, you can look at examples of work to see if they are able to handle your niche.

It could be that the agency hasn’t had clients yet if it doesn’t have samples on its website. If you have a limited budget, this is not a problem. They may have previous experience that proves their expertise.

You can find bios of staff members and details about their expertise on the “About” page.

2. A good reputation

Are you familiar with the agency from other people? Are there many positive reviews? Or is the agency silent?

You can learn a lot about an agency from the internet. These places will usually have proof of a agency’s reputation.

• The agency’s website features the following:
  • Review
  • Testimonials
  • A list of former clients and partners
• Social media:
  • Customers may leave comments, tags or mentions.
• Review sites such as Agency Match, Clutch.co, and Expertise offer reviews.
• A Google search for the brand name or reviews of “[brandname]” will provide results.

Consider the good, neutral and bad reviews and weigh them against the services you require.

3. A focus on strategy, goals, and ROI

Content marketing is all about strategy. Your content marketing plan is the key to success.

This must include setting goals and how you will track and measure them. It should also specify the type of ROI that you want to see from your content.

78% marketers said that their content marketing was very effective and also reported having a documented strategy according to a Semrush poll. They were most focused on quality content, SEO and visual content when planning.

You can follow a process and documents attached to content marketing to get a roadmap.

The potential agency you are considering is not putting strategy at the core of a content marketing plan. They don’t have a roadmap to help you succeed. You can move on.

4. A talented team of creators

Brands want talented creators behind their content. Content quality is an important Google ranking factor and a major reason why your audience will stick with you.

Think about the subject matter expertise of a creator when assessing their skill.

It’s difficult to create content for many niches without specialist knowledge. Make sure you have the agency that has the right people in place.

Think about what skills are required to create your content. For example, say you need video content creation. You should look elsewhere if the agency doesn’t have videographers.

5. A clear project management process

Content marketing agencies often have to manage multiple clients and projects at different stages. This means that they require good project management skills.

It is important to determine if your agency can deliver results on time and within budget. These criteria will help you determine if they are up to the task.

• Project management is an option that they offer as part of their other offerings.
• These documents provide an overview of the process from idea to results, and everything in between.
• These give you an overview of who will touch your project at which stage.

If you don’t find the information you need on the agency’s website, you can ask the agency if you reach the consultation stage.

6. Communication is key

Communication is the cornerstone of any business relationship. It’s something we all know, but how to put it into practice is another matter.

When you are evaluating the content marketing agencies you choose, be attentive to their communication with you. Poor communication can lead to both the canary and the nail in your coffin.

• What was the response time to your initial inquiry?
• Are you a person who has been passed from one person to another or have you always spoken to the same person?
• Are phone calls and emails answered promptly and politely?
• Do you feel satisfied with the answers to your questions?

Consider this communication your first step in building a relationship.

This will give you a huge clue about how they work together – whether it will be exciting and fun or tedious and difficult. If you feel it isn’t a good match, you probably are right.

7. Marketing with ethical content requires solid values

Content marketing is all about ethics, so you can expect your agency’s to uphold these standards.

On their website, look for the agency’s values. What are they emphasizing? What is important to them? These are the same things that matter to you?

Good agencies will have zero tolerance policies regarding issues such as plagiarism, poor-quality or manipulative content, content only for search engines, and content that violates Google’s spam policies.

A content marketing agency that is right for you should be transparent about their business practices and past clients.

If the agency promises the moon at a ridiculously low price, it’s a red signal. If they seem to be trying to hide something, it’s also a red signal.

Look carefully at their website, ask many questions and get clear answers. The best agency will provide answers and be transparent.

Tips for working with a Content Marketing Agency

Before you work with an agency , it is important to have a basic knowledge of content in order to give your business the best chance for success.

Learn the basics

It’s a good idea for content marketers to learn the basics of content marketing before hiring them. This will help you keep your expectations realistic while also giving you a better understanding about what goes on behind closed doors.

• This overview will give you an overview of how to plan and create a content strategy.
• Find out what high-quality content looks and how to create it (from publishing to planning).
• Content is a long-term strategy. If you are looking for quick wins, it may not be the right game for you.

Know your goals and needs

You should first understand your needs before you hire a content agency. Perhaps you don’t yet have a blog and would like to create a content marketing strategy and system for blogging.

It is important to set clear and achievable goals, with a timeframe for the desired results. What are you hoping the blog will do for your brand over the next six-months? What do you want your blog to accomplish in the next year?

Clearer you can be on these two things, the better your conversations with agencies will be.

Be aware of your budget

How much are you willing spend on content marketing? You can set a limit but not make it permanent.

It may be necessary to adjust it depending on your understanding of the content costs. If you don’t know what the average cost of content marketing for brands your size, you may want to research it.

Remember that agencies are willing to work with you and help you set realistic goals that you can afford with the money you have invested.

For real growth, find the right content marketing agency

You’ll be amazed at the results you get when content marketing is done well and has the right strategists and creators behind it.

A content marketing agency that is qualified can help fill any business’s marketing needs, including brand awareness, visibility, leads and leads.

You should carefully vet any agency you consider hiring. They will be taking on a lot of responsibility. They can help you grow your brand in ways that you didn’t imagine.

Search Engine Land first published the post How do you choose the right content marketing agency.