49% of marketers don’t know for sure whether their content is making money for them. John Wanamaker said that about advertising. Over 100 years ago.
You shouldn’t have to deal with this dilemma with a measurable digital channel. Especially since content is a vital business asset in today’s “phygital” (physical + digital) marketing mix.
Measuring the ROI of content marketing is definitely possible, if not simple.
While there’s no doubt that content is a crucial cog in your company’s success, it’s no mean task to keep putting out content that keeps you on top of Google’s search results, brings in new audiences, and subtly encourages them to buy from you.
Thankfully, content marketing agencies exist for just that purpose. Delivering performance-based marketing that makes CEOs happy.
Study after study finds that companies would do better to outsource their content marketing – and so, we’ve put together a list of some of the best content marketing agencies out there (along with their strengths and weaknesses) so that you can find the one that helps YOUR business grow.
But first, let’s take a step back: Do you need content marketing so badly?
Why Do You Need Content Marketing?
Content marketing works for:
- building trust
- generating leads
- cultivating customer loyalty
Back in the day, direct response marketing was the realm of newspapers and radio ads. You could even slap up a big billboard to grab the eyeballs of long traffic lines – and they all worked!
But now, in the digital age, those physical lines of text and boxes and images and sound bites have been swapped for the lightning-fast flashes of digitized traffic – on computer screens, mobile phones, town squares and moving trains.
Content marketing not only helps you rise above this noise but also thrive in it. It also helps marketers to measure the success of their marketing efforts. So, no more excuses about data, or systems, or creative “big ideas.”
How?
There are fundamentally two different strategies for marketing your business. Two different kinds of “traffic” that it drives to your site: organic and paid.
Search traffic – or traffic from SEO – is the big daddy of organic traffic. In fact, it is the best reason to do content marketing. Here are 3 reasons why:
- Organic search is the biggest source of website traffic. It brings more than half of all traffic to any average site on the internet. In fact, this blog gets a million visitors a year and a full 75% of it comes from organic search!
- When people visit your site through search, they come of their own accord – you didn’t force, beg or convince them to check out your products or services. You matched their intent. You piqued their interest. You satisfied their curiosity. Guess what sells more?
- Visibility in search builds your brand. Since people are searching for anything and everything related to your business, you have the opportunity to introduce your brand to them early on in their journey and handhold them through your funnel with content.
The other option is paid traffic – that’s advertising on Google, Facebook and other platforms to bring in customers who are actively looking for your products and services.
The problem here? “Actively looking.” That’s less than a tenth of all clicks in Google’s search results. (And that’s still much more compared to other paid platforms on the web.)
It’s all good when you have the budget and your ROI exceeds your ad spend (if yours does, please share?!), but as soon as you stop throwing money at Google ads, the traffic, well, stops.
With organic content marketing, YOU control the messaging, its format, length and delivery. With pay-per-click advertising, it’s an undifferentiated slugfest. No wonder organic content marketing brings in 7x the leads as its paid counterpart.
So, how do you zero in on the content agency that pulls you out of the murky depths of Google search results into the light of fresh, page-one air? Who can you rely on to boost your content marketing strategy?
Top 10 Content Marketing Agencies to Consider for Your Business
We scoured the web to find the best online and verified sources of this top 10 list. These are in essence our competitors, but we wanted to help our audience understand who earned the right to be mentioned as a top content marketing agency, but also the differences of each.
“Why would we create this list,” you may be thinking? Because we want to rank for this search term of course (see above “the best reason to do content marketing.”) And we’re not afraid to mention our competitors. We are THAT confident in what we do. But also because there are some real differences between us. So please check them out and let us know what you think?
#10: Eucalypt
This small, independent company is based out of Jacksonville, Florida. And although small, they have an impressive track record. So, if you are a small startup, they claim to be the best agency for you.
Does your company dabble in a specialized niche, such as tech, life sciences, finance, engineering, or other complex disciplines?
Then Eucalypt’s talented team of veteran writers and editors are cut out to deliver quality content for your content marketing strategy. But they also have a team of graphic designers, so that you can build out a diversified strategy that provides stellar value to your audience.
Services
How exactly can Eucalypt provide value for your brand? With these key services.
Strategic Marketing Consulting and Audits
Are your results in the search engines leaving more to be desired? Then you can boost your foundation with this in-depth audit offered by Eucalypt, which evaluates a host of factors behind your strategy:
- Messages
- Tone of Voice
- SEO research
- Competitor Research
- Marketing Resources and Budget Planning
- etc.
Results-Oriented Content Marketing Retainers
This entails a comprehensive marketing strategy for your business, where the team at Eucalyptus fleshes out a strategic plan, and executes it, allowing you to shift your attention to the more pressing matter in your business.
All of this is offered on a flat, monthly retainer rate, which starts at $3,500/month.
A La Carte Content Creation and Execution
Need an injection of life into your copywriting efforts? Then Eucalpyt’s experienced team of graphic designers and writers can craft SEO-optimized content, from long-form blog content to email marketing campaigns, perfect for you to start fleshing out your websites, blogs, and social media platforms, allowing you to stay ahead of the content game.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? Eucalypt is a great option for those in niches that are a little more on the complex side, allowing you to maximize your profits, while working with a small team that provides a personal touch.
#9: Brafton
“Science”. You don’t hear that word in Marketing circles often.
Whereas some content marketing agencies look to provide a hip and personal brand message, Brafton, from its formal logo to its website messaging, aims to give the impression that these are content marketing scientists, who approach content marketing as a “scientific process”.
They boast an impressive list of clients, including AIG. Their list of services is also top-notch, far exceeding the offering from Eucalyptus., with everything from SEO marketing — inbound and outbound — email marketing, and content marketing strategies, just to name a few.
But maybe you want to keep ahead of the oncoming video trend that is washing over the marketing landscape? Then Brafton employs a professional video team that looks to revolutionize your video content so that you can dominate the feeds on Youtube or Instagram.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? With locations from Australia and Europe to the United States, this is a company that provides lots of types of content to brands with a global reach, they have an impressive reputation as a pure content agency serving all your content needs.
#8: Single Grain
Single Grain dishes out a fantastic content marketing service for companies whose software solves the needs of large businesses around the world.
Their list of clients is just as immersive as the value offered by their service, such as:
- Amazon
- Inuit
- TurboTax
- Salesforce
Single Grain has brought together an expert team, that are social media mavens and wizards in SEO marketing. They have experience in both B2B and B2C, providing exposure on all available social media channels, from Linkedin to Tiktok. This gives your marketing strategy access to a broad audience.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? Single Grain offers Facebook ads and PPC advertising services in addition to content services.
#7: Column Five
Many of the entries on this list talk about content marketing as if it’s some formula. And that’s true, to an extent. Yes, content marketing is driven by human psychology, and copywriting plays on that psychology by following a very specific order of things that trigger people’s impulses (usually, buying impulses).
But while formulas are what should structure content, the delivery is what will set your content apart. Column Five is unique in that it focuses heavily on narrative, and incorporates that storytelling in your content.
“Story is at the core of all human communication,” reads the website.
How will it do this for your business?
- Crafting Marketing Personas
- Create a storytelling architecture
- Pen the story
- Incorporate your values
- Experiment with different formats to tell the story
- Settle on the format
- Use design to get the story across.
Looking for a company that is a little more laser-focused on its service offerings? Well, Column Five is built on four pillar services:
Brand Strategy
Before you craft anything, you need to know what message your brand is putting forth: what is the “heart” beating behind your brand. By identifying your “brand heart”, column Five makes it all the easier to connect with your audience.
Content Strategy
If you are looking to get your content off the planning phase, then Column Five’s content strategy service brings a comprehensive roadmap to life, allowing your business a colorful way forward that is clear and concise.
Content Creation
This is where you take that brilliant roadmap and set out on the journey. Along the way, Column Five dishes out a whole gauntlet, running the gamut from the social media content, all the way to detailed and research-intensive white papers.
Distribution Strategy
With your content, all planned out, the final phase and pushing it out to your customers, and skyrocketing the exposure.
Column Five does this with efficient PPC campaigns that are expertly monitored and tracked.
So start that campfire, and begin to start bringing your company’s “story” to life in the eyes of your audience.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? Column Five can help develop a brand narrative from the brand out. From the personas you are targeting, to the messages you want to convey, and all the assets required to fulfill that mission.
#6: Content Allies
Podcasts are on the rise.
And if you want to capitalize on the trend, then this next entry is just the option for you. The other entries on this list are content marketing generalists, who can tackle a wide range of content forms.
But now, more than ever, people are turning to podcasts as that bridge between written forms and video.
At Content Allies, you have the perfect agency to partner with to bring your podcast game up to snuff, so that you can diversify your marketing strategy, giving you a leg up on your competitors.
And what’s more amazing than creating awesome content? The ability to repurpose it! The magic with podcasts is that they can easily be spun into a written blog or a youtube video.
That value that they provide their clients has landed them exposure on a host of reputable news agencies:
- Forbes
- Aol
- Disrupt
- CMS Wire
- Founder CEO
- Among others
They have built a happy host of customers, and the high-value kind too so that you can feel comfortable with who you are partnering with. Their clients have ranged from Siemens Energy to the likes of Facebook (you’ve heard of them, right?).
Their website even has a nifty little feature that allows you to calculate your average ROI on podcasting.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? They focus on podcasts.
#5: Fractl
Fractl brings the goods when it comes to reputation. They have dabbled with some of the largest brands, and they aren’t scared of flouting that fact, with their clients ranging from Fortune 500 behemoths, all the way to small startups.
So, no matter where your business falls in the spectrum, Fractl can partner with you to enhance your marketing strategy.
They pride themselves on one thing: a content-first philosophy. And their creative content is backed by a rich research background, with their marketing research having been published in pretty important circles:
- Harvard Business Review
- TIME
- AdWeek
- Fast Company, Inc.
- entrepreneur
- Forbes
- The Next Web
- And more where that came from
That should get you immensely excited because research is such a valuable aspect of content creation. It will give your brand an authentic voice, and you can rest assured that your content will be sincere and trustworthy!
In the 9 years that they have been in business, they have ratcheted up an impressive kill count:
1,500+ campaigns.
The company prides itself on innovation, and not just sticking to tried and true formulas, injecting a fresh flavor into your content that allows you to stand head and shoulders above your competitors.
They offer four-pillar services: Organic Growth Strategy, Content Development, Digital PR, and SEO.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? I may be allergic to the term campaign, but Fractl embraces it. They are more of a full-service content agency who can execute on those campaigns well.
#4: Content Bureau
Looking for that comprehensive coverage for your new content marketing strategy? Then the marketing experts at the Content Bureau are a fantastic option for you — something their impressive list of clients can attest to.
Their 20-year history backs up their promise to deliver high-value copy that is SEO optimized and built to bring in results.
Who are their clients?
- American Express
- Paypal
- Sony
- Yahoo
- Adobe Systems
- Apple
You might’ve heard of some of them. And it creates an air of quality that makes them a perfect fit for your new content plan.
What kind of services do they offer? Well, they offer some of the typical services that you expect to see, especially from entries this high up on the list, such as email marketing and web content. But they pull out the stops in other areas, such as:
- PDF: Articles, brochures, case studies, ebooks, infographics, etc.
- Presentation Marketing: Demos/videos, powerpoints, script, speeches, webinars.
This can further build and enhance your killer marketing strategy, allowing you to diversify your content to extraordinary heights, boosting the reach of your materials.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? A content agency that focuses on tactical content needs.
#3: Influence&CO.
The team at Influence&CO. has witnessed a massive surge in growth. What does that mean for you?
Well, if it means that they are #3 on this list, then they are surely cooking up some magic in their content marketing strategies.
Their secret?
They center their experience around gifting their clients with the ultimate air of authority in their space: getting their content in major publications. Forget about building links in meager sites and publications. No, with Influence&CO, you can extend the reach of your brand, building it out into a high-ranking authority in your space.
It’s much more valuable to build links that have value, than to flood cookie-cutter links that do nothing for your business.
Who are their clients? Well, it’s aiming to give The Content Bureau a run for its money. Influence&Co has dealt with the likes of:
- Microsoft
- Dell
- American Airlines
- AIG
Not too shabby of a list, is it?
So, if you’re looking to build out your authority, and drive meaningful traffic, then jump on board the Influence&CO bandwagon.
Their client journey is extremely detailed and works closely with your business so that the goals of the campaign are intricately defined. This collaborative process is a strong point of Incluence&Co, creating a strong partnership that gives your company a strong sense of security.
But there are still two more entries on this list, and we’ve seen some heavy hitters, from the narrative-focused nature of Column Five to the strong authority gifted by Influence&CO.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? Focusing on content distribution and syndication for PR-based programs.
#2: Codeless
Billed as putting out hundreds of long-form content each month, they provide a solution for companies looking to score in the realm of SEO by dishing out relevant and high-quality blog posts.
This is reflected in their partnership with Monday.com. Just how much content did Codeless pump out for them?
How do 750 articles in 9 months sound? That’s a remarkable amount of content that certainly looks mighty good for google’s algorithm!
Through their partnership with Codeless, Monday.com achieved this:
- 385 top-3 new ranking positions
- 825 first page rankings
Their content creation process is detailed and thorough, as it should be with any reputable content marketing company.
They handle not only the content strategy and production but also go a step further and manage the distribution. And this is where their secret weapon comes into play.
You see, they have a sister company called uSERP, which is billed as a full-service PR, SEO, and link-building agency. And their sister company isn’t without its own merits, being used by the infamous likes of Hubspot, and Cisco.
Just by providing value to your audience, through the sheer amount of content, you would think that would be enough to entice you to partner with them.
If you wish to take your conversion rates to the next level, then Codeless offers one last treat:
Customer Success Videos.
This uses the show don’t tell model, and increases the chances of conversion and onboarding, whether that be through emails, in-app, or webinars.
What makes them different from Marketing Insider Group? Codeless focuses on large companies with large content budgets. The link building and video service are nice additions.
#1: Marketing Insider Group
At Marketing Insider group, we do not see ourselves as a content agency. Agencies do stuff for money.
We are a content marketing agency that focuses on delivering results for our clients. We do stuff to drive our client’s growth.
That’s why we don’t do one-off content projects. We don’t run campaigns. We don’t recommend investing in expensive infographics or videos (we can source some great ones for you though). We don’t recommend paid link building or paid advertising campaigns.
We only sell annual content plans delivering twice weekly content, planned from customer-based SEO research, driven by creative editorial topics, sourced through curious writers, and a dedicated client service team that helps you see the results each month.
We also practice what we preach so you can see how this works. Last year, Marketing Insider Group saw more than a million visitors. For the third year in a row. Despite the pandemic. We also tripled our client base! All from leads that came inbound and organically to us from our website.
So this isn’t to toot our own horn. (Although, that’s what content marketing agencies are supposed to do.)
It’s because we believe that we provide the most value, at the best costs for our clients. We rank at the top for super competitive keywords like marketing trends, what is content marketing, and what is thought leadership. Our main goal is to provide a simple service that focuses on results.
Our year-over-year client average ROI is 138%.
And we deliver Semrush tracking reports each month to show you that our content is driving rankings and traffic!
That is backed by a proven and guaranteed content creation and marketing service that works closely with your brand, to ensure that all of the stellar content that’s penned by our expert writers is tailored to your brand and voice.
Our first 2-4 articles are free and we offer unlimited revisions! We do this confidently because we want to get to a goal of having 100% publish-ready content within the first few weeks of working with us. This saves you time and money and shows the pride and importance we place on providing content that is authentic to YOUR brand.
Did some of the other high-ceiling costs of the other agencies turn you away? At MIG, there are tiered payment options, ideal for startups through larger enterprises.
And with that wide range of offerings, MIG has built up a mighty list of clients that reflects the quality of their content-creation service.
And we go one level deeper: Our clients win awards for content marketing. The Content Marketing Institute can’t stop gushing over them.
We also offer content promotion services that provide 80% lower cost and 90% higher click through rates than industry averages. This provides guaranteed traffic while we’re building your SEO. Oh, and we can re-target these visitors with lead gen offers as well. So we don’t do Facebook or Instagram ads and don’t even ask us about Snapchat or TikTok ads. We focus on measurable content marketing.
What makes Marketing Insider Group different? We deliver simple and focused content plans that work to deliver traffic and leads. We help you measure our results. And we can promote your best content to drive new audiences at the most efficient rates in the industry. But don’t just take our word for it. G2 has listed us as a top 10 marketing agency despite our being the smallest agency in the group by far. This is based on honest customer reviews. So we must be doing something right?
Enlist a Content Marketing Agency Today
Content marketing is a better bet than any paid or more traditional marketing methods. If you’re looking for a content marketing agency to help you achieve better marketing ROI, I hope this list will help.
Whether you pick us or one of these great agencies, you should have a good sense for the type of questions to ask and services to consider.
And if you’re looking for 100 great content ideas, 2 quality articles per week, a monthly tracking report to prove it all works, then contact us today!
