How to Choose the Right Content Marketing Agency

Half of all companies eventually outsource their content marketing activities, which for many growing businesses, means hiring a content marketing agency. These third-party companies make it easier to get results, but only if you choose the right one.

Rather than suffering through agency selection on your own, this guide can help you make informed decisions about choosing the right content marketing agency for your business. 

We cover the top agencies, the seven-step selection process, and some FAQs about agency pricing. We also explain how to work successfully with your chosen agency so you can enjoy a fruitful and long-lasting relationship.

Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

• What Services Do Content Marketing Agencies Provide?
• Should You Hire an Agency or Build an In-House Team?
  • In-House Hires
  • Freelance
  • Hybrid Models
• How Do You Compare Content Marketing Agencies?
• What Are the Top Content Marketing Agencies in 2025?
  • Draft.dev: Best for Technical Teams
    • Core Strengths of Draft.dev
  • TopRank Marketing: Best for Influencer Marketing
    • Core Strengths of TopRank Marketing
  • LYFE Marketing: Best for Growth on Social Media
    • Core Strengths of LYFE Marketing
  • Siege Media: Best for AI Search Results
    • Core Strengths of Siege Media
  • 310 Creative: Best for SEO
    • Core Strengths of 310 Creative
• How Much Do Content Marketing Agencies Cost?
• The 7-Step Agency Selection Process
• Working Successfully with Your Agency
• The Bottom Line on Choosing a Content Marketing Agency

What Services Do Content Marketing Agencies Provide?

A content marketing agency is a team of marketing professionals that can help your business design, executive, and optimize content marketing activities. They typically have specialized capabilities (such as a specialization in video or writing), and focuses on different industries (typically B2B or B2C).

The best content marketing agencies offer the following core services:

• Strategy: Planning your content strategy for the highest possible return on investment, including processes such as social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and more. Keep in mind content marketing strategies generate 3x more leads than traditional strategies, all of which are 62% cheaper on average.
• Branding: The process of turning your business from a tangible asset into an intangible asset. Research shows that businesses with better branding can easily charge 13% more on average than their competitors, among other things. 
• Development: You can hand off routine tasks to a content marketing agency, freeing up in-house staff to focus on other tasks. Case in point: content agencies can save you up to 35 hours a week or more by handling social collateral, article production, video tutorials, and more on your behalf.
• Access to tools and platforms: Studies show small businesses using a greater number of technology tools experience more sales, profits, and employment compared to their peers.
• Analytics and reporting: Many content creation agencies provide clients with analytics, production metrics, and traffic growth to track the ROI of their investment. For Earthly, for example, Draft.dev demonstrated a 346% increase in monthly blog readers, with 1,500 visitors per workday under a 6% conversion rate.

Should You Hire an Agency or Build an In-House Team?

You know you need to improve your content marketing cycle, but is a content marketing agency really the best choice for your team?

That largely depends on your individual needs. However, you can always perform a cost-benefit analysis for a quick spot-check on revenue and affordability.

First, add all the costs of taking advantage of the opportunity. Let’s say $7,000 per month for three months.

Then, add all the monetary benefits you think you’ll receive from your agency investment. Let’s say a low ROI of 400% to be pessimistic (so $28,000 per month in conversions and new leads).

Now all you have to do is divide the number of expected benefits by the number costs to get the cost-benefit ratio. In this case, it would be four. For context, any number less than one is a clear sign not to proceed, and any number over two suggests you’ll have a fairly safe return. 

Anything between them is up for interpretation. 

Thankfully, you’ve got a few options if you’re in that predicament.

In-House Hires

At the end of the day, you might not need an agency. You could simply hire or delegate an in-house professional to manage content. 

This might work well if your available agencies feel too expensive. But keep in mind in-house professionals require full-time salaries, benefits, and sick days.

Freelance

Freelancers can help you write and publish content on specific online platforms. They might even work with your in-house teams to develop content month-by-month.

But like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. And it might be difficult to find inexpensive subject matter experts in your specific industry, topic, or niche. 

Hybrid Models

You might choose to keep some of your content planning in house, then delegate some other elements to a dedicated agency. This might give you the best of both worlds, plus additional cost savings depending on the agency.

Just keep in mind you’ll need to consider transition planning between models. That means clearly deciding who owns which element of the process, as well as what happens if one side doesn’t deliver on their responsibilities. 

If you find that in-house, freelancer, and hybrid models don’t make sense for your brand, a content marketing agency may be the better option to consider. 

How Do You Compare Content Marketing Agencies?

No two content marketing companies are 100% alike. So how do you fairly compare the best content creation agencies?

Here’s a 10-point comparison assessment to help you make informed decisions:

Criteria	What to Evaluate	Scoring Guide (1–5)
1. Industry Specialization	How much expertise does the agency have in your sector?	1 = No specialization; 5 = Proven with case studies
2. Service Breadth	Does the agency offer full-service capabilities or specialize in one area?	1 = Very limited; 5 = Full-service
3. Strategic Approach	Does the agency provide a proactive strategy?	1 = Reactive only; 5 = Strategic partner driving insights
4. Creativity and Innovation	Does the agency specialize in creative, high-quality work?	1 = Conventional; 5 = Innovative
5. Team Expertise and Credentials	How qualified and experienced is the team (certifications, seniority, track record)?	1 = Fairly inexperienced; 5 = Credentialed experts
6. Process and Communication	How clear, transparent, and responsive is the communication?	1 = Poor communication; 5 = Proactive check-ins
7. Results and Performance Metrics	Does the agency consistently track results?	1 = No reporting provided; 5 = Regular reporting
8. Cost and Value Alignment	How well does pricing align with the value and ROI you’ll receive?	1 = Poor value; 5 = Excellent value
9. Client Retention & References	What’s the agency’s track record as per references and testimonials?	1 = Weak or nonexistent references; 5 = Multiple locations for testimonials and references
10. Cultural and Brand Fit	How well does the agency understand and align with your brand?	1 = Poor alignment; 5 = Strong alignment

Note: How to Use This Chart

You can use this table to rate content marketing agencies one through five across all 10 areas. The idea is that you (and at least one other decisionmaker) should perform the exercise separately and tally scores of each provider to compare options. Then, you can select the ‘highest scoring’ final agency.

You could also choose to add a weighted scoring model, such as giving more weight to strategic approach and cost versus cultural and brand fit. Keep in mind all criteria are equally weighted at 10% in this table. 

To create a weighted scoring model, use the following formula:

Total weight of variables / total of all weights = weighted score

Now, we need to look at two more considerations that aren’t quite so cut-and-dry.

The first of these is agency size, including its impact on service delivery. The larger the agency, the more content they can deliver faster. But keep in mind they might also be less flexible than smaller or more lightweight businesses.

In contrast, smaller agencies might not charge as much and can quickly pivot to your individualized needs. But they might not have the same resources available, and it might take longer to accomplish similar tasks. 

The second consideration is geographical location. Is the agency in your general area? Or are they outside the state? Even outside the country?

A nearby agency may be easier to work with in terms of pricing, convenience, and relationship building. However, a further-away agency may offer more resources and marketing experts. Just know you might have to contend with different time zones or steeper pricing.

What Are the Top Content Marketing Agencies in 2025?

With tens of thousands of agencies registered every year, it can be hard to sort the better from the best.

Luckily, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the top content marketing agencies of 2025.

Draft.dev: Best for Technical Teams

• Pricing: Starts at $7,000 per month
• Minimum Commitment: 3-month pilot
• Ideal Client: Developer Marketing, Product, and Developer Relations teams

Draft.dev is a technical content marketing agency for DevRel, product, and developer marketing teams. We’re proud to be one of the best-recognized content creation firms, having made the Inc Regionals list in 2025. 

We’re well-known for technical tutorials here at Draft.dev, but we also specialize in ebooks, articles, and thought leadership pieces. Apart from the written word, we offer video tutorials as well, along with done-for-you social media collateral to improve the reach of each piece. 

Core Strengths of Draft.dev

• Written, video, and social media collateral 
• Network of technical subject matter experts
• Free webinars and other resources available
• Transparent pricing and pilot program
• Team of experienced engineers and editors
• Public testimonials and case studies available

TopRank Marketing: Best for Influencer Marketing

• Pricing: Not posted
• Minimum Commitment: Not posted
• Ideal Client: B2B Brands

TopRank Marketing is a B2B marketing firm specializing in written content, video development, social media management, and search engine optimization. They also provide influencer marketing services: one through social media, and one through podcasts (via their podcast agency services). 

If you need full-service marketing campaigns for your brand, TopRank will certainly deliver. But keep in mind you won’t find any pricing or minimum commitments online: you’ll need to connect with the sales team first. 

Core Strengths of TopRank Marketing

• Influencer marketing via podcasting and social media
• Full-service content creation services
• Influencer research
• Experience with enterprise brands

LYFE Marketing: Best for Growth on Social Media

• Pricing: Starts at $650 per month
• Minimum Commitment: Month-to-month
• Ideal Client: Ecommerce and local businesses

LYFE Marketing is a social media management agency that specializes in building and scaling inbound campaigns. They don’t offer traditional writing services like articles and blogs, but they do provide paid social advertising, organic social media management, email marketing, and short video production. 

You should know LYFE Marketing doesn’t necessarily specialize in technical brands, although they’ve served some technical and IT companies over the years. They also don’t offer articles, tutorials, or blog posts; you’d need to chain them with another agency for a full-service experience. 

Core Strengths of LYFE Marketing

• Specializes in influencer-led campaigns and partnerships
• Affordable entry-level pricing for smaller brands
• Strong track record with fast-paced social growth across multiple platforms

Siege Media: Best for AI Search Results

• Pricing: $12,000 – $30,000
• Minimum Commitment: Not listed
• Ideal Client: SaaS, Fintech, and E-commerce

Siege Media is a content marketing agency that focuses on SEO-first content for both traditional search and AI-driven results. They also offer more traditional services such as blog creation and design assets, coupled with enterprise friendly features such as link-building campaigns, design assets, and large-scale content localization features.

You should know Siege Media doesn’t list its commitment up-front, although it does state its pricing; which starts higher than many smaller firms. They’re also better suited for brands with existing traffic and resources, as smaller startups may find the pricing and pace less accessible.

Core Strengths of Siege Media

• Content strategy and marketing
• Content localization for local businesses
• Link building services
• AI search results (GEO)
• Digital PR

310 Creative: Best for SEO

• Pricing: Starts at 4,000 per month
• Minimum Commitment: Month-to-month, no minimum commitment 
• Ideal Client: B2B SaaS

310 Creative is an account-based marketing firm that offers inbound strategy and account-based marketing services. These inbound marketing plans focus on all-in-one SEO services, including content creation, backlinking, on-page site health, and more. 

You should know 310 Creative releases content more sparingly than other dedicated content firms. On the base tier, you get two blogs per month, and one ebook/guide and infographic per quarter. You should also know certain content types (including comparisons, checklists, and case studies) require the Enterprise plan at $15,000 per month.

Core Strengths of 310 Creative

• Services outside of writing (including backlinking)
• Can accommodate firms outside of B2B SEO (retail, ecommerce, etc)
• Hybrid inbound/ABM plans available

Pssst: want to compare a few other agencies? Check out the best B2B content marketing agencies by vertical. 

How Much Do Content Marketing Agencies Cost?

Money isn’t everything when choosing a content marketing agency, but it certainly has an impact on how far you can stretch your dollar. Knowing what you’ll spend up-front can help you make more informed decisions about where to invest, as well as how long it will take to see a return on your investment in terms of leads, sales, and conversions. 

Some industries see higher initial ROIs than others, as they’re typically sought products and easier to sell. Selling and marketing unsought products is often much more difficult and will take more time. 

Speed is also a significant factor. The more content you write (and the better its quality) the more likely you are to outcompete AI-generated content. 

To benchmark your progress: aim for a 500% ROI, or $5 per every $1 spent. The B2B industry average is around 844%.

Anything at or below 200% is likely operating at a loss. It may also be grounds to select a different (better) content marketing agency. 

Again, this mostly depends on the agency in question. But you might want to keep your eyes peeled for unexpected fees like:

• Advertising costs. You might have to foot the bill for sponsored or boosted posts, for example. 
• Revision fees. Some agencies, including Draft.dev, offer two revisions for free.
• Communication bills. You might need to pay extra for additional meetings, Zoom conferences, and other communication touchpoints.

The 7-Step Agency Selection Process

Now that you’ve got a shortlist of partners, you just have to make that final choice.

The good news is, it’s probably easier than you’d think.

Here’s a step-by-step evaluation framework to help you pick a suitable agency.

💡 Note: Don’t proceed to this section until you’ve scored potential agencies first. Once you’ve completed the table comparing content marketing agencies, you can use the process below to whittle down your list. 

1. Industry expertise: If you run a technical business, for example, you might want to partner with an agency familiar with B2B audiences and complex sales cycles. A generalized agency (or one unfamiliar with your industry) might be a dealbreaker for highly sensitive or specific brands. 
2. Lead quality focus: This is particularly useful for content marketing initiatives where you’re sourcing, scoring, and qualifying prospects. It also doesn’t have to be a complex lead funnel system; even a commitment to producing high-quality, audience-centered content shows the agency clearly understands the value of a marketing or sales-qualified lead.
3. Transparent pricing: You should look for clear contract terms without hidden fees. If the agency can’t give you a straight answer up-front, or if there seems to be one too many fees tacked on, you might want to consider another content market agency.
4. Comprehensive reporting: This might be real-time dashboards, KPIs, and/or regular performance reviews. Not providing (or refusing to provide) performance data may point to other, more problematic concerns with the agency’s ability. 
5. Multi-channel capabilities: Does the agency offer everything you need, without compromises you can’t afford? For example, if you need content creation and distribution expertise, but all the agency offers is technical implementation, that agency might not necessarily be the perfect fit for you. 
6. Solid reviews: One major red flag of a content creation agency is low-quality, low-star, or flat out missing online reviews. If you can’t find any online, ask the agency for referrals. If they can’t or won’t, feel free to cross it off the list. You can learn more about this in our guide covering dealbreakers when working with an SaaS marketing agency.
7. Availability: Is there adequate space for your business on the client list? And if there is, how much time and attention will you receive? You might want an agency that’s not only open and available, but has enough bandwidth to accommodate 1:1 attention.

Working Successfully with Your Agency

So you’ve chosen a content marketing agency. Congratulations! But you’ve technically only completed the first step of the process. 

The following best practices will help you avoid unnecessary conflict and ensure you get the best possible results from your investment.

• The first piece of advice is with contract negotiation. This means reading over it yourself, with another stakeholder, and possibly with someone outside of your business (particularly a legal professional). If anything gives you pause, be sure to ask your agency and see if anything can be negotiated. The last thing you need is an unexpected month-end surprise. 
• The next piece of advice is establishing communication protocols and meeting cadences. Should you meet weekly? Biweekly? Once per quarter? Be sure to establish the medium as well, such as phone calls, Zoom meetings, in-person visits, or something else.
• Next up is performance tracking and KPI alignment. If the agency hasn’t already explained how they’ll deliver monthly reports, you might want to express your expectations. This will allow you to get hand-delivered details in an email dashboard, BI tool, or another preferred medium.
• Feedback loops and iteration processes are equally important here. Do you see a KPI you don’t like on your report? Be sure to bring it up as soon as possible. Need to point out a recurring issue in revisions? Overcommunicate with your account manager to make sure it gets better.

Remember: scaling the relationship between your business and your content marketing agency will take a great deal of work, effort, and communication. Think of it like a romantic relationship where both parties need to put in 110%.

The Bottom Line on Choosing a Content Marketing Agency

Content marketing agencies are a dime a dozen, but truly excellent agencies are few and far between. We hope you can use this guide to understand your options, compare the best of the best, and make the right decision for your team.

If your target audience happens to be DevRel teams and technical audiences, we’d love to chat at Draft.dev. Our content marketing team is one of the fastest-growing in the Midwest, and with hundreds of happy customers, we’d love to show you why.

Learn more about the Draft.dev client onboarding process here.