Seven Things To Consider Before Hiring A Content Marketing Agency

Content marketing is the most important part of digital marketing – in fact, it can generate three times as many leads as outbound marketing strategies. Hence, businesses now emphasize producing valuable content online.

To avoid the hassle of building an internal content development team, companies prefer outsourcing their content creation. In fact, it was observed that 62% of companies outsource their content, to publish online.

Since companies spend a significant amount of their budget on content marketing, they expect consistent quality.

So, how can you be sure that the agency you have hired, or plan to hire, can help you establish your name in the industry?

Here are a few questions to ask before hiring a content marketing agency.

Are They Experienced?

When hiring a content marketing agency, experience is an important criteria to consider. While experience does not always translate into the expertise of a company, it is one of the factors that can reflect upon how result-driven they are.

Find an agency that can explain to you their approach, processes, and previous accomplishments.

However, how can you make sure the agency’s claims about their merits are not just a façade?

By reviewing their case studies.

Any decent marketing firm will have several case studies, with a detailed compilation of their work experience. Make sure you go through their case studies to evaluate their skills, before making a final decision.

How Familiar Are They With Your Industry?

As mentioned earlier, experience is important for selecting the right content marketing agency for your business – but what’s even more important, is their familiarity with your industry.

To understand what your audience needs, the content marketing agency you hire needs to have in-depth knowledge of your work, your competitors, and the sector you operate in.

You do not want to invest your money in a company that has limited experience in your niche. Find an agency that is familiar with your market, and work closely with their team to come up with valuable content for your business.

What Clients Have They Worked For?

While all the factors we have previously discussed are important to consider; what is that one factor that can help you determine both, a company’s experience as well as its expertise?

Their clientele.

A company’s client portfolio is like their success story – it does not only tell you about how long they have been in the market but also reflects upon their skills.

Consider this: an agency that has renowned brands on its client’s list, even if it is new to the market is better than an agency that has been doing mediocre level work for years.

Do They Have A Good Reputation In The Market?

Although the client portfolio tells us about the previous accomplishments of a company, only the clients themselves can summarize the first-hand experience of working with them.

A good approach here is to look for referrals.

Ask the agency to connect you with the companies they have worked with and get a detailed overview of their experience.

Moreover, ask around for feedback yourself. Search online reviews and approach as many clients as possible, on your own.

This will tell you about the company’s work ethics, quality of content, credibility, and overall reputation in the market – to decide whether they fit your criteria or not.

What Are Their Strategies And Processes?

A well-thought-out strategy and a smooth operating process is the key to generating quality content.

Before making a decision, explore/understand the strategies and processes the agency utilizes for content creation and distribution.

Your content marketing firm of choice should be able to guide you throughout this process. It is better to get a review of their process in advance, instead of being confused and dissatisfied with it later on.

Similarly, ask the content marketing agency to give you a brief run-down of their strategies, and make sure they are result-driven.

You don’t want your website penalized by Google just because the content firm you hired dabbles in black hat approaches to manipulate website rankings.

What Is Their Turnaround Time?

Content marketing relies heavily on deadlines; if you have strict deadlines, make sure the agency you hire is able to follow them.

You do not want to delay your work because the agency you hired has long turnaround times, or work according to their own schedule. Try to find a content marketing firm that is accommodating to your requirements, and sets deadlines accordingly.

Do They Fit Your Budget?

Cost is an important factor in influencing one’s decision about hiring a content marketing agency.

Evaluate your budget before you approach an agency, to be able to negotiate better about their prices.

Before signing the deal, make sure they are transparent about their pricing. Get a detailed review of their resource allocation and hourly rates – and then ensure that it fits in the budget you have allotted.

Additionally, have a look at their revision policy – a lot of companies and writers charge extra for revisions, while some make additions/revisions free of cost.

Finding an expert and a competent marketing agency that matches your industry requirements can be a tough job. Consider the criteria mentioned above when hiring an agency to guarantee quality content.

Pro Content Club is a content marketing firm that can meet all your requirements. We have professional writers from different industries, who are familiar with advanced SEO strategies.

We provide expert content writing services and a quick turnaround time to ensure that your brand reaches your target audience, and in turn, helps you build a loyal customer base.