people working around a desk

How to work with a content strategy agency

Well-executed content creation can deliver exceptional results for your business, from amplifying your brand awareness on social media to increasing conversions.

However, a poorly implemented content strategy can have the opposite effect by failing to attract your target audience. 

One of the main concerns for businesses is whether to hire an in-house content strategy team or to partner with a dedicated agency. Although an in-house team might offer you more transparency and control over your content strategy, outsourcing to an experienced digital marketing agency can provide plenty of benefits. In this article, we take an in-depth look at what it means to work with a content strategy agency. 

inside of a neuron

The science behind content strategy

It might seem strange to think of content marketing as a science, but that’s exactly what it is. Any well-reputed content marketer is a master in the science behind content strategy and knows exactly how to get results and grow a business.

Getting this right requires plenty of experimentation to find out which elements make your audience tick. It’s about developing content that engages your readers, informs prospective customers and enhances your brand reputation – while ensuring each piece drives your audience to take action.

What does a content strategy involve? 

Every content marketing strategy requires executive decision making, clearly defined targets, evergreen content ideation and production, the selection of key metrics to measure campaign performance and more. 

A great content strategy combines various aspects of digital marketing, including content creation, social media marketing, influencer marketing, email marketing and so on.

It involves a wide range of tasks including keyword research, content calendar creation and leveraging data science to inform future asset creation. 

Take the guesswork out of content strategy

The fundamental reason businesses turn to a content marketing agency is to deliver better results. Your content strategy should focus on growing your website traffic, boosting engagement across platforms and increasing lead generation and conversion rates. 

Without a dedicated content strategist, many businesses will base their plans on guesswork. Typically, this means casting speculation on what their target audience will like and defining their content pillars, buyer personas and production plans based on educated guesses rather than actual data science. Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t often lead to the desired results.

A content marketing agency works with the numbers to glean actionable insights from tools such as Google Analytics to take the guesswork out of content strategy. For instance, they’ll measure the performance of each individual blog post by taking into account metrics such as page views, time spent on page and bounce rate. 

question mark in neon lights

Benefits of working with a digital content strategy agency

  • Expertise: An agency is made up of a team of specialists with the skills and experience to take your content strategy to the next level. Agencies often devote resources to ensuring employees are at the top of their game to remain competitive.
  • Cost: It’s often cheaper to work with an agency than to hire an in-house content specialist/s. The cost of outsourcing depends on the size of your business and the scope of your goals, but an in-house team requires significant overhead investment. 
  • Advanced tools: Agencies have access to a range of tools that are often costly for individual businesses to adopt or exclusive to industry professionals. What’s more, they’re experts in how to use these tools to access actionable insights and improve any content marketing strategy.
  • Innovation and objectivity: A digital marketing agency will bring innovation and objectivity that’s often stifled by groupthink and tunnel-vision in-house. The experts can look at your business through an unbiased lens to come up with effective and creative ways to deliver your core message to your audience. 

Partner with a content strategy agency that delivers

It’s important to ensure the content marketing agency you choose to partner with has a deep understanding of your business objectives and underlying philosophy. 

When it comes to choosing the right agency, there are several things you need to do before making an investment:

Outline your company’s needs: What exactly do you want to achieve with your content strategy? Ensure your company’s mission and goals are clear, as well as the objectives of the content you wish to create. 

Research your options: There are plenty of agencies out there that offer different services at a range of price points. Be sure to look at client testimonials and reviews when assessing your options. If your business operates in a specific niche, you might want to seek out content marketers with expertise in that area. 

Investigate their SEO knowledge: Today, it’s essential that any agency you partner with has an in-depth understanding of SEO principles. This ensures that the digital SEO content they create is optimised for search engines. 

Choose an agency that aligns with your goals: Before you partner with an agency, have a discussion about what you want to achieve and how they’re going to help you to do it. Setting clear intentions and targets will ensure that both of you are clear on expectations.

What are the main functions of a content marketing agency?

A content strategy agency works closely with businesses to lay the foundation for effective content ideation, production, distribution and performance measurement. The team involves strategists, editorial experts, creatives and project managers who develop, execute and measure content marketing campaigns. 

Content strategists take on a range of tasks, from carrying out a content audit for a new client to conducting a competitor analysis, to writing attention-grabbing and informative blog posts for publication. 

By combining their skills, the agency will identify the brand audience, create effective content and evaluate the results while ensuring alignment with your business-specific goals, values and tone of voice. 

person typing on laptop

Take your content strategy to new heights with agency expertise

Although many businesses might be doubtful about working with a content strategy agency because it means outsourcing to an external provider, there are plenty of reasons to take the plunge. 

A content marketing agency can help take the stress out of inbound marketing and campaign analysis by doing it all for you. Agencies are made up of individuals with the expertise, knowledge and creativity required to drive results.

Here at Axonn, we can support your business with a comprehensive content strategy that’ll boost your brand and maximise your return on investment. Our skilled team of data analysts, SEO experts and creatives know how to develop effective content strategies to grow your business.