Our Picks for Top Content Marketing Agencies in 2022

If a digital marketer tells you they can handle all of their brand’s content strategy, creation, distribution and analysis entirely on their own, they’re lying.

OK, they’re not lying. But there’s more to the story.

One person can move mountains for a company’s online presence, though the reality is that there are far too many opportunities in content marketing for an individual to deep dive into all of them. A small team has to prioritize and there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, if your budget has room to outsource, working with a content marketing agency will enhance your efforts and create a smooth path to reaching — and even exceeding — your business goals.

Content marketing agencies are filled with talented teams who are ready to build your marketing strategy and create results-driven deliverables. When you’re feeling the overwhelming need for more time and talent, partnering with an agency is a smart move to increase your output while also adding more thought partners to your toolbox.

Our Picks for Top Content Marketing Agencies

Once you start the process of finding the right content marketing agency for your needs, parsing through the seemingly endless list of companies can become a project in its own right. This list of rockstar agencies is here to make your search a little easier.

Best Overall: Brafton

We know — including ourselves in a list of top content marketing agencies seems like the obvious answer. But like the great RuPaul says, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the h*ll are you gonna love somebody else?”

In all seriousness, though, we have the evidence to back up our claim and it would be an honor to add your company to our list of worldwide clients.

Brafton is an end-to-end, complete digital marketing partner that provides the data, strategy, content, technology and results across all mediums, at any scale and within any industry.

With a robust team of full-time content creators, project managers and strategists located around the globe, Brafton is equipped to offer a full suite of marketing services for all of your content goals. This extensive roster also allows Brafton to match clients with team members who are best suited to their needs, industry and timezone.

Brafton scores high in external agency reviews, including a second-place ranking in the Clutch Leaders Matrix for top content marketing companies in the U.S. and high marks in Australia from The Manifest.

Another defining characteristic about Brafton is that the agency walks the walk that they advise their clients to follow. Notable examples include the agency’s high-ranking blog, diverse resource library and a successful content marketing podcast (coined “Above the Fold”).

What’s more, Brafton shows off its credibility in creating optimized content by ranking at the top of search results for many of its core business areas, including business writing services, content creation services, marketing consulting services, paid search management and web analytics agency.

Brafton’s one-of-a-kind software offering, The Brafton Platform, was built by content marketers for content marketers. The platform allows its 10,000+ global users to plan, produce and measure content marketing in one centralized hub.

Fluent in several industry lingos and equally comfortable speaking to B2C and B2B audiences, Brafton’s client list includes AIG, Farmers Insurance, Sotheby’s, Pearson, Zendesk, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, MobileCause, Preply, Phone Ninjas and more.

If you’re looking for true content marketing experts who strike the balance of being a large global agency without forfeiting personalized, hands-on client experiences, you won’t regret working with Brafton.

Research Gurus: Fractl

Fractl is a full-service digital marketing agency with a strong focus on SEO, rankings and online growth. In a nutshell, Fractl helps businesses acquire more customers from organic search.

With a research-heavy approach, the team has a wealth of knowledge in various industry-related topics. You can find their research in well-known publications and journals, including MarketingProfs, The Economist, Harvard Business Review and The New York Times.

This research expertise is a significant benefit of working with Fractl because they can provide clients with original research and data, as well as handle the publication and distribution to boost recognition and credibility among relevant audiences.

Fractl’s high rankings on sites like Clutch feature client reviews that speak to impressive results, including website traffic increases, dramatic jumps in search engine rankings and brand mentions in significant publications.

While most of their business comes from mid-market and enterprise companies, Fractl can also drive results for small businesses. Their client list boasts names like DirecTV, Discover, Superdrug, Fanatics, Paychex, Indeed and more.

If you’re looking to grow your audience and your industry responds well to research-driven content, Fractl has the marketing chops for your needs.

B2B Heroines: The Content Bureau

As a premier B2B content marketing agency, The Content Bureau works primarily with global technology, venture capital and financial corporations.

The Content Bureau has a high-touch and attentive approach, which makes them a true extension of their client teams. Many of their clients utilize their strategic and creative marketing services all year long rather than solely for one-off projects or campaigns.

As such, the agency’s client list is backed by impressive retention rates. Autodesk has been with the Content Bureau for 21 years, SAP for 17 years, PayPal for 12 years and Deloitte for 10 years. Some of their more recent clientele include Salesforce Ventures, Workday and UiPath.

The Content Bureau complements the high client retention rates with a veteran workforce. More than 80% of their team members have worked for the agency for 10 years or longer, which provides a level of expertise and stability that their clients appreciate.

More fun facts about the Content Bureau: The agency is 100% virtual, woman-owned and 90% of the team members are women.

With a deep appreciation and talent for writing, the Content Bureau assigns a writer, editor and designer to every project. Their process leads to premium deliverables that dazzle in copy and design.

The Content Bureau is an excellent choice for B2B marketers who want a long-term partner to deliver high-quality content and an exclusive client experience.

Social Media Savviest: LYFE Marketing

LYFE Marketing is a digital marketing agency that shines in the social media department. Their team is always up-to-date on the most relevant strategies and tactics to help businesses grow their following and convert users.

With fixed fees and month-to-month contracts for social media management, social media advertising, PPC management and email marketing, the agency’s services are accessible to small- and mid-sized businesses.

LYFE Marketing earns high praise from review sites like UpCity and their Clutch profile boasts social media results that increased sales by 714% for an online brand.

The agency’s clients include small retail and e-commerce brands like My Lala Leggings, The Cord Wrapper and Easy Diya.

If you’re promoting a small business on a budget, LYFE Marketing is a great choice for value-packed social media marketing support.

SEO Winners: Victorious

Victorious is an SEO digital agency that believes in focusing on one content marketing service so they can do it exceedingly well. With this dedication to digital content optimization, Victorious trains every team member in their SEO principles and proven practices.

The SEO experts combine technology and people power to deliver strong returns on investment and beat their client’s competition through strategically optimized content. This includes helping clients achieve common goals like increasing brand awareness, generating more leads and producing more revenue.

Specifically, Victorious boosts organic search visibility for their clients through 6 focused services: SEO strategy and analytics, keyword research, SEO audit, on- and off-page SEO, and optimized content.

Their approach has earned the agency several awards and widespread recognition, including being named Search Engine Land’s SEO Agency of the Year, landing a spot in Clutch’s leader matrix of best SEO service providers and winning multiple categories from US Search Awards.

Victorious also attracts high-profile clients from various sectors, such as SoFi, Groupon, Yahoo, Spotify, GE, GoFundMe, TopGolf, Mintel and Bissell.

With an impressive reputation and custom SEO plans that deliver results, Victorious is a smart pick if you’re in the market for this kind of focused support.

Google-Friendly Creators: ClickGiant

As the name implies, ClickGiant can help you get more clicks on your online content. The agency develops custom SEO marketing campaigns with a Google-friendly approach to content creation.

ClickGiant stands out from other SEO agencies because they focus on providing affordable digital marketing services for small businesses. In their own words, ClickGiant says “We have monthly plans starting at, roughly, what a nice steak dinner for two costs … with wine of course.”

This small-business support is further emphasized by the agency’s ability to offer additional services as needed, including website design and social campaigns.

ClickGiant serves clients nationwide across sectors, including Scout Boats, Huk Gear, Nectar Sunglasses, Alder Energy, Vintage 1946, Trident Family Dentistry, Ayers Family Law and others.

If you want to outsource your content creation without spending your entire budget, ClickGiant can deliver high-quality, optimized assets to boost your digital presence, exposure and rankings.

Heaviest on the B2B Visuals: Column Five

As a leading creative content agency, Column Five stands out from the crowd because of its focus on visual storytelling for B2B companies.

They thrive on helping brands tell their best stories in the most effective content formats. Once the content exists, the team can also help get it in front of the right eyes.

Though the agency’s full round-up of services includes brand and content strategy, content creation and distribution, they’re known for their interactive design. In fact, Column Five is so good at the visual side of content marketing that they wrote an entire book about infographics.

With offices in California and New York, Column Five has clients from coast to coast. The team also has broad experience working with clients in various industries. Some of their previous and current clients include Zendesk, Dropbox, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Intuit, LinkedIn, CrossFit, Uber, UC Berkeley, Microsoft and Netflix.

Plus, Column Five earns the respect of well-known marketing thought leaders like Neil Patel, which speaks to their credibility in content visualization.

Column Five is a solid choice if you want a content marketing agency that can take your visual branding to a new, results-driven level.

Multidisciplinary Visual Communicators: IGW

IGW stands for infographic world so you can guess where their strengths lie. The full-service visual and digital marketing company has a talented creative team that can produce various design assets, including infographics, illustrations, video marketing, 3D animations, interactive content, presentation and report design, website design, social media visuals and more.

With experience in inbound marketing, SEO and digital advertising, IGW also has the capacity to build the strategy behind the visuals and increase a brand’s online visibility from multiple angles.

IGW works with a broad range of B2C and B2B clients, generally at the enterprise and mid-market size though they partner with small brands as well. The agency touts the work they’ve done for well-known companies like General Electric, Merck, ESPN, Embassy of Spain, Nike, Pepsi, Google, Paramount, World Health Organization, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

The agency has a spot in Clutch’s top 10 content marketing companies and receives positive customer feedback about their hands-on, personalized approach and high-quality deliverables.

For brands in need of visual marketing that drives leads and revenue, IGW is sure to impress.

Tiny Yet Mighty: Eucalypt Media

Eucalypt Media is a content marketing agency with broad experience and services. They’re intentional about being a small agency that can deliver at the same level as the biggest players while treating every client as a valued partner.

Due to their smaller size, Eucalypt Media complements their internal expertise with a veteran team of freelance writers, editors, designers and videographers.

The agency’s broad services generally fall into 4 areas: strategic marketing consulting and audits, results-oriented content marketing retainers, a la carte content creation and execution, and thought leadership campaigns.

Eucalypt Media practices what it preaches — especially when it comes to thought leadership. The agency’s founder, Kathryn Hawkins, frequently contributes to publications like Inc. magazine and ranks among the top content marketers to follow on social media.

With accolades like Clutch Global Leader in content marketing for the past 7 years, Eucalypt Media as an organization has also earned a strong reputation in the industry.

The agency works with a variety of business sizes and sectors, including startups, higher education and software. Their key clients include Atlassian, Intel, Bizo, Husson University, The Atlantic, Instore, YarcData and Boston Consulting Company.

If you’re in need of a broad range of content marketing services, Eucalypt Media should be on your shortlist.

How Do Content Marketing Agencies Earn Top-Tier Status?

We don’t take these rankings lightly because picking a content marketing agency to work with isn’t a light decision. When you’re looking for a partner in getting your brand’s story out there, you want to know that you can trust their team to deliver on their promises and help you meet your business goals.

So what makes some agencies better than others? Ultimately, it’s their ability to produce the results you need. Even better if they’re a step ahead and can offer the ideas, recommendations, and results that Future You hasn’t realized you need yet.

When a content marketing agency earns top-tier status, it’s generally for a combination of reasons. Here are some of the notable ones to consider:

Happy Clients

Every marketer knows the power of a convincing testimonial. If others in your shoes are happy with the agency’s results, you can feel better about the odds that you will too.

Check out the agency’s website for client testimonials and case studies for examples of their work. Next, look for their profiles on rating sites like Clutch.co or G2 for vetted agency reviews.

Content Creation Rockstars

When you’re interviewing a potential agency partner, be sure to ask about their team of content creators. This will help you understand their creative approach, capacity and ability to meet your preferences.

Some questions to jot down before meeting with your next candidate:

Do they have a mix of expertise, from industry veterans to newbies with fresh takes?Are their content creators full-time employees or freelancers?How many writers and designers do they have on staff?Do they have a dedicated video team?Is there a high turnover rate in their creative teams?Does their team have experience creating the kind of assets you need?

Project Management Experts

The best of the best aren’t just creative, they’re also wizards at running projects smoothly. From asking the right questions at the beginning of a project to never missing a beat on next steps, top content marketing agencies keep your teams aligned and respect everyone’s time and energy.

Signs of these project management skills include a dedicated point-of-contact from the start, statements of work and expected deliverables, projected milestones, regularly scheduled check-ins and clearly defined expectations for both sides of the partnership.

Influential Connections

The ideal content marketing agency for your company will have relationships with the right people, vendors and influencers who can amplify your message. In other words, a top-tier content agency team doesn’t just create killer content, they also know how to distribute it widely for worthwhile results.

Consistent Feedback Loop

A marketing agency’s internal communication should be as clear and effective as the work they produce for clients. Make sure you’re picking an agency that’s transparent and timely with their feedback.

What’s more, a great content marketing agency knows when to say no and how to back up their responses with data and expertise. This thought partnership will push your brand to better results and it will also help establish boundaries in your agency-client relationship where appropriate.

Analysis and Reporting

If a content marketing agency is worth its salt, their team won’t rely on lip service to prove they’re doing good work. Their marketing services will include a clear process for reporting on metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Not only will this clearly define how your content is performing and inform next steps, but it will also help you speak to the data the next time leadership checks in on your marketing efforts.

Choosing The Right Agency For You

While many of us would agree on certain qualities and marketing services that every top content agency should have, hiring the right content marketing agency is a decision that’s unique to your needs and preferences.

For example, if you already have a rockstar in-house social media team, you might not want to choose an agency that specializes in social media marketing. On the other hand, if your interns are running your accounts, you might be on the hunt for an agency that can provide consistent social media strategy, execution and reporting.

Your choice may also be influenced by the agency’s subject matter expertise, especially if your industry requires insider knowledge to create content geared toward your audience.

The size of the agency can also indicate important factors like their capacity to meet your needs, expected turnaround times, level of personalization and variety of available marketing services.

When in doubt, ask yourself questions like these to guide your decision making:

Is the agency equipped to fill the gaps in your in-house team?Can the agency support your goals and fulfill your top priorities?Why do you need to outsource content creation?Does the team’s working style complement your own?Do they have expertise in your industry?Would a local, national or global agency work better for your needs?Do their client testimonials and reviews boost your confidence in their work?How far will your budget go towards their services?What differentiates them from other content marketing agencies?

In the end, choosing your match made in content marketing heaven comes down to the agency’s ability to meet your desired outcomes. Trust your gut and get ready to make big marketing moves with the newest extension of your team.