5 key criteria for choosing your content creation agency

A vital part of a comprehensive marketing strategy, content helps attract, engage, and convince your target audience—provided you have the time and the team to create it. And while the pull of ChatGPT is firm, except in rare cases, it’s best to resist and focus on producing original, high-impact content.

Don’t miss out on the many benefits of content simply because you lack the bandwidth or sharp pens on your team: content creation agencies are here to help. But how do you choose the right one for your business and your needs? It’s no small task!

The 5 Must-Have Qualities of a Good Content Production Agency

As you likely know, a content agency offers services for creating, deploying, and managing content strategies. The benefits? Strengthening a brand’s visibility, improving its online presence, attracting qualified leads, and converting them into loyal customers.

An agency helps make an impact in your specific market by applying best creation practices, using the right tools, and collaborating with skilled professionals.

So, what should be on your checklist when evaluating your options?

1. Industry knowledge

Choosing a content creation agency with the right expertise saves you time, energy, and money. An experienced agency brings strategic guidance: selecting the right topics, anticipating needs, and producing relevant, value-added content. And this knowledge isn’t just about understanding the differences between B2C and B2B—it’s also about understanding the nuances of industrial, commercial, or institutional sectors.

On the other hand, an agency with no experience in your field may struggle to make the right moves at the right time. The result? Generic articles, web pages, or marketing videos that fail to connect with your targets. Not to mention the time wasted bringing them up to speed on your industry and business challenges!

Pro tip: Take a look at the agency’s project portfolio to get a sense of the range of clients they’ve worked with.

2. A versatile service offering

Even the best content has little impact if it exists in a vacuum. It should stem from a well-rounded content strategy that combines inbound and outbound marketing and unfolds across both digital and offline channels.

Depending on your marketing goals, multiple pieces need to come together to form a winning content strategy. Here are a few examples:

• Choosing the right platforms and distribution channels
• Selecting content topics and keywords that balance target interest with SEO potential
• Developing effective plans or scripts for each piece of content
• Integrating content within your ecosystem—social media, blog, newsletter, etc.

That’s why versatile know-how is essential! A full-service content agency can work on several fronts at once, so you only need to brief and collaborate with one external team.

3. High-quality content, created consistently

A core pillar of any strategy should be consistent content creation, where “consistent” doesn’t necessarily mean “daily”! In B2B marketing, quality trumps quantity: after all, your audience likely doesn’t have time to engage with 4 LinkedIn posts, your latest blog article, and 2 email blasts all in one day. It could even turn them off.

Also, “quality” takes many forms depending on the content type. Should you opt for short or long form? Text only, or visuals too? A quick overview or an in-depth study of an issue? It pays to work with partners who have a few tricks up their sleeves!

Pro tip: Check whether the agency you’re eyeing is a “shoemaker with no shoes”! Do they produce their own content regularly? Is it relevant? Do they vary in formats? Is their website well-written and user-friendly? Can you recognize their branding—voice, visuals, colors—across platforms?

4. Proven processes

A well-established marketing agency has solid procedures and workflows in place. This can be harder to evaluate before starting a collaboration, but it’s still something to keep in mind when engaging more seriously with a candidate.

For example, in your discussions, does the agency mention setting SMART goals? Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for your content marketing? Benchmarking against major players in your industry? Are they willing to adapt to your needs, or are they pushing a one-size-fits-all formula?

5. Shared values and approaches

In other words, does it “click” with the agency? You don’t need to be best friends with everyone on the team, but ask yourself whether collaborating and exchanging ideas on a regular basis would feel enjoyable. Sharing the same values and having fluid communication from the start are good signs of compatibility and future collaboration effectiveness.

Pro tip: Approach your search the same way you would a recruitment process. Choosing a content agency is a bit like building or expanding your marketing department externally!

Why work with experts to write your marketing content

Let’s be honest: what does a specialized team offer that, say, ChatGPT doesn’t? The strength of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots lies in their ability to execute commands quickly. But making them your leading writer? Not the best idea!

Creating all your content with AI runs the risk of producing work that doesn’t quite fit your industry, the B2B context, or your brand’s tone and voice. Not to mention the lack of originality and transparency from these platforms! And who knows what the future holds—search engines may eventually penalize this kind of content.

By working with an agency that’s aligned with your organization, you can avoid these pitfalls and get the most from your marketing efforts. Also, remember: a good content agency doesn’t copy-paste its style onto its clients. It tailors content to each business’s voice, context, and goals.

How to get started with content creation

What can a content marketing agency bring to your business? To help evaluate your options, here’s a glimpse of what they can handle—partially or entirely:

1. Build your content strategy based on clear business objectives
2. Define your target audience
3. Plan and organize efforts with an editorial calendar
4. Choose the right content formats
5. Repurpose existing content—SEO optimization, updates, format recycling, etc.
6. Follow best practices and, if needed, apply the latest trends
7. Publish on the appropriate platforms
8. Monitor results to evaluate content ROI and improve performance
9. Conduct competitive intelligence to keep you ahead in your industry

In short, diving into content creation can feel intimidating! But with the right partners, solid planning, and a clear understanding of your goals, producing engaging content doesn’t have to be a headache.

Now that you know the essential criteria of a great agency, you’re in a better position to assess your options. Ready to start scouting? Our team is happy to answer any questions.