“Content marketing” is one of those phrases that gets used for almost everything, from a single blog post to a full multi-channel strategy. So when you start looking at content marketing agencies in the UK, it can be hard to tell what you are actually buying.

This guide explains what a content marketing agency does, what good work looks like, and how to choose one that will bring in customers rather than just filling your website with words.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing means creating useful, interesting content that your ideal customers want to read, watch or share, so that they find you, trust you and eventually buy from you. It is the opposite of interrupting people with adverts. Instead, you earn their attention.

For most businesses, that content includes:

• Blog posts and guides that answer the questions customers search for
• Social media posts, carousels and short videos
• Case studies that show your work in action
• Email newsletters
• Website copy for service and landing pages
• Video, from quick reels to longer brand films

What does a content marketing agency actually do?

A good content marketing agency does much more than write. Expect them to:

1. Research your audience. Who your customers are, what they search for and what questions they ask before buying.
2. Build a content strategy. A plan of what to create, for which channels, and why, tied to your business goals.
3. Create the content. Writing, design, photography and video, in your brand’s voice.
4. Optimise it for search. Making sure blogs and pages are built to be found on Google, not just published and forgotten. This is where content and SEO overlap.
5. Distribute it. Sharing content on social media, email and anywhere else your customers spend time.
6. Measure and improve. Tracking what brings in traffic and enquiries, then doing more of what works.

Content marketing agency vs freelancer vs doing it yourself

There is no single right answer. It depends on your budget, time and goals.

• Doing it yourself is cheapest, but content takes a lot of time to do well and consistently. Most business owners start strong and stop after a few weeks.
• A freelancer is great for specific skills like copywriting, but you will often need several freelancers for writing, design and video, and you become the project manager.
• An agency brings strategy, writing, design, video and SEO together under one roof, with one point of contact. It costs more than a single freelancer but usually less than hiring a team in-house.

We go into more detail on this in our guide to in-house marketing vs an agency.

How to choose a content marketing agency in the UK

1. Look at their own content

If an agency cannot keep its own blog and social channels active and interesting, that tells you something. Check when they last posted and whether it is any good.

2. Ask for results, not just samples

Nice-looking content is only half the story. Ask what it achieved: more traffic, more enquiries, better rankings, bigger audiences. Case studies with real numbers beat a portfolio of pretty graphics.

3. Check they understand SEO

Blog content that is not built around what people search for will rarely be found. Make sure the agency researches keywords and knows how to structure content for Google.

4. Make sure they will learn your voice

Good content sounds like you, not like a generic agency. Ask how they get to know your business and how much input you will have before anything is published.

5. Understand exactly what you get each month

How many blog posts? How many social posts? Is design and video included? Are there reports? Vague packages lead to disappointment.

6. Ask about reporting

You should get regular, plain-English updates on what was created and what it achieved. If you want to know what good reporting looks like, see our guide on what should be in a monthly SEO report.

7. Meet them

Content marketing is a long-term relationship. A quick call or, better still, a visit to their office will tell you a lot about whether you will work well together.

Red flags to watch for

• Guaranteed first-page rankings or viral content
• Large volumes of thin, generic blog posts
• No strategy, just a list of topics
• Locking you into long contracts before you have seen any work
• No access to your own content, accounts or data

How Delivered Social does content marketing

We are a content-led agency with offices in Guildford and Portsmouth. Our team writes blogs, designs social content, films video and builds websites, so everything works together rather than in separate silos. You get one team that knows your business, and content that is built to be found and to bring in enquiries.

If you want to see what that could look like for you, book a free Social Clinic. We will look at your website, your socials and what Google knows about you, and give you honest advice on what content would make the biggest difference.