We often chat about the need for businesses to have a content marketing strategy in place and operating (such as a dedicated, consistent and quality blog). If you agree but the best strategy for you is one you can’t handle internally, you should consider hiring it out. A content marketing company is a great option that many major corporations and organizations utilize – in fact ideaLaunch has worked with over 500 companies to do just that.

The qualities you need to look for in a content marketing company are similar to what you’d look for in anyone you’d hire to represent you (like PR or marketing agency) – experience and expertise, a great track record, a feeling of trust and a shared understanding on how business should be conducted. Here are a few more specifics to look out for:

Industry Insiders
If someone else is going to talk about your business, they need to know your business and industry inside-out. Research-driven minds are key. The content marketing company you hire must understand this and have (or get) a writer that can speak to your audience as a true authority on the subject matter.

Clients You Can Click With
Testimonials on a website are nice, but getting to speak with past or current clients of the company will get you the real answers you’re looking for. Did the company do the job well? On time? On budget? With a great attitude? Plus, what kinds of clients is the company pulling in? Take a look at these client sites and decide if you like what you see.

Promises Kept
Is the company offering you the moon? Saying yes to your every desire? You’re probably being set up for disappointment. All numbers are relative – the potential for traffic and customer acquisition is going to be different from company to company and industry to industry. An experienced content marketing and SEO company will aim high, but keep the expectations realistic – and they’ll lay that out for you in the beginning.

ROI Obsessed
Clever content is fantastic. Content that actually increases your business is what you’re really after for, though. Trackable, accountable, goal-focused SEO and web content should be top-of-mind of any company you speak with. Metrics should be in place and stalked from the get-go.

What else are you looking for in a content marketing company? Comment and let us know!

This entry was posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 12:08 pm and is filed under Content Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.