“Pick a content agency,” they said. Easy, right?
Except it isn’t.
Hiring a content agency often feels like choosing between two extremes:
👉 On the one side, you’ve got the “we-do-it-all” generalists, the one-stop shops. They sound convenient, as you don't need to hire multiple vendors. But here’s the catch: when they do everything, they rarely go deep on anything. And, as you probably know, surface-level work doesn’t work.
👉 On the other side, you’ll find hyper-focused specialists, agencies that only do content. And yes, some are truly great at what they do, like crafting expert articles that deliver value. But there’s also a flood of agencies that claim to produce “high-quality content,” when in reality, it’s just polished fluff that doesn’t move the needle.
Picking an agency isn't hard. It’s hard to find one that won’t waste your time (and budget).
Over the years (and through countless conversations with clients who’ve struggled with content marketing), we’ve built a clear sense of what businesses actually want from an agency.
Spoiler ↓
Businesses don’t want more content. They want content that actually lands clients instead of collecting dust on a blog.
So here’s the uncomfortable question:
Do you want to learn from other people’s mistakes? Or do you want to be the one posting that frustrated Clutch rant about “bad agency experience” a year from now?
We've watched companies burn cash on the wrong agencies many times. And we know exactly what you need to look for (and what to avoid) when choosing a content partner.
TL;DR:
- Content marketing agencies come with plenty of red flags — we'll reveal the main ones for you to spot them before you sign.
- To succeed with content marketing initiatives, pick a content partner who drives leads, not just impressions.
- B2B tech founders share what went wrong with their past agencies (so you don’t repeat it).
To make it easy for you, there are two types of agencies. Let's talk about them.
Option 1: The Generic Agency
They promise:
“We can do anything you want. We’re experts in everything.”
or
Reality: A laundry list of services, surface-level knowledge in all of them, true expertise in none.
Problem: They execute tasks without a bigger plan. Blogs, posts, ads — all random acts of content. Instead of one growth engine, you get noise that doesn’t move the needle.
Option 2: The Niche Agency
They promise:
“We write brilliant content.”
or
Reality: Beautiful words with zero business impact.
Problem: They hand you polished blog posts… and leave you to figure out how (or if) those words actually sell. Without your product, market, or customers in mind, it’s just…you guessed it…noise.
What the market of content marketing agencies looks like
This chart breaks down how content agencies position themselves — from generic “we-do-it-all” shops to niche experts, and from process-obsessed teams to those who actually focus on outcomes. It helps you see through the buzzwords.
Some promise traffic. Some promise polished text.
But the ones worth your time? They live in the bottom-right: focused, strategic partners who get your product, your market, and write content that converts.
Here are the four agency profiles you need to recognize early to avoid.
4 agency profiles to avoid
The Blog Machine
What they say:
“We’ll publish 20 posts a month!”
What they do: Focus on pumping out large volumes of content to keep your blog “active.”
The pitfall: Lots of words, no strategy. You get traffic (maybe), but not customers, because the content doesn’t address real business problems.
The SEO Whisperer
What they say:
“We’ll get you more traffic” or/and “Let’s rank for these 10 keywords!”
What they do: Build content purely around keywords to improve Google rankings.
The pitfall: Traffic ≠ leads. You get vanity metrics (pageviews) but not necessarily leads or sales. A spike in impressions might look good on a chart, but without conversions, it’s wasted effort.
One of our clients this week: “I won't hire somebody who just knows how to use SEO tools. I can use them myself.”
The Ghostwriter
What they say:
“Just tell us what to write.”
What they do: Follow your instructions exactly, without adding ideas or strategy. They’re skilled writers, but not strategic partners.
The pitfall: If you don’t provide the strategy, nobody will. You’re left doing all the thinking while they just produce text. That’s outsourcing tasks, not building a content engine.
The Thought Leadership Shop
What they promise:
“We’ll make you a thought leader.”
What they do: Deliver the same generic fluff everyone else does, just dressed up to look expert.
What they don't do? Interview your team.
The pitfall: It looks authoritative but doesn’t capture your expertise or your audience's challenges. Instead of standing out, you blend in with everyone else.
You’ve likely seen these agencies before — maybe even worked with one. Our clients have too, and their lessons are worth paying attention to.
What do the clients say?
The biggest challenge companies face with agencies: Content quality doesn't match our standards.
To help you avoid signing the wrong deal, we also asked tech CEOs and Heads of Marketing what they’d do differently when hiring a content agency.
Here’s what came up most often: Start with a smaller pilot project first.
Red flags to avoid when choosing a content agency
🚩 They promise “more traffic fast.” Traffic without conversions = vanity metrics.
🚩🚩 They never ask about your ICP. If they don’t know who you’re selling to, they’re not writing for buyers, they’re writing for Google (and that doesn't work well for conversions).
🚩 🚩🚩 They are too focused on keywords and never on pain points. Search volume won’t close deals. Context will.
🚩🚩🚩🚩 They send you the draft and that's it. No distribution, no repurposing, no promotion. That’s half a job.
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 They ignore your internal experts. If they don’t talk to your CTO or Head of Sales, they’re just guessing. Expertise comes from inside (but you also need to know how to extract it).
Choosing the right content agency is about finding a partner who understands your product, your buyers, and your business goals, and can turn that into content that delivers leads.
Our industry should change
We keep a close eye on standout agencies like Beam, Animalz, Optimist, and a few others — because what they share is worth reading.
And honestly? We want more of that.
When strong players raise the bar, it creates healthy pressure, the kind that pushes all of us to keep improving.
Rules for choosing the right content marketing agency
#1. Start with their website and content
If the agency’s own site doesn’t tell a good story (or their content doesn’t teach, provoke, or inspire) they won’t be able to do it for you either. Great agencies lead by example.
#2. They focus on conversions
Because what’s the point of traffic if it doesn’t turn into leads or customers?
#3. They can show case studies with real results
Look for proof, not promises.
#4. They follow a structured process
From research to content creation to distribution — you should understand how they work, not just what they deliver.
#5. They dive deep
The right agency understands your product, market, and audience. Or they know how to ask the right questions to get there fast.
#6. They think beyond the content calendar
A good agency doesn’t just fill your calendar with blog posts. They think about where that content will live, how it will be distributed, and who it’s really for.
The test of a good content partner is simple: They should know two things — what to say and how to say it.
That’s our formula at Zmist & Copy:
Zmist = Strategy → what to say, and who needs to hear it.
Copy = Execution → how to say it so it resonates and converts.
We don’t start with keywords. We start with your foundation: what makes you different, who actually needs you, and why they should care. Because our job isn’t to flood the internet with content no one reads. It’s to build content systems that drive growth.
We’re not claiming perfection. We’re still learning and always refining. But what never changes are the values that guide us.
They shape how we work and what we create.
Here they are ↓
We believe in systems
Content without operations burns time and teams. We’ve built frameworks, AI tools, templates, and workflows — battle-tested with real clients.
That’s how we turn messy processes into efficient content engines that scale without losing quality.
We believe in expert content that no one can copy
Most agencies recycle what competitors already wrote. We go straight to your experts, pull out insights, and turn them into content that builds authority and pipeline.
It’s hard to copy because it’s rooted in your expertise, not Google’s top 10.
👉 See examples:
- How to Automate Your Operations (Yalantis Story and What You Can Learn From It)
- Why We've Used Python for Data Engineering for 12 Years (And Still Do)
- The Case for Building Automation Systems (BAS): Overcoming Barriers to Adoption
- How AI Agents Will Rewrite Enterprise Software: Modeso’s Predictions about Agentic AI
We believe in a marketing strategy. And it's not about keywords
Agencies love chasing SEO checklists. We start with positioning — your clients, your message, your proofs. And from there, we build a content strategy that gets your message right where it needs to go.
If you believe what we believe, let's work together.
