Is Your B2B Agency Equipped for Content Marketing?

Writing good content is one thing, but does your B2B agency know how to leverage that content to your greatest benefit?  To my mind, the best purveyors of content are technically astute, full-service B2B marketing firms.  Why?  Because they typically have technically adept account service professionals and writers — and if they’ve been in business long enough, they have undoubtedly developed every type of marcom campaign.  In addition, the best agencies are not only social media savvy but they understand the need for sound analytical data and project metrics.

To evaluate your B2B agency though, start with the basics: 

• Does your agency understand your industry and your target markets?
• Are they strategic in their planning?  Their program execution?
• Is their design team up to par?  
• Can they work equally well in the print and digital realm?
• Do they have the needed technology resources?
• Do they work ‘alone,’ or can they collaborate with you for an optimal outcome?

And don’t be shy about having them demonstrate these concepts: don’t settle for ‘talking points’.  (Haven’t we all had enough of talking points?)

Once you understand their basic offering, ask them specifically about their content marketing expertise.  And the best way to evaluate that is to look at examples.  Ask your B2B agency to walk you through a content marketing strategy that they’ve developed and executed.  Look for a clear understanding of the material they produced, how it was adapted for different media, and how it was distributed.  Check out their case studies.  Find out how they report their results.

Another key expertise indicator is if they are involved in content marketing themselves.  Look at their website and their blog.  Ask to see some of their own case studies to see what they are doing, to what extent, and how they gauge their success.  Are they actively involved in social media?  If they are selling social media, but not really involved in it, back away.

Contact us if you have any questions, or would like to see some more examples of our content marketing expertise.  We are a technical marketing, full-service agency with the know-how you may be looking for.  Or, if you are just looking for more information on the topic, download our new content marketing white paper now.