To be successful however, it does all have to stem out of a good content marketing strategy that is well thought through and implemented in a considered manner. But says Joe, once that is in place then “a simple style guide, some clear content pillars and a bit of editorial oversight is all your colleagues need to get going.”

There are, of course, some agencies which sell their ability to help clients with their own content marketing. In cases like this it is imperative that writers are employed – so it makes sense for them to also be utilised in the promotion of the agency. DBA member ThinkBDA is a Buckingham based creative agency offering design and marketing services. These services include helping clients with their content. ThinkBDA managing director David Knowles says, “Content writing is a skill – it is about crafting words in such a way as to draw people into a subject. Having an in-house content person gives flexibility allowing us to be more reactive when faced with creative client challenges.” Although David concedes, “Just because someone doesn’t have ‘writer’ in their job title doesn’t mean they can’t produce content. Our whole team can contribute in what is often a team effort.”

What to write about?

First up, ask yourself (and your agency as a whole) “Why do we want to produce content? What image are we trying to portray?”

If what you are talking about has no bearing on:

1. Positioning you and your business as experts in your field
2. Raising your profile amongst your peers within your industry

then stop right there. You are wasting your time. Similarly a tweet saying “We offer great design at competitive prices” is not going to get a potential client clicking through.

If you find yourself spending all your time writing about 1060’s Japanese Manga, but are unable to link it to your client base then I suggest you carry on doing this – within the confines of your own personal blog far removed from your business! Content should be audience relevant and you need to find the issues that affect both you as a business and your clients – preferably at the same time. They are pretty broad – customer engagement, client relationships, return on investment. Then delve into the more sector specific issues depending on your client base.

To get started find a trusted source that deals with issues affecting you and use them for inspiration. Paul Alderson of DBA member Wonderstuff in Newcastle says, “We often look at the DBA for inspiration – up and coming events on their website, their ezine – then we ask ourselves ‘What is our opinion on that subject?’”

“Our staff are not writers – but they are communicators. The more they write the better they get and it equips them to form their own opinions, something we have always encouraged.”

Paul continues, “Once you have a clear idea of who you are targeting and what values you want to align yourselves with it becomes easy. By putting your beliefs out there you give clients a reason to choose you, an agency that does great work, but also has the same outlook as the client.”

To broaden the content output from your agency you need to trust your staff to illustrate their expertise, opinions and passion. But as Paul says, you need a clear strategy in place – one that has been developed in conjunction with your positioning and new business plans. This takes time and consideration, but can produce fantastic rewards for an agency looking to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace.