What Do Content Marketing Services Include? A Complete SME Checklist

Content marketing services help businesses attract, engage, and convert customers through strategic content creation and distribution. When hiring a content marketing agency, expect services including strategy development, SEO-optimized content creation (blogs, social media, videos, email), content distribution, performance tracking, and reporting. Key KPIs to monitor include organic traffic growth, engagement rates, lead generation, conversion rates, keyword rankings, and content ROI. This checklist will help you understand what to look for when partnering with a content marketing agency.

What is a Content Marketing Agency?

If you’re a business owner wondering whether you need a content marketing agency, you’re not alone. Many SMEs find themselves asking: “What exactly does a content marketing agency do, and how can they help my business grow?”

A content marketing agency is a specialized team that helps businesses create, distribute, and manage valuable content to attract and engage their target audience. Unlike traditional advertising that interrupts people with sales messages, content marketing provides useful information that your customers actually want to read, watch, or interact with.

Think of it this way: instead of telling people “buy our product,” content marketing shows them how your product solves their problems through helpful guides, informative videos, engaging social posts, and more.

 

Why SMEs Need Content Marketing Services

For small and medium-sized businesses, content marketing offers a cost-effective way to compete with larger companies. Here’s what makes it so valuable:

• Builds Trust and Authority: When you consistently share helpful content, customers start seeing you as an expert in your field. This trust is gold for SMEs trying to stand out in crowded markets.
• Drives Organic Traffic: Good content brings people to your website through search engines without paying for ads. This “free” traffic continues delivering results long after the content is published.
• Generates Quality Leads: Content attracts people who are already interested in what you offer, making them more likely to become customers.
• Works 24/7: Unlike paid ads that stop when your budget runs out, content keeps working around the clock, continuously bringing in leads and building your brand.

 

Core Content Marketing Services: What to Expect

When you hire a content marketing agency, here’s what you should receive as part of a comprehensive service package:

1. Strategy Development and Planning

Before creating any content, a good agency will invest time understanding your business. This includes:

• Business and Industry Research: Deep dive into your industry landscape, competitors, and market trends
• Audience Analysis: Understanding who your customers are, what problems they face, and what content they consume
• Content Strategy Creation: Developing a documented plan that outlines content themes, formats, publishing schedules, and distribution channels
• Goal Setting: Defining clear, measurable objectives aligned with your business goals

A proper strategy ensures your content isn’t random but purposeful and aligned with what your business needs to achieve.

2. Content Creation Services

This is the meat of content marketing services. Expect agencies to offer:

Written Content:

• Blog posts and articles optimized for search engines
• Website copy that converts visitors into customers
• Email newsletters and campaigns
• Social media captions and posts
• Case studies showcasing customer success stories
• Whitepapers and ebooks for lead generation

Visual Content:

• Infographics that simplify complex information
• Social media graphics and branded visuals
• Video scripts and production
• Photography and image curation

Interactive Content:

• Quizzes and assessments
• Calculators and tools
• Polls and surveys

The best agencies don’t just create content—they create content that resonates with your specific audience and serves your business objectives.

3. SEO Integration

Content without visibility is like a billboard in the desert. Quality agencies integrate SEO throughout their services:

• Keyword Research: Identifying terms your customers are actually searching for
• On-Page Optimization: Ensuring content is structured properly with meta tags, headers, and internal links
• Content Optimization: Writing naturally while incorporating keywords strategically
• Technical SEO Support: Making sure your website structure supports your content strategy

SEO ensures your content gets found by people actively looking for solutions you provide.

4. Content Distribution and Promotion

Creating content is only half the battle. Agencies should help distribute it across multiple channels:

• Publishing on your website and blog
• Social media posting and scheduling
• Email marketing campaigns
• Content syndication to reach broader audiences
• Paid promotion when needed for key content pieces

5. Performance Tracking and Analytics

Professional content marketing services always include measurement and reporting:

• Setting up tracking tools and dashboards
• Regular performance reports (weekly, monthly, or quarterly)
• Data analysis to understand what’s working
• Recommendations for optimization
• A/B testing different content approaches

Without tracking, you’re flying blind. Good agencies make data-driven decisions, not guesses.

6. Content Calendar Management

Consistency is crucial in content marketing. Agencies should provide:

• Editorial calendars planning content weeks or months ahead
• Content workflow management
• Timely publication aligned with your marketing campaigns
• Seasonal and event-based content planning

 

Content Marketing KPIs: What to Measure and Expect

When you invest in content marketing services, you need to know what success looks like. Here are the key performance indicators (KPIs) you should track with your agency:

1. Brand Awareness KPIs

These metrics show how many people are discovering your brand:

• Organic Traffic: The number of visitors coming to your website from search engines. Expect gradual growth, typically 10-20% annually for established businesses, potentially higher for new content strategies.
• Page Views: How many times your content is being viewed. Track both total and unique page views to understand reach.
• Brand Search Volume: How many people are searching for your brand name. Growing brand searches indicate increasing awareness.
• Social Media Reach and Impressions: How many people are seeing your social content across platforms.

2. Engagement KPIs

These show how people interact with your content:

• Time on Page: How long visitors spend reading your content. Longer times typically indicate valuable, engaging content.
• Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page. Lower is generally better (aim for under 60% for blog content).
• Social Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and saves on social media content.
• Email Open and Click Rates: For email marketing, industry averages are 15-25% open rates and 2-5% click rates, but this varies by industry.
• Comments and Interactions: Direct engagement on blog posts, videos, or social media.

3. Lead Generation KPIs

These measure how content converts visitors into potential customers:

• Leads Generated: Total number of leads captured through content (form submissions, newsletter signups, content downloads).
• Cost Per Lead (CPL): How much you’re spending to acquire each lead. Content marketing typically offers lower CPL than paid advertising over time.
• Conversion Rate: Percentage of visitors who take desired actions. Even 2-5% is considered good for most industries.
• Email List Growth: How quickly your subscriber base is expanding.

4. SEO Performance KPIs

These indicate how well your content performs in search:

• Keyword Rankings: Where your content appears in search results for target keywords. Aim for first-page rankings (positions 1-10).
• Domain Authority: Your website’s overall credibility in search engines (scored 1-100). Gradual improvement over time is the goal.
• Backlinks: Number of quality websites linking to your content. More high-quality backlinks improve SEO.
• Featured Snippets: How often your content appears in Google’s featured answer boxes.

5. ROI and Business Impact KPIs

Ultimately, content should contribute to business growth:

• Revenue Attributed to Content: Sales that can be traced back to content marketing efforts.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Total cost to acquire a customer through content versus other channels.
• Customer Lifetime Value: How much customers acquired through content are worth over time.
• Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs): Leads that meet your criteria as sales-ready.

 

Your Content Marketing Services Checklist

Use this checklist when evaluating or working with a content marketing agency:

Before Hiring

✅ Agency Research

• Does the agency have experience in your industry?
• Can they show case studies or results from similar businesses?
• Do they understand your target audience?
• What content formats do they specialize in?

✅ Service Scope

• What specific services are included in their packages?
• Do they offer strategy development?
• Is SEO integration part of their service?
• How do they handle content distribution?

✅ Communication and Reporting

• How often will you receive reports?
• What KPIs will they track?
• Who will be your main point of contact?
• What does their revision process look like?

During Onboarding

✅ Strategy Session

• Has the agency conducted thorough business research?
• Have they defined your target audience personas?
• Is there a documented content strategy?
• Are goals and KPIs clearly defined and agreed upon?

✅ Process Setup

• Is there a clear content approval workflow?
• Have they created an editorial calendar?
• Are tracking tools properly set up?
• Do you understand how to access reports and analytics?

Ongoing Management

✅ Content Delivery

• Is content delivered on schedule according to the calendar?
• Does content meet quality standards and brand guidelines?
• Is content optimized for SEO?
• Are various content formats being utilized?

✅ Performance Monitoring

• Are you receiving regular performance reports?
• Is the agency sharing insights and recommendations?
• Are they adapting strategy based on data?
• Are you seeing progress toward defined KPIs?

✅ Communication

• Are regular check-in meetings happening?
• Is the agency responsive to questions and feedback?
• Are they proactive about suggesting improvements?
• Do you feel like a valued partner, not just a client?

 

Questions to Ask Your Content Marketing Agency

Before signing a contract, ask these essential questions:

1. How do you develop content strategies for clients in our industry?
2. What content formats do you recommend for our business, and why?
3. How do you ensure content is optimized for search engines?
4. What KPIs will you track, and how will you report on them?
5. How long before we can expect to see results?
6. What happens if content doesn’t perform as expected?
7. How do you stay updated on industry trends and algorithm changes?
8. What is your content approval and revision process?
9. Do you offer content distribution services, or just creation?
10. Can you provide references from similar businesses you’ve worked with?

 

How to Maximize Your Content Marketing Investment

Getting the best results from content marketing services requires partnership, not just payment. Here’s how to maximize your investment:

1. Be Clear About Your Goals: The more specific you are about what you want to achieve, the better your agency can deliver.
2. Provide Industry Insights: You know your business better than anyone. Share your knowledge with your agency to help them create more authentic content.
3. Give Timely Feedback: Quick feedback keeps projects moving and ensures better results.
4. Be Patient but Demand Accountability: Content marketing is a long-term strategy, but you should still see steady progress and clear reporting.
5. Share Your Content: Help promote content through your own networks, email signatures, and customer interactions.
6. Provide Access: Give your agency access to the tools, data, and people they need to succeed.

 

Whoosh Media: Your Trusted Content Marketing Partner

Content marketing services are an investment in your business’s long-term growth. The right agency becomes a strategic partner who understands your business, creates content that resonates with your audience, and delivers measurable results.

At Whoosh Media, we don’t just create content. We craft strategic narratives that drive real business results. As a leading content marketing agency in Malaysia and Singapore, we’ve helped businesses across diverse industries build brand authority, generate quality leads, and achieve measurable growth through compelling storytelling.

Our results speak louder than our promises. We’ve helped clients secure Page 1 rankings on Google, driving consistent organic traffic and brand visibility without relying on paid ads. From B2B SaaS companies to F&B businesses, our content strategies have boosted engagement rates, generated qualified leads, and delivered impressive ROI across multiple sectors.

We combine data-driven insights with creative excellence. Every piece of content we create is tied to measurable KPIs, whether it’s improving search rankings, increasing engagement rates, generating leads, or driving conversions. 

If you want to choose the right agency, please download this free checklist to guide your decision-making process.