Note from Jennifer: If you haven’t already joined my new Facebook Group The Freelance Content Marketing Writer, head over there today. The goal is to help each other find new clients and make more money. I promise it will be helpful and fun. A few of you are already posting, but I’m hoping more of you will join what I know will be a very supportive community as well as a great way to network with other writers. I mentioned this weekend that I find networking with other writers to be even more effective for landing work than networking with clients and I stand by this 100 percent.

As I promised everyone who attended my session at the ASJA conference in NYC this weekend (it was great to meet so many of you in person), today I am sharing a various lists of content marketing agencies to make it easier to find your perfect client. The top of this post is similar to what we talked about on Saturday, so scroll down for several lists to use to find more agencies. I’ve also added some new lists, so long-time readers should keep reading as well.

I’m often asked what exactly I mean by agency. I am talking about public relations agencies, advertising agencies and marketing agencies as well as agencies that specifically refer to themselves as a content marketing agency. Pretty much all agencies these days offer content marketing as a service to their clients.

The second question (well, sometimes the first) is about pay with agencies. Most writers assume that you make less with agencies because they take a cut. But you don’t always earn less, in fact, I usually make more per hour with agencies. In addition to taking a fee, the agency also takes some of the work off your plate, often finding sources, creating the scope, handling revisions, and negotiating the schedule. This means that the same piece takes less time and can result in a higher hourly rate. No, it’s not always true, but when considering agency rates you need to know exactly what tasks you will have to do and then determine how long it will take to use an hourly rate to compare. Check out this post for more of my thoughts about agencies compared to direct businesses. Even though it’s two years old, it’s still 100 million percent true today and I’m probably more convinced of my opinion now than when I wrote it.

Here are three ways to find agencies:

1. Look for local agencies. 

Yes, you can (and should) work with agencies and businesses located anywhere in the world. But I have found that people in your local area are more likely to hire you. Even if they don’t meet you face-to-face, which I recommend, there is a comfort level that you could come in for a meeting. I have had a much higher return contacting local agencies than others and have heard the same from other writers. You can find these agencies with a google search, be sure to search for PR agency, marketing agency, advertising agency and content marketing to get the highest number of hits.

2. Look for agencies that specialize in your niche.

Google “content marketing agency” and your niche. Then go back and do all of the variations that I mentioned above. When I searched health care content marketing agencies, I found some agencies that I had never heard of, and some of them had big name clients. I have found that many agencies now specialize in specific niches, most likely for the same reason that freelance writers have niches.

3. Use a list.

I typically find the first two ways to give the highest results, but there are many other agencies out there. And many smart people have put together some great lists to save you time finding agencies.

Here are some of my favorite lists:

1. • Content Marketing Institute Agency Directory – I have to say that this is the most impressive list of agencies, and it is an absolute gold mine for freelancers. There are over 300 agencies and many of the listings include contact names and emails, which is a jackpot. I am sure that not all of these agencies use freelancers, but having the names will save you a lot of time searching for the right person to contact.
   • Chief Content Officer Magazine’s Annual List – (see page 22 of this issue for the latest list). While there is some overlap with this list and the CMI list (CMI produces the magazine), this includes each agency’s notable clients and also breaks down agencies for each niche, which is not listed in the online database. Note that this list is several pages long so be sure to scroll through.
   • Content Council Member list – Click on the Members menu to see a list of agencies and contact information. No, you don’t have to join and it’s not a membership I recommend since its geared towards agencies. Be sure to also check out the case study section for a list of specific publications. You can often find the editor directly responsible for the publication instead of having to go through the main gatekeeper at the agency. If you have already sent LOIs to these agencies, go back and follow up. I have gotten a number of gigs with agencies on this list through diligently following up.
   • Clutch list of Top Content Marketing Agencies – There is some overlap with this list and the CMI database, but I found a number of new agencies on this list as well. One of the unique features about this particular list is that you can read reviews from clients which can help you get a feel for the type of agency and if it would be a good fit for you.
   • Curate’s list of agencies – This list also includes top clients which can help you easily pick which agencies to target. Be sure to look at the comments since several more agencies are added by posters.
   • Agency List – This list separates agencies out by type of agency and includes major metro areas in each state. I just found this list today, but expect it to be one of my favorites going forward because it is easy to use and includes a crap ton of agencies.

How do you find content marketing agencies? Have you had any luck with the lists that I shared in this post?