23 Content Strategist Success Stories [2024]
A content strategist business is a business that helps companies and organizations create and implement a content strategy that aligns with their business goals and objectives. This includes researching and identifying the target audience, determining the types of content that will be most effective in reaching that audience, and creating a plan for creating, distributing, and measuring the impact of the content.
Running a successful content strategist business involves several key skills and strategies. First and foremost, it requires a deep understanding of the target audience and what types of content will be most effective in reaching and engaging them. This involves conducting market research, analyzing data, and staying up to date on industry trends and best practices.
In addition, it’s essential to have strong communication and collaboration skills, as content strategists often work closely with other members of an organization, including marketing and sales teams, to ensure that the content is aligned with overall business goals and objectives.
Finally, it’s essential to be organized and have strong project management skills, as content strategists often juggle multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously. By staying on top of tasks and delivering high-quality work on time, content strategists can build a strong reputation and secure long-term contracts with clients.
In this list, you'll find real-world content strategist success stories and very profitable examples of starting a content strategist that makes money.
1. Qnary ($6.6M/year)
Bant Breen, the Founder of Qnary, came up with the idea for his business while working as the CEO of a paid search and social media agency. He noticed that there were no tools available to help individual executives optimize their online presence, so he set out to create a platform specifically tailored to their needs. Since its launch in 2012, Qnary has grown to have thousands of clients and offices in New York, Barcelona, and Sydney.
How much money it makes: $6.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.2M
How many people on the team: 25
Qnary founder Bant Breen built and grew the executive reputation management and talent branding solutions company, now with thousands of clients globally, with a monthly revenue of $550k by developing a tech-enabled solution that optimizes an executive’s online presence, generates thought-leadership content, and grows followers and engagement.
2. Flying V Group ($3M/year)
Flying V Group was founded by Robb Fahrion and his brother based on an opportunity they identified in the market. After helping a mentor with his website and seeing the demand for digital help, they decided to start a marketing services firm. They focused on serving professional service industries and used SEO and content marketing to establish their clients as industry experts online. The company has since grown to employ 12 people, worked with over 300 clients, and is on track to double its revenue for the second year in a row.
How much money it makes: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 16
Flying V Group, a digital marketing agency co-founded by Robb and Tyler Fahrion, has experienced explosive growth and profitability through their focus on SEO and content marketing, generating 540% more traffic in 2020 compared to the previous year, and increasing revenue YoY, all while operating debt-free and cash-positive.
3. SearchEye ($1.14M/year)
Chris Porteous, the founder of SearchEye, came up with the idea for his SEO platform after witnessing the low quality and standards of the industry. After working with clients who were dissatisfied with previous SEO providers, Chris saw an opportunity to create a better solution and deliver on product expectations. He funded the business out of pocket and through consulting services, and is now focused on driving faster turnaround times, low prices, and consistent product quality for his customers.
How much money it makes: $1.14M/year
How much did it cost to start: $600K
How many people on the team: 16
SearchEye is an SEO platform company that has bootstrapped its way to making $1 million a year, with a goal of hitting $100k per month by December 2021 and $500k per month by December 2022, and currently has around 20 active agency users of the platform.
4. Draft.dev ($1.08M/year)
Karl started his business, Draft, after feeling bored in his previous job. Combining his skills as a software engineer and his passion for writing, he decided to offer technical content to software engineering blogs on a subscription basis. With a focus on building trust and leveraging his network, Karl quickly found success with his business, on track to bring in $10,000 in recurring revenue in just his third month.
How much money it makes: $1.08M/year
How much did it cost to start: $600
How many people on the team: 6
Draft founder, Karl, built a productized service for technical content, generating $10k in (mostly) recurring revenue in just three months of running the business, showing the success of skill-stacking and the impact of word of mouth and maintaining a strong network in a service business.
5. Content-Whale Private Limited ($750K/year)
Vaibhav Kishnani, an engineer turned writer, came up with the idea for Content-Whale after noticing the unprofessional conduct in the Indian content market. With just Rs. 2,500 ($35) in capital, he started the content agency which now generates a revenue turnover of Rs. 4 crores ($514,000) and serves clients like Quikr and The Boston Consulting Group.
How much money it makes: $750K/year
How much did it cost to start: $35
How many people on the team: 30
Content-Whale, a content curation agency, has achieved a Rs. 4 crore ($514k/year) turnover 4-5 years after being started with just Rs. 2500 ($35), and has a pool of more than 500 writers, aiming to become a market leader in the global content market.
6. Hubbub Labs ($720K/year)
George Chilton, the co-founder and Creative Director of Hubbub Labs, had a background in teaching and editing. He realized that startups and companies struggle with communications and decided to start a content marketing agency to help them express their ideas and brand clearly. With a mission to provide value through journalistic-quality content, Hubbub Labs has grown to a 10+ person team and is profitable, experiencing a 40% year-on-year growth rate.
How much money it makes: $720K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 8
Find out how a creative content marketing agency grew from a team of two with only €500 in the bank, to a 10+ person team generating €720k a year, by prioritizing a niche market, providing excellent service, word of mouth, and consistent quality work.
7. Novus Digital Ltd ($600K/year)
Alex, the founder of Novus Digital, came up with the idea for his SEO agency when a former client reached out to him seeking help. With six years of experience in SEO, Alex wanted to create a company that focused on delivering measurable return on investment to clients, rather than just buzzwords and rankings. Despite initially launching with a shoestring budget, Novus has grown to attract clients ranging from small local businesses to international household names, generating $20,000 per month and with ambitious growth plans for 2022.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 19
Novus Digital, an SEO agency based in the UK and US, provides measurable ROI for clients, with a team of 8 and $20,000 monthly revenue, while transitioning to targeting SME service-based brands and e-commerce stores with a $1-10mil turnover and setting up a registered company in India.
8. The Happy Beavers(Now known as VerifactAI) ($480K/year)
The founder of The Happy Beavers initially started as a freelance translator, but after experiencing success with SEO-focused content creation, they transitioned into building a company. They utilized platforms like Upwork to gain clients and focused on personalizing their sales approach to stand out from the competition. They are now scaling their business growth and working on developing an AI that can analyze the quality of written content.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 10
The Happy Beavers is a content creation company specialized in SEO investments through content creation, with a team of 10 full-time employees and around 150 freelancers, boasting an excellent track record, which they build up through Upwork.
9. Influence Podium ($480K/year)
Marti Sanchez, the CEO of Influence Podium, came up with the idea for his business after ghostwriting papers for B2B CEOs in college. He realized the power of personal branding and content, and eventually launched Influence Podium to help B2B CEOs grow their personal brands and create content at scale. Now in its 3rd year, Influence Podium has crossed $30k MRR and aims to hit seven figures by the end of the year.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 6
Influence Podium CEO Marti Sanchez started his content service for B2B CEOs three years ago, which now helps get CEOs of companies on podcasts and repurposes those episodes. They have crossed $30k MRR and their next goal is to hit seven figures by the end of the year, while completely self-funded.
10. CopySmiths ($480K/year)
Katrina McKinnon came up with the idea for CopySmiths after noticing the significant impact that blogging had on organic traffic and sales for her clients. She closed her 20-year-old agency and started CopySmiths, offering a productized service of high-quality blog articles for eCommerce stores and affiliate sites. Since its launch in 2020, CopySmiths has grown to over 100 clients and 40 writers.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $8K
How many people on the team: 7
CopySmiths, a content shop that specializes in writing blog articles for eCommerce stores and affiliate sites, has grown from 2 clients and 4 writers in 2020 to now over 100 clients and 40+ writers by using a business operating system inspired by the book "Work the System" by Sam Carpenter and focusing on product-market fit and referrals as their primary drivers of growth.
11. Video Jaguar ($384K/year)
Since launching Video Jaguar, Tim Sumer has focused on driving attention to his website and perfecting his video creation software. He utilized his digital marketing firm, USA Marketing Pros, to design and promote the website. He also leveraged his client base by offering a 30-day free trial in exchange for referrals. By showcasing the video templates in individual blog posts and utilizing SEO tactics, Tim was able to attract customers and gain visibility.
How much money it makes: $384K/year
How much did it cost to start: $18K
How many people on the team: 5
Video Jaguar is an all-in-one video marketing software that has generated $25,038.74 in sales from August-December 2019, $188,672.22 in sales in 2020, and is now doing $32,911.77/month in sales with an expected $700K in sales in the current year while boasting a gross margin of 80%.
12. With Content ($360K/year)
Daniel Tay, co-founder of With Content, initially discovered his passion for content marketing while studying political science. After gaining experience as a journalist and content marketer in the tech industry, he realized the need for high-quality content marketing in Singapore and Southeast Asia. With a strong network and growing demand, Daniel launched With Content, offering specialized content marketing services for B2B tech companies. Through strategic content creation, transparent pricing, and targeted marketing efforts, With Content quickly gained traction and became a go-to agency in the region, generating $1 million in revenue to date.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 8
A Singapore-based content marketing agency, With Content, co-founded by Daniel Tay, generates a monthly revenue of $30k and recently crossed the million-dollar mark in total revenue, thanks to its focus on narrow content marketing services, transparency in pricing, and expanding the marketing funnel through various content marketing channels.
13. Paper Box SEO ($336K/year)
Russell Michelson, the founder of Paper Box SEO, originally began as a freelance web designer. However, after clients consistently asked him for help with driving traffic to their websites, he transitioned into the world of SEO. Through teaching himself about digital marketing and experimenting with different methods, he developed a passion for SEO and eventually started his own boutique SEO agency, Paper Box SEO. Today, the company brings in $20k/month in revenue and focuses solely on providing comprehensive SEO services to small to medium-sized businesses.
How much money it makes: $336K/year
How many people on the team: 2
This case study describes the journey of Russell Michelson who, after leaving his corporate job, turned his WordPress skills into a thriving boutique SEO agency earning $20k/month, thanks to client referrals and Upwork.
14. The Content Direction Agency ($288K/year)
Lacy, the founder of The Content Direction Agency, came up with the idea for her business when she realized she could offer her expertise as a blogger and content strategist to other businesses. After starting out as a freelance writer, she transitioned into long-term retainers and built a team of writers to serve her clients. Today, her business generates over $300k annually and continues to grow through word-of-mouth referrals and joint venture partnerships.
How much money it makes: $288K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
How many people on the team: 1
Content strategist Lacy Boggs leveraged her love of blogging and desire for a more flexible schedule to grow her business from a solo "Ghost Blogger" to a full agency with four writers and a cabal of contractors that helps businesses create bespoke content strategies and consistent traffic, yielding over a ($300k) year in revenue.
15. Juicy Pickles ($240K/year)
Giulia Cian Seren, founder of Juicy Pickles, started her business after moving from Europe to Southeast Asia and seeing the favorable business climate in Singapore. With a passion for technology and a desire to help small businesses succeed, Giulia offers digital marketing consulting and coaching through her flagship coaching membership, The Pickling Club. Her dedication to her clients and focus on long-term relationships has helped her grow her business to an average monthly revenue of $20,000.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 1
Giulia Cian Seren, founder of Juicy Pickles, offers digital marketing consulting, training, and coaching to small businesses and has grown her monthly revenue to an average of $20,000 by focusing on long-term relationships over short-term gains and helping small, traditional businesses transition into the digital world.
16. Fame ($204K/year)
Tom Hunt, the founder of Fame, came up with the idea for his podcast growth service while working as the head of marketing at a B2B SaaS business. After experiencing success with their own podcast, Tom decided to launch Fame and offer the same growth process to other B2B brands. He validated the idea by converting his ex-employer into his first client and finding two more clients through a blog he had built on the side.
How much money it makes: $204K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 3
Fame's founder, Tom Hunt, shares how he started a $17k/month podcast growth service for B2B SaaS and service businesses, and provides insights on how he grew the business to $20k MRR and his plans to hit $50k MRR by the end of 2021 through prioritizing revenue and customer satisfaction.
17. Gun Made ($180K/year)
Hello, meet Brady Kirkpatrick, the Founder of Gun Made. Brady started Gun Made as a blog about guns, ammo, accessories, and more, and it has now become a media business with 1.5-2 million readers per year. The business generates $15k per month in recurring revenue, mainly from affiliate marketing, and is on track to become a seven-figure business in a few years. Brady's next big project is creating an E-commerce platform that integrates pricing from hundreds of retailers to help consumers find the lowest-priced firearms. Impressive, right?
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $70K
How many people on the team: 1
Gun Made, a media business founded by Brady Kirkpatrick, started as a COVID side project and now generates about $15k per month in recurring revenue from affiliate marketing, with plans to help retailers generate over $2.5M in sales in 2022 through their new e-commerce platform that aggregates pricing from hundreds of retailers.
18. Lead Comet ($96K/year)
James De Roche, the founder of Lead Comet, came up with the idea for his SEO agency after working at a PPC agency and realizing the gulf between what SEOs talk about and what they deliver. He wanted to provide high-quality SEO strategies that actually delivered results for B2B organizations, and decided to start Lead Comet with a focus on rapid results through sprints instead of the traditional retainer model. With projected annual revenue of $120,000 in its first year and expected growth in year two, Lead Comet offers its clients the freedom to test its services before committing to long-term contracts.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
How many people on the team: 2
Lead Comet is a successful B2B SEO agency that uses sprints instead of retainers to rapidly deliver results for their clients, generating $120,000 in annual revenue for their first year and projected to double their profits in year two, with a focus on creating systems and processes to deliver the highest quality SEO strategies.
19. Socialbuzzhive ($96K/year)
Emily Standley, a single mother with a passion for digital marketing, started her blog Socialbuzzhive to provide expert resources for entrepreneurs looking to grow their business online. With a community of over 4 million, Emily earns over $8,000 monthly through a combination of affiliate marketing, advertising, digital courses, and product reviews. Her blog serves as a go-to resource for those seeking work-life balance and financial success in the digital age.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
South Florida-based digital marketing strategist turned blogger grows her online business from zero to over 4 million followers, using a combination of affiliate marketing, advertising, digital courses, and product reviews, earning over $8,000 monthly.
20. 411Writers ($60K/year)
Constantin Coutun, the manager of 411Writers, came up with the idea for the business while working at 411 Locals as a blog writer. After realizing the potential of his writing team was being limited to the company's clients, Coutun decided to create 411Writers to help his department and provide a platform for writers and editors to express their creativity. Through strategic marketing efforts and the launch of new services, such as targeting app developers and offering a Guru content plan, they were able to attract and retain customers.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 65
Content writing company 411Writers started with $13.99 and now generates over $50,000 revenue per month, providing clients with unique website content for both search engines and human readers.
21. DKDesigns ($36K/year)
David and Kaitlyn Gilbert founded DKDesigns after realizing their combined corporate skills could meet the diverse needs of small businesses in Brooklyn, NY. Starting as a side hustle aiming for $10K annually, they surpassed this in the first quarter alone, hitting $3K in monthly revenue quickly.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 0
Case study about DKDesigns, a web design agency in Brooklyn, NY, that offers affordable corporate quality digital marketing services to small businesses, surpassing their $10K annual revenue goal in the first quarter and closing in on $3K in monthly revenue in their first year.
22. Critical Path Action ($36K/year)
Mike McRitchie, the founder of a resume writing and web marketing content business, came up with the idea after realizing he had a large network of LinkedIn connections in the telecom industry. He decided to leverage his expertise and offer resume writing services to his connections, which quickly converted 50% into paid clients. Through consistent blogging and strategic marketing efforts, Mike was able to grow his side hustle and double his income to over $30,000 in just two years.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How many people on the team: 0
This case study follows a business owner who doubled his income from side hustles in two years, earning over $30,000 annually by writing resumes and LinkedIn copy, blogging weekly, and increasing rates as he attracted more clients from online platforms like Craigslist and LinkedIn.
23. Millennial Moderator ($6K/year)
Aleksey Weyman came up with the idea for Millennial Moderator when he was teaching himself basic HTML/CSS and decided to create a blog as a way to practice. After refining the brand and seeing the value it provided to readers, Aleksey focused on providing valuable insights and industry trends to attract and retain customers. With an average of $500 USD/month and 3000 monthly readers, Millennial Moderator is now looking to scale upward.
How much money it makes: $6K/year
How many people on the team: 1
Millennial Moderator, a profitable online publication averaging $500 USD/month and around 3000 monthly readers, shares insights on developing an online publication from scratch, monitoring user experience, and engaging readers through social media channels and advertising networks.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
