There is nothing worse than buying a Ferrari and driving it like a golf cart. Yet, that is exactly what most businesses do with marketing automation.
I remember sitting in a boardroom a few years back, watching a CMO realize they had been burning $4,000 a month on a high-end platform that they were using as a glorified address book. It hurts to watch resources go down the drain like that.
The industry is growing fast, but you don’t need market stats to tell you that you need a partner who can build a revenue machine, not just someone who knows how to hit “send” on a newsletter. We cut through the noise to find the marketing automation agencies that understand the difference between being busy and being profitable.
Table of Contents
- TL;DR: The Quick List
- Comparison Table
- The Criteria: How We Ranked These Agencies
- 1. The Marketing Agency
- 2. Ironpaper
- 3. WebFX
- 4. Growth Natives
- 5. EBQ
- 6. Automation Agency
- 7. SmartBug Media
- 8. Disruptive Advertising
- 9. Keap
- 10. Act-On
- Notable Mentions
- FAQ
- The Bottom Line
TL;DR: The Quick List
If you’re in a rush and just need to know who to call based on your specific headache, here is the rapid-fire summary.
- Best for Full-Funnel AI Integration: The Marketing Agency
- Best for Complex B2B Sales Cycles: Ironpaper
- Best for Full-Service ROI: WebFX
- Best for Cleaning Up a Messy Setup: Growth Natives
- Best for Outsourced Teams & Salesforce: EBQ
- Best for Small Business “Grunt Work”: Automation Agency
- Best for HubSpot Loyalists: SmartBug Media
- Best for Making Paid Ads Convert: Disruptive Advertising
- Best Hybrid Software/Service: Keap
- Best for Enterprise Scale: Act-On
Comparison Table
| Agency | Best For | The Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| The Marketing Agency | Full-Funnel AI Integration | Merging SEO traffic with AI workflows. |
| Ironpaper | B2B Growth | Engaging buying groups in long sales cycles. |
| WebFX | Full-Service ROI | Big team, proprietary tech, and data-heavy. |
| Growth Natives | Platform Agnostic Cleanup | Migration, data integrity, and fixing messy setups. |
| EBQ | Staffing & Salesforce | “Department as a Service” model. |
| Automation Agency | Small Business Tasks | Ticket-based execution for technical tasks. |
| SmartBug Media | HubSpot Users | Elite HubSpot strategy and inbound marketing. |
| Disruptive Advertising | PPC Integration | Lifecycle marketing that nurtures paid traffic. |
| Keap | Hybrid Software/Service | All-in-one CRM for small biz. |
| Act-On | Enterprise Scalability | Predictive scoring and active contact pricing. |
The Criteria: How We Ranked These Agencies
Finding a partner is about more than checking if they have a badge on their website. We evaluated these agencies based on three pillars that actually determine if you’ll be happy with them in six months.
- Platform Proficiency vs. Agnostic Strategy: Does the agency only know one tool, or can they adapt? If you’re already locked into Salesforce, you need a specialist. If you’re starting fresh, you need an agnostic partner who won’t sell you software just because they get a kickback.
- Strategic Integration: Automation fails when it sends the wrong message. We looked for agencies that align automation with your actual content and sales goals. The best partners ensure the right message hits the inbox exactly when the lead is thinking about buying.
- Scalability & Support: Do they build it and ghost you? Or do they stick around to manage operations? You need “heroes” who can troubleshoot technical glitches when your database explodes from 1,000 to 100,000 contacts.
1. The Marketing Agency
Best Known For: AI-Driven Automation & Full-Funnel Systems
Full Disclosure: Yes, this is us. We’re ranking ourselves first, but here is the honest reason why: we believe automation is useless if it exists in a vacuum.
We engineer “marketing systems” that blend creativity, tech, and data. While some agencies just set up email triggers, we look at the whole ecosystem. We ensure that the traffic coming from SEO and paid media is actually captured and nurtured. Plus, we are betting big on AI—using predictive modeling to personalize outreach in real-time so your data works as hard as your sales team.
Key Features
- AI-Powered Personalization: We use AI to predict trends and tailor the outreach.
- Omnichannel Workflows: Connecting email, SMS, and ad retargeting so they talk to each other.
- Lead Nurturing Systems: Follow-ups designed to ensure no lead falls through the cracks.
- Data-Backed Strategy: We ignore vanity metrics and look at the 80/20 rule of what drives revenue.
The Good
We handle the “traffic” (SEO/PPC) and the “conversion” (Automation) under one roof, and our heavy investment in AI ensures your strategy won’t be obsolete next year.
The Bad
We aren’t a “task-rabbit” shop. We work best with companies looking for a partner to co-create strategy, not just someone to execute a list of tickets.
Price
Custom scoping based on goals. Inbound Marketing starts from $500/mo, with larger engagements scaling based on needs. Check us out here.
2. Ironpaper
Best Known For: B2B Growth & Long Sales Cycles
Ironpaper stands out because they obsess over the why behind the technology. They are excellent for B2B companies facing long, painful sales cycles where keeping a lead engaged is the hardest part. They don’t just set up triggers; they build customer intelligence.
Their approach focuses on engaging entire buying groups rather than individual leads, which is critical if you are selling complex B2B solutions. We rate them highly on strategy because they refuse to treat automation as a standalone task—it’s baked right into their content generation.
The Good
They are masters at aligning sales and marketing so automation helps close deals rather than just generating noise. They also handle the content creation required to fuel that automation.
The Bad
This is likely overkill for small B2C businesses. If you just need transactional emails for an e-commerce shop, Ironpaper’s strategic depth might be more than you need.
Price
Custom quoting based on scope. Visit Ironpaper.
3. WebFX
Best Known For: Proprietary Tech & ROI Focus
WebFX is a behemoth in the performance marketing space with over 750 experts. The standout feature here is their proprietary software, RevenueCloudFX. It allows for a level of data tracking that many standard agencies can’t match just by using off-the-shelf tools.
They use machine learning to optimize workflows and ad spend simultaneously. This makes them a powerhouse for companies that want a “turn-key” solution where they can hand over the keys and watch the ROI come in.
The Good
They handle SEO, design, and automation under one roof, and they are transparent about results. Plus, you get the support of a massive team, so you aren’t reliant on one person.
The Bad
Vendor lock-in is a risk. Relying on their proprietary software (RevenueCloudFX) can make it harder to migrate away later compared to using a universal platform like HubSpot.
Price
Typically $2,000 to $10,000 per month. Visit WebFX.
4. Growth Natives
Best Known For: Cross-Platform Expertise & Workflow Cleanup
Think of Growth Natives as the “anti-chaos” agency. If your current automation setup is a disaster zone of broken links and duplicate contacts, these are the people you call. They are truly platform-agnostic—whether you’re on Marketo, Salesforce, or a custom stack, they have the technical chops to handle it.
They excel at large contact imports and migrations, ensuring your data doesn’t get corrupted when you move from one system to another.
The Good
They focus on organization and clean data structures, and they are known for quick scoping. If you have a mess, they will clean it.
The Bad
Their messaging leans heavily on technical execution and cleanup. You might need to bring your own strong creative vision to the table.
Price
Contact for scoping (Fast turnaround). Visit Growth Natives.
5. EBQ
Best Known For: Specialist Staffing & Salesforce/Pardot
EBQ offers a model that is different from the typical agency retainer. Instead of buying a service, you are essentially hiring a department. You get a full “pod”: a Revenue Consultant, a Manager, and Specialists. This prevents the bottleneck of relying on a single freelancer or account manager.
They are elite when it comes to the Salesforce ecosystem (Marketing Cloud and Pardot). If you are an enterprise already entrenched in that stack, EBQ is a safe bet.
The Good
You aren’t just hiring freelancers; you’re hiring a managed team that integrates with your ops. They are also incredibly flexible and willing to pivot strategies quickly.
The Bad
This model implies a higher level of commitment and potential cost compared to a simple task-based agency.
Price
Fraction of the cost of hiring internally (Consultation required). Visit EBQ.
6. Automation Agency
Best Known For: Task-Based Support for Small Business
Sometimes you don’t need a grand 5-year strategy; you just need someone to fix the broken link in your email sequence today. Automation Agency is perfect for offloading that technical “grunt work.”
They utilize a “hero” model where you submit tasks via a dashboard, and they execute them. For small businesses, this clears the technical bottlenecks that usually stall growth.
The Good
It frees up your internal team from technical setup. The dashboard system makes it easy to “set and forget” tasks, and they are fast.
The Bad
They do what you tell them to do. They generally won’t devise the growth strategy for you. Also, they focus on specific small business platforms (ActiveCampaign, Ontraport, etc.).
Price
Subscription-based. Visit Automation Agency.
7. SmartBug Media
Best Known For: Inbound Marketing & HubSpot Mastery
If your world revolves around HubSpot, SmartBug Media is likely already on your radar. As a HubSpot Elite partner, they represent the gold standard for that ecosystem.
They don’t just automate; they practice “Intelligent Inbound” marketing. This means they align your automation directly with sales retention and revenue goals, ensuring that the technology serves the strategy, not the other way around.
The Good
HubSpot Elite status means they have the highest level of expertise available. They are full-service, handling the creative and strategic sides of inbound marketing.
The Bad
You pay for quality. The Elite partner status and expertise come with premium pricing.
Price
Retainer-based (Mid-to-high range). Visit SmartBug Media.
8. Disruptive Advertising
Best Known For: PPC & Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Disruptive Advertising approaches automation from a different angle: paid media. They realize that paying for traffic is a waste of money if you have holes in your funnel.
Their goal is to ensure that every dollar spent on Google or Facebook Ads is maximized through lifecycle marketing automation that converts clicks into customers. If you are heavy on ad spend, these are your guys.
The Good
They ensure paid traffic isn’t wasted. They are extremely data-driven, creating decisions based on hard analytics and conversion rates.
The Bad
Their strength lies in paid media. If you are looking for pure organic B2B content strategy, there might be better fits.
Price
Performance and retainer models available. Visit Disruptive Advertising.
9. Keap
Best Known For: Small Business CRM & Software
Keap is unique on this list because it is a hybrid—it is both the software platform and the service provider. For small businesses, this is great because it combines your CRM and automation tools in one place.
They offer dedicated success coaching and proven automation templates. This makes it incredibly easy for beginners to get started without needing to hire an expensive external agency immediately.
The Good
It’s all-in-one (CRM, landing pages, email). The templates make it beginner-friendly, and the coaching helps you get set up quickly.
The Bad
It’s a proprietary platform. If you want to use Salesforce or HubSpot, this isn’t for you.
Price
14-day free trial available. Visit Keap.
10. Act-On
Best Known For: Growth Marketing & Enterprise Scalability
Act-On is an enterprise-grade solution that focuses heavily on “growth marketing.” They boast over 1,000 integrations, meaning they can plug into almost any tech stack you have.
What really caught our eye is their pricing model: they charge based on active contacts (people you actually market to) rather than your total database size. This is a massive cost-saver for companies sitting on large, dormant databases.
The Good
The active contact pricing model is a winner. It’s built to handle massive enterprise needs, and the segmentation tools are top-tier.
The Bad
It is a software commitment, though they offer services to support it. You are buying into their ecosystem.
Price
Active contact pricing model. Visit Act-On.
Notable Mentions
If you have niche needs or want to look at a few other options, these agencies are also worth a look:
- Walker Sands: Great for B2B tech companies needing PR mixed with demand gen. Check them out here.
- Clevertouch Marketing: A UK-based consultancy focusing on marketing tech adoption. Check them out here.
- Heinz Marketing: Ideal if your main goal is revenue attribution and pipeline management. Check them out here.
- Goose Digital: A strong choice for insurance and financial services automation. Check them out here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a marketing automation agency actually cost?
It varies wildly. Task-based agencies might charge a few hundred dollars a month, while full-service strategic partners like us or Ironpaper can range from $2,000 to over $10,000 monthly. It comes down to whether you need someone to push buttons or someone to build the strategy.
How long does it take to see results?
You should see efficiency improvements immediately (less manual work). But for revenue impact? Give it 3 to 6 months. Automation relies on data; it takes time to build the history and lead scores necessary for the system to start making intelligent decisions.
Can I just do this myself with HubSpot?
You can, but owning a hammer doesn’t make you an architect. Tools like HubSpot are user-friendly, but the strategy—segmentation, lead scoring models, and content mapping—requires expertise. Agencies bring the “playbook” that prevents you from learning by trial and error. (If you want to see what full-service support looks like, check out our marketing automation solutions).
What if I want to switch platforms later?
This is a valid concern. Agencies that build on agnostic platforms make switching easier. If you use an agency with proprietary software, migration can be a headache. Always ask about data portability before signing a contract.
How do I measure ROI?
Don’t just look at open rates. Look at “time to close” and “lead velocity.” A good agency should help you close deals faster and revive dead leads. If your sales team is spending less time on admin and more time selling, the agency is paying for itself.
The Bottom Line
Choosing the right partner comes down to knowing where your gaps are. Are you drowning in technical debt? Call Growth Natives. Do you need a full department? Call EBQ.
But remember, automation is just a system of pipes. It needs fuel to work.
- The Marketing Agency is your best bet for a holistic system that connects traffic to revenue.
- Ironpaper is the go-to for complex B2B cycles.
- WebFX brings the power of a massive team.
The most successful companies don’t just automate; they innovate. By integrating AI marketing strategies, you can predict customer behavior rather than just reacting to it.
Just remember: even the best agency can’t help you if your funnel is empty. You need a robust strategy for lead generation to ensure your beautiful new workflows actually have people to nurture.
[Contact The Marketing Agency today] to build the traffic and infrastructure that makes automation possible.
