Contently is a SaaS content marketing platform from the company of the same name headquartered in New York, containing features a collaboration space, calendar, and workflow controls, engagement metrics, and rapid access to a high volume of original content from freelance creative talent, researchers, and journalists.
Contently has received approximately $12.3 million in funding since its founding in 2010.
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nDash
Score 9.3 out of 10
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nDash offers software and services used by B2B brands & agencies to scale written content creation (without sacrificing quality). nDash's models are built to support content goals of all sizes, whether the company is seeking an occasional blog post or wants to build out complex campaigns at scale.
I also opened an account with Skyword in 2019, which is a similar service. The person that recommended it was a travel writer, and since I've done that as well, I thought it might be a better fit. To this point, I've received no work from it either, and don't hold out a lot of …
Contently's sweet spot is their network of writers. I have tried a few other platforms but saw much lower writing quality. The tool is handy, especially if you produce multiple pieces of content every week.
nDash is the best freelance writing platform I have used. Clients are of a much higher calibre, briefs are clear and well developed, and rates are significantly higher.
I've explored and created profiles on several different content agencies/content sites and have found them to be lacking -- so many are a race to the bottom with writers of wildly varying skill and experience levels "competing" against veteran writing professionals.
It's helpful for top of marketing funnel writing that we can sometimes lose sight of because we are so ingrained in the product day to day. Contently is also helpful for long written pieces and ebooks that will take a significant amount of employee time to put together. I avoid using Contently for mid to bottom funnel marketing writing because my team will often have greater insight into the product function or use-case or product release, making them more adroit to the tone of the written piece and able to produce the content quickly.
nDash is best suited for experienced writers who specialize in a niche. By default, companies using nDash for content should have a solid budget as you're paying for quality content and results
Consolidating my work in one place to make my work life easier
Contently is unique from other content marketing organizational tools in one key way. It hands you a network of freelance professionals eager for delegated work.
You can search through a database of professionals to find the perfect person for your given project. Find individuals in your budget offering the exact skills and experience you need.
There are only two layouts you can choose from. I wish there were a few more choices for this, as the options are simple, but lacking.
Sometimes when I paste a link, it doesn't pull the correct picture or description from the page. It has pulled weird things I've never seen before and I have to go back in and manually fix them.
The option to purchase a domain without the .contently at the end?
The one time I ran into a small issue with the platform -- I don't even recall what it was now -- I emailed the team and mentioned it. I think it was later that afternoon that I got a return email thanking me for the heads up and letting me know the issue was resolved.
I'm giving them a 10, but honestly, I've never reached out to them. I do see them putting out regular content on social media, so they might be responsive to questions there as well as regular customer support. In their posts and communication, they do seem to value their community, so hopefully, they have good customer support. And I've seen them asking for pitches from their community to publish well-paid articles during this stressful coronavirus time, and I really appreciate that.
I also opened an account with Skyword in 2019, which is a similar service. The person that recommended it was a travel writer, and since I've done that as well, I thought it might be a better fit. To this point, I've received no work from it either, and don't hold out a lot of hope. As previously mentioned, where I think Contently does well is by giving you an online portfolio, additional resources like a blog for learning, and a rates database for publications.
I've explored and created profiles on several different content agencies/content sites and have found them to be lacking -- so many are a race to the bottom with writers of wildly varying skill and experience levels "competing" against veteran writing professionals. nDash is different; its clients are serious companies that value (and are willing to pay for) high-quality content. Additionally, I've observed that nDash tends to be "pickier" than other platforms when it comes to accepting writers. As a freelancer, I'm driven to "up my game" because I'm not competing against a bunch of writing newbies but a bevy of experienced writing professionals. I appreciate that they keep me on my toes
Contently contributors have produced some great inbound marking posts and creative materials saving our marketing team significant time allowing them to focus on more strategic plans for the business.
The amount of time Contently has saved our internal creative writing staff has more than paid for itself!