10 Best Content Marketing Platforms (2023)

Content marketing has become a very important marketing tactic for many companies. One of the best ways to create, implement, and monitor a content marketing strategy for your business is to use a content marketing platform (CMP). 

In this article, we will discuss what a content marketing platform is and why you should use one, let you know our picks for the best platforms you should consider, and finally give you some advice for how to choose the best platform for your needs.

What is a content marketing platform?

Content marketing platforms (CMP) are used by marketing teams to plan, create, publish, and analyze content as part of a company’s content marketing plan. The number one benefit of using a CMP is to have all of your content marketing planning and execution in one centralized location that all team members can easily access and engage with. This ensures everyone is kept in the loop about the content marketing plan and knows exactly what parts of the plan they are responsible for.

Having your content marketing plan in one location also ensures you can track every aspect of your content marketing efforts – from conception right through to measuring its effectiveness once published. This plays a big part in being able to ensure your team produces high-quality content that gets results – whether that be increasing lead generation, boosting engagement, or whatever else your marketing plan is set up to achieve.

Most CMP’s are software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms that you can easily access online from anywhere. It also means that they can seamlessly integrate with your social media channels, content management systems (CMS), email programs, and the other software and websites your company uses for marketing.

Why use a content marketing platform?

When your content marketing efforts get to a large enough level of complexity a CMP can help you properly plan, execute, and monitor your content marketing plan in one centralized location that every team member can access.

Content marketing platforms can help your company with every aspect of your content marketing plan, for example:

• Plan your content marketing strategy. Good CMPs have tools to collaborate on creating your plan and then assigning each task to a specific team member.
• Track content creation. Once your plan is in place, content creation can be assigned to specific team members who can then create the content and upload it for editing and feedback.
• Publish content. Once the content is created, your content can be published directly from the CMP to the desired location, such as your website or social media channels.
• Track content performance. Once the content is published it can then be tracked through built-in tools in your CMP. Your team will then be able to identify the best-performing content and generate new content ideas.

10 best content marketing platforms

Now that we’ve discussed what a content marketing platform is and why you should use one, let’s discuss 10 of the best content marketing platforms that you should consider using.

1. Writing Studio

Writing Studio is a content marketing platform that you can use to order written content such as blog posts, articles, e-books, and whitepapers. Unlike many of the platforms on this list, Writing Studio works more like a content consultancy, we provide all clients with a dedicated content manager who will work with you to plan, create, and publish high-performing content. This ensures your content performs well and gets the desired result, such as a boost in engagement or an increase in leads generated.

To top it off, Writing Studio doesn’t charge a monthly fee to use their services, we only charge for the content that you order with prices starting at just $0.20 per word for orders of 5000 words or less. If you’re looking for a content marketing partner that has received great reviews from past and present clients, check out Writing Studio.

2. DivvyHQ

Divvy HQ is a content marketing platform you can use to strategize, organize, create, and measure content as part of your content marketing strategy. Customers who have reviewed the platform have said the platform is easy to use and has great functionality.

Divvy integrates with over 1000 other marketing software programs and websites such as WordPress, Dropbox, Facebook, and Google Drive. This means your team can easily upload content and publish it from the DivvvyHQ dashboard.

Divvy offers every new customer a 14-day free trial and then charges $29 for a starter plan, $79 for a pro plan, and custom pricing for large enterprises.

3. ContentCal 

ContentCal provides users with an extensive set of tools to plan, create, and monitor their company’s content. The integrated scheduling tools are especially impressive as you can set your content calendar up and then the platform will automatically publish and promote your content through your marketing channels.

Plans start at just $30 per month and each new customer can first take advantage of a 14-day free trial. The company has an overall rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 on G2.com, which is high for their category. ContentCal is worth a look if you’re a large enterprise or agency looking for an in-depth content marketing platform.

4. Semrush

Semrush is best known for its SEO tools, but the platform also includes many other tools to help you with your content marketing like tools to help you plan and publish your content.

You can sign-up for free and start using the platform but to access more tools and more functionality you need to pay for a pro plan (starting at $119.95 per month). This makes Semrush one of the more expensive CMPs on the list but they do offer a lot of functionality.

The company has good reviews on G2.com with reviewers mentioning how easy Semrush is to use and how much functionality the platform offers. If you’re looking for an SEO-focused CMP, check out Semrush.

5. ClearVoice

ClearVoice is a content marketing platform specifically designed to manage teams of freelance content writers. This means they are a great option if your content marketing team is made up of freelancers and not an in-house team.

To use the platform, you can create an account and hire a writer (or writers) for your writing projects. Finished content will then be uploaded to your account for you to review and request edits. Once you’re happy with your content you can publish it on your website, social channels, etc.

The company has reasonable reviews from past and present clients on G2.com – with an overall rating of 4.2 stars out of 5. Unlike other platforms on this list you don’t need to pay a subscription fee to use the platform, instead, the company charges you an overall price for the content ordered which includes access to the platform.

6. Contently

Contently is a content marketing platform that you can use to plan, assign, publish, and monitor your entire content marketing plan. You can also hire freelance writers directly through the platform who can create part or all your content and then deliver it to you through the platform. As of January 2022, the company has an overall rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 on G2.com from over 60 reviews.

Contently integrates easily with all major marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, Google, and Facebook which saves you time and ensures all your content marketing materials can be controlled from one centralized location.

Contently is best suited for large enterprises and agencies due to the level of functionality you receive and the price of using it (they charge a custom price depending on the size of your content marketing operation).

7. HubSpot

HubSpot provides online marketing teams with a selection of tools to help them achieve better returns from their marketing investments.

One of their main tools is a feature-rich content marketing platform. Teams can use their CMP to plan, collaborate, create, and publish content and then monitor how well it performs.

HubSpot offers all new customers a free 14-day trial after which you are required to pay $45 per month for a starter plan, $800 per month for a pro account, or $3200 per month for an enterprise account.

HubSpot is one of the most reviewed marketing software providers on the market with over 7400 reviews and an overall rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 on G2.com. Customers praise the functionality of the platform and the relatively low price of the starter plan.

8. Skyword

Skyword offers clients tools to plan, create, and publish content through their integrated platform. When you work with the company you also get access to their large network of freelance writers who you can hire to produce content for you.

To start working with Skyword you need to first set up a virtual meeting with one of their client representatives who will be able to talk you through their service and give you an indication of the amount it will cost you.

The company has a pretty good overall rating on G2.com, which as of January 2022 sits at 4.6 stars out of 5. Most reviewers have mentioned the high level of quality of content produced and the ease of use of their website. However, some reviewers have suggested that their prices are high for the industry and that there are better options available for businesses to consider.

9. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a content marketing platform that is specifically designed to provide you and your team with a centralized content calendar to plan what content you will publish and when.

To use their software platform, you can sign up for free and start planning your content marketing and invite your team members to join you. CoSchedule can be used for free forever or you can pay $29 per month for a pro account that has more features.

If you’re looking for a simple content planning tool that has been given good reviews by its current customers, CoSchedule could be the right tool for you.

10. Curata

The final platform on our list is Curata. The company provides two main products. The first is what they call a content curation software platform that businesses can use to find and share content from a range of top sources to their audiences. Their second tool is a content marketing platform you can use to plan, collaborate, publish, and track unique content that your team creates.

To start using Curata, you need to request a custom quote and the company will contact you to arrange to set up your account. Curata currently has a good overall rating from customers on G2.com with customers mentioning the high level of customer service and the functionality of the platform as two reasons why they like using the platform.

What to consider with choosing a content marketing platform

Before signing up for a specific content marketing platform, there are a few important considerations to work through so you can find the best fit for your needs. Here are some simple, but insightful questions you should ask yourself:

How much are we prepared to pay?

The best place to start is to determine your budget for content marketing software. Most platforms are SaaS platforms and charge a flat monthly fee from as little as $25 to as high as $3000 per month.

How much training will be required?

It’s also important to consider how long you and your team will have to spend learning how to use the platform. Check out reviews from past and present users as ease of use is mentioned quite frequently.

Can we integrate our other marketing tools with it?

Pretty much every good CMP integrates with other content marketing tools like Mailchimp and Hubspot. This will save you and your team a lot of time and money and will give you the ability to manage your content marketing in one centralized location.

Does the company offer great support?

This is especially important if you’re going to commit to paying a lot of money for a CMP. You need to know you’ll be able to access support promptly if you run into any problems.

Can the platform scale with your business?

If you’re running a fast-growing business, you’ll want your CMP to be able to meet your business needs as it gets bigger or you might end up having to spend a lot of time and money switching to a new CMP in the future.

Does the platform offer the right amount of functionality?

Make sure that the platform has all the necessary functionality that you require. For example, if you need in-depth reporting and tracking tools make sure the platform offers that.

What do current customers say about the platform?

Make sure you check out reviews written by past and present clients. Reading a range of reviews will give you a good overview of how good the platform is and will identify any problems with it.

If you can answer those questions, you should be able to narrow down your choice of CMP. Don’t forget to involve your team in your decision-making process as they will also be using the platform a lot once you sign up to your chosen platform.

The bottom line

Content marketing platforms are a great tool to utilize to plan, collaborate, publish, and track your content KPIs. There are many great platforms on the market that you can choose from that offer various levels of functionality and are available at various price points. Before you sign up as a paying customer make sure you utilize the free trials that most of them offer to find the best platform for your needs.