Contently

Contently launched in 2010 to solve a critical gap in content marketing: brands were producing massive volumes of mediocre content while struggling to find and manage quality writers. ​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌Marketing departments experienced this most acutely—they faced pressure to feed content-hungry channels like blogs and social media but lacked systematic ways to identify talented freelancers, coordinate assignments, or ensure consistent quality. The problem was measurable through obvious metrics: publication frequency versus engagement rates, time spent recruiting writers, and revision cycles. Existing alternatives were fragmented—brands either hired in-house teams (expensive and inflexible) or used generic freelance marketplaces like Elance that didn't specialize in editorial quality. Early validation came from immediate demand: marketers recognized that their current workflows were broken and welcomed a platform designed specifically for content creation. The fact that brands were already investing heavily in content strategy but getting poor results signaled strong market readiness for a better solution.