If you are looking for a growth marketing agency to help your business scale, you are not short of options. But the quality gap between agencies is enormous, and choosing the wrong one can cost you months of wasted budget and lost momentum.
This guide covers everything you need to know before hiring a growth marketing agency — what they actually do, how they differ from traditional marketing agencies, the services you should expect, typical pricing, and how to evaluate whether an agency is the right fit. We also share our curated list of 43 agencies across the UK, Europe and the US.
Table of contents
Open Table of contents
- What is a growth marketing agency?
- Growth marketing agency vs traditional marketing agency
- What services do growth marketing agencies offer?
- How much does a growth marketing agency cost?
- How to choose a growth marketing agency
- When should you hire a growth marketing agency?
- Red flags when evaluating growth marketing agencies
- How did we compile this list?
- The best growth marketing agencies in the UK
- Best growth marketing agencies in Europe
- The best growth marketing agencies in the USA
- The full list
- Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a growth marketing agency and a digital marketing agency?
- How long does it take to see results from a growth marketing agency?
- Can a growth marketing agency help with retention, not just acquisition?
- Should I hire a growth marketing agency or build an in-house team?
- What metrics should I use to evaluate a growth marketing agency?
- Do growth marketing agencies work with B2B or B2C companies?
What is a growth marketing agency?
A growth marketing agency is a specialist agency focused on driving measurable business growth through data-driven experimentation across the full marketing funnel — from acquisition and activation through to retention, referral and revenue.
Unlike traditional marketing agencies that may focus on a single channel or discipline (such as SEO, paid media or brand creative), growth agencies take a cross-functional approach. They work across multiple channels simultaneously, running structured experiments to find and scale what works for your specific business.
As Sean Ellis, who coined the term “growth hacking”, puts it in his book Hacking Growth:
“Growth hacking is a rigorous approach to fueling rapid market growth through high-speed, cross-functional experimentation.”
The best growth marketing agencies operate with this mindset — treating marketing as a system of interconnected experiments rather than a set of isolated campaigns.
Growth marketing agency vs traditional marketing agency
Understanding the differences between a growth marketing agency and a traditional agency will help you decide which type is right for your business.
| Growth marketing agency | Traditional marketing agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Full-funnel growth (acquisition, activation, retention, referral, revenue) | Typically top-of-funnel (awareness and acquisition) |
| Approach | Experiment-driven, iterative | Campaign-driven, planned in advance |
| Decision making | Data-informed, hypothesis-led | Often based on experience and best practice |
| Speed | High-tempo testing, weekly or fortnightly sprints | Longer planning and execution cycles |
| Channels | Cross-channel, adapts based on results | Usually specialises in one or two channels |
| Metrics | Revenue, LTV, CAC, retention, activation rate | Impressions, reach, brand awareness |
| Team structure | Cross-functional (strategy, data, creative, engineering) | Departmental (creative, media, account management) |
The key distinction is philosophical. A traditional agency builds a plan and executes it. A growth agency builds a system for discovering what works, then scales the winners.
Andrew Chen, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and former head of Rider Growth at Uber, captures this well:
“Growth is an aftereffect of strong product/market fit and great distribution.”
A good growth agency helps you find the distribution channels and tactics that actually move the needle for your business, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all playbook.
What services do growth marketing agencies offer?
Growth marketing agencies typically offer a broad range of services that span the entire customer journey. Here are the core service areas you should expect:
Acquisition
- SEO and content marketing — Organic search strategy, keyword research, technical SEO, and content production to drive sustainable traffic growth
- Paid media — Paid search (Google Ads), paid social (Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok), display and programmatic advertising
- Email marketing and automation — Lifecycle email sequences, lead nurturing, drip campaigns and marketing automation setup
- Referral and viral marketing — Designing and optimising referral programmes and viral loops
Activation and conversion
- Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) — A/B testing, landing page optimisation, user experience improvements and funnel analysis
- Landing page design and testing — Creating high-converting landing pages and running structured tests to improve performance
Retention and expansion
- Customer retention programmes — Churn reduction strategies, re-engagement campaigns and loyalty programmes
- Product-led growth — Onboarding optimisation, in-app messaging and feature adoption strategies
Analytics and measurement
- Data analytics and reporting — Tracking setup, dashboard creation, attribution modelling and performance reporting
- Experimentation frameworks — Building and running structured growth experiments with clear hypotheses, success metrics and learning documentation
AI and automation (emerging)
- AI-powered marketing — Using AI tools for content generation, ad creative testing, personalisation and audience segmentation
- Answer engine optimisation (AEO) — Optimising content for AI search tools like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity, which are increasingly influencing how buyers discover businesses
The best agencies will not try to do everything at once. They will assess where your biggest growth bottleneck is and focus resources there first.
How much does a growth marketing agency cost?
Growth marketing agency pricing varies significantly based on scope, agency experience and the services included. Here is a realistic breakdown of what to expect:
| Pricing model | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $3,000 – $25,000 per month |
| Hourly rate | $50 – $500 per hour |
| Project-based | $5,000 – $50,000+ per project |
| Performance-based | Variable, tied to agreed KPIs |
By business size
- Startups and small businesses — $2,500 to $10,000 per month is typical for a focused engagement covering one or two growth channels
- Mid-market companies — $10,000 to $25,000 per month for a broader scope including multiple channels, CRO and analytics
- Enterprise — $25,000 to $50,000+ per month for comprehensive growth programmes with dedicated teams
By service
- SEO — $750 to $10,000 per month depending on competitiveness and scope
- Paid media management — $1,000 to $10,000 per month (plus ad spend)
- CRO — $2,000 to $10,000 per month
- Content marketing — $2,000 to $8,000 per month
What percentage of revenue should you spend?
As a general benchmark, most businesses spend between 5% and 10% of revenue on marketing. B2B companies typically spend 2% to 5%, while B2C companies may spend 6% to 14%. Companies in aggressive growth mode often allocate toward the higher end.
One useful way to evaluate agency cost is to compare it against the fully loaded cost of hiring in-house. A single experienced growth marketer costs $80,000 to $150,000+ per year in salary alone, before you factor in tools, management overhead and the time it takes to hire. An agency gives you access to a broader team at a lower total cost, though with less control over day-to-day priorities.
How to choose a growth marketing agency
Not all growth agencies are created equal. Here is a practical framework for evaluating and selecting the right one:
1. Check their specialisation
Look for agencies with relevant experience in your industry, business model (B2B vs B2C, SaaS vs ecommerce) and growth stage. An agency that excels with Series A startups may not be the right fit for a mature enterprise business, and vice versa.
2. Ask for case studies and references
Request case studies from businesses similar to yours. Good agencies will be transparent about the results they have delivered and happy to connect you with references you can speak to directly.
3. Evaluate their process
Ask how they approach growth. Look for evidence of a structured methodology — hypothesis generation, experiment design, measurement and iteration. Be cautious of agencies that cannot explain their process clearly or that promise guaranteed results.
4. Understand their team structure
Find out who will actually be working on your account. Is it senior strategists or junior account managers? What is their experience? Will you have a dedicated point of contact?
5. Start with a small engagement
If possible, begin with a focused pilot project before committing to a long-term retainer. This lets you evaluate the quality of their work, communication style and cultural fit with lower risk.
6. Assess their reporting and transparency
Ask to see sample reports. Good agencies provide clear, actionable reporting that ties activity back to business outcomes — not vanity metrics. You should expect regular reporting on experiments run, results observed and strategic recommendations.
7. Take advantage of free consultations
Many agencies offer a free initial consultation. Use this to gauge their strategic thinking and how well they understand your business, not just to hear a sales pitch.
We provide growth marketing software to agencies (and in-house teams) and do not compete with agencies directly. If you have found an agency that is not in our list, we are always happy to vet them on your behalf — contact us and we will share our honest assessment before you commit.
When should you hire a growth marketing agency?
Hiring an agency is not always the right move. Here are the situations where it makes the most sense:
- You have product-market fit but need to scale distribution — Your product works, customers are happy, but you need help finding and scaling the right acquisition channels
- You lack in-house growth expertise — You do not have the team or skills internally to run structured growth experiments across multiple channels
- You need speed — Building an in-house growth team takes months. An agency can start delivering within weeks
- You want to test before hiring — Working with an agency can help you validate which growth channels work before committing to full-time hires in those areas
- Your growth has plateaued — An experienced outside perspective can identify new opportunities that your internal team may have overlooked
Conversely, an agency may not be the right choice if you do not yet have product-market fit (no agency can fix a product problem), if your budget is extremely limited, or if you need very deep, ongoing product integration that requires a full-time embedded team.
Red flags when evaluating growth marketing agencies
Watch out for these warning signs during your evaluation:
- Guaranteed results — No legitimate agency can guarantee specific rankings, traffic numbers or revenue outcomes. Growth marketing is inherently experimental
- No clear process — If they cannot explain how they work, how they prioritise experiments, or how they measure success, walk away
- Vanity metrics focus — Agencies that lead with impressions, followers or “engagement” rather than revenue, pipeline and conversion metrics are likely not growth-focused
- Long lock-in contracts — Be cautious of agencies requiring 12-month commitments before they have proven results. Quarterly commitments with clear KPIs are more reasonable
- Opacity about who does the work — Some agencies sell with senior people but deliver with juniors or offshore contractors. Ask explicitly who will be working on your account
- No emphasis on learning — The best growth agencies document what they learn from failed experiments as well as successes. If an agency only talks about wins, they are likely not running real experiments
How did we compile this list?
Having spent more than a decade in growth, we know a good growth marketing agency when we see one and have developed the ability to separate fact from fluff.
We analysed all of the top results from Google, reviewed agency portfolios and case studies, and combined this with our own knowledge of industry experts to create one of the most comprehensive lists of growth marketing agencies on the web.
Our database includes:
- Agency name
- Website
- Description
- Address
- HQ Country
- Focus and specialisms
- Top Pick (Yes/No)
Note: a few people have asked for an export of the complete list which we are happy to provide on a case-by-case basis, please contact us for further details.
The best growth marketing agencies in the UK
The UK has a strong concentration of growth marketing agencies, particularly in London. Here are our top picks along with other notable agencies.
Our top picks
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Conversion Rate Experts — The world’s leading CRO agency, a term they coined in 2007. Based in London with a US presence, they build high-performing webpages and insist on scientific A/B testing to verify results. Specialisms: CRO, B2B, enterprise, startups.
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Kurve — A hybrid agency and consultancy based in Shoreditch, London. Rather than squeezing your brief into a fixed team, Kurve builds a tailored team around your goals. They work on monthly retainers or specific projects. Specialisms: B2B, paid media, organic.
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Revolution Growth — Based in Newcastle-Gateshead and Manchester, they help ambitious businesses grow faster using growth sprints and agile delivery. Strong track record with B2B and enterprise clients. Specialisms: B2B, enterprise.
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Rock Mission — London’s leading growth hacking agency, based in Hackney. They help clients design and execute integrated growth strategies, aligning team mindset around new business goals. Specialisms: email, SEO, social, content, CRO.
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The Fifth Mark — Based in Shoreditch, London, they replace hope-and-pray marketing with science-and-strategy. Their approach connects user psychology, data analysis and digital marketing to drive results for DTC and ecommerce brands. Specialisms: ecommerce, B2C, DTC.
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True Up — Based on Brick Lane, London, with a proven track record of delivering the lowest customer acquisition costs and highest conversion rates. Specialists in paid acquisition, CRO and data. Specialisms: B2B, enterprise.
Other notable UK agencies
- Ascendant — Senior growth specialists covering digital marketing, GTM strategy, CX design and technology. London. B2B, startups, paid media, CRO.
- Growth Division — Trusted by over 130 startups, they find scalable channels to market using a unique growth process. London. Process, advisory, execution.
- Growth Rocks — Growth hacking agency using rapid experimentation and data-driven tactics. Originally founded in Greece, now also in London. CRO, B2B, B2C.
- Growth Shop — Specialists in scaling DTC ecommerce brands turning over $5M to $30M. London. Ecommerce, B2C.
- Growth Curve — A plug-and-play growth marketing team, positioned as a modern alternative to hiring in-house or managing a roster of agencies. London. PPC, paid media, CRO.
- We Scale Startups — Focused on helping startups generate predictable, repeatable and scalable growth. Hackney, London. Startups, paid media, PPC.
- Tribe Digital — A nimble digital marketing and web development agency specialising in ecommerce and the subscription economy. Exeter. Ecommerce, B2C.
- Zest Digital — Award-winning agency offering all-inclusive growth marketing with guaranteed results in 90 days. Fitzrovia, London. PPC, SEO, content.
- Growth Agency — Data-driven marketers and business consultants based at The Shard, London. They run growth experiments and scale tactics that generate positive ROI. Paid media, CRO, advisory.
Best growth marketing agencies in Europe
Europe has a growing number of specialist growth agencies, particularly in the Netherlands, the Nordics and Belgium.
Our top picks
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Off The Record — Based in Amsterdam, they help product and marketing teams across Europe with strategy and growth execution. They work with startups, scale-ups and corporate ventures. Specialisms: process, startups, enterprise.
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Sprints and Sneakers — Amsterdam-based agency that challenges the way marketing is done. They work data-driven and focus on the entire funnel from first contact to brand ambassador, combining data, technology and creativity. Specialisms: B2B, B2C, ecommerce.
Other notable European agencies
- AdvanceB2B — Helsinki-based agency helping B2B SaaS and subscription companies build marketing growth engines to minimise CAC and maximise CLV. Startups, B2B, SaaS, SEO, paid media.
- Bamboo — Amsterdam-based agency helping digital service companies with sustainable growth through growth hacking. Ecommerce, CRO, B2B, SaaS.
- Dapper — Rotterdam-based agency with a holistic approach to growth, building funnels that convert through testing. B2B, ecommerce, SaaS, enterprise.
- Genero Growth — A full-service Nordic growth marketing powerhouse based in Helsinki, combining creativity and technology with strategic insights. SEO, paid media, analytics, CRO.
- Kickass Growth — Belgrade-based agency using rapid experimentation and low-budget tactics to find the most effective ways to grow a business. Paid media, content, email, SEO.
- Mad Kings — Brussels-based digital studio focused on growth marketing and growth hacking, combining data, CRO, creative marketing and automation. CRO, growth, process.
- Mighty Digital — Spain-based agency empowering data-informed growth for digital brands. They build augmented growth teams that work alongside your own. Data, growth, CRO.
- Rockboost — Rotterdam-based agency specialising in transforming brands through strategy, consulting and data research. Data, startups, SaaS, CRO, SEO.
- Unmuted — Amsterdam-based agency that helps companies find what works through a tight implementation process. SEO, content, email, CRO, data.
- Upthrust — Growth hacking agency with offices in Austin and Europe, specialising in full-funnel optimisation. SEO, content, CRO, PPC, paid media.
The best growth marketing agencies in the USA
The US has the largest concentration of growth marketing agencies, ranging from full-service teams to specialist CRO and paid media shops.
Our top picks
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No Good — Based in New York, No Good helps impactful brands build predictable compounding growth. They operate at the intersection of science and style, working with clients across SaaS, consumer and healthcare. Specialisms: SaaS, consumer, healthcare, B2B, CRO.
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Tuffgrowth — Based in Eagle, Colorado, they build custom teams that act as an in-house growth marketing team. Transparent about strategy, execution and reporting, with no mysterious secret sauce. Specialisms: ecommerce, startups, B2B.
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CRO Metrics — One of the oldest growth hacking agencies, based in Kentfield, California. They partner with fast-growing companies to build experiment-led marketing programmes that accelerate revenue. Specialisms: startups, CRO, paid media, analytics.
Other notable US agencies
- Bell Curve — A full-service growth team in San Francisco working at the intersection of brand and performance. Paid media, content, CRO, B2B, startups.
- Deviate Labs — Los Angeles-based consulting agency known for creatively cross-pollinating marketing tactics across industries. SaaS, enterprise, advisory.
- Ember Tribe — Greensboro, NC agency building marketing systems centred around paid traffic to spark sustainable growth. Paid media, PPC, CRO, SaaS.
- Fantom Agency — Phoenix-based agency engineering scalable growth for SaaS companies through high-performance advertising strategies. PPC, paid media, SaaS, startups.
- Full Funnel Growth — New York agency developing and executing cutting-edge growth strategies tailored to your business. Startups, data, paid media, PPC.
- Growth Marketing Pro — San Francisco-based results-driven SEO and growth marketing agency for SaaS, tech, finance and healthcare. SEO, SaaS, content, CRO.
- GrowthHit — Seattle-based agency running data-driven growth experiments for Shopify, ecommerce, SaaS and lead generation companies. Startups, ecommerce, B2C, CRO.
- Klient Boost — Costa Mesa, California agency helping companies scale across multiple channels to drive revenue. CRO, PPC, paid media, SEO.
- Ladder.io — New York-based agency powering full-funnel strategy and performance solutions for global brands including Fortune 500 companies and Y Combinator startups. Paid media, PPC.
- Lean Labs — Kansas-based outsourced growth team helping SaaS and tech brands scale lead generation and customer acquisition. No contracts. CRO, growth, B2B, process.
- OrangePegs — Irvine, California agency delivering lead generation, sales enablement and growth strategy for B2B and B2C. B2B, B2C, startups.
- Swidia — Chicago-based agency with a hyper-focus on scaling users for consumer startups through core and emerging acquisition channels. B2C, startups, ecommerce.
- Voxturr — Award-winning San Francisco agency providing fast and sustained growth for startups through to Fortune 500 companies. Paid media, PPC, startups, enterprise.
The full list
Below is our full, filterable list of over 46 growth marketing agencies worldwide. You can also click this link to access the Airtable base directly.
Note: a few people have asked for an Excel export of the complete list which we are happy to provide on a case-by-case basis, please contact us for further details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a growth marketing agency and a digital marketing agency?
A digital marketing agency focuses on executing marketing tactics across digital channels — running ads, managing social media, producing content. A growth marketing agency goes further by taking a full-funnel, experiment-driven approach. Growth agencies focus on measurable outcomes like revenue, customer acquisition cost and lifetime value, and they systematically test across channels to find what works, rather than executing a fixed plan.
How long does it take to see results from a growth marketing agency?
Most growth agencies need 2 to 4 weeks for onboarding and initial analysis, followed by an experimentation phase. You should expect to see early signals (experiment results, initial data) within 4 to 8 weeks, with meaningful business impact typically emerging after 3 to 6 months of consistent work. Paid channels can produce faster results than organic channels like SEO and content, which may take 6 to 12 months to compound.
Can a growth marketing agency help with retention, not just acquisition?
Yes. One of the defining features of a growth agency is that it works across the full funnel, including retention and expansion. This can include churn reduction strategies, lifecycle email campaigns, onboarding optimisation, re-engagement programmes and product-led growth tactics. Some of the highest-impact growth work happens post-acquisition.
Should I hire a growth marketing agency or build an in-house team?
It depends on your stage and resources. Agencies offer faster time-to-value, broader expertise and lower commitment than building a full in-house team. They are particularly useful for startups that need to move fast and for companies exploring new growth channels. In-house teams offer deeper integration with your product and culture. Many companies start with an agency, learn what works, and then hire in-house to run the channels that have been validated.
What metrics should I use to evaluate a growth marketing agency?
Focus on business outcomes rather than activity metrics. Key metrics to track include customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), LTV to CAC ratio, conversion rates at each funnel stage, revenue attributed to agency-driven channels, and experiment velocity (how many tests they are running and learning from each month). Ask agencies to report against these metrics from the outset.
Do growth marketing agencies work with B2B or B2C companies?
Most growth agencies work with both, though many specialise. B2B growth agencies tend to focus on pipeline generation, account-based marketing, content-led SEO and LinkedIn as a primary channel. B2C growth agencies typically emphasise paid social, influencer marketing, viral loops and high-volume CRO. Check that the agency you are evaluating has relevant experience with your business model.