Performance marketing has disrupted the current digital ad space. It’s no longer a buzzword, it has been the reality we are living. Finding a performance marketing agency partner is no easy job. There are many variables that go into making such a decision. The most important ones are the team understanding of performance marketing, media attribution and modern performance strategies in addition to having the vertical or business model experience and case studies. Although many of the performance tactics, channels and practices look familiar, including SEM, PPC, the overall methodology and technology needed to be effective can different.
What is a Performance Marketing Agency?
It is a form of digital and online advertising that can be measured and evaluated in real-time. Businesses and advertisers evaluate and pay for ads based only on the end outcome whether its user growth or revenue. The key here and perhaps the most essential part of performance marketing is that advertisers and businesses have the ability to track and measure their ads back to the dollar. This leads to higher ROI, lower risk, and faster execution.
How to Choose A Performance Marketing Agency?
- Industry experience: An agency that can deliver for consumer or eCommerce is different from an agency that can deliver for Pharma? Pharma ads have rules, regulations and strategies of their own that are separate from eCommerce.
- Performance creative capabilities: today’s ad performance is more dependent on the creative itself than the breakdown of the ads and media buying. Accordingly to Google 70% of an ad performance is dependent on the creative and not the targeting strategy.
- Analytics and attribution: If you ran a digital ad perform, you probably know that attribution is a huge pain even in today’s world with all the technology we have, attribution is still a challenge for most marketers. Choose the agency that have the experience and expertise to deliver on campaign and creative attribution and ideally provide you with a dashboard to monitor your ad performance.
- It’s all about the people: One expert can make all the difference in a performance campaign. Agency often talk the big talk and show their sales people early on but what matters are the experts that will be driving the account day to day. Make sure you meet and vet them properly.
Top 36 Performance Marketing Agencies in 2023:
- NoGood
- Papertoaster
- Traktor
- GoTo Marketers
- WebFX
- Kobe Digital
- Lockhern Digital
- Ignite Visibility
- Right Side Up
- Disruptive Advertising
- PBJ Marketing
- Path Interactive
- Seven Atoms
- Level Up Digital
- Best PPC Marketing
- Jumpfly
- Straight North
- Circus PPC Agency
- Directive
- WebMechanix
- SocialSEO
- Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
- SEO Brand
- Top Spot Internet Marketing
- Tinuiti
- SkyDiamond Elite
- Obility
- AdQuantum
- DMi Partners
- MuteSix
- AdParlor
- Sparxoo
- Moburst
- iCrossing
- Brenton Way
- Bamboo
1. NoGood
Description: NoGood is one of the most reputable performance marketing agencies in the US. They are the pioneers of the performance branding and performance creative methodology which combines the science of performance and the art of creative under one roof. They were voted one of the top performance and growth agencies in the US by the TechCrunch community. Some of their clients include TikTok, Nike & P&G among many others. NoGood was founded by proven growth leads, engineers, and data specialists from Silicon Valley and New York City. Looking at their roaster of clients and case studies, it’s fair to say that NoGood has saved millions of dollars for their clients. They also seem to work with startups. Some of their startup clients include Ghostery, Invisibly, JVN and Aimi.
You can see some case studies and examples of NoGood’s work on their results page.
Year Founded: 2017
Team Size: 50+
Offices: New York City, Los Angeles, Miami
Services: Performance Marketing, Paid Social, Paid Search, Creative Studio
Clients: Nike, Microsoft, Steer, P&G, TikTok
Case Studies: Invisibly, Bytedance
Budget: $10,000+
2.Papertoaster
Description: Papertoaster has helped businesses grow through a unique blend of insights, tactics, and strategies. This includes strong capabilities in the following areas, branding, design, fundraising, networking, etc. Their team is made up of experts including performance marketers, data scientists, engineers, and they are committed to helping businesses grow and scale exponentially.
Year Founded: 2012
Team Size: 4-9
Offices: Singapore
Services: Growth Hacking, SME, Influencer Marketing
Clients: JomPow, LifeStak, Qiscus
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $2,000+
3.Traktor
Description: This agency has expertise in all major performance marketing channels. Traktor focuses on what’s best for each client’s unique needs and helps them prioritize the areas that will produce the best results. They believe marketing is a science and deploy the right tactics to deliver growth for businesses.
Year Founded: 2018
Team Size: 12+
Offices: San Paulo
Services: Performance Marketing, SEM, CRO
Clients: Fretefy, Troc, peerfect
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $2,000+
4.GoTo Marketers
Description: GoTo Marketers is an agency that is dedicated to achieving a wide range of marketing goals. Founded in 2011, GoTo Marketers takes the time to understand what drives your business and takes the necessary actions to create results. As a full-service agency, GoTo Marketers has expertise in all major digital channels including lead generation, PPC, SEO, and social media.
Year Founded: 2011
Team Size: 10+
Services: Marketing Automation, SEO, Lead Generation
Clients: Cloto, Navvia, Actian
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $2,000+
5.WebFX
Description: As a full-service digital marketing agency, WebFX creates solutions that drive results. Using a combination of custom strategies and ROI, the agency has provided business growth for many organizations across multiple marketing channels including SEO, PPC management, lead generation. They have unprecedented client retention (over 90%) and continue to be a leader amongst performance marketing agencies.
Year Founded: 1996
Team Size: 300+
Services: Social Media Marketing, Website Development, SEO
Clients: Cleveland Brothers, U.S. Department of Defense, Comcast
Case Study: https://www.webfx.com/portfolio/case-studies/reynolds.html
Budget: $5,000+
6.Kobe Digital
Description: Kobe Digital is an agency that focuses on performance and profitability for its clients. Kobe Digital understands the millennial generation and helps clients successfully reach this specific target demographic. Using performance marketing and leveraging data, Kobe Digital maximizes client ROI by improving performance on targeted campaigns and ad spending.
Year Founded: 2016
Team Size: 20+
Services: Digital Marketing, SEM, Web Design
Clients: Fox Rent a Car, Glassman Media, Shoe Source inc.
Case Study: https://www.kobedigital.com/case-studies/beyond-vision-music-foundation/
Budget: $5,000+
7.Lockhern Digital
Description: Lockhern Digital understands hiring an agency can be costly and ambiguous. The agency approaches things differently by acting as a client partner, rather than just another agency. The agency believes that collaboration is key and it’s possible to achieve more when both parties have skin in the game. Lockhern Digital manages all clients’ Search Engine Marketing needs from soup to nuts. This includes all Google and Bing ads management, Google shopping, programmatic, remarketing, Youtube, and Amazon search.
Year Founded: 2019
Team Size: 10+
Services: SEM, Paid Search, Paid Social
Clients: SuperBreakers, OpenBlooms, DotcomWeavers
Case Study: https://www.lockherndigital.com/case-studies
Budget: $2,500+
8.Ignite Visibility
Description: Ignite Visibility is considered one of the top agencies in SEO, paid media, and CRO. The agency believes in customer satisfaction and building strong relationships with their customers. Staying true to this value has helped the agency deliver on performance marketing for over 150 clients. The clients range from Tony Robbins to Forbes.
Year Founded: 2012
Team Size: 110+
Services: SEO, Social Media Marketing, Paid Media
Clients: Tony Robbins, WeddingWire, Uberall
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $8,000+
9.Right Side Up
Description: Right Side Up is an agency that has expertise across multiple online and offline marketing services including paid ads, conversion optimization, podcast advertising, SEO, and many others. Their talented team of performance marketers seamlessly plug into existing businesses of all sizes and help these companies reach high-levels of growth. Right Side Up has a strong belief that great performance comes from exceptional marketers and teams.
Year Founded: 2016
Team Size: 60+
Services: Marketing Strategy, CRO, Product Marketing
Clients: Sephora, Stitch, Crunchbase
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $5,000+
10.Disruptive Advertising
Description: This agency is results-oriented and believes that consistently achieving goals and objectives is the key to strong relationships with clients. Disruptive provides expertise in three key areas: Google and Facebook ads, analytics, and site experience.
Year Founded: 2012
Team Size: 140+
Services: Paid Search Advertising, CRO, Retargeting Campaigns
Clients: Guitar Center, Columbia Southern University, Fandango
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $10,000+
11.PBJ Marketing
Description: PBJ marketing values personalized services. Their teams are distributed to give organizations a one-to-one experience and produce maximum results. Before negotiating with clients, they analyze the industry and business goals to determine if they can deliver the desired objectives. A mix of analytics, performance marketing, and audience-centric strategy is the key to their services. All of this is backed up by evidence for their clients as well.
Year Founded: 2012
Team Size: 20+
Services: Web Design & Development, SEO, SEM
Clients: Yale Medicine, Teads.TV, Chegg
Case Study: https://pbjmarketing.com/our-clients/success-stories/yalemedicine-com/
Budget: $5,000+
12.Path Interactive
Description: Path Interactive brings a unique approach to performance marketing through deep media expertise for both traditional and digital. Forming long-term relationships with clients, the agency executes a holistic approach in media campaigns, strategy, and solutions.
Year Founded: 2005
Team Size: 100+
Services: Digital Marketing, SEM, Data Management
Clients: CityMD, WWE shop, Pace University
Case Study: https://www.pathinteractive.com/client/world-wrestling-entertainment/
Budget: $10,000+
13.Seven Atoms
Description: Seven Atoms understands the competitive landscape of performance marketing and that delivering a highly customized process or framework is vital to success. The agency’s solutions continue to have a positive effect on companies across a variety of industries ranging from Technology and SaaS to B2B Services and Consumer eCommerce.
Year Founded: 2013
Team Size: 10+
Services: Inbound Marketing Services, Content Marketing, SEM
Clients: CustomSoftware Lab, earHero, SafeBackup
Case Study: https://www.sevenatoms.com/adwords-paid-saas-marketing-case-study
Budget: $10,000+
14.Level Up Digital
Description: Level Up Digital provides end-to-end performance marketing services through their growth-driven methodology. This methodology includes research, implementation, testing, and effective campaign management. One of their clients, IdeaScale, reported top-line lead growth above 10% due to this agency’s performance marketing efforts.
Year Founded: 2017
Team Size: 10+
Services: PPC Marketing, Paid Search Marketing, SEM
Clients: American Bar Association, Quimbee, IdeaScale
Case Study: https://www.levelup-digital.com/work/quimbee-project
Budget: $10,000+
15.Best PPC Marketing
Description: Compared to other performance marketing agencies, Best PPC works primarily with mid-size businesses. However, it has the experience and knowledge to execute for organizations of any size. Though a smaller agency, Best PPC has expert consultants in data analysis and performance marketing to optimize for maximum ROI, total revenue, and lead generation.
Year Founded: 2012
Team Size: 10+
Services: PPC Consulting : Google,Bing, FB
Clients: CourseStorm, Agruss Law Firm, SellerCrowd
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $5,000+
16.JumpFly
Description: As a performance marketing agency, JumpFly has provided exclusive service in PPC management for the last 15 years. They do not claim to be experts in other areas or wear many hats as an agency, which creates true transparency between them and their clients. They are a small group of 35 dedicated experts focused on helping businesses achieve the ultimate return on their PPC investment.
Year Founded: 2003
Team Size: 60+
Services: SEO Management, Google Ads, Digital Marketing Solutions
Clients: Lana furniture, ReMax, ShadeSaver
Case Study: https://www.jumpfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/JumpFly-Case-Study-BatteryMart.pdf
Budget: $5,000+
17.Straight North
Description: Since 1997, Straight North has helped in business visibility, SEO organic search, and lead generation. To date, they have validated over a million leads and customized a mix of performance marketing solutions to move the needle for organizations. Their clientele industries range from industrial and aviation to education and finance.
Year Founded: 1997
Team Size: 90+
Services: SEO, CRO, Email Marketing
Clients: Chicago Bears, Harvard University, AutoDesk
Case Study: https://www.straightnorth.com/case-studies/seo/premiere-works/
Budget: $5,000+
18.Circus PPC Agency
Description: This agency has a team of dedicated experts in PPC accounts and consistently strives for success with their clients. Circus PPC specializes in display ads, Facebook ads, search ads, and many other solutions. They offer direct PPC expertise that helps develop an individualized strategy for every client and addresses clients’ key objectives.
Year Founded: 2009
Team Size: 10+
Services: PPC , eCommerce, CPC
Clients: Kiddies Kingdom, Super Casino, Freedom Finance
Case Study: https://circusppc.com/case-study/kiddies-kingdom/
Budget: $10,000+
19.Directive
Description: Directive provides performance marketing services primarily for B2B and enterprise businesses. Client results include over 80% more leads, over 100% more traffic, etc. The success Directive helps clients achieve is a result of rapid execution, communication, analytics, and a dedicated team of experts.
Year Founded: 2014
Team Size: 50+
Services: SEO, PPC, Social Media Marketing
Clients: Allstate Insurance, Samsung, Cisco
Case Study: https://directiveconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Case_Study_Matillion.pdf
Budget: $10,000+
20.WebMechanix
Description: This agency understands results are everything and creating meaningful business value is key. WebMechanix delivers unique performance marketing tactics and meaningful metrics to help organizations. Whether it’s creating monthly incremental wins or exceeding client needs for lasting business impact, the agency is committed to pushing the needle for clients.
Year Founded: 2009
Team Size: 60+
Services: SEO, Social Media Marketing, CRO
Clients: HubSpot, Trinity University, Matrax
Case Study: https://www.webmechanix.com/resources/case-studies/nonprofit-facebook-messenger-ads
Budget: $10,000+
21.SocialSEO
Description: Providing an all-encompassing performance marketing approach, SocialSEO understands the current digital landscape and drives instant results. The agency has worked in a variety of industries including environmental, manufacturing, healthcare, and has helped them increase visibility, grow customer base, and drive sales.
Year Founded: 1996
Team Size: 100+
Services: Social Media Management, SEM/PPC, SEO
Clients: Jaguar, The CE Shop, Cadillac
Budget: $5,000+
22.Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
Description: This agency has unlocked exceptional client results such as increasing traffic by over 500%. Through performance marketing and exceptional customer service, the agency converts and builds a great foundation for businesses. They consider themselves an extension of their clients and build a personal as well as a professional relationship with them.
Year Founded: 2004
Team Size: 130+
Services: Web Design, SEO, Social Media Marketing
Clients: Max Mechanical, Superior Plastics, First Baptist Church
Case Study: https://thriveagency.com/portfolio/coach-specialists-of-texas/
Budget: $5,000+
23.SEO Brand
Description: Driven by their deep knowledge of the customer lifecycle, SEO Brand works relentlessly to understand the client business model. They work with both B2B and B2C clients in a variety of industries. Through strategies that include digital channels, performance marketing, and SEO techniques, the agency drives the right kind of traffic for any organization.
Year Founded: 2004
Team Size: 30+
Services: SEO, SEM/PPC, Web Design & Development
Clients: Uniden, Ritz-Carlton, Beyond Diet
Case Study: https://www.seobrand.com/portfolio-items/global-engagement-center-us-state-department/
Budget: $5,000+
24.Top Spot Internet Marketing
Description: As an agency, Top Spot specializes in B2B and industrial manufacturing companies. To help companies in this space succeed, the agency values transparency, accountability, consistency, and delivering results. Services include web services and performance marketing.
Year Founded: 2003
Team Size: 130+
Services: Industrial Internent Marketing, SEO, PPC
Clients: Metal Coatings, Pollution Systems, Stainless Drains
Case Study: https://www.topspot.com/portfolio/#atlas-pressed-metals
Budget: $5,000+
25.Tinuiti
Description: Formerly known as CPC strategy, this agency is an expert in retail search and specializes in performance marketing for digital channels like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. It focuses on efficiency for clients through positive return on ad spend and a consistent increase in sales. Clients include Sears, Payless, Bowflex to name a few.
Year Founded: 2007
Team Size: 690+
Services: Email Marketing, Search/Social, CRM
Clients: Invicta Stores, Bob’s Watches, School Outlet
Case Study: https://tinuiti.com/case-study/ims-case-study-elf/
Budget: $5,000+
26.SkyDiamond Elite
Description: This agency works with high-end luxury brands in the fashion and e-commerce space. The team at SkyDiamond Elite fully understands this unique market and delivers on the nuances that help brands stand out. Their ability to drive a strong narrative and execute customized digital campaigns has led to over $580 million in online revenue for high-end brands.
Year Founded: 2007
Team Size: 10+
Services: Fashion & Luxury eCommerce, Customer Acquisition, eCommerce Optimization
Clients: Prive Revaux, Naked Cashmere, Mother Denim
Case Study: https://www.skydiamondelite.com/portfolio/
Budget: $5,000+
27.Obility
Description: Obility works exclusively with B2B tech companies. B2B performance marketing requires a certain level of strategy and expertise that is different from traditional marketing. This includes longer sales cycles, multiple decision-makers, and much more. Obility understands these differences and is committed to helping clients in the B2B space reach hypergrowth and scale.
Year Founded: 2011
Team Size: 50+
Services: Digital Marketing, SEO, SEM
Clients: Moz, Equinix, ActiveCampaign
Case Study: https://www.obilityb2b.com/blog/our-work/case-studies/activecampaign/
Budget: $5,000+
28. AdQuantum
Description: A performance marketing agency specializing in acquiring additional revenue to digital projects, AdQuantum helps mobile apps and websites reach new heights through the acquisition of new users. Through their unique acquisition strategy, the agency scales top-performing approaches to help mobile brands achieve their performance goals. By producing creatives and testing hypotheses, AdQuantum brings new paying users to the masses.
Year Founded: 2015
Team Size: 51-200
Offices: Nicosia, Cyprus
Services: Creative Production, UA Testing, Reporting
Clients: Hustle Castle, Better Me, Delivery Club
Budget: $5,000+
29. DMi Partners
Description: DMi Partners is a full-service digital marketing agency that has championed a collaborative, customer-centric approach to helping their business partners grow. Valuing the relationship between creativity and data, the agency focuses on driving real online business growth for their clients and will bet their own profitability on achieving success for their clients.
Year Founded: 2003
Team Size: 51-200
Offices: Philadelphia, USA
Services: Performance Marketing, Creative Services, SEO
Clients: Rastelli’s, TonyLukes, Moonstone
Case Studies: Reliefband
Budget: $5,000+
31. MuteSix
Description: An award-winning, full-funnel performance marketing agency known for growing brands into leaders of their industries, MuteSix uses cross-channel, data-driven approaches to evolve its partnering businesses. Through a combination of targeted media-buying, responsive creative, and industry-leading data, the agency develops exemplary marketing strategies for its clients across different industries. MuteSix’s team has a performance-obsessed team ready to create value for DTC brands in every step of the funnel.
Year Founded: 2014
Team Size: 201-500
Offices: Culver City, California
Services: Facebook Ads, Growth Hacking, Paid Search
Clients: Honey, Ring, GoPuff
Case Studies: Buttercloth, Hug Sleep
Budget: $25,000+
32. AdParlor
Description: Offering best-in-class digital media, creative, and audit services for their brands, AdParlor combines tech, people, and experiences into proven digital media strategies that will help you grow your business. By having access to quality connected data and tapping into consumer insights, the agency builds brand affinity and increases traffic and revenue. AdParlor’s strategies are always data-driven, delivering results at scale without media risk.
Year Founded: 2008
Team Size: 11-50
Offices: Toronto, Ontario
Services: Media Buying & Execution, Agile Performance Marketing, In-Housing
Clients: Bath & Body Works, Staples, Dick’s Sporting Goods
Case Studies: N/A
Budget: Undisclosed
33. Sparxoo
Description: A full-service integrated digital marketing agency, Sparxoo ignites growth, creates awesomeness, and enjoys the Florida sunshine. Through their creative, technical, and analytic expertise, the agency drives strategic impact for its clients and accelerates their growth. They take a different approach to digital marketing; they chart paths to better experiences through beautiful storytelling and believe in the impact of strategic marketing growth.
Year Founded: 2010
Team Size: 11-50
Offices: Tampa, FL
Services: Brand Management & Activation, Integrated Marketing, Web/Mobile Development
Clients: Redhat, TeamViewer, Symphonic
Case Studies: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Tech Data
Budget: $5,000+
34. Moburst
Description: Moburst, an international mobile & digital marketing service that aids businesses in expanding their operations, was established in Israel in 2013. The mobile & digital strategy, product, creative, app store optimization (ASO), and media services are being used by some of the most prominent companies and startups in the world, like Google, Samsung, Discovery, and Uber, to improve their products and increase their KPIs. This team’s daily goal is to come up with creative solutions that link brands with highly targeted audiences and win them over as devoted customers. They are tackling the difficult mobile and digital problems that clients face and think that the fusion of original thinking, cutting-edge technology, and data results in performance at scale.
Year Founded: 2013
Team Size: 51 to 200 Employees
Services: Web, Mobile Design & Development, SEO, SEM
Clients: Phyzer, Dunkin Donuts, Reddit
Case Study: N/A
Budget: $25,000+
35. iCrossing
Description: iCrossing develops brand narratives and flexible user interfaces that produce outstanding commercial outcomes. The only digitally native agency owned by a media, entertainment, and content corporation is iCrossing, a division of Hearst. The performance-driven marketing solutions for large brands are supported by Hearst’s extensive data, top-notch content, and editorial know-how. They are propelled by iCrossing’s creative, technological, and media prowess. The agency, which has its headquarters in New York and 900 workers in 19 offices worldwide, is rated as a “Leader” in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for international digital marketing agencies.
Year Founded: 1998
Team Size: 501 to 1000 Employees
Services: User experience, SEO, SEM, performance media
Clients: LD electronics, Belk
Case Study: Toyota
Budget: $10,000+
36. Brenton Way
Description: Brenton Way is a marketing agency customizing marketing plans that are specific to your company. They utilize technologies to speed up your tasks while allowing you to concentrate on what really matters: growth. They get weekly meetings, access to your marketing team 24 hours a day, and monthly campaign impact reports. They also have monthly retainers who facilitate onboarding and increase campaign transparency.
Year Founded: 2018
Team Size: 1 to 50 Employees
Services: SEO, PPC, Content, Lead Generation, Public Relations, Social Media, Conversion Optimization, Influencer Marketing
Clients: T-mobile, Wipro
Case Study: Tepe USA
Budget: $1,000+
37. Bamboo
Description: A growth marketing startup, Bamboo has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. For clients like Headspace and The New York Times, this team has effectively handled over $500MM in advertising expenditure. They are the ideal partner for any cutting-edge business in scaling mode because of the combination of their paid search, paid social, creative, and technical competence with an “extension of the in-house team” approach. Their goal is to create the best advertising firm for the future. They combine exceptional mobile and paid social knowledge with the mentality of an “extension of the in-house team,” which makes them the ideal partner for any innovative business that is scaling.
Year Founded: 2014
Team Size: 51 to 200 Employees
Services: SEO, PPC, Content, Lead Generation, Public Relations, Social Media, Conversion Optimization, Influencer Marketing
Clients: Uber, Cruup, Peloton
Case Study: All trails, GetUpside, Digit
Budget: $10,000+
Businesses spend billions of dollars each year on marketing and advertising on a variety of platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon, but until recently measuring the success of these campaigns or ads has been difficult or virtually non-existent. Regardless of your industry or the size of your business, performance marketing will be an essential factor in unlocking success in the future. Partnerships with performance marketing agencies can improve your ability to execute and implement a foolproof strategy. Gone are the days when companies spent money on ineffective and unmeasurable ads, and creative. With performance-based marketing, advertising dollars are executed and delivered to create the ultimate ROI.
nice work, keep up the good work
excellent
Some of these agencies are not pure performance marketing players. Super helpful nonetheless. You can add a few more performance agencies from Europe to balance things out.
I appreciate the distinction between marketing vs performance agencies. I agree with Allen’s comment, some (not all) of these firms are not really doing performance the way it should. They use it as a buzz word because it sells.
Ok. This is useful. Didn’t know the difference between a performance agency and a regular ad agency. I guess a good ad agency that tracks revenue is also performance agency according to this list.
I appreciate the amount of effort that must have gone into creating this list and the in-depth information provided for each agency.