If your agency’s positioning still claims to “do it all,” you’re already losing ground.

Internally, your team stays busy but is spread thin across too many services and types of clients. In most cases, the problem lies in your positioning. Today, 84% of agencies identify as specialists. The ones growing fastest have a clear point of view, packaged services, and a niche they’re known for. 

This guide outlines five of the fastest-growing service categories in the market right now. Use it to sharpen your positioning, realign your sales motion, and focus your outbound efforts where clients are actively investing.

The Importance of Specialization in Agency Positioning

Generalist positioning is one of the most common reasons agencies struggle to grow. Without a clear focus, outbound slows down, sales cycles drag, and your team ends up chasing too many types of clients with too little traction.

Strong agency positioning gives you a center of gravity and a growth edge.

1. Generalist agencies are losing ground

You’ve likely felt it already. Agencies offering everything to everyone are getting pushed aside in the early stages of the buying process. Procurement teams want expertise. Internal marketing leads want category fluency. Everyone wants faster ramp time and fewer risks.

What this looks like in practice:

• Lower response rates from outbound campaigns
• Pricing pressure in early-stage calls
• Losing out to vertical-specific or service-focused competitors
• Internal teams burning time on irrelevant RFPs

2. Niche positioning fuels faster growth

Agencies that narrow their focus aren’t shrinking, they’re scaling. The highest-growth firms are betting on specific services or verticals, building proof, and leading with that expertise in every conversation.

According to ADWEEK’s Fastest Growing Agencies:

• Top performers built success by committing to a niche
• Outbound and messaging were anchored in that expertise
• Their positioning aligned with a clear growth market

Benefits you can expect:

• Shorter sales cycles
• Easier client qualification
• Higher close rates
• Better margins on delivery

3. Positioning is your most powerful new business tool

Agency new business gets easier with more clarity. When your positioning speaks to the right client, in the right category, with the right proof, your entire sales motion becomes more efficient.

How smart positioning improves new business:

• Increases response rates from outbound email and LinkedIn
• Sharpens your discovery and qualifying questions
• Creates space to lead on strategy, not price
• Connects marketing and sales around a focused offer

If your pipeline feels unpredictable, your positioning likely needs a reset before your outreach gets reworked.

The next five sections break down where the market is growing and how to align your agency positioning to meet that demand.

Category 1: AI-Driven Marketing Services and Automation

Clients expect AI automation agency services to be baked into your offerings. Most already assume your agency is using it. The question is how well it’s integrated.

In 2025, the fastest-growing agencies are building AI into content operations, campaign delivery, performance reporting, and automation. This isn’t experimental anymore. Agencies that package AI automation into clear, outcomes-focused services are locking in higher-margin work and longer-term engagements.

1. Why AI expertise is now a core client expectation

Enterprise and mid-market buyers are under pressure to prove efficiency. They expect their partners to bring smarter workflows, faster production, and clearer reporting, all supported by automation.

What clients are looking for:

• Partners who apply AI to improve marketing outcomes
• Teams that can move from experimentation into execution
• Strategic support, not just tooling
• AI-powered workflows integrated into core marketing systems
  

Agencies that can show results, not just capabilities, are moving to the top of the shortlist.

2. High-demand agency offerings in AI and automation

Agencies leading with packaged services are winning business by making AI useful, not abstract. Clients want clarity, simplicity, and clear next steps.

Services seeing strong demand right now:

• AI content generation and editorial pipelines
• CRM and marketing automation integration
• Conversion rate optimization using AI-informed insights
• GPT strategy development and enablement
• Automation audits with implementation planning

These are sticky, scalable, and margin-positive when positioned correctly.

3. How to position and package AI automation agency services

Clients don’t need a complete transformation roadmap. They need focused solutions that align with real business priorities.

How to make AI services easier to buy:

• Name your offers clearly (e.g., “AI Content Engine,” “Automation Readiness Audit”)
• Anchor each service to an outcome like efficiency, speed, or revenue lift
• Show examples in outbound and case studies to prove traction
• Build for retainer and recurring revenue, not one-off projects

Positioning around AI automation opens the door to smarter conversations, higher-value scopes, and more consistent agency new business.

Category 2: Content Marketing and Performance SEO

Content and search are making a return to the top of the marketing stack. As paid media becomes more expensive and less predictable, brands are redirecting spend toward long-term organic growth and seeking partners who can deliver measurable results through content.

For agencies with creative and analytical firepower, this category offers a clear path to retainer growth and high-margin services.

1. Why organic growth is reclaiming budget share

Paid media is still part of the mix, but it’s no longer the default. Rising acquisition costs and declining ad performance are driving brands to reinvest in SEO and content strategies that create compounding value.

What’s driving the shift:

• Increased cost per acquisition across social and search
• Ad platform volatility and short-term performance drops
• Greater demand for evergreen content that drives inbound over time
• Leadership pressure to shift toward sustainable, ownable growth

Agencies that can lead with both content strategy and performance measurement are moving up the value chain.

2. Building authority through content and search

High-performing content marketing agencies are blending creativity, technical SEO, and analytics into unified strategies that drive pipeline.

What strong execution looks like:

• Content plans structured around high-intent keyword themes
• On-page SEO and site architecture optimized for ranking
• Editorial production that connects brand voice with search demand
• Performance tracking tied to conversion, not just clicks

According to Promethean Research, agencies expanding into performance content and SEO saw an average of 9.7% growth, well above industry baseline.

3. Positioning your agency around measurable SEO impact

“Content and SEO” as a capability is too broad. To stand out, you need to anchor your positioning in tangible outcomes and performance accountability.

How to position for agency new business in this category:

• Focus messaging around pipeline and revenue impact, not just rankings
• Show proof of results using real metrics in outbound and case studies
• Develop packaged offers (e.g., “SEO Growth Sprint,” “Content Performance Audit”)
• Build a clear bridge from strategy to execution so prospects see how you’ll deliver

This category rewards agencies that connect storytelling with numbers and can prove the ROI behind both.

Category 3: Branding and Visual Identity Design

Branding remains one of the most effective growth levers in the agency toolbox when it’s tied to commercial outcomes. Clients aren’t looking for a fresh coat of paint. They need branding that drives differentiation, recognition, and performance across channels.

Agencies that can connect strategy, identity, and execution are winning larger scopes and more strategic roles inside their clients’ organizations.

1. Why brand differentiation drives market success

Strong branding gives clients an edge. In crowded markets, a distinct visual identity is often the difference between blending in and being remembered. And remembered brands convert better.

What clients are buying now:

• Positioning and narrative frameworks that cut through sameness
• Visual systems that scale across touchpoints
• Brand strategy that aligns with go-to-market plans
• Messaging that resonates with internal teams and external buyers

Brand work that starts with strategy and ends with execution wins faster and sticks longer.

2. Linking visual identity to business outcomes

Clients no longer see branding as just a creative exercise. They expect it to perform. And the agencies that can prove their performance are winning more business.

Where the best branding agencies stand out:

• They connect brand work to engagement, conversion, and retention metrics
• They deliver scalable identity systems for marketing, product, and events
• They build clear alignment between visual decisions and business goals
• They use brand insights to inform broader campaign strategies

Branding that moves beyond aesthetics is what earns repeat scopes and executive-level trust.

3. Blending branding with digital activation

Brand work that stops at the guidelines handoff limits your role. The agencies winning in this category stay involved by connecting identity work directly to campaign performance and owned media growth.

How to expand your role post-delivery:

• Build activation plans that apply brand assets across digital channels
• Include content and campaign creative as part of your identity rollouts
• Offer brand audits that lead to ongoing marketing retainers
• Show how refreshed identity drives measurable impact across paid, organic, and sales enablement

This is a prime opportunity for agencies to stay inside the business, not just on the brief.

Category 4: Social Media Marketing and Owned Audience Growth in Fast Growing Industries

Owned media is gaining budget share across fast growing industries. With rising acquisition costs and unpredictable platform performance, brands are shifting investment into audience strategies they can control. Agencies with the right positioning in this space are securing longer-term, retainer-first scopes with less pitch friction.

1. How owned media is replacing paid acquisition as a growth strategy

Brands are recalibrating. Paid media still plays a role, but channel volatility has pushed marketing leaders toward more stable, owned growth systems. Email, organic social, and communities are now considered core infrastructure.

What’s driving the shift:

• Higher cost per acquisition across paid platforms
• Limited targeting and attribution due to privacy shifts
• Declining reliability of algorithm-driven reach
• Internal pressure to reduce dependency on third-party media

Agencies that support owned audience development are seeing stronger inbound interest and higher retention.

2. The rise of influencer and community-based campaigns in the creator economy

Influencer strategy and community-building are now central to how brands drive growth and loyalty. In the creator economy, agencies that build and manage these ecosystems are becoming essential partners.

Current service areas in demand:

• Creator collaboration and partnership management
• Community moderation and audience engagement strategy
• Owned content calendars mapped to lifecycle and product goals
• Reporting frameworks that show audience value over time

This shift favors the creator economy agency model, one built around ongoing influence and sustained community value.

3. Positioning social and audience services to drive agency new business

Audience growth is a retention play. Agencies that lead with audience strategy instead of standalone content delivery are moving into more strategic scopes, with clear paths to upsell.

How to build positioning in this category:

• Structure monthly programs around audience development, not just output
• Connect social services to downstream performance metrics
• Show owned growth impact in outbound messaging and case studies
• Include influencer coordination and reporting in packaged offers

This category supports long-term agency new business when it’s clearly positioned, productized, and tied to business outcomes.

Category 5: Video Marketing and Creator Economy Services

Video continues to outperform every other content format for engagement and reach. Brands are increasing investment in video and creator-led content as part of broader demand generation and brand-building strategies. Agencies with structured offerings across video production, editing, and distribution are seeing more frequent inbound and faster deal cycles.

This is a core opportunity for agencies positioned inside fast-growing industries like DTC, SaaS, and media.

1. Why video is the highest-performing brand content

Buyers engage more with video than with static or text content. It delivers faster understanding, better retention, and higher conversion rates. Marketing leaders are prioritizing agencies that can handle concept-to-distribution execution with consistency.

Where agencies are driving results today:

• Pre-production strategy and scripting for product or brand storytelling
• Multi-format content delivery optimized for short-form and long-form platforms
• Consistent editing styles that support brand recognition across channels
• Analytics frameworks that connect views to conversion or retention

Brands are now sourcing video partners earlier in the campaign planning process.

2. Growth in creator economy partnerships

Brands are embedding creators into product launches, brand narratives, and always-on engagement. Creator economy agencies are winning work by offering infrastructure around sourcing, managing, and amplifying creator content.

Key services agencies are leading with:

• Creator identification, contracting, and activation
• Repurposing creator content for brand use across paid and owned channels
• Brief development, brand alignment, and production support
• Campaign reporting tied to audience growth and engagement

The agencies succeeding here are managing the entire creator ecosystem for the brand.

3. Developing end-to-end capabilities for agency new business

Agencies that offer complete video and creator services are seeing stronger pipeline performance and stickier client relationships. When brands see a single partner managing strategy, production, and optimization, scopes grow fast.

What strong positioning looks like in this category:

• Clear messaging around campaign-level video execution and creator amplification
• Service packages that include production, repurposing, and distribution
• Proof of performance from prior brand work in key verticals
• Ability to plug into broader content, social, or influencer strategy

This is a fast-growth service line with strong pull for agency new business when it’s positioned with outcomes in mind.

Making Your Positioning Work: Actionable Steps for Agency Growth

Strong agency positioning doesn’t live in a deck or on a homepage. It needs to show up in your outbound, your website, your sales process, and your case studies. When everything is aligned around your core offering, your pipeline becomes more predictable and easier to scale.

The following steps help you put your positioning into motion and structure it around the categories where clients are actively investing:

Step 1: Audit and identify your strength areas

Look at the accounts you’ve won, the scopes you’ve grown, and the projects that delivered the strongest ROI.

What to look for:

• Clear patterns in the types of clients and industries you’ve served
• Repeatable service lines or campaign types
• Performance metrics you can use to anchor proof points
• Signals that show where your work already aligns with growth markets

You don’t need to invent a niche. Start with where you already have traction.

Step 2: Realign messaging and proof points around growth niches

Once you identify your strength areas, shift your outward-facing materials to reflect them. Everything a prospect sees should reinforce your positioning — before the first call.

Update the following elements:

• Website service pages and case studies
• Outbound messaging and LinkedIn presence
• Proposal templates and pitch language
• Your lead magnets or content offers, if applicable

Positioning works best when it’s obvious and consistent.

Step 3: Align sales and prospecting with your agency positioning

If you’ve updated your positioning, your outbound needs to follow. Your list-building, messaging, and targeting criteria should all reflect your revised focus.

Adjust your outbound strategy to match your positioning:

• Build lists around your ideal client profile within chosen categories
• Write outreach that speaks directly to those buyers’ goals and language
• Use messaging that highlights your specific strengths, not generic capabilities
  
• Ensure follow-up cadences support your value, not just your availability

Clarity in positioning makes it easier to say the right things to the right buyers at the right time.

Step 4: Refresh case studies and outbound collateral

Generic case studies slow down sales. Specific stories tied to your target categories help prospects visualize results, faster.

What to revise:

• Swap out broad summaries for focused, measurable outcomes
• Align each case study with a priority service line or vertical
• Highlight metrics that connect to real buyer goals (e.g. leads, conversion, speed to launch)
• Use these stories across outbound, sales calls, and marketing

This is a fast way to build credibility and shorten decision cycles.

Step 5: Test and refine new positioning before scaling

Before rolling everything out across your entire brand, run focused outbound campaigns to pressure-test your new message.

Start with:

• A narrow vertical, buyer persona, or service line
• A small outbound list tied directly to your new positioning
• Messaging variations to track resonance and conversion
• Follow-up calls to gather qualitative feedback

Use what you learn to refine messaging, validate proof points, and confirm where your positioning holds. Then scale with confidence.

Conclusion: Position Your Agency for 2025 Growth

Strong agency positioning creates leverage. It shortens sales cycles, improves outbound response, and drives more consistent revenue across every stage of the funnel.

If your new business feels unpredictable, it’s worth revisiting what your positioning is signaling and whether it matches where the market is moving.

The five categories outlined above represent real demand, not theory. Agencies that align around one or two of these focus areas are seeing faster growth, higher-margin work, and stronger client retention.

At Catapult New Business, we help agencies sharpen their positioning, build outbound engines that reflect it, and create real movement in the pipeline. If you’re ready to put a stronger positioning strategy into action, book a strategy call with our team and let’s build your next stage of growth.