What I Learned About Content Strategy from Building and Selling an Agency

I started Kleio at my kitchen table with nothing but a laptop, an awesome network of freelance contacts from my Tatler days, and a lot of optimism. At first it felt magical. I printed business cards for all of us, we pitched together, and we genuinely believed we were bringing something new to Hong Kong – a proper dedicated content agency with London-level standards and strong local talent who could deliver both English and Chinese content.

We quickly discovered the harsh reality: almost no one understood what content marketing actually was.

A huge part of every pitch became education. I found myself explaining what was working in other markets, how content could convert better than traditional advertising, and why throwing money at random social posts wasn’t the same as having a real strategy. I researched the best content projects around the world and broke them down for clients, hoping they’d see the potential. It was time-consuming but necessary – not just so we could win new work, but so we could deliver results despite the continually shifting landscape of digital content.

Fast-forward to today and content marketing is something everyone talks about, yet I still find myself educating. People understand social media, but many still don’t grasp the power of a full content strategy. And now there’s the added layer of AI. Everyone assumes it can do the job for them, then wonders why the results feel flat and nothing really sticks.

Here’s what I learned from building and selling Kleio that still guides everything I do at Stanza:

Pillar content is everything 

Find the real stories inside a company – the authentic, human ones – and tell them properly. Use that pillar content on the brand’s own website, then spin it out into cluster content across social, newsletters, video, and more. When done well, it creates a flywheel that builds trust, drives engagement, and delivers measurable results.

Strategy before tactics 

A thousand daily posts mean nothing if there’s no clear strategy behind them. The best work starts with understanding the audience, the brand’s unique voice, and the commercial goals then building everything around that.

Learning never stops

Even now, part of my job is helping clients see the difference between content that looks good and content that actually works. The landscape keeps shifting, so I’m constantly educating myself too – watching the stats, following the trends, and making sure I never get stuck in the same old format.

Building Kleio taught me that great content isn’t about volume or trends – it’s about clarity, authenticity, and relentless focus on what truly moves the needle for the brand and its audience.

If you’re a travel or property brand and you want content that doesn’t just fill space but actually drives results, I’d love to talk. Drop me a line at emily@stanza.agency.