Tuff

Find traction and growth with an expert-led, on-demand growth team.

Dev & Design Agencies
2016 Founded
51-200 Employees
50+ Customers
Eagle, Colorado, USA Headquarters

Quick Facts

Starting Price
6000
Pricing Model
custom
Company Type
acquired

About Tuff

Tuff is a U.S.-based growth marketing agency that acts as a plug-in growth team for startups, scale-ups, and established brands. Rather than selling one-off campaigns, Tuff embeds its specialists directly into client teams, operating like an in-house growth department focused on customer acquisition, revenue, and sustainable performance. The agency is known for its data-driven, experiment-led approach across paid media, SEO, content, conversion rate optimization, and performance creative.

Founded in 2016 by Ellen Jantsch and headquartered in Eagle, Colorado, Tuff has grown as a remote-first team with employees distributed across the United States. In 2022, Tuff was acquired by Goodway Group, a long-standing digital media and marketing services firm, and now operates as an independent division within Goodway’s family of brands. This relationship gives Tuff access to additional data, technology, and resources while maintaining its own processes, team, and client relationships.

Tuff’s services span media strategy and management, creative strategy and production, technical SEO, content marketing, analytics and tracking, email and lifecycle marketing, and conversion rate optimization. Their model emphasizes radical transparency, with shared Slack channels, weekly or bi-weekly standups, and clear roadmaps and dashboards so clients can see exactly what is being tested and how each experiment is performing. Engagements typically begin with a structured discovery and research phase, followed by a 90-day period of launch, optimization, and scaling.

Over the last several years, Tuff has worked with dozens of B2B, SaaS, fintech, DTC, and eCommerce brands, from early-stage startups to growth-stage and mid-market companies. Recognized by publications like TechCrunch and numerous industry roundups, Tuff is often positioned as an alternative to hiring a full in-house growth team, giving companies access to senior channel specialists and a proven process without the overhead of building and managing their own marketing department.

Key Features

Embedded growth team model - Tuff plugs into your company as an in-house style growth squad rather than a traditional external agency.

Full-funnel growth strategy - development of channel-agnostic roadmaps covering acquisition, activation, retention, and revenue.

Paid media strategy and management - planning, buying, and optimization across Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and display.

Performance creative and ad testing - structured creative testing frameworks with ongoing production and iteration of static and video ads.

Technical SEO and on-page optimization - audits, issue remediation, and content optimization to improve rankings and organic traffic.

Content marketing and editorial strategy - keyword-informed content roadmaps and production guidance to drive qualified inbound demand.

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) - landing page strategy, UX recommendations, A/B and multivariate testing to lift on-site conversion.

Analytics, tracking, and attribution - implementation and tuning of analytics, pixels, and event tracking for clear performance measurement.

Email and lifecycle marketing - strategy, copy, and flows to support acquisition, onboarding, nurture, and reactivation.

Video and UGC creative - short-form and performance video concepts tailored to TikTok, YouTube, and social ad environments.

Account-based and B2B demand gen programs - planning and running multi-channel programs for complex B2B buying cycles.

Transparent reporting and dashboards - KPI-focused reports, budget pacing, and clear experiment backlogs shared with clients.

Slack-based collaboration - shared channels for day-to-day communication, quick updates, and alignment with client teams.

90-day launch and scale framework - structured first 90 days covering kickoff, research, launch, optimization, and scaling.

Remote-first senior team - access to specialized growth strategists, channel experts, and creative talent without hiring in-house.

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Feels like an extension of the in-house team, with close collaboration and shared ownership of growth goals.
  • Highly data-driven and organized, with clear roadmaps, frequent reporting, and a strong focus on measurable outcomes like CAC and ROAS.
  • Deep channel expertise across paid search, paid social, SEO, and CRO, enabling quick testing and strategic pivots.
  • Responsive, proactive communication via Slack and regular calls, making it easy to stay aligned and iterate quickly.
  • Onboarding and initial 90-day engagement often deliver noticeable performance improvements in a relatively short time.

👎 Cons

  • Some clients report inconsistent results or missed expectations when goals, budgets, or timelines are not tightly aligned up front.
  • A few reviewers mention communication gaps and internal coordination issues during challenging periods.
  • As a senior, experiment-led team on flat-fee retainers, pricing can be high for very small or budget-constrained companies.

User Reviews

G2
unknown
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Capterra
unknown
☆☆☆☆☆
TrustRadius
unknown
☆☆☆☆☆

Integrations

Google Ads Facebook Ads Instagram Ads LinkedIn Ads TikTok Ads YouTube Ads Bing Ads Amazon Ads Google Analytics Clearbit Semrush Ahrefs Screaming Frog Slack Envato Stocksy Adobe Stock Pexels Unsplash Artlist.io

Best For

Company Size

smb mid-market enterprise

Industries

SaaS Financial Services & Fintech DTC & eCommerce B2B Services Education & EdTech

Use Cases

Scaling paid acquisition across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and other channels Building and executing a full-funnel growth strategy from awareness through revenue Improving SEO and content performance to reduce reliance on paid media Optimizing landing pages and funnels to increase conversion rates and lower CAC Launching and testing new channels or markets before building an internal team

FAQ

What is Tuff?

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Tuff is a U.S.-based growth marketing agency that embeds directly into client teams as an on-demand growth squad. Instead of acting like a traditional vendor, Tuff's specialists plug into your business as an in-house style team to plan, execute, and optimize multi-channel growth programs. Their services span paid media, SEO, content marketing, performance creative, conversion rate optimization, and analytics, all delivered with a strong emphasis on testing, data, and transparency.

How much does Tuff cost?

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Tuff's pricing is structured as flat-fee monthly retainers based on scope rather than a percentage of ad spend. Core media strategy and management engagements start around $6,000 per month with a three-month minimum commitment, and specialized creative retainers for ad production and testing start at approximately $2,500 per month, with higher tiers at $5,000 and $9,000 per month. Larger, multi-channel growth programs are priced custom based on your channels, budgets, and required services.

What are the main features of Tuff?

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Key capabilities of Tuff include full-funnel growth strategy, paid media planning and optimization across major ad platforms, performance creative and structured ad testing, technical SEO and content strategy, conversion rate optimization and landing page experimentation, analytics and tracking implementation, and email and lifecycle marketing support. They also provide transparent reporting, shared Slack channels, and a 90-day launch and optimization framework designed to quickly identify and scale the tactics that work best for your business.

Who are Tuff's main competitors?

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Tuff competes with other growth and performance marketing agencies that focus on multi-channel acquisition and experimentation. Commonly considered alternatives include KlientBoost (performance PPC and CRO), Ladder.io (growth marketing and experimentation), Single Grain (SEO and paid media for SaaS and tech), and WebFX (full-service digital marketing for SMB and mid-market brands). The best choice depends on whether you need a narrowly focused channel specialist or an embedded, full-funnel growth team like Tuff.

Is Tuff good for small businesses?

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Tuff can be a strong fit for small businesses and startups that already have some product-market fit, clear revenue goals, and the budget to invest in paid acquisition and experimentation. Their retainers and three-month commitments typically make the most sense for teams with meaningful marketing budgets and a willingness to test multiple channels. Very early-stage businesses with minimal budget or those seeking a simple, low-cost software tool may find Tuff's model more comprehensive and hands-on than they need.

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