What 9 Clouds does

9 Clouds is a privately held, Sioux Falls-headquartered digital marketing agency founded in 2009 that positions itself as a 'marketing ally' providing lead generation services to SMBs and mid-market enterprises across automotive, legal, healthcare, manufacturing, RV, and livestock verticals. The company operates a team of approximately 15-17 members led by CEO Sarah Carnes, CFO Byron Schafersman, CCO John Nelson, and CTO Betsy Sprenkle, and maintains no proprietary technology platform — its delivery model is built on certified Google Partner (Partner ID: 6446008319) and Microsoft Advertising Partner status with direct access to platform specialists.

The agency's core service portfolio includes digital advertising across Google, Bing, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest; Search Engine/Answer Engine Optimization (SEO/AEO/GEO/XEO) for traditional and AI-driven search; email marketing strategy and automation; reporting and ROI tracking via GA4, LeadsRX multi-touch attribution, and HubSpot integrations; and technology consulting for CRM and marketing stack implementation. It has productized several entry-point offerings including a $555 GA4 Setup Package, free HubSpot audits, and Local SEO packages, alongside traditional retainer and project-based engagements. The agency uses AI tools internally for productivity (Granola for meeting notes, Zapier for workflow automation, TextExpander for snippets, ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity/Gemini for research) but sells no proprietary AI product.

Commercially, 9 Clouds runs a sales-led GTM with inside-sales support through website lead capture, free custom proposals, and consultation scheduling. Community-led content marketing (blog, case studies, webinars, guides) drives top-of-funnel awareness. Revenue is generated through professional services retainers and project work, with no publicly disclosed pricing — engagements are quote-based and tailored to client budgets. The company appears to be founder/management-owned, bootstrapped with no external funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investors disclosed.

Name

9 Clouds

Legal name

9 Clouds

Website

https://9clouds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Digital Marketing Services: 9 Clouds generates revenue through providing digital marketing services including SEO/AEO, digital advertising (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest), email marketing, reporting and ROI tracking, and technology integration. Services are offered as ongoing retainer arrangements and one-time project work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

9 Clouds is a digital marketing agency that delivers custom lead generation services for SMB and mid-market businesses, including digital advertising across Google, Bing, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest; search engine and answer engine optimization (SEO/AEO/GEO/XEO); email marketing; and ROI reporting/analytics using Google Analytics 4 and LeadsRX multi-touch attribution. The agency packages these into ongoing retainers and one-time project engagements, with vertical-specialized offerings for automotive dealerships, healthcare, manufacturing, legal, RV, and livestock businesses.

Product overview

9 Clouds is a digital lead generation agency offering a portfolio of marketing services including SEO/AEO, digital advertising (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest), email marketing, reporting and ROI tracking, and technology consulting. The core offering is custom digital marketing strategy and implementation, with specialized vertical-specific services for automotive, law firms, healthcare, manufacturing, RV, and livestock industries. Additional services include project-based work, local SEO packages, HubSpot audits, and GA4 setup. The company uses AI tools internally for productivity and also leverages AI-powered features within platforms like HubSpot, Canva, and Meta to deliver services to clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Advertising Custom digital advertising services across Google, Bing, YouTube, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest platforms, including campaign strategy, ad creation, audience targeting, retargeting, and ongoing optimization. For businesses seeking customer acquisition through paid media.
• Search Engine / Answer Engine Optimization (SEO/AEO) SEO and emerging answer engine optimization services to improve visibility in Google, Bing, AI-driven search, voice search, and map-based results, including technical SEO, on-page optimization, local SEO, and GEO optimization. For businesses seeking organic visibility and lead capture.
• Email Marketing Email marketing services including strategy, list management, content creation, and automation workflows for direct client communication and lead nurturing. For businesses running CRM-driven nurture and retention programs.
• Reporting and ROI Marketing analytics and ROI tracking service including Google Analytics 4 setup, multi-touch attribution via LeadsRX, offline events tracking, and monthly performance reporting that connects ad spend to closed revenue. For businesses needing to verify marketing return on investment.
• Technology Services Technology consulting and implementation services including HubSpot integrations, CRM setup, tag management, and marketing technology stack optimization. For businesses modernizing or consolidating their marketing technology infrastructure.
• Project Work One-time marketing project services for specific needs such as audits, campaign setup, or targeted optimization tasks, scoped as discrete engagements rather than ongoing retainers.
• Local SEO Package Local search optimization package including Google Business Profile setup and optimization for location-based businesses seeking visibility in map and local search results.
• Google Analytics 4 Setup Package Fixed-price GA4 setup and configuration service to properly implement tracking, events, and reporting. Starts at $555.
• Free HubSpot Audit Complimentary audit of a prospective client's existing HubSpot account to identify unused features and optimization opportunities, offered as a lead generation entry point.
• Automotive Marketing Vertical-specialized digital marketing services for automotive dealerships including digital advertising, SEO, lead tracking, and reputation management tailored to dealer operations.
• Law Firm Marketing Specialized digital marketing services for law firms including SEO/AEO, compliant Google Ads and Meta advertising, email marketing, and ROI tracking tailored to legal industry compliance requirements.
• Healthcare Marketing Digital marketing services for healthcare clinics and medical practices, focused on local SEO, patient acquisition, review management, and HIPAA-conscious content marketing.
• Manufacturing Marketing Digital marketing services for manufacturing companies centered on B2B lead generation, LinkedIn advertising, content marketing, and SEO aimed at professional buyers and decision-makers.
• RV Marketing Digital marketing services for RV dealerships and related businesses, with a focus on visual product showcase, lifestyle-oriented advertising, and video content.
• Livestock Marketing Digital marketing services for livestock and agricultural businesses, including livestock promotion, agricultural equipment marketing, and local SEO for rural audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16 hours saved per week through TextExpander across 17 team members, spanning 1,011 snippets

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GooglecoreTechnology or Integration9 Clouds is a certified Google Partner with direct access to Google specialists for agency support, campaign issues, and strategic insights. This partnership enables the agency to better serve clients running Google Ads campaigns and provides access to platform resources and support.
• Microsoft AdvertisingcoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified Microsoft Advertising Partner with trained SEM experts. The partnership provides direct access to Microsoft specialists for support and insights, and enables efficient campaign management through easy import from Google.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Power Digital Marketing: Performance-marketing agency focused on mid-market brands with paid media, SEO, and content services; comparable in client segment and full-funnel offering.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Full-service digital marketing agency serving SMBs with SEO, PPC, social media and web design — directly comparable in offering and vertical breadth.
• Lounge Agency: Mid-market digital marketing agency with similar paid media, SEO, and conversion services for B2C/B2B clients; comparable size and service stack.
• KlientBoost: PPC and CRO-focused digital marketing agency for mid-market and SaaS clients; closely comparable in paid-media-centric GTM and agency operating model.
• Disruptive Advertising: SMB-focused digital marketing agency offering paid media, SEO, and lifecycle services with a similar mid-sized, partner-certified model. Highly comparable in service mix and customer profile.
• Zellus Marketing: SMB digital marketing agency providing SEO, paid media, and analytics with vertical specialization; closely comparable in service depth and customer profile.
• Ignite Visibility: Mid-sized digital marketing agency emphasizing SEO, paid media, and social — comparable in size, channel mix, and SMB-to-mid-market client emphasis.
• WebFX: One of the largest SMB digital marketing agencies in North America, offering SEO, paid media, content and CRO at a similar service profile but materially larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Tinuiti: Larger independent performance-marketing agency with paid media, SEO, and analytics; broader portfolio across enterprise retail and DTC brands but overlapping service category.
• LocaliQ: SMB digital marketing platform owned by Gannett/USA TODAY Network offering paid search, social, SEO, and web solutions to local businesses; competes for the same buyers with a larger productized offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@9clouds
• Facebookfacebook.com/9clouds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9-clouds-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/9clouds
• Xx.com/9clouds

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 9 Clouds