Choose an agency that can tell you what it would change in your accounts before you sign, measures success on your business results instead of platform metrics, puts senior people on your work day to day, looks beyond the ads at tracking and your website, and leaves you owning your accounts and data.
Start with what you need
Most brands look for an agency for one of a few reasons. Knowing which one is yours makes it easier to judge who fits.
Better results from what you already spend
Look for an agency that starts with a real review of your accounts and tracking, and can show you where budget is leaking.
Launching or adding channels
Look for experience planning across channels, including how search, social, CTV and print work together.
Knowing what's actually working
Look for strong tracking and measurement skills, not just media buying.
Your team is stretched
Look for senior people who can run the day-to-day without needing constant direction.
8 questions to ask every agency
Who will work on our account day to day?
The people in the pitch aren't always the people doing the work. Ask to meet them.
What would you change in our accounts first?
A strong agency can tell you after a short review. Vague answers usually mean a template plan.
How will you measure success?
It should be your number (revenue, leads, enrollments, new customers), not clicks or platform-reported results.
Do we own our ad accounts and data?
Your accounts, pixels, analytics and creative should stay in your name if you ever part ways.
How do you handle tracking?
If conversions aren't tracked correctly, every optimization is built on the wrong data.
Do you look at what happens after the click?
Landing pages and forms often decide whether media works. A good agency looks at them too.
How will you report, and how often will we talk?
Ask to see a sample report. It should explain what changed and what's next, not just list numbers.
How do you charge, and what's included?
Make sure you know what the fee covers and what costs extra. See how agencies charge →
- Guaranteed results. No one can promise a specific ROAS or ranking before seeing your accounts.
- They want to own your accounts. If you leave, you could lose your history, audiences and data.
- Reports full of clicks and impressions. Those numbers matter less than leads, sales and what they cost.
- A different team after you sign. Senior people in the pitch, junior people on the work.
- Long lock-ins with no way out. A confident agency doesn't need to trap you.
- No questions about your business. If they don't ask about margins, sales cycles or lead quality, they can't optimize to them.
Big agency or boutique?
Both can be the right choice. It depends on what you need.
| Large agency | Boutique agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Often a mix of senior leads and larger junior teams | Usually senior people hands-on every day |
| Speed | More process and approvals | Faster decisions and changes |
| Breadth | In-house teams for many specialties | Focused expertise, with partners for the rest |
| Buying scale | Large holding-company buying power | Varies; strongest where the team has deep relationships |
| Attention | Depends on how big you are to them | Every client matters to the business |
Book a 15-minute call and ask us all eight. Or start with a review of what you're running today. See how we can help →