How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency: 10 Questions to Ask
Most bad agency relationships could have been avoided with a few questions before signing. Here are the ten we’d ask if we were hiring an agency.
Hiring the wrong agency costs more than the fee. It costs months you won’t get back. These are the questions we’d ask if we were on your side of the table. Ask them to us too.
1. Can you show real results from businesses like mine?
Look for insights screenshots and business outcomes, not just nice designs. Our case studies show numbers from live accounts, like 1.3M Instagram views for Bora Classes and 20 to 25 customers a month for Laminates Valley.
2. Who will actually work on my account?
Meet the people. Ask who plans, who designs, who shoots and who reports. Is anything outsourced?
3. What exactly is included every month?
Get deliverables in writing: number of posts, Reels, shoots, platforms and revisions.
4. Who shoots the photos and videos?
Stock images and generic templates rarely perform. Original shoots at your store, factory or classroom do.
5. How will we measure success?
Agree on one or two business numbers: enquiries, footfall, admissions, orders, or reach if you’re building awareness. Then agree how they’ll be reported.
6. What happens in the first 90 days?
A good agency has a plan: audit, foundation, content system, then scale. Beware of promises of instant virality.
7. Is ad spend included in the fee?
Usually not. Clarify the management fee, the ad budget and GST separately. See our guide to social media marketing costs in India.
8. Who owns the accounts and content?
Your social accounts, ad accounts, website and Google Business Profile should be in your name, with the agency given access.
9. What are the contract terms?
Minimum term, notice period, payment schedule and what happens to work in progress if you part ways.
10. Do you understand my business?
The best agencies ask more questions than they answer in the first meeting. Some of our best work came from challenging the brief: turning a blouse store into a fashion brand, or noticing a trademark was registered under a different name than the one being used.
Red flags
- Guaranteed followers or “viral” promises
- No real case studies or references
- Accounts created in the agency’s name
- Vague deliverables
- Reports full of likes but no business outcomes
FAQ
What should I ask before hiring a digital marketing agency?
Ask for real results from similar businesses, who will work on your account, exact monthly deliverables, how success is measured, ad spend terms, account ownership and contract terms.
Should my social media accounts be in my name or the agency’s?
Always in your name. The agency should be given access, not ownership.
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Our mission.
Tell us about your business. We’ll audit where you stand and send a plan with scope and monthly deliverables.