Questions to ask a marketing agency before you sign, and the answers to listen for

The pitch is where every agency is at its best. The answers to a few plain questions, asked before you sign, tell you what working with them will actually be like. Below are twenty, grouped by what they reveal, with what a good answer sounds like and when to worry.

They work just as well for a consultant, a freelancer or a fractional marketing lead. If you are still deciding which of those you need, start with agency, consultant, freelancer or fractional? For social media or a website specifically, see choosing a social media agency and how to choose a web designer.

Before the meeting

Send each agency the same short brief: what your business does, what you want marketing to achieve, what you have tried, your budget range and your timescale. It makes the answers comparable, and how an agency responds to a brief is itself useful information. Two or three agencies is usually enough.

About fit and experience

1. What have you done for businesses like ours? Listen for specific examples: the business, the problem, what they did and what changed. Worry if every example is a large brand with a large budget, or if the answer is general.

2. What would you not take on for us, and why? Listen for a clear sense of where their strengths end. Worry if the answer is "nothing": no agency is good at everything.

3. Who would you refer us to if we are not a fit? Listen for names and reasons. An agency that knows its limits usually knows who covers them.

4. What do you need to know about our business before recommending anything? Listen for questions about your customers, margins, sales process and what has been tried. Worry if they recommend a solution before asking.

About the people

5. Who, by name, will do the work on our account day to day? Listen for names, roles and the chance to meet them. Worry if the people pitching will not be the people working on your account and you cannot meet those who will. It is one of the differences we set out in independent, founder-led agencies.

6. Who checks their work before it reaches us? Listen for a senior person who reads and signs off. Junior people doing the work is normal; nobody checking it is not.

7. How many other clients will they be working on? It is a fair question. The answer tells you how much attention your account will realistically get.

About results and measurement

8. How will you measure success, and when will we know if it is working? Listen for measures tied to your business, such as enquiries, sales and cost per customer, and a date for a first judgement. Worry if success is described only in impressions, reach, followers or rankings.

9. What will you need from us to get there? Listen for specifics: access, approvals, content, time. Good agencies are clear that results depend on both sides.

10. What does a monthly report look like? Ask to see a real one, with the client's details removed. Worry if it is pages of activity charts with no mention of enquiries or sales.

11. Can you guarantee results? The honest answer is no. For search in particular, Google's own guidance on hiring an SEO says no one can guarantee a number one ranking on Google. Worry about anyone who says yes.

About money

12. Exactly what is included in the price, and what costs extra? Listen for a written list. Common extras are ad spend, content production, photography, software and extra rounds of changes.

13. Which costs are your fee and which are paid to others? Ad spend paid to Google or Meta, software subscriptions and freelancers they bring in should be shown separately from their fee. Our guide to what marketing costs in the UK sets out the pricing models you will meet, with our own prices for comparison.

14. Is any of your fee a percentage of our ad spend? There is nothing wrong with it, but it gives the agency a reason to recommend spending more. Know which model you are buying.

15. What happens if the work takes longer than planned? On a fixed price, the agency carries that risk. On a day rate or retainer, you may. Get the answer in writing. We explain the difference in what a fixed-price project actually includes.

About the contract and ownership

16. What is the minimum term, and the notice period? A long minimum term before you have seen any results is a warning sign. A short initial term, then a rolling arrangement, is reasonable to ask for.

17. Who will own the ad accounts, analytics, website and content? Listen for "you do". They should be in your business's name, with the agency given access. Google Ads, for example, has access levels up to Admin, and someone in your business should hold Admin access.

18. What happens when we part ways? Listen for a clear handover: accounts, logins, files, and a note of what was done. Worry about exit fees or vague answers.

About how they work

19. What will happen in the first 30 days? Listen for a concrete sequence: learning about your business, setting up tracking, agreeing measures, then the first work. Worry if the first month is all activity and no groundwork.

20. What would you tell us not to do? The most revealing question of all. An agency that can tell you what not to spend money on is advising you, not just selling to you.

Warning signs, in one place

• Guaranteed rankings, leads or returns.
• Recommending a solution before understanding your business.
• Success measured only in impressions, likes or rankings.
• A long minimum term before you have seen results.
• Accounts, websites or content held in the agency's name.
• No chance to meet the people who will do the work.
• Vague deliverables that could mean anything.
• Pressure to sign quickly.

Take the questions with you

Tick each one off as you get a clear answer. The ticks are saved in this browser, and you can print the list to take into the meeting.

• What have you done for businesses like ours?
• What would you not take on for us, and why?
• Who would you refer us to if we are not a fit?
• What do you need to know about us before recommending anything?
• Who, by name, will do the work day to day?
• Who checks their work before it reaches us?
• How many other clients will they be working on?
• How will you measure success, and when will we know?
• What will you need from us?
• Can I see a real monthly report?
• Can you guarantee results? (The right answer is no.)
• Exactly what is included, and what costs extra?
• Which costs are your fee and which are paid to others?
• Is any of your fee a percentage of our ad spend?
• What happens if the work takes longer than planned?
• What is the minimum term and the notice period?
• Who will own the accounts, analytics, website and content?
• What happens when we part ways?
• What will happen in the first 30 days?
• What would you tell us not to do?

Once you have hired someone, the questions carry on. See how do I know if my marketing agency is doing a good job? And if you would like our answers to all twenty, ask for a free call; our prices are on the services page already. If you would rather start with a plan than a supplier, our 90-day marketing plan is a fixed £2,500.