Marketing agencies run campaigns you lack the time or skills to manage in-house: search engine optimisation, paid search and social ads, content, email and analytics. A good agency becomes an extension of your team; a poor one burns budget on activity rather than results.
Hire for proof of results in businesses like yours, clear reporting and contract terms that let you leave. Insist that ad accounts, analytics and content are owned by your business, not the agency.
What to look for
- Discovery and strategy before execution
- Transparent monthly reporting tied to revenue or leads
- Named account manager
- Your ownership of ad accounts and assets
- Case studies with verifiable references
- Clear scope of work and deliverables
How pricing works
- Monthly retainers for ongoing work
- Project fees for audits, launches or websites
- Percentage of ad spend for paid media management
- Performance-based pricing is rare and usually combined with a base fee
Model three-year cost with our total cost of ownership calculator.
Providers in this category
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Questions to ask every vendor
- Who exactly will work on our account day to day?
- Can we speak to two current clients in our industry?
- Do we own the ad accounts, analytics and creative?
- What will you report monthly, and what counts as success?
- What is the notice period to end the contract?
Red flags
- Guaranteed first-page rankings
- Ad accounts created under the agency's ownership
- Long lock-in contracts with no performance exit
- Reports full of vanity metrics only
Frequently asked questions
How much should a small business spend with a marketing agency?
Budgets vary by goal and market. Start with a defined project or 3-month pilot with measurable targets before committing to a long retainer.
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- The hidden costs of SaaS: total cost of ownership explained
Editorial content written by the BusinessReviews.com team following our editorial policy. Vendor names are trademarks of their owners. Verify current pricing and features with each vendor.