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To choose a marketing agency, define the problem you want solved, shortlist two or three firms that have solved it for a business like yours, check their results with a real client, meet the people who'd do the work, and get scope and ownership in writing.
That's the whole process.
It sounds obvious. But most owners skip the first step and choose on the pitch.
Here's how to do it properly, in six steps, with 12 questions to bring to the meeting.
Step 1: Write down the problem
Not "we need marketing." The actual problem.
- "Leads have been flat for two years."
- "We get inquiries and they don't close."
- "I'm paying three vendors and can't tell what's working."
One sentence. This becomes the test every agency has to pass.
Can't write the sentence? Run a marketing audit first. Otherwise the agency will define your problem for you, and it'll match what they sell.
Step 2: Decide what kind of help you need
There are three kinds:
- Hands: you know what to do and need it done.
- Direction: you have people and no plan.
- Both.
A classic agency sells hands. If you need direction, an agency is the wrong purchase, however good it is. We compare the options in in-house marketing vs. agency.
Step 3: Shortlist three, not ten
Ask other owners who they use. Look for firms that work with businesses your size.
Three is plenty. More than that and you're comparing slide decks.
Step 4: Check the proof
Ask each one for a case study. Then read it like a skeptic.
A real case study has:
- A starting number
- An ending number
- A list of what was actually done
- A client you can call
Here's the level of detail to expect. From one of ours:
A summer camp's enrollment had fallen from 618 campers to 473 over four years. In one season we rebuilt the enrollment process, added lead intake, reworked the website, rebuilt SEO, tightened Google Ads and ran weekly fixes. Enrollment rose to 495. New customers grew 3.4x.
(The full version has more.)
If an agency gives you "we increased traffic 300%" with no baseline, ask what the baseline was. Then ask what happened to sales.
Step 5: Meet the people who'll do the work
The person in the pitch is often not the person on your account.
Ask to meet the team you'd actually work with. If that's a problem, you've learned something.
Step 6: Get the terms in writing
Before any work starts:
- What's included, and what isn't
- The price and the minimum term
- How either side can end it
- That your ad accounts, analytics and data are in your name
That last one matters most. If the agency owns the accounts, leaving means starting over.
12 questions to ask
About results
- What's a business like mine that you've helped? What were the numbers before and after?
- Tell me about a client it didn't work for. Why not?
- Who can I call?
About the work
- Who will do the work, by name?
- How many other clients do they have?
- What will you need from me each week?
About the plan
- What would you look at before recommending anything?
- What would you tell me to stop doing?
- What would make you say we're not a fit?
About the terms
- What's the minimum commitment, and how do I end it?
- Whose name are the accounts in?
- How will you report, and what's the first number on the page?
Tip: question nine is the best one. A good firm can name who it's wrong for in about ten seconds.
5 red flags
- Guaranteed rankings or results
- A proposal that could've been sent to anyone
- No client you can talk to
- Reports that lead with impressions
- A long contract with no exit
Quick scorecard
Score each agency from 1 to 5 on:
- Understood my problem
- Showed proof with real numbers
- I met the real team
- Clear scope and price
- I own everything
Anything under 20 out of 25, keep looking.
Ask us the same questions
Pattern Growth is a fractional CMO for owner-operated businesses. A senior partner sets the plan and does the work, inside a fixed scope. You own every account and login at the end.
We're happy to answer all 12. Ask for a growth plan, or read how we work.