Choosing the right marketing agency is like dating: you want serious chemistry, clear expectations, and zero surprises. Still, many brands sign on the dotted line before asking the real questions, only to end up ghosted when things go wrong.
Here’s your playbook for asking the tough stuff upfront, avoiding common traps, and setting your brand up for a power partnership.
The Importance of Asking Questions When Evaluating Marketing Agency Partnerships
An agency shapes your brand voice. Writes your copy. Controls your ad spend. Designs your customer touchpoints. If their strategy, communication, or execution isn’t solid, you lose time and brand equity.
Research shows that businesses frequently leave agencies due to poor communication, unclear results, or misaligned expectations (not necessarily execution failures alone). According to HubSpot’s 2023 marketing report, alignment and communication top the list of challenges brands face.
Being curious (from day one) means less guesswork later. Think of this as due diligence: get clear on fit, process, and results before your first payment hits.
Key Questions to Ask a Marketing Agency Before You Sign
Whether you're hiring an agency to handle performance marketing, build your next brand campaign, or revamp your social presence, asking the right questions up front is key to avoiding costly misalignment down the road. These aren't just nice-to-knows, they’re need-to-knows.
Here are the essential questions to have in your back pocket (or better yet, in a shared Google Doc) before signing on the dotted line:
1. What’s your experience with brands like mine?
Every agency has its lane; some thrive in beauty and lifestyle, others in B2B SaaS. Ask for examples of work with similar business models, industries, or audiences. You’re not looking for a clone, but you are looking for proven adaptability. Bonus points if they proactively mention challenges they’ve helped similar brands overcome.
2. Who exactly will be working on my account day to day?
The pitch team and the project team aren’t always the same. And that’s not a bad thing! But you deserve to know who your day-to-day team will be. Are you getting a senior strategist or a rotating crew of junior talent?
Ask about team structure, communication styles, and even availability. After all, great creative doesn’t just come from talent, it comes from trust.
3. How do you typically structure your pricing?
Hourly, retainer, project-based, performance-driven, the list goes on. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, transparency is non-negotiable.
Ask them to break down how they estimate costs, handle overages, or bill for additional rounds of revisions. An honest conversation now saves headaches (and budget blowouts) later.
4. How do you approach strategy and execution?
You want a partner who can both dream big and deliver. Ask how they balance big-picture thinking with the nitty-gritty execution and whether strategy is baked into the scope or billed separately. Their answer should give you a glimpse into how they think, how they plan, and how well they understand your goals.
5. How Will You Track and Report Performance?
It’s your job to set the goals, it’s the agency’s job to prove progress. The right partner will connect creative and strategy to measurable outcomes, whether that’s increased conversions, improved CAC or awareness that drives loyalty.
Don’t just ask what they track, dig into how they do it. How often will they report? What tools will they use? How do they translate data into insights and action? Clear reporting builds trust (and helps you spot wins and red flags faster).
6. What’s your process like from kickoff to final delivery?
Agencies are creative, yes. But the good ones have also perfected their workflows. Ask them to walk you through a typical project timeline, how feedback is collected, and how communication is handled along the way.
If they can’t clearly articulate their process, that’s a red flag. The right fit should make your life easier, not more chaotic.
7. How do you handle feedback and revisions?
Spoiler alert: Not every deliverable will be perfect on the first try (and that’s okay!). But how an agency handles feedback says a lot about their partnership style.
Are they collaborative or defensive? Do they include revision rounds in their scope, or charge for every tweak? Look for a team that’s open, receptive, and solution-oriented.
8. Can you share a few client references or case studies?
This isn’t just about name-dropping. You want to understand what it’s really like to work with them. How they communicate, how flexible they are, and how they show up when things get complicated. A strong agency will be proud to connect you with past clients or walk you through work that’s similar to what you’re hiring them to do.
9. What tools, platforms, or technology do you use?
Whether it’s for project management, reporting, design, or automation, the tools they use can tell you a lot about their workflow. Are they agile? Organized? Collaborative?
Make sure their tech stack fits with yours (or that one of you is comfortable adapting).
10. What makes your team different from other agencies?
It may sound like a fluff question, but this is where you get to hear how they view themselves. Is it their team structure? Their creative process? Their responsiveness?
Listen for cues about what matters to them and whether that aligns with what matters to you.
Why These Questions Matter: Trust, Transparency and Traction
Without clear answers to the questions above, you risk inflated forecasts, delayed timelines, misaligned deliverables, or a team that looks great on paper (but under-delivers).
Ensuring alignment at the front end of your relationship avoids frustration later on — if an agency can't confidently answer your questions, they may not be the team you want to partner with.
Ask the Right Questions and Find the Best Agency Partner with Breef
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Our platform connects you to pre-vetted creative and strategy agencies aligned to your goals, budget, and vibe.
With Breef:
- Build your project scope and get matched to agencies within 5 days
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Curious? Connect with us and find your next agency partner without the awkward small talk → Book a demo call. 🚀
Quick Recap : Key Questions to Ask a Marketing Agency
✅ Have You Worked with Brands Like Mine?
Reduces ramp-up time and misunderstanding.
✅ Who’s On the Account?
Avoids pitch-only handoffs.
✅ What’s Your Pricing Model and Contract Flexibility?
Avoids surprises or sudden drop-offs.
✅ How do strategy + execution work?
Get the full picture.
✅ How Do You Measure Success and Report Performance?
Transparency builds trust.
✅ What Does Your Process Look Like?
Know what to expect.
✅ How is feedback handled?
Look for alignment in your collaboration style.
✅ Can You Share Results or Case Studies?
Look for proof, not promises.
✅ What tools and platforms do you use?
Make sure their tech stack fits with yours.
✅ Why Should We Choose You Over Other Agencies?
Differentiation shows thought.
