What to ask before you hire a marketing agency

A good first call with an agency should feel like a diagnosis, not a pitch.

If you leave feeling sold to instead of understood, that tells you something.

Here's what we'd ask, including if you're talking to us.

The questions

• "What do you need to learn about us before you recommend anything?" A good answer sounds like listening. A bad answer sounds like a package.
• "Have you worked with businesses like ours?" Someone who knows your industry already knows your customers and your margins.
• "Who's actually doing the work?" Meet the team, not just the founder.
• "How will we know it's working, and when?" Ask for a 30, 60, 90-day scorecard.
• "What's included, and what costs extra?" Strategy, production, and ad spend should be separate lines.
• "Who owns the accounts, files, and brand assets?" It should be you. Every time.
• "What happens if it's not working?" You want a plan here, not a defense.

Red flags

• Guaranteed results
• A proposal before they've asked you a single real question
• Reports full of numbers that never connect to leads or revenue
• Long contracts with no checkpoints

Green flags

• They tell you what not to do
• They push back on you a little
• They talk about your customers more than their own awards

Partnerships don't end at launch

The best partnerships don't end at launch. David Peters, CEO of Ten Boom Coffee, put it this way:

"Apostle helped me create our brand in the infant stage and elevated everything exactly where we envisioned it... I can truly say our company would not be where it is without the amazing work that Apostle has put in for us!"

Business moves at the speed of relationships. Pick a partner you can be honest with, and who'll be honest with you.

Bring this list to your call with us. We'd rather be asked hard questions.