How to pick a marketing agency that actually scales your business

Sound Familiar?

Another online meeting with a prospective marketing agency. You’re watching a slide deck you already saw at a competitor’s pitch last week. Around the seven-minute mark, the question comes: “What’s your marketing budget?”

It’s a classic of the genre—and it’s exactly why the majority of companies switch agencies within their first year of partnership. After six months of collaboration, you’ll have an inbox full of PDF reports you have no intention of reading, and you’ll eventually ask the golden question: “Where are the sales?”

The problem isn't a lack of good agencies. The problem is that no one teaches you how to choose one.

The issue isn't your choice—it’s your criteria.

Over the past seven years of consistent growth, we’ve secured a portfolio of over 120 retained clients—ranging from startups to industry leaders. We’ve seen companies blow their budgets on the wrong agencies. But we’ve also seen how the right partner can help a business grow 3x in a single year.

The difference? Seven questions you must ask before signing any contract.

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1. Our budget is £3,000/month. How much goes to ads, and how much goes to you?

Why it matters: Some agencies charge a 50% management fee. Your actual ad spend is then only £1,500.

‍What you want to hear: A transparent model. Recommended: 70–80% for ad spend, 20–30% for management.

‍Red flag: The agency can’t specify the investment because “it depends on...” (insert any vague buzzword here).

‍Pro-tip: Ask about the minimum budget required to see results, not the minimum budget required to sign a contract.

2. Specifically, who will be working on our project? I’d like to meet them.

Why it matters: The “Senior Strategist” in the pitch is rarely the person pulling the levers on your account.

‍What you want to hear: Names, roles, and experience. How many clients are they currently managing? How many years have they worked specifically with your type of business? How often will the project manager communicate with you?

‍Red flag: “We can’t reveal the team until the contract is signed,” or “An intern will handle it under a lead’s supervision.”

‍The Reality: Many agencies hand your project to an intern or junior specialist the moment the ink is dry. Ask to meet the actual project lead before you sign.

3. Imagine this: three months in, the results are poor. What do you do?

Why it matters: 90 days is a realistic timeframe to see if a strategy is working.

‍What you want to hear: A concrete action plan. A "pivot" strategy. Real examples of how they’ve solved similar problems before.

‍Red flag: “We just need more time,” or “We guarantee things won't go wrong.”

‍Market Standard: In performance marketing, you should see trends within 30–45 days. If not, the strategy is flawed.

4. Tell me about the worst campaign you’ve run in the last six months.

Why it matters: Anyone can boast about success. True professionals know how to analyse failure.

‍What you want to hear: A specific example with data. What failed? Why? What was learned? How did it change their internal processes?

‍Red flag: “All our campaigns are successful,” or “That’s confidential information.”

5. We have a problem: our Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is £127, but our LTV is £89. How will you solve this?

Why it matters: A real agency understands business metrics, not just Meta "Likes" or impressions.

‍What you want to hear: Questions about your business. Product margins? Repeat purchase rates? Average Order Value (AOV)? The conversion funnel? Unit economics?

‍Red flag: “Our job is to drive traffic; profitability is your problem.”

‍The Test: If an agency doesn’t understand whether the sales they generate are actually profitable for you—run.

6. Who will own the ad accounts? What happens to them if we part ways?

Why it matters: Ad accounts are as valuable as the budget itself. The data they hold (audiences, conversion history, algorithmic learning) is your property. Without control, you start from zero if you leave.

‍What you want to hear: You own the accounts. The agency is added as a partner, not an owner. If you stop working together, all history and data remain yours.

‍Red flag: The agency runs ads from their own account, or “The account is yours, but we delete the campaigns because they are our ‘know-how’.”

‍Must-have: You must own the accounts; the agency should only have partner access.

7. Show me three clients who left you in the last 12 months. Why did they go?

Why it matters: Churn rate says more than any award ever could.

‍What you want to hear: “Production issues,” “They couldn’t handle the growth,” “Competitors offered a lower price,” or even “We didn’t hit the targets.”

‍Red flag: “All our clients are happy,” or an inability to answer.Stats: A good agency has a client retention rate of 80–90% per year. If it’s lower, ask why.

Bonus: Two questions to instantly spot amateurs

• “Can I speak to two of your current clients?” Real agencies have happy clients who are happy to vouch for them. Check if those clients are a similar size to you.
• “What happens to our data if we terminate the contract?” Professionals have a handover process. Amateurs improvise.

Reality Check

A good marketing agency in this region costs between £1,000 – £5,000/month (plus ad spend). If they offer a "full package" (Google Ads, Meta, SEO, TikTok, and 100 stories) for £500—you’ll get £500 worth of results.

It is normal to pay an initial setup fee (£1,000 – £3,000), provided it’s clear what that covers. However, a mandatory 24-month contract feels more like a prison sentence than a partnership. If they demand 24 months, ask why they can’t prove their value in 6 to 12.

How would BRN Agency answer these?

We’ll be honest—we aren’t the right fit for everyone.

• We manage 120 clients simultaneously.
• Our client retention rate was 81% in 2025.
• Team size: 25 in-house staff (not 40 faceless freelancers).
• Specialisation: Performance marketing (we don’t try to do everything).
• Minimum budget for success: £1,500/month (£1,000 spend, £500 management).
• Ownership: Ad accounts belong to the client; ad spend is paid directly from the client’s card.
• Commitment: We sign 6-month initial contracts with the option to renew.
• Transparency: You are welcome to talk to our clients. You can also check our genuine reviews on Trustpilot.
• No fluff: We don’t send 50-slide decks. Instead, we propose a meeting to dive into your business specifics and provide a tailored solution with individual pricing.

The Next Step

If you’ve read this far, you have two options:

1. Use these questions when interviewing any agency you're considering.
2. Ask us—we’ll answer every single one without the jargon.

Let’s talk. Drop us an email at hello@brnagency.co.uk with the subject “I read the article,” or fill out the enquiry form below.

P.S. If an agency guarantees a “10x ROAS in 30 days”—run. If we could guarantee that, we’d be playing with our own money, not yours.

This article was written by the BRN Agency team, currently managing over £2M in annual ad spend for 120 companies. We aren’t the biggest, but our clients sleep soundly.

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