15 Steps to Pick The Best Marketing Agency đ„
The best marketing agency will accelerate your brandâs momentum, the wrong one will just drain your resources with little to show in return.
I’ve got a unique perspective on marketing agencies as I have hired many agencies for various organizations over the last 13 years and I’ve even worked at a few myself.
Below is your 15-step roadmap to identify and partner with an agency that will elevate your brand and deliver quantifiable ROI.
1. Prioritize KPIs Over Vanity Metrics đ
A results-focused agency zeroes in on the metrics that genuinely drive profit, not just surface-level engagement.
In direct response terms, âlikesâ and âsharesâ donât pay the bills – conversion rates, CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), and CLTV (Customer Lifetime Value) do. Of course, if your goal is brand awareness, and your product is not digital, this picture looks quite different.
A good branding agency will still have tangible KPIs, they’re just different things like awareness, purchase intent and often measured in terms of exposure and no-exposure groups to measure the lift in sentiment over time from campaigns using brand trackers.
2. Get Evidence of Similar Success đ
Proven experience with you target audience is non-negotiable.
If youâre in the fitness industry and launching a premium gym like “Pulse Fitness,” the agency should have robust case studies of similar campaigns – complete with the strategies used, channels leveraged, and the KPIs they improved.
That’s not to say that a quality agency can’t learn your industry, but they might be cutting their teeth on you as a client.
Sometimes this is okay, for instance, if you’re hiring them for a more specialized service, it might be uncommon for a marketing agency to have both the criteria at the intersection of a very specific specialty AND your target audience. Just be aware of it.
Past performance in analogous scenarios is the best gauge for their potential success with your brand.
3. Assess Partnership Mentality đ
You need a strategic ally, not just a vendor.
That’s done at the contract-level and the human-level.
For instance, an agency running ads for 20k monthly regardless of ad spend or performance will lose interest unless you’re planning to quit on them. That means stagnant results for you. You want an agency that co-create ideas and pivot strategies for mutual growth.
So, it’s best to tie to performance, so you win together and lose together. Ideally, you really want to align pricing and incentives with growth goals. That way, if you’re holding up your end, they will see the value in continuing to invest effort into you as their client, and not just become another drop in the bucket.
The only risk here is if your product is no good, in which case, you’ve got bigger problems anyway!
4. Validate Their Depth of Market Research Expertise đŹ
Well BEFORE any campaign is thought up, or any pen is put to paper (or finger is put to keyword, I suppose), your agency should be doing their research. Itâs not just about gathering data willy nilly.
It means tangible research objectives, credible research sources, quality research design, good research processes, robust data analysis and so on.
Imagine a company, “TrendSpot Solutions,” attempting to gather consumer insights for a new product launch. In their research, they read some relevant competitor websites, and then deploy a 5-question survey with no clear objective beyond “understanding consumer preferences.” If you were to ask them about anything regarding market research principles from this university, they’d have no reply.
They use a convenience sample of just 100 respondents sourced from social media ads with no screening criteria, resulting in a mix of irrelevant participants (e.g., teenagers answering a survey about retirement planning).
They fail to implement quotas, leading to overrepresentation of certain demographics (e.g., 75% female respondents when their target audience is evenly split by gender).
The survey questions are poorly worded, with leading questions like, âDonât you love eco-friendly packaging?â and double-barreled questions such as, âHow satisfied are you with the price and durability?â
Worse yet, they donât validate any participant behaviorsârespondents claim to buy organic food weekly, but thereâs no effort to verify this behavior through screening or follow-up questions.
That is literally 7 wrong things stacked on top of each other. This like trying to extract quality data from a waffle. Doesn’t work. Yet, some of the “best marketing agencies” do this!
Contrast this with high-quality survey research conducted by a more sophisticated marketing agency on behalf of another company, let’s call them “InsightEdge.” They begin with a clear research objective: to determine key purchase drivers for their eco-friendly product among sustainability-focused millennials.
They target a robust sample size of 1,500 respondents, ensuring statistical significance and the ability to segment results. They implement nested quotas in sub-buckets, ensuring proportional representation across gender, age groups, income levels, and geographic regions.
Respondents are carefully screened using validated behaviors (as shown below in the Pollfish platform), such as having purchased an eco-friendly product in the past three months.
The survey will also be meticulously designed, avoiding leading or ambiguous questions, with a mix of closed-ended questions (e.g., âOn a scale of 1 to 5, how important is biodegradable packaging to you?â) and open-ended ones to allow nuanced responses.
Skip logic ensures that irrelevant questions are avoided based on earlier responses, improving the user experience. The result is a dataset rich in actionable insights, enabling InsightEdge to tailor marketing strategies, pricing, and product features to real consumer behaviors and preferences, giving them a competitive advantage in the market.
Now your marketing agency has a legitimate foundation for your campaigns.
5. Look for Strong Data-Driven Campaigns đ
Let’s look at an imaginary brand âTimeLuxâ luxury watches: A good agency will not spam Facebook with ads, but use advanced retargeting strategies may target high-income professionals who browsed competitor websites but did not convert.
The creative can highlight superior craftsmanship or an exclusive brand heritage that resonates with their aspirations. Thatâs how you turn clicks into conversions.
Just look at Nikeâs approach to personalized ads using data from its NikePlus membership platform. They retarget users with relevant offers (like exclusive releases or early access to limited-edition merchandise), using analytics to drive urgency and emotional resonance.
Top agencies will create campaigns seamlessly blend compelling creative hooks with rigorous data analytics. In practical terms, this means your agency should be fluent in A/B testing, audience segmentation, and dynamic creative optimization (DCO).
They will use platforms like Google Analytics 4, Mixpanel, or PowerBI to not only track clicks but also measure funnel drop-off rates, lifetime value (LTV), and customer acquisition costs (CAC). The ability to pivot swiftly based on these insights is critical for high-ROI campaigns.
6. Gauge Their Channel ExpertiseâIncluding Niche Platforms đ
A true marketing partner will master both mainstream platforms (Facebook, Google, Instagram) and specialized, sometimes smaller, but highly potent channels. This can involve industry-specific forums, niche social networks, or platforms where your target audience heavily congregates.
Let’s do another hypothetical example, âPageTurner Pressâ a publishing company.
The agency might propose:
- Amazon Author Central optimization
- Targeted campaigns on Goodreads
- Influencer promotions on TikTok (especially BookTok communities)
- Local book tour in the authorâs hometown.
Each channel addresses a different facet of the readership journey.
Sephoraâs success with beauty micro-influencers on YouTube and Instagram has been well-documented. They also run specialized campaigns on platforms like Pinterest, focusing on shoppable pins and user-generated content.
Evaluate whether the agency leverages advanced targeting or brand partnership tools. For instance, using TikTokâs âCreator Marketplaceâ can help you quickly spot relevant influencers for a niche. Agencies that excel here can dramatically set you apart from competitors who stick solely to mass-market channels.
7. Evaluate Their Copywriting Prowess đ
Iâve literally read 25+ books on copywriting, 3,967 tips online, so this is a fun one for me. Powerful copy lights a fire in your audienceâs mind. It can transform lukewarm curiosity into genuine beliefâand eventually, a sale.
Here are my original copywriting tips:
To put it more simply, assess their ability to grab attention, leave a mark, and spark immediate action.
8. Assess Their Design Capabilities đš
Stunning visuals can be the difference between a fleeting glance and a lasting impression.
A capable agency weaves design seamlessly into your entire marketing funnelâfrom ad creatives that halt the scroll to landing pages that guide the userâs eye.
They should be crafting amazing creatives, one’s that highlight the pain points and value in an amazing light, and look nothing like the generic image in the header of this post that I used because our designer Andrea is working on more important product-related items right now.
Look at their work – maybe they helped refresh an old, janky user interface or created consistent brand visuals for a top-tier apparel line, or designed something that is way cooler than anything they had before.
Cohesive design not only elevates brand perception but can also boost click-through and conversion rates. A design-savvy partner is worth its weight in gold.
9. Check Their Technical Integration Expertise đ€
A top agency needs more than just creative flair; they should also excel at implementing and integrating the various platforms that power modern marketing.
This includes syncing data from CRMs like Salesforce, marketing automation systems like Marketo, or e-commerce platforms like Shopify. Letâs say youâre âUrbanLeather Co.â selling custom wallets and bags: your agency should seamlessly connect your email automation, retargeting pixels, and inventory management so your marketing flows like a well-oiled machine like so:

10. Investigate Their Quality Control Processes đȘ
Typos in an ad or broken links in a sales funnel can devastate your credibility. Before signing on, poke around their QA systems. Do they have a multi-step review process? How often do they audit ads, landing pages, and email flows? For example, if youâre rolling out a new âbuy one, get oneâ offer for âFreshThreads Apparel,â they should verify promotional codes, test checkout flows, and ensure that every email or ad references the correct details. Quality assurance is about protecting both your brand and your bottom line.
11. Demand Robust Attribution Models đ
Attribution is more than just a buzzwordâitâs your key to understanding exactly which channels or touchpoints drive revenue. Comprehensive models (e.g., multi-touch or data-driven) help you decide whether your influencer campaign on Instagram or your remarketing ads on LinkedIn are delivering the best bang for your buck. If youâre launching a premium tech product like âQuantumWork Laptops,â you need to track each buyerâs journeyâoften involving multiple site visits, video demos, email nurture sequences, and possibly even offline store visits. The right attribution model shows you precisely where to double down.
12. Ensure Their Reporting is Transparent and Actionable đ
Dashboards and reports should empower you to make data-backed decisions, not drown you in complexity. Ask how often youâll receive performance updates and what KPIs they plan to highlight. If youâre âSolarVista Energy,â for instance, do they break down cost per acquisition by zip code? Can they show you lead quality over time? Transparency is non-negotiable. The best agencies will proactively share insights, recommend tweaks, and offer immediate rationale when performance dips or spikes.
13. Evaluate Their Commitment to Self-Improvement đ
The digital landscape evolves at breakneck speed, and complacent agencies get left behind. Gauge whether their team actively pursues certifications (like Google Ads, Meta Blueprint), attends industry conferences (e.g., SXSW, AdWeek), or contributes thought leadership pieces to major publications. If youâre working with a brand thatâs pushing the envelopeâsay, an AI-driven fashion platform called âAutoStyle AIââyou want an agency thatâs just as enthusiastic about innovation. Their hunger for knowledge and adaptation is your secret weapon in a crowded market.
14. Confirm 24/7 Support and Problem Management Skills đ
In the era of social media, brand crises can erupt at lightning speedâa misinterpreted tweet, a product recall, or an influencer scandal. Ensure your agency has a well-documented crisis plan and a genuine ability to offer round-the-clock support. Picture yourself as âAquaPure Beverages,â discovering a contamination scare late on a Friday night. Your agency should be equipped to jump in with immediate updates across channels, coordinate with PR teams, and keep customers in the loop until the issue is resolved. Thatâs real crisis management.
15. Align Pricing and Incentives With Growth Goals đł
The best partnerships thrive when incentives match. It might mean a performance-based structure, a hybrid retainer, or revenue sharing once you hit certain KPIs. For âNovaTrack Running Shoes,â if sales skyrocket after a successful digital push, the agency should share in the windfallâand, conversely, be motivated to troubleshoot quickly when conversions lag. Negotiating a pricing model that reflects genuine collaboration can forge a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship.
Bottom Line
A great agency is more than a vendorâitâs a strategic extension of your own team, driven by data, committed to continuous innovation, and poised to deliver results under any circumstance. By vetting every aspectâfrom technical integration prowess to crisis management protocolsâyouâll partner with an agency ready to help your brand flourish in a fast-evolving marketing world.
Platforms like Pollfish can enhance you or your agencyâs consumer insights, fueling the data they need to craft effective, conversion-oriented campaigns. With the right agency and insights on your side, youâre positioned to outsmart and outmarket the competition.
Now, go confidently and secure that agency partnership designed to catapult your brand to the next level.
Written by Troy Harrington
Troy serves as the product evangelist for Pollfish. Leveraging 13 years of marketing leadership experience, he drives awareness of Pollfish's valuable insights capabilities, enabling brands to make better decisions.

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