If you’re here to find the love of your life, sorry – I may have misled you a bit with the title of this blog. But if you’re here because you’re thinking of hiring a digital marketing agency and want to know how to find “the one”, you’re in the right place. Keep reading, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know…
TL;DR
Choosing the right digital marketing agency isn’t simply about finding the company with the longest service list or the slickest sales pitch. You’re looking for a team you can trust, work well with and rely on to deliver work that supports your actual business goals.
Before choosing an agency, ask:
- Can you trust them? Look for honest communication, realistic promises and a clear approach to keeping you informed.
- Do you work well together? A good agency should listen, collaborate and feel like an extension of your team rather than a supplier operating at arm’s length.
- Can they actually do what you need? Review relevant work, case studies and examples rather than relying purely on what they say they can deliver.
- Can they prove their results? Testimonials, reviews and case studies can help show whether previous clients have had a positive experience and achieved meaningful outcomes.
- Do they prioritise quality over quantity? More activity isn’t automatically better marketing. Look for an agency that understands why the work is being created and how it supports the wider strategy.
- Does the relationship feel right? Credentials matter, but so does communication, chemistry and whether you feel confident working with the people involved.
The best digital marketing agency isn’t necessarily the biggest, cheapest or most decorated. It’s the one that understands what you’re trying to achieve, has the right expertise to help you get there and gives you confidence that they’ll deliver what they promise.
What to look for in a digital marketing agency
OK, so it sounds like a bit of a reach but, honestly, finding the right agency will make you feel on cloud nine, once you see the incredible results they can get you. You’ll be wishing you’d met them years ago. Whether you need help with website design, content marketing, SEO, ABM, lead generation, or more, here are the questions we suggest keeping in mind when looking out for the ultimate digital marketing agency.
Can you trust them?
Trust is a BIG one when it comes to any kind of relationship – whether that’s in love or work. And it’s absolutely crucial when it comes to working with a digital marketing agency. You see, you’re putting your faith into an external team, asking them to help you get great results. So, you need to know they’ll deliver on their promises and that they won’t ghost you (by the way, no relationship should ever end this way, by either party). They should also be honest, open and clear about any projects they’re working on for you, giving frequent updates so you’re always in the loop.
Do you fit together well?
Another point to consider is how well you can work together with a digital marketing agency. Can you collaborate effectively? Do they listen to your ideas? Do you mesh? Fit is an important factor, and you should feel comfortable and confident working with the agency you eventually choose.
Do you get good feels?
Sometimes, when you know, you just know. As with many things in life, when it comes to picking a digital marketing agency, one of the best things you can do is trust your instincts. But combining that with the other tips here will really help you determine whether they’re the right fit for you. Toxic relationships are never healthy, so the minute you start to feel like it’s heading that way, or you get a negative inkling, talk it out, then get out of there.
Are they your “type”?
It’s all well and good looking at a digital agency’s credentials on paper, but does their style meet yours? In essence, are you attracted to what they do? Are they capable of producing the type of work you want? Any great digital marketing agency will show you past examples of their work, talk you through ideas, and tell you how they’re going to achieve these ideas. If you like what you see or hear, this could be the start of a very promising relationship.
Are they who they say they are?
You know at the beginning of a relationship, where the person you’re dating seems just too good to be true? They tell you everything you want to hear, only for none of that to actually be true? Yup, the same can be true with digital marketing agencies. They promise you the earth, even though, in reality, none of what they’re promising will ever come to anything – either because they’re offering too much, just to get you to sign with them, or because they just don’t have the skills or expertise to pull off what they’re offering.
So, how do you make sure this doesn’t happen? Checking out reviews and case studies is really the best thing to do here. What are other businesses saying about them? Are they easy to work with? Will they achieve what they say they’re going to? Will they get work done on time? What results have they got for others? Understanding how they’ve helped those businesses will give you a good indication of how they can help you achieve success, too.
For instance, this is what Jason Yazici, owner of JY Candles, had to say about our very own digital marketing agency…
“I’ve been with KAYBE for years now, and I would never be with anyone else”.
Now, if that isn’t true love, I don’t know what is.
Are you asking too much?
More, more, more might seem like the best approach when you’re working with a digital marketing agency. You’re paying for their services, so you want to squeeze out as much as possible, right? But that’s not always the best approach. Especially if you want to get good results that really make an impact.
The idea of sending out tonnes of projects at the speed of light may sound appealing, but it’s important to know that the digital marketing agency you choose is able to deliver quality content. Churning out tonnes of poorly written articles, sloppy web design, or social media posts that get no engagement simply won’t get you the results that a well-researched, high-quality piece of work would.
Will they keep you smiling?
Remember, finding the right digital marketing agency should feel great. Only time will tell, but if you can check off all the questions above and feel confident in your choice, you’ll likely be beaming from ear to ear. Especially once you start seeing the results for yourself.
Choosing a digital marketing agency FAQs
What should I look for when choosing a digital marketing agency?
Start with whether the agency has the expertise you actually need, but don’t stop there.
Look at how clearly they communicate, whether they take the time to understand your business, how they approach strategy and what evidence they can provide from previous work. Case studies, reviews and examples can help you understand both the quality of their work and the results they’ve achieved.
You should also consider what the working relationship is likely to feel like. The right agency should be able to challenge your thinking when necessary while still listening to your ideas and working collaboratively with your team.
What questions should I ask a digital marketing agency before hiring them?
Ask questions that help you understand both what they’ll do and how they’ll work with you.
For example:
- How would you approach our objectives?
- Who would actually work on our account?
- How will you measure success?
- How often will we communicate?
- How do you report on performance?
- What happens if a campaign isn’t performing as expected?
- Can you show us relevant examples or case studies?
- What do you need from our internal team to make the relationship work?
A good agency should be comfortable answering those questions clearly rather than hiding behind jargon or vague promises.
How can I tell whether a marketing agency is trustworthy?
Look for evidence and transparency.
A trustworthy agency should be realistic about what it can achieve, explain its recommendations clearly and be open about how your budget and resources will be used. Reviews, testimonials and case studies can provide useful evidence, but your conversations with the agency matter too.
Be cautious if you’re being promised guaranteed results that sound too good to be true, if you’re struggling to get clear answers or if the agency can’t explain how its proposed activity connects to your objectives.
Should I choose a specialist or full-service digital marketing agency?
It depends on what you need.
If you have one clearly defined requirement, such as technical SEO or paid media, a specialist agency may make sense. If your challenge involves several connected areas — perhaps strategy, content, SEO, web, creative and lead generation — a broader agency may be better placed to see how those pieces work together.
The important thing isn’t how many services appear on the agency’s website. It’s whether the expertise available matches the problem you’re actually trying to solve.
How important are digital marketing agency case studies?
Case studies can be extremely useful because they give you something more concrete than a list of services or promises.
Look beyond impressive headline numbers and consider the situation behind the result. What problem was the client trying to solve? What did the agency actually do? Was the challenge similar to yours? What changed as a result?
The strongest case studies help you understand how an agency thinks and works, not simply show you a percentage increase without any context.
What are the warning signs of a bad digital marketing agency?
Warning signs can include poor communication, unrealistic promises, unclear pricing, a lack of relevant evidence and an unwillingness to explain why particular activity is being recommended.
You should also be wary of an agency that seems more interested in selling you as many services as possible than understanding what your business actually needs.
Good marketing should have a reason behind it. If the agency can’t clearly connect its recommendations to your audience, objectives and wider strategy, ask more questions.
How do I know whether a digital marketing agency is the right fit for my business?
There isn’t one test that will give you the answer.
Look at the agency’s expertise, previous work, approach to communication and understanding of your goals, but also consider how comfortable you feel working with the people involved.
A strong agency relationship should give you confidence that you can communicate openly, challenge one another when necessary and work towards the same objectives.
If the expertise looks right on paper but the working relationship feels difficult before you’ve even started, that’s worth paying attention to.
Is hiring a digital marketing agency right for every business?
Not necessarily.
Some businesses have the expertise, capacity and resources to manage their marketing entirely in-house. Others need specialist support, additional capacity or access to a broader mix of marketing skills.
If you’re still deciding whether outsourcing makes sense for you, read our guide to five reasons to hire a digital marketing agency.
What does the right agency relationship look like?
Choosing a digital marketing agency isn’t just about comparing service lists. You’re choosing people you’ll need to trust with your business, communicate with openly and rely on to deliver work that genuinely moves things forward.
That’s something JY Candles founder Jason Yazici knows first-hand. After feeling like just another number with previous providers, he chose KAYBE because the relationship felt more personal from the start. Years later, KAYBE continues to support his business, and Jason says he wouldn’t work with anyone else.
Read the JY Candles case study to find out why Jason chose KAYBE, what the experience of working together has been like and the difference that relationship has made to his business.
