Choosing a marketing agency: nine questions

In short: Choosing a marketing agency means asking the uncomfortable questions before you sign, rather than looking for the prettiest portfolio. Who actually works on your project, who owns your data, how is success measured against revenue, and how do you get out again? Maze & Friends from Vienna recommends nine questions as a filter for the initial call.

It is Q4. Your marketing budget for next year is set, or has to be decided in the coming weeks. On your desk are three or four proposals from Viennese agencies. The decks all look good, they all talk about growth, visibility and being “data-driven”, and they would all like your signature by the end of the month.

The problem: a pitch deck tells you almost nothing about what it will be like to work with the agency. Beautiful slides say little about what gets delivered day to day. A wrong choice costs you a whole year on top of the fee, plus the lead your competitors build up in that time.

Nine questions are enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. Ask them in the initial call and watch the reaction more than the answer itself. Strong agencies answer immediately, concretely and without evasion. Weak agencies start to flounder.

What does “choosing a marketing agency” actually mean?

Choosing a marketing agency is not a casting for the best portfolio. It is a test: does this agency fit your business, your stage and your budget, and will it still deliver in the eleventh month what it promises in the pitch?

Two terms you should keep apart from the outset:

• Retainer vs. project: a retainer is a fixed monthly collaboration (for example, ongoing management of ads, SEO or content). A project is one-off and clearly defined (for example, a website relaunch). For ongoing marketing you usually want a retainer, but on fair terms and without a 24-month minimum term.
• Reach vs. revenue: reach, impressions and likes are activity figures. They feel good, but they do not pay any bills. What counts is the chain all the way to revenue: enquiries, qualified leads, closed deals. Remember this distinction, because question 4 depends on it.

With these two things in mind, the following nine questions expose almost any weak agency on their own.

Which 9 questions should you ask a marketing agency?

1. “Show me results from clients of my size, with real figures.”

Every agency likes to show big logos. What is interesting is something else: what has it achieved for a business like yours, of a similar size, with a similar budget and ideally in a similar industry?

A good result is traceable: starting point, time frame, measure, measurable change. “We increased visibility” is not an answer. “From X to Y qualified enquiries per month in nine months, on this budget” is one. Weak agencies dodge to awards and creative prizes. Prizes are won with pretty campaigns, not with results for you.

2. “Who actually works on my account after the kick-off?”

The classic agency trick: the seniors who impress you sit in the pitch. Once the contract starts, juniors or interns you have never met take over. That is not bad in itself, but you need to know who leads your project, how experienced that person is and how much senior time is really in it.

Ask for names and roles. A reputable agency tells you without hesitation. A weak one mumbles something about “a well-practised team” and does not name a single person.

3. “Who owns the accounts, data and logins when we stop working together?”

This is the question that tells you whether an agency is betting on quality or on dependency in the long run. Your ad accounts (Meta, Google), your tracking pixel, your analytics data, the content created for you: all of it belongs to you. Full stop.

At some agencies, ad accounts deliberately end up in the agency’s own Business Manager, so that if you part ways you start from zero and lose your history. Get it in writing that all assets run on your accounts and that you keep full access at all times. Anyone who hesitates here is already planning your dependency.

4. “How does your reporting connect to my revenue?”

This is where performance parts ways with cosmetics. A weak agency sends you a monthly dashboard full of reach and impressions, figures that always point upwards and say nothing about your business. Those are vanity metrics.

A strong agency speaks your language: cost per enquiry, cost per closed deal, return on ad spend, pipeline development. That includes what did not work and what the agency is changing as a result. If an agency only ever reports successes, it is measuring the wrong things. More on this in the metrics that really count.

5. “What exactly does it cost, and what is not included?”

Talking about price is a test of transparency. You want to know: what is the agency’s fee, and what is media budget (the money that goes directly to Meta or Google)? Mixing the two is a warning sign. What is included in the retainer, and what costs extra? Are there set-up fees, tool costs, additional hours?

A reputable agency lays this out openly and also tells you where your money does the most at the start. A weak one names a round sum and leaves the small print in the dark.

6. “What would you advise me against?”

This is perhaps the most important question, and the most uncomfortable one. An agency that says “yes, we can do that” to everything is selling you services, not advice. Ask concretely: what would burn money in my situation? Where am I not ready yet? What should we deliberately leave alone?

At Maze & Friends, the principle is called “Consulting that also delivers”, and advice includes a clear no. From a good agency you will sometimes hear: “Ads won’t do anything for you right now; put the money into your website instead.” If an agency never disagrees with you, it is not thinking along with you.

7. “How often do we report, and who do I talk to?”

Most collaborations fail because of communication, and less often because of strategy. Clarify in advance: how often is there a fixed exchange? Do you get a dedicated contact person or a changing ticket system? How quickly are questions answered?

Weak agencies disappear once the contract has started and only get back in touch when the renewal is due. A strong one has a clear rhythm: regular calls, a reachable contact person, traceable decisions.

8. “What do you need from me to make this work?”

This question turns the tables and exposes bluffers immediately. Marketing does not work as a black box into which you throw money and out of which revenue falls. Good results need your input: knowledge about your customers, access to product and team, approvals, feedback.

A good agency states clearly what it needs from you and how much time that takes. A weak one promises results “with no effort at all on your part” and then delivers generic campaigns, because it never understood your business.

9. “How long does the contract tie me in, and how do I get out?”

Finally, the contract question. Long minimum terms (12, 18, 24 months) are almost always in the agency’s interest. Of course marketing needs time to work. Even so, an agency that believes in its work keeps you with results, not with the contract.

Ask about the minimum term, the notice period and what happens to your data at the end (see question 3). Fair is a manageable initial phase followed by the option to cancel monthly or quarterly.

How do you recognise a strong agency?

The quickest way to tell strong agencies from weak ones is by seven signals in the initial call, in other words by the way an agency reacts to the nine questions. The glossy deck is of little help here. If you are weighing several providers against each other, this sober comparison helps you more than any list of references:

No provider will be perfect in every row. But if an agency keeps landing in the right-hand column, you know enough.

Your checklist for the initial call with an agency

Take this checklist into your next initial call. Put a tick after each point, or a question mark:

• Seen references with real figures from businesses my size
• Know who will work on my account after the kick-off
• In writing: accounts, data and content belong to me
• Reporting is tied to revenue/leads, not reach
• Fee and media budget are separate and transparent
• The agency advised me against at least one thing
• A dedicated contact person and a clear communication rhythm
• Clear about what the agency needs from me
• Contract term and notice are fair and understandable

Rule of thumb: if you can honestly tick six or more, you have a serious candidate. Fewer than that: keep looking.

You can read how we at Maze & Friends answer these nine points directly on our page about our marketing agency in Vienna, including why strategy, content and performance sit under one roof with us.

Bring the nine questions with you

Choosing a marketing agency means testing fit rather than comparing presentations: results from businesses your size, a team with names, data on your accounts, reporting tied to revenue and a fair contract. The nine questions and the checklist make this test comparable in every initial call.

Ask them of Maze & Friends too. We answer them directly, with concrete examples and a clear assessment of whether we are the right fit for you.

If your budget for next year is on the table right now: Book an initial call. You get an open assessment of where you stand, and if we are not the right fit, we will tell you that too.

From the studio: Vienna Region: strategy, SEO content and Meta ads · iSi Group: brand film “iSi World”. More on the service: Performance marketing.

How traditional businesses can reset their positioning and client acquisition is also described in the transformation guides of the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO), to which Manuel Zellnig contributed as a creative expert: Transformation guide for printing businesses and Transformation guide for florists (WKO, Kreativwirtschaft Austria; in German).

Frequently asked questions

What does a marketing agency do?

A marketing agency plans and builds what brings a business new customers and strengthens its brand. That ranges from strategy and content to campaigns and their evaluation. Typical services are positioning, website, content and video production, social media, search engine optimisation, paid ads on Meta or Google and the reporting that goes with them. Some agencies cover everything, others specialise in individual channels. The terms marketing agency and advertising agency are often used interchangeably in everyday speech; what matters is which services an agency actually delivers itself.

What does a marketing agency in Vienna cost?

What a marketing agency in Vienna costs depends mainly on the scope: the number of channels, the production effort, the experience of the team and whether it is ongoing support or a one-off project. It is important to separate the agency fee from the media budget, that is, the money that goes directly to Meta or Google. Also ask about set-up fees, tool costs and additional hours. A reputable agency breaks down its proposal and tells you where your money does the most at the start, instead of naming a round sum. This openness about price is a good test of how open the collaboration will be later.

What is the difference between a retainer and a project with an agency?

A retainer is an ongoing collaboration with a fixed monthly fee; a project is a one-off, clearly defined undertaking such as a website relaunch or a brand film. For ongoing marketing such as ads, SEO or content, a retainer usually makes sense, because campaigns and content need continuous fine-tuning. If a finished result is handed over and your team carries on with it independently, a project fits. With a retainer, look for fair terms: a manageable initial phase instead of a 24-month minimum term.

How do I find the best marketing agency for my business?

There is no best marketing agency, only the best one for your stage, your industry and the size of your budget. Test fit rather than reputation: does the agency understand your business model, does it show results from clients of your size, and does it talk about enquiries, closed deals and revenue rather than reach? Also check who actually works on your project after the kick-off. Glossy presentations reveal little about what the collaboration looks like in the eleventh month; uncomfortable questions in the initial call reveal a lot.

How does the process of choosing a marketing agency work?

Choosing a marketing agency starts with your goal and budget, continues with initial calls built on the same questions and ends with a fair comparison of proposals. First clarify internally what you want to achieve and which channels are in question. Then shortlist three to five agencies, for example through recommendations, case studies or the company directory of the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO). Ask them all the same uncomfortable questions and compare proposals that show fee and media budget separately. Start with a manageable initial phase rather than a long commitment.

What questions should I ask a marketing agency in the initial call?

In the initial call, ask a marketing agency above all about results, team, data ownership, costs and contract. These answers separate real partners from pitch artists. Specifically: what results have you achieved for businesses of my size? Who works on my account after the kick-off? Who owns the accounts and data when we stop? How does your reporting connect to my revenue? What is not included in the price? What would you advise me against? How do I get out of the contract again? Pay less attention to the answer itself than to the reaction to it.

How do I recognise a weak marketing agency?

You can recognise a weak marketing agency by three reflexes: awards instead of figures, a yes to everything and your ad accounts sitting on its own accounts. Further warning signs are a team without names, reporting full of reach and impressions with no link to enquiries or revenue, a round sum in the proposal without a breakdown, and long minimum terms. If such points pile up, you know enough. When in doubt, trust how concretely someone answers uncomfortable questions.

Is the biggest agency automatically the best choice?

No, the biggest agency is not automatically the best choice, because size and ranking positions say little about whether an agency fits your business. Agency rankings are often based on revenue, headcount or creative awards won, not on results for clients of your size. Awards are won with eye-catching campaigns; they do not necessarily bring a mid-sized company more enquiries. Rankings and lists are therefore useful for a shortlist at most. The decision is made in the initial call: on concrete figures, on the question of who looks after your project and on the willingness to advise you against something now and then.

Does a large agency or a small boutique suit an SME better?

For most SMEs, what counts is less the size of an agency than who really works on their project and how experienced that person is. Large agencies have more resources, but often more overhead and changing contacts. Smaller teams with experienced people are usually closer to the work and decide faster, but reach their limits with very large volumes. Ask both for names, roles and the share of senior time in your project. In the end, what counts is that your project carries weight at the agency.

How long should I commit to a marketing agency?

With a marketing agency, a manageable initial phase is fair, followed by monthly or quarterly notice, instead of a minimum term of 12, 18 or 24 months. Marketing needs time to work, but long commitments mainly protect the agency. An agency that believes in its work keeps you with results, not with contract clauses. At Maze & Friends, ongoing support has a minimum term of three months and can then be cancelled monthly; projects are one-off. Also clarify in advance what happens to your data when you stop working together.

Who owns the ad accounts, data and content when I switch agencies?

Ad accounts, tracking, analytics data and the content created for you belong to you and should run on your own accounts from the start. At some agencies, Meta or Google ad accounts deliberately sit in the agency’s own Business Manager. If you part ways, you then lose your history and start from zero. Get written confirmation that all accounts are in your name and that you keep full access at all times, while the agency only receives access rights. Anyone who hesitates at this question is already planning your dependency.

How do I measure whether a marketing agency is doing good work?

You measure whether a marketing agency is doing good work with metrics linked to revenue: cost per enquiry and per closed deal, revenue per advertising euro and pipeline development. Reach, impressions and likes show activity, but they do not pay any bills. Good reporting also names what did not work and what is being changed as a result. If an agency only ever reports successes, it is probably measuring the wrong things. Agree on the target values together before you start, so that success does not become a matter of interpretation.

Do I need an agency, or is a freelancer or an in-house marketing role enough?

Whether an agency, a freelancer or an in-house marketing role fits depends on how many disciplines you need to cover and how much steering you can provide internally. A freelancer is strong in one field, such as copywriting or ads, but needs someone who is responsible for strategy and coordination. An in-house role knows your business best, but can rarely cover strategy, production and performance alone. An agency brings several disciplines together, provided genuinely experienced people work on your project. A combination often makes sense: steer internally, have it implemented externally.

Should I buy strategy and execution from different partners?

Strategy and execution from a single source make more sense for most businesses. Bought separately, the result is often beautiful concepts that nobody implements, or execution without a plan. A single source saves friction: the people who develop the strategy also answer for the results, and nothing gets lost in the handover. If you have a strong in-house team that implements and you only need strategic input now and then, a split can work. Maze & Friends deliberately works by the principle “Consulting that also delivers”, with strategy, content and performance under one roof.

Does an advertising agency in Austria need a special qualification?

No, in Austria running an advertising agency is a so-called free trade (freies Gewerbe), for which no certificate of qualification is required. Anyone who meets the general requirements can register it and practise it from the date of registration. For you as a client, that means the label “agency” says nothing about training or experience. That makes traceable references, the names of the people who actually work on your project and concrete results from businesses your size all the more important. The Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) provides binding information on trade law.