"Performance marketing" appears on almost every agency website now, including ones that mostly post on Instagram. These ten questions will tell you quickly whether an agency is built to bring you leads or just activity.
1. Who will actually run my campaigns?
Ask for the name and experience of the person who will build and optimise your ads. If the answer is vague, your account will likely be handed to whoever is free.
2. How will you track which ad brought which lead?
A serious agency will talk about conversion tracking, pixels, UTM links and matching leads to sales. If tracking isn't mentioned, results will be judged on likes and clicks.
3. What will your monthly report show?
You want spend, number of leads, cost per lead, lead quality and what will change next month. Be cautious if the sample report is mostly reach, impressions and follower growth.
4. How is ad spend handled?
Ad spend should be clearly separate from the management fee, and you should be able to see exactly what was spent on each platform. Hidden markups on media are a red flag.
5. What will you need from us?
Good agencies need your input: product knowledge, sales feedback on lead quality and quick approvals. If they say they need nothing, they plan to run generic campaigns.
6. What happens in the first 90 days?
Look for a clear plan: audit and tracking setup first, launch with several test audiences and creatives, then optimise and scale. See our realistic 90-day timeline.
7. Can you show real numbers from similar clients?
Screenshots from real ad accounts, with client names hidden if needed, are more convincing than logos. Ask what cost per lead they achieved and how.
8. How do you decide between Google, Meta and LinkedIn?
The answer should depend on your buyers, not on what the agency prefers. Our comparison of Meta Ads and Google Ads shows the reasoning to expect.
9. What do you do when a campaign isn't working?
You want a process: check tracking, search terms, audience, creative, landing page and follow-up. Not "let's give it more budget".
10. What is the notice period?
Confident agencies don't need long lock-ins. A reasonable notice period protects both sides without trapping you.
Red flags to walk away from
- Guaranteed numbers of leads or sales before they have seen your account.
- Reports focused on followers, reach and "engagement" for a lead generation goal.
- No questions about your margins, sales process or customer value.
- Pressure to sign long contracts before any audit.
Location matters less than you think
Many companies in the US, UK, Canada and Australia now work with specialist teams in India, and many Indian businesses hire agencies in other cities. What matters is communication rhythm, access to senior people and honest reporting. If you are weighing an offshore team, see our pages for US, UK, Canadian and Australian businesses.