I’ve Hired Dozens. Here’s What to Ask a Digital Marketing Agency First.

I’ve Hired Dozens. Here’s What to Ask a Digital Marketing Agency First.

Let me tell you how it went down.

I walked into that meeting armed with a venti cold brew and a whole lot of false confidence. The agency’s rep wore a blazer that probably cost more than my entire retargeting budget. His slides looked slick. His pitch sounded perfect. Have you ever heard someone talk for 20 minutes and still say nothing? That was him.

By slide 18, I realized I hadn’t asked a single real question. I was nodding along, hypnotized by motion graphics and buzzwords. Weeks later? I had a $10,000 invoice and zero leads. Nada. Do you ever pay for “strategy sessions” that feel more like watching someone Google your own company back at you? Yeah. That.

So, what should I ask a digital marketing agency before hiring? Real questions. Sharp ones. Questions that don’t live on their website or in their proposal. Questions that get under the hood.

Ready to avoid my expensive mistake?

Let’s get into it. But first, ask yourself: Do they know SEO? Can they write? Who’s running my ads—some intern or a strategist? Are they tracking anything, or are they guessing?

Start With Strategy: Are They Guessing or Measuring?

Do They Offer Real Data Analytics Services for Marketing Agencies?

Before anything else, ask what kind of numbers they watch. If they don’t mention attribution models or cohort tracking, walk.

A 2024 peer-reviewed review by Adeleye et al. in the World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews dug deep into how digital marketing analytics, when powered by Big Data and AI, reshapes the whole game.

Here’s what they found:

  • Companies that analyze customer behavior in real-time win faster — they adjust campaigns as trends shift.
  • AI helps segment customers better and faster, using algorithms that learn and refine as they go.
  • Predictive analytics? Yes, that, too. Brands that use it make better decisions before wasting money on the wrong messages.
  • And guess what? Real-time dashboards matter. They help marketers pivot mid-campaign instead of postmortem.

The researchers combed through dozens of data strategies — from sentiment analysis to machine learning models — and made one thing very clear: Agencies using Big Data and AI get sharper, smarter, and quicker.

So ask the agency: How do they turn numbers into action? Are they building dashboards or winging spreadsheets? Are their insights from last week or last year? If they say, “We’ll figure that out as we go,” run.

Web Vibes Matter: Are They Developers or Drag-and-Droppers?

How Do You Handle Fast Responsive Website Development for Startups?

I once hired a team that didn’t even check how the site loaded on mobile. In 2025, that’s like selling a car without wheels.

A recent study by Majumder (2025) showed that good UX design in mobile apps greatly improves user retention and conversion rates. In plain terms:

  • Intuitive navigation lets users find what they need fast
  • Appealing visuals keep them hooked
  • Performance optimization means no more loading frustration
  • Personalization helps content feel like it is just for them

So ask your agency: How do you build mobile-first? Who tests the experience across screens? Do they use real user data or guesswork?

Do You Provide Web Design and Development Services for E-commerce?

E-commerce isn’t a digital pamphlet. If they can’t explain how they reduce the load time, recover abandoned carts, or use Shopify’s API without Googling it mid-call — skip them.

Watch the Creatives: Are They Real Designers?

What Makes Your Creative Visual Design for Digital Ad Campaigns Work?

Once, I paid $5K for banner ads that looked like expired memes. Don’t be me.

A 2025 peer-reviewed study called MindMem: Multimodal for Predicting Advertisement Memorability Using LLMs and Deep Learning showed that ads designed with clear pacing, emotional resonance, and visual simplicity had up to 74% higher memorability. That’s not a small boost—it’s a full-blown performance upgrade.

Quick takeaways:

  • Ads that build emotional narrative stick 63% better.
  • Those with clean visuals and measured pacing land top-tier memorability.
  • AI-powered A/B testing helped iterate visuals fast—and smart.

So ask your agency:

  • Who’s designing your visuals?
  • How do they test for emotion, pacing, and recall?
  • Do they A/B test across real audiences—or just rely on gut feel?

If their design process doesn’t involve real data or creative rigor, treat it like a meme—fade it out fast.

Do You Create Brand-Aligned Visual Assets for Web and Social?

Do their visuals match tone, colors, and mood? Ask them to show you three (3) campaigns from different clients — and explain the thinking.

Money Talks: Are They Worth the Budget?

How Do You Run Google and Meta Paid Ad Campaigns with Measurable ROI?

If they say, “We handle everything,” but can’t explain bid strategy or CAC, they’re burning your budget.

A 2025 study by Gangopadhyay et al. tackled a big question: how do you spend ad money smarter? The researchers built a simulation based on real multichannel ad data and tested how budget allocation works in messy, ever-changing markets.

Here’s what they found:

  • Their adaptive budget algorithm (yes, that’s a mouthful) beat standard static campaigns with higher conversion efficiency.
  • It adjusted in real-time using change-point detection — that’s nerd-speak for “know when your ads are flopping and fix them fast.”
  • Compared to traditional bid strategies, their approach saw up to 52% higher campaign returns and less wasted spending.

Bottom line? Daily optimization isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the whole ballgame. If your agency runs the same bid strategy for weeks, they’re spending your money like it’s Monopoly cash.

Ask: Do they use ROAS models? Do they test creatives weekly? Can you access the ad accounts?

What’s Your Process for LinkedIn Outreach Automation to Book B2B Meetings?

Not all outreach tools are created equal. Ask how they segment, personalize, and follow up. Ask how they avoid spam triggers.

Talk Content: Are They Writers or Buzzword Machines?

Do You Have a Content Strategy and Blogs That Drive Organic Traffic?

Anyone can write words. Few write words people want to read. Fewer write words that Google ranks.

Gartner forecasts that AI-powered SEO content paired with strategic blogging could result in a 50% increase in organic traffic by 2028.

That matters today, especially for content-focused sites:

  • Consistency beats sporadic posting.
  • Quality tops quantity—but both together win.
  • Strategic SEO brings steady traffic, not spikes.

So ask your agency:

  • How often do they blog, and why?
  • Who picks the topics—AI suggestions or human insight?
  • Do they track traffic performance and tweak posts accordingly?

If their content plan is “we’ll wing it,” definitely reconsider.

Do You Write SEO Optimized Landing Page Content Services?

Landing pages are money pages. If they don’t test headlines or use heatmaps, they’re winging it.

Marketing, Not Spamming

How Do You Build Email and SMS Direct Marketing Campaigns That Convert?

I hired an agency once that thought “Buy now!!!” was a subject line. It’s not. It’s a spam trigger.

According to Drew Wilkinson’s 2025 SMS marketing report, most businesses see 21–35% click-through rates and 11–30% conversion rates. And it gets better:

  • 84% of consumers opt into brand messages.
  • 82% say SMS marketing drives revenue.
  • 66% of businesses use SMS tools, and 67% plan to spend more.

Here’s the lesson: SMS works — fast, personal, and profitable.

So ask your agency:

  • How do they personalize texts?
  • Do they trigger messages by behavior (like cart abandonment) or blanket blasts?
  • Do they A/B test timing, length, and call-to-action?

If their SMS strategy is “send often,” dump them before your unsubscribe rate spikes.

What’s Your Approach to Remarketing Campaign Services to Increase Customer Retention?

Ask about frequency caps. Ask how they avoid ad fatigue. Ask how they re-engage cold leads.

Social Game: Strategy or Chaos?

What’s Your Approach to Social Media Management Services for B2B Brands?

Not all B2B live on LinkedIn. Some live on Reddit. Or Slack groups. Or niche newsletters.

Ask: Where do you post and why? Who creates the content? What metrics do they care about?

Do You Offer Platform Specific Content Creation for Instagram and LinkedIn?

Cross-posting is lazy. Ask what’s different between your IG and LinkedIn posts. Ask what works best on each.

Bonus Round: Trust, Visibility, and AI

Do You Provide PR and Media Placement Services for Tech Companies?

The real press doesn’t start with a press release. Ask who they pitch. Ask to see coverage. Ask if they ghostwrite for execs.

How Do You Handle Reputation Management for Online Brand Protection?

If you don’t own page one, someone else will. Ask how they monitor reviews. Ask how they suppress bad results.

Do You Offer AI Search Optimization for ChatGPT and Perplexity?

Ask how they get you cited in AI summaries. Ask how they optimize for AI-first platforms.

FAQs

What is the best agency for SEO strategies to improve Google rankings in 2025?

Look for one with real case studies, not theories. They should discuss keyword intent, backlinks, and structured data.

What should I ask a digital marketing agency before hiring?

Ask about data, strategy, writers, designers, and who works on your account. Ask how they measure results.

What are the best data analytics services for marketing agencies?

Top agencies build custom dashboards, track multi-touch attribution, and review metrics weekly. Don’t settle for vanity stats.

What makes a fast, responsive website development for startups successful?

Speed, mobile-first design, clean code, and ongoing optimization. If they skip any of those, say no.

How do I pick web design and development services for e-commerce?

Pick teams that know UX for shoppers, loading speeds, mobile UX, and how to minimize cart abandonment.

Don’t Hire an Agency Until You Ask These Awkward Questions

So, what should you ask a digital marketing agency before signing the dotted line? Everything. Ask questions that make them pause. Ask who really does the work. Ask what happens if the funnel flops, if leads dry up, or if ad dollars vanish with zero ROI.

Because let’s be honest: a pretty pitch deck won’t fix a busted strategy. A slick logo won’t drive traffic. You don’t need sparkle—you need substance.

Tower 25 doesn’t just talk about a good game. We bring strategy, content, creative, and analytics under one (highly caffeinated) roof.

Want answers that aren’t rehearsed? Reach out to Tower 25. Ask us the stuff that makes others squirm. We’re here for it.