How to choose a marketing agency: a checklist for small UK businesses
Pick an agency on proof, not promises. Ask for work in your trade, a named person on your account, monthly reports you can read, a clear notice period and fees kept apart from ad spend.
Watch: How Leadistry works
Choosing a marketing agency is mostly about checking proof. A good agency can show you work for businesses like yours, tell you who will do the work, and explain in plain words what you are paying for. This checklist works whether you are in London, Sunderland or anywhere between.
Start with what you want
Write down the one result you want in the next six months before you speak to anyone. More enquiries, more bookings, more online sales or a new website are all fine. An agency that asks about this first is a good sign. One that starts with a package price is not.
Leadistry finds new UK companies in the trades and towns you choose, checks each one's website and email, and writes the first email for you to approve. 25 free leads, no card.
The checklist
- Proof in your trade. Ask for two or three examples of work for businesses like yours, with the result, and ask whether you can speak to one of those clients.
- Who does the work. Ask for the name of the person on your account and how often you will hear from them.
- Reporting you can read. Ask to see a sample monthly report. It should say what was done, what it cost and what happened, in plain words.
- Fees and ad spend kept apart. For paid ads, the agency's fee and the money paid to Google or Meta should be separate lines, and the ad accounts should be in your name.
- Contract terms. Look for a short minimum term, a notice period of about a month, and a clear statement that you own your website, domain, content and accounts.
- Local knowledge where it matters. For local services, an agency that knows your area can help with reviews, maps listings and local pages. For online sales it matters much less.
- Honest answers. Anyone who guarantees a first-page ranking or a set number of leads is guessing.
How agencies charge
Most small-business work is priced one of three ways: a monthly retainer for ongoing work such as SEO or social media, a fixed project fee for a website or brand, or a management fee for running ads on top of the ad spend itself. Prices vary widely with how much work is included, so compare what each quote actually delivers each month, not the headline number. Our guide to what drives the price of marketing goes through it line by line.
Warning signs
- They will not show you results or client names.
- The ad accounts, domain or website would belong to them.
- A long contract with no way out if the work is not done.
- Reports full of impressions and followers but no enquiries or sales.
A note for agencies reading this
If you run an agency, the businesses reading checklists like this are the ones about to hire. New companies are the largest group of them: see how agencies find new clients, and the new companies in each UK city.
Common questions
How do I choose a marketing agency for a small business?
Decide the one result you want first. Then check proof of work in your trade, who will run your account, a sample report, whether fees are separate from ad spend, contract length and notice, and who owns your website and accounts.
Should I choose a local marketing agency?
For local services, local knowledge helps with reviews, maps listings and local search pages. For online sales and national campaigns, results in your trade matter more than location.
What are the warning signs of a bad marketing agency?
Guaranteed rankings or lead numbers, no client examples, ad accounts or your domain in their name, long contracts with no exit, and reports that show reach but no enquiries or sales.