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Picture this: You’re searching for a paid media agency to amplify your brand’s reach, but you’re bombarded with jargon-heavy pitches from all corners. It’s like everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, making it difficult to identify who’s genuinely capable of delivering results and who’s just blowing smoke. Frustrating, isn’t it? The good news is, you’re not alone. Many decision-makers share your dilemma. The better news? This article aims to serve as a roadmap in your quest for the perfect agency.
This article is packed with insights on how to identify a truly great paid media agency amidst the noise, as well as warning signs to look out for if you’re already working with an agency.
The elephant in the room? Yes, we are a paid media agency, but we also coach businesses to generate more traffic, leads and sales. We believe in transparency and trust, so we’re not afraid to show you the ropes. If anything, we’re confident in our expertise and proud to stand alongside the best in the industry.
In this article, you will learn:
7 Things That Make a Paid Media Agency Great
The 7 definitive signs of a great paid media agency include:
- Self-promotion
- Their team has paid media specialists
- Higher prices
- Performance (in terms of revenue growth) and proof
- Up to date practices
- Tracking
- Account management
Let’s delve into each one.
Self-promotion
A key sign of a great paid media agency is that they use the same strategies they’re selling to their clients. If they sell advertising services but aren’t advertising their own brand, then they’re probably not all they are cut out to be.
The best paid media agencies should have confidence in their skills and be their own best client.
Assess their self-promotion by checking their online ads. Are they eye-catching? Relevant? Engaging? If they can make you interested in their service, they could do the same for your potential customers.
Here’s a quick video explanation on how to find an agency’s ads online.
If you want to dig a little deeper into finding an agency’s Google and YouTube ads online, you can check out this video.
Knowing how to find their ads is the first step, but after this you will need to assess their ads. You can assess their ads using a strategic paid media ad audit (specifically for social media ads). You can access this paid ad audit guide here. If you want to learn about this ad audit first before downloading the guide, you can read this article.
This guide will show you what to look out for and how to identify high-performing ads so that you can assess an agency’s ads before you even start working with them.
Their team has paid media specialists
Anyone can present a big and great team on their website. Where you want to go to see their team members is LinkedIn. This will give you clear idea of their team structure, team size, and the experience of their real team members (which you can view by viewing each team member’s LinkedIn profile).
The best paid media agencies will have in-house team members that have specialised experience in paid advertising. What you want to avoid is a one man show, or an agency that doesn’t have any in-house team members specialising in paid ads.
When it comes to their team, you want to also consider the size of their team.
While a larger team might offer a broad range of skills, smaller teams often provide a more personal, focused service.
With a small agency, you’re likely to have direct access to experts, and they can often be more responsive and adaptable to your needs.
In saying that, agencies with bigger teams can also fit the bill when it comes to great paid media agencies. What you really want to focus on is making sure that they have paid media specialists in their team, and verifying this on LinkedIn.
Higher prices
The saying “you get what you pay for” often applies to digital marketing.
If an agency’s fees seem too low, they might not spend much time on your account, or they may lack the experience to command higher fees.
More expensive agencies typically offer a comprehensive service and dedicate more hours to your campaigns, providing you with better value in the long run. You should also keep in mind that if the agency’s ideal client profile is larger corporations that have big budgets, they may charge more because the in-house experience required may be higher.
On top of this, if an agency doesn’t share prices with you from the get-go, then that’s probably a warning sign. After all, if they can’t be transparent before you start working together, then how can you trust them to be transparent when you’re working with them?
That’s why we share our prices on our website and we think every agency worth your time should.
Performance and proof
Evidence of past success is a reliable indicator of a good agency.
They should be able to show you case studies or examples of their work that demonstrate strong return on ad spend (ROAS) and revenue growth for their clients.
Also, ask about the range of budgets they have handled. It’s important to know they can manage the scale of campaigns you need
You should also make sure that the agency has reviews on third party websites like Google Reviews or Trustpilot, for example. If they only have reviews on their website, then this may not be completely trustworthy.
Up-to-date practices
The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving. A great agency stays ahead of the curve and is well-versed in the latest paid media practices.
This could include leveraging new advertising platforms like TikTok or implementing the right tracking techniques.
A good indicator of whether they’re using up to date practices or not is to ask them whether they’ve delved into newer ad platforms like TikTok, or whether they have much experience with newer campaign types like Google Performance Max campaigns.
Tracking
We’ve seen many cases where businesses come to us after working with an agency and their tracking has not been setup correctly.
Tracking is an essential part of success for your campaigns. If tracking isn’t set up properly, it’s going to be more difficult to achieve positive revenue growth with paid advertising.
A good agency will be able to describe their tracking setup process in detail, showing they take a meticulous, data-driven approach to optimising campaigns.
Account Management
A good agency ensures each account manager has a manageable number of clients.
With too many accounts, managers can become stretched thin, leading to mistakes or overlooked opportunities.
Ideally, each manager should handle between 6-8 clients, ensuring each client receives the attention and service they deserve.
When you’re looking to work with an agency, ask them how many clients each account manager handles on average.
Other considerations
You will also want to consider:
- Do they specialise on one platform over another? If the agency specialises on one platform (such as Google Ads for example) you might be missing out on opportunities on other platforms (such as Microsoft). In saying this, if you’re sure you only want to advertise across one platform, it might be beneficial to work with an agency that specialises in one channel.
- Do they do creative assets for you? If you don’t have an in-house team to do creatives for you (images and videos) then you might need support from an agency. You’ll want to find out whether your agency can do creatives for you, or if you’ll need to find another agency for that.
So now you know the 7 signs of a great paid media agency, but what should you specifically avoid?
Avoid These Red Flags in Paid Media Agencies
While identifying the right agency involves looking for positive traits, it’s equally important to steer clear of potential red flags, which include:
- An account manager handling more than 8 clients
- A lack of team information on LinkedIn
- Glowing self-promotion on their website, but lack of third-party reviews from websites like Google Reviews
- No partnerships with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Google
- An excessively large team may be a red flag, depending on how many clients their account managers handle and how big your business is (if you’re a smaller business, you’re better off working with a smaller team who will care more about you)
- Suspiciously low prices
Finding a great paid media agency may initially seem daunting, but with this guide in hand, you’re well-equipped to make an informed decision.
Don’t let the noise cloud your judgement. Look for the signs of greatness, avoid the red flags, and choose a partner that aligns with your unique needs.
So, what’s next?
Navigating the complex world of paid media doesn’t have to be a solitary journey.
We’re here to guide you every step of the way. If you’re ready to take the leap towards finding the perfect paid media agency, or you want to learn more about our own proven services, get in touch with us today.
