Hiring a Marketing Agency? How to Get it Right First Time

For many B2B businesses, marketing agencies are essential partners. They provide specialist expertise, extra hands on deck, and fresh ideas. But if you’ve ever worked with an agency and felt disappointed with the results, you’re not alone.

The truth is, most failed agency relationships don’t fall apart because of poor talent. They fail because of misaligned expectations, weak briefing, and lack of oversight.

Here’s how to avoid the common traps.

The Hidden Cost of Getting It Wrong

Hiring the wrong agency isn’t just wasted fees. It means:

• Three months lost explaining what success should look like.

• Campaigns that don’t move the needle.

• Frustrated teams and leadership.

• Opportunity cost - the growth you could have achieved elsewhere.

Great agencies don’t want this any more than you do. But they can only perform if you set them up to succeed.

Why Briefing an Agency is Harder Than It Looks

A strong brief is the foundation of every good agency relationship. Yet most briefs are… weak.

Too often, they’re a wish list (“we need more leads”) or a vague description of outputs (“we want a new website”).

What’s often missing is the why: What are your business objectives? How will success be measured? Who are you trying to reach, and why should they care?

A great brief translates strategy into actionable direction. It gives agencies clarity and context so they can bring their best work. Writing one takes experience, not just a template.

Running a Fair and Effective Pitch Process

The pitch process is where many businesses stumble. Either they invite too many agencies (wasting time), or they pick the loudest and cheapest.

A better process looks like this:

1. Shortlist strategically. Based on expertise, track record, and cultural fit.

2. Set clear evaluation criteria. Cost, creativity, chemistry, strategic alignment.

3. Respect everyone’s time. A sharp two-stage process beats endless presentations.

4. Involve the right stakeholders. Marketing, sales, and leadership need buy-in early.

The goal isn’t to find the flashiest pitch deck. It’s to find the partner who truly understands your business and can deliver against your goals.

Agency Oversight - Where Partnerships Sink or Swim

Even with the right agency, things can drift, if no-one is steering. Common issues include: Agencies working in silos, disconnected from business strategy; Scope creep without accountability; Reporting focused on outputs (clicks, impressions) rather than outcomes (pipeline, revenue).

That’s where agency oversight matters. Someone needs to:

• Keep strategy aligned.

• Translate between agency and leadership.

• Hold everyone accountable for results.

• Ensure reporting is tied to commercial impact.

Think of it as having a bridge between the agency and your business - someone who speaks both languages.

When to Bring in Outside Support

As a Fractional Marketing Director, I often step in to provide Agency Selection & Oversight when:

• A business doesn’t have senior marketing leadership or experience of hiring an agency.

• Agencies are running campaigns, but the results aren’t clear.

• Leaders are too busy to manage the process.

By writing the brief, running the pitch, and overseeing delivery, I help both sides succeed.

Agencies love it too - they get the clarity they crave and avoid endless rounds of rework.

If you’re thinking about hiring a marketing agency, remember:

1. Don’t start with a wish list. Start with a strategy.

2. A great brief takes skill - it’s worth investing in.

3. The pitch process should be structured, fair, and efficient.

4. Oversight is the difference between activity and impact.

When the upfront work is right, agency partnerships don’t just work - they thrive.

If you’re about to bring on an agency (or wondering why your current one isn’t delivering), let’s talk. A little clarity upfront can save months of wasted effort down the line!