Hiring the wrong marketing agency can do more than waste your budget—it can stall growth, drain resources, and even derail your career. I’ve seen it happen. But you don’t have to. Watch for these five red flags before it’s too late.

Is This Guide For You?

✓ Marketing directors and VPs evaluating agency partnerships

✓ Business owners looking to invest in marketing

✓ Decision-makers accountable for marketing ROI

✓ Leaders who’ve had a bad agency experience and need to get it right this time

If you’re one of these people, these red flags could save you from a costly mistake.

1. They’re All Talk, No Walk: The Experience Gap

Flashy Website, Empty Portfolio

They sound impressive, but a closer look reveals shallow expertise. They claim expertise in your industry, but their answers are vague, and their success stories are generic or irrelevant. I once vetted an SEO agency that claimed deep expertise in SaaS. But when I asked how they measured success, they only talked about rankings and traffic—not signups, conversions, or revenue. They knew SEO, but they didn’t understand our business. That’s a red flag.

Why it matters: You need a partner who truly understands the nuances of your market and how you’re measuring success. Generic marketing doesn’t cut it. You need tailored strategies that produce tangible business results.

What to probe for:

• Can you share 2-3 case studies or client references—ideally from my industry or a closely related one? You’ll be looking to see the specific strategies they implemented, and the measurable results achieved for them.
• What are the biggest challenges facing businesses in my industry right now, and how do you address them through your digital marketing strategies?

💡 Tip: Before your first meeting, do your own recon. Check the agency’s LinkedIn page to see their client history and team expertise. Look for evidence of real experience in your industry, not only broad marketing skills.

2. They Push One Tactic for Every Problem

They’re a Hammer Looking for Nails

If an agency only offers one solution—whether it’s SEO, social media, or paid ads—they’re selling you their specialty, not what your business actually needs. Effective marketing isn’t about pushing one tactic—it’s about building a strategy that works across multiple channels. Marketing today requires a full orchestra—not just one instrument. In my years of experience, companies that had multiple channels contributing meaningfully saw the most sustained growth.

Why it matters: A one-size-fits-all approach to marketing is risky. You need a partner who understands the entire marketing ecosystem and can tailor a strategy that leverages the right tools for your specific goals that takes advantage of multiple channels.

What to probe for:

• How do you determine the right mix of marketing tactics for a client like me, in my industry, and how does that align with achieving specific business goals like leads, revenue, or customer retention?
• What happens if a particular channel isn’t performing as expected? How do you adapt, and what’s your process for continuous optimization?

💡 Tip: Ask about their marketing tech stack. A well-rounded agency should have a diverse toolkit and be able to articulate how each tool contributes to the overall strategy, including how they measure success and demonstrate ROI.

3. The Communication Breakdown: Unclear Reporting and Inconsistent Updates

Meetings? Metrics? What’s the Plan?

At the end of the day, you’re working with their people. And you need facetime with those people to make sure everything’s on track. Red flag: You ask about meetings and reporting, and their answers turn vague. Phrases like “We’ll be in touch” or “We’ll set up a meeting cadence” get mentioned. Without a clear communication plan and consistent updates, it’s impossible to know if your marketing investment is actually working.

Why it matters: Marketing is dynamic and requires constant fine-tuning. Successful agency relationships thrive on open communication and transparency. Without regular updates, opportunities are missed, problems fester, and you’re left in the dark, unable to make informed decisions or hold the agency accountable. 

What to probe for:

• What’s your standard process for client communication, including meeting frequency and the type of information shared in those meetings?
• What specific metrics will you be tracking and reporting on, and how do those metrics align with my overall business goals?

💡 Tip: Ask for a sample report during the sales process. If they can’t show you one (with client and any proprietary information redacted), or if it’s filled with jargon and lacks actionable insights, that’s a red flag. 

4. The Team Transparency Issue: Who’s Really Doing the Work?

The ‘Ol Bait and Switch

The agency’s leadership team dazzles you during the pitch. But after you sign? You’re handed off to an overwhelmed account manager and a solid but relatively inexperienced specialist team. Then, three months in, the ‘A-team’ vanishes—replaced by the ‘B’ or even ‘C’ team. And if you wouldn’t settle for a B-team at your company, why should you accept one from your agency?

Why it matters: Your success depends entirely on the people doing the actual work. Their expertise, drive, and creativity are what you’re actually paying for, and you should know exactly who they are, what their experience is, and how much time they’ll be dedicating to your account.

What to probe for:

• Who will be the primary account manager and core team members working on my account, and what are their roles and relevant experience levels?
• Can I meet the core team who will be working on my account before signing a contract?
• What is the average client load for account managers and specialists at your agency?

💡 Tip: Request LinkedIn profiles for all proposed team members, not just the account manager. Independently verify their experience and look for any red flags, like frequent job changes or a lack of relevant skills. 

5. Stuck in the Past: Outdated Approaches & Metrics

Living in 2018

They’re still pushing “proven” strategies from seven years ago and seem confused when you ask about new technologies or platforms. Their idea of measuring success stops at page views and likes. Meanwhile, your competitors are leveraging AI, integrating multiple marketing channels seamlessly, and seeing major growth in social channels you’ve yet to explore.

Why it matters: Digital marketing has and continues to evolve at lightning speed. Old Meta and Google Ads tactics have run stale, organic traffic is shrinking, and AI-powered search is changing the game. Plus, in an increasingly cookieless world, accurate tracking will only get more difficult.

What to probe for:

• How do you stay current with the latest digital marketing trends, platform updates, and emerging technologies, and can you give me a recent example of how you’ve adapted your strategies accordingly?
• Can you describe your experience with marketing automation, AI-powered tools, and other advanced technologies that could be relevant to my business?

💡 Tip: Ask for specific examples of how they’ve used tools like GA4, a marketing automation platform, or AI in recent work. Pay close attention to whether they can articulate the benefits and demonstrate a clear understanding of how these tools work. If they seem unfamiliar or struggle to provide concrete examples, that’s a major red flag.

The Bottom Line: Choose Wisely

Choosing the right marketing agency is one of the most crucial decisions you’ll make for your business, and it’s a decision that can significantly impact your growth trajectory. Don’t let a cunning website, flashy presentations, and smooth talk distract you from these fundamental red flags. The right partner will:

• Bring relevant industry experience
• Offer a comprehensive, customized strategy
• Maintain clear, consistent communication
• Provide a dedicated, experienced team
• Stay current with marketing trends and technology
• Bonus: Won’t lock you into long-term contracts. While building traction in these areas often takes 6-12 months to truly demonstrate results, be wary of agencies that demand excessive upfront commitments without clear exit clauses.

At Funk/Levis, we’ve spent 45 years helping businesses navigate these exact challenges. We don’t believe in quick fixes, empty promises, or cookie-cutter strategies—just real results. If you’re serious about finding the right partner, let’s talk.

Want to make your next agency partnership successful?

Download our Agency Vetting Checklist to get:

• 10 essential questions to ask during the evaluation process
• Expert guidance on evaluating agency responses
• A framework for comparing multiple agencies effectively

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