Questions to Ask Digital Marketing Agency

Trying to find a suitable digital marketing agency could be a huge challenge, especially due to the sheer number of new companies in the industry.

As a result, initial interviews are your best method of getting a good idea of an agency you’re about to work with. 

Now, digital marketing comprises a multitude of fields, from SEO to influencer marketing. Therefore, your question should be specific to the services you need.

This article has compiled a list of essential questions you should ask before hiring a digital marketing agency. 

Whether you’re trying to find a suitable company to run your PPC ad campaigns or implement SEO strategies, you’ll find several questions related to specific fields.

General Digital Marketing Questions:

• What are your most successful projects in the past?
• Can you provide examples of similar businesses you have worked with?
• How much of your work is outsourced?
• Who will be responsible for the content creation process?
• What happens if we are not happy with the results?
• What are your methods of working with our team members?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Specific:

• Can you explain your approach to technical SEO audits and recommendations?
• How do you ensure the quality of backlinks?
• What tools do you use for tracking keyword rankings, and how often do you provide keyword ranking reports?
• How do you handle SEO for e-commerce websites, including product optimization and schema markup?

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising Specific:

• How do you structure PPC campaigns for maximum efficiency and relevance?
• Can you share examples of A/B testing or split testing strategies you’ve employed to improve ad performance?
• What bidding strategies do you use for different types of campaigns, such as search, display, or video ads?
• How do you optimize landing pages to improve the conversion rate of PPC traffic?
• Can you explain your approach to remarketing campaigns and audience segmentation?

Social Media Marketing Specific:

• How do you create and maintain a consistent brand voice and image across different social media platforms?
• Can you provide examples of successful influencer marketing collaborations you’ve managed?
• What metrics do you use to measure the success of social media advertising campaigns?
• How do you handle crisis communication and negative feedback on social media channels?
• Can you share your approach to social media advertising budget allocation and ROI tracking?

Content Marketing Specific:

• How do you conduct content gap analysis and identify content opportunities within a niche?
• Can you explain your content promotion and distribution strategies beyond publishing on the website?
• What’s your approach to content personalization and segmentation for different audience segments?
• Can you share examples of evergreen content pieces that have consistently driven traffic and engagement?
• How do you repurpose and update existing content to keep it relevant over time?

Email Marketing Specific:

• What email marketing automation platforms and tools do you recommend and use?
• How do you segment email lists to deliver personalized content and offers?
• Can you provide examples of successful email drip campaigns or lead nurturing sequences you’ve implemented?
• How do you ensure high deliverability rates and avoid emails ending up in spam folders?
• Can you explain your strategy for re-engaging inactive email subscribers?

Analytics and Reporting Specific:

• What custom dashboards and reporting tools do you use to provide clients with real-time insights?
• How do you attribute conversions to different marketing channels and touchpoints in the customer journey?
• Can you share examples of how you’ve used data to identify and address performance bottlenecks?
• What data privacy and security measures do you have in place when handling sensitive client data?
• How do you use predictive analytics to forecast future campaign performance and trends?

Budget and ROI (Return on Investment) Specific:

• How do you allocate budget across various marketing channels and campaigns based on performance data?
• Can you provide examples of strategies you’ve used to optimize ROI for clients with limited budgets?
• What contingency plans do you have in case a campaign is not delivering the expected ROI?
• How do you calculate customer acquisition cost (CAC) and customer lifetime value (CLV) to assess ROI?
• Can you explain your approach to measuring the incremental impact of digital marketing on offline sales or conversions?

Creativity and Innovation Specific:

• Can you share examples of out-of-the-box campaign ideas that yielded exceptional results?
• What tools or methodologies do you use for brainstorming and ideation sessions?
• How do you leverage emerging technologies, such as AI or AR, in your marketing strategies?
• How do you measure the success and ROI of innovative marketing experiments or pilot campaigns?

Mobile Optimization Specific:

• How do you ensure that mobile landing pages are optimized for speed and user experience (UX)?
• Can you provide examples of mobile-specific ad creatives and campaigns you’ve managed?
• What strategies do you employ to leverage mobile apps for user engagement and conversions?
• How do you handle mobile SEO, including mobile-friendly website design and app indexing?
• Can you share instances where you’ve used mobile advertising to drive in-store foot traffic for brick-and-mortar businesses?

Crisis Management and Reputation Management Specific:

• What steps do you take to proactively monitor and manage online reviews and reputation?
• Can you provide examples of reputation recovery campaigns you’ve executed for clients?
• How do you handle social media crises, negative PR, or viral backlash on behalf of clients?
• What legal and ethical considerations do you take into account when addressing reputation issues?
• Can you share a specific case where you turned a reputation crisis into an opportunity for brand improvement?

Communication Process:

• What is your preferred method of communication with clients (e.g., email, phone, video calls, project management tools)?
• How often can we expect updates and progress reports on our campaigns?
• Do you have a dedicated account manager or point of contact for each client?
• How do you handle communication during non-business hours or holidays, especially for time-sensitive campaigns?

Billing Process:

• What is your pricing structure for the services you offer (e.g., hourly rates, monthly retainer, project-based, performance-based)?
• Can you explain your refund policy in the event that the project is terminated prematurely?
• Are there any hidden fees I should be aware of?

Ensure that the answers provided to these questions meet the expectations and goals related to your digital marketing project.