If you're looking to level up your business, a local marketing agency can do wonders. A good agency will have the skills in place to generate brand awareness, turn eyeballs into trust, and drive funnels that convert into real leads. 

Today on the blog, I’m giving you five insider tips — the exact questions you should ask a prospective marketing agency to determine if they’re the right fit for you.

Let’s be real: there’s no shortage of options in the marketplace. Unlike law or medicine, marketing doesn’t have a bar exam. All it really takes is a laptop, an internet connection, and someone can call themselves a marketing agency. This openness keeps the industry innovative and constantly progressing, but it also means anyone — and their cousin — can open up shop overnight. It’s not necessarily bad; it just means you need to know how to tell the pros from the pretenders.

When you hire a marketing agency, the partnership usually starts with some type of discovery call, consultation, or audit. That first meeting is your opportunity to ask the right questions to learn everything you need before you sign a contract. Here are five questions to guide that conversation.

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1. How will communication be handled?

Communication is make-or-break in any relationship. Listen to a talk from Charles Duhigg or Jefferson Fisher and you’ll be amazed at just how much the quality of communication impacts outcomes. It’s not automatic — it’s a skill that needs a system. 

When you ask this question, listen closely: does the agency have any structure around communication? If they say, “We’ll just email or text,” be careful. Without a formalized system, things can get sloppy fast.

At Launch Kit, we’ve built a robust, streamlined communication and project management system using ClickUp. Every client gets a seat in our ClickUp workspace, where we manage communication, track progress, and ensure that everyone — client and agency — stays on the same page. No silos, no confusion, just open collaboration where everyone’s rowing in the same direction.

2. How are action items kept track of?

Building on communication — it’s not enough to just talk about ideas. Execution is where the real results come from. 

Ask how action items are handled. After a meeting, how will the agency track who’s doing what, when it’s due, and what the priorities are? 

The goal here is total clarity. Complex projects need to be broken down into bite-sized pieces that different team members can attack. 

A major red flag: no formal system for tracking tasks. If you’re relying solely on meetings, emails, and texts, you’re setting yourself up for missed deadlines and confusion.

At Launch Kit, every digital marketing client gets their own project list or task in ClickUp. Tasks are created, assigned to specific owners, given due dates, and tracked to completion. It's part of our commitment to making sure great ideas turn into great outcomes.

3. What will we be measuring to determine success?

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. And there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here — it depends entirely on your business. 

At Launch Kit, we like to take a funnel-based approach. Every client gets their own custom scorecard — a live, birds-eye view of business performance. 

The scorecard is laid out like a funnel:

• Inputs: Things we control — ad spend, social posts, emails sent, blog articles published.
• Outputs: The direct results of those inputs — impressions, clicks, followers, website traffic, and inquiries.
• Results: Your custom business objectives — like new customers, sales revenue, or average review rating.

This gives you a clear top-to-bottom view of your marketing funnel. For example, if you’re spending a healthy ad budget and getting lots of impressions and clicks but low form inquiries, we know the website needs conversion optimization — and that becomes the priority for the month.

For clients who want to dive even deeper, we provide a customizable analytics dashboard that pulls data from each platform.

4. How is reporting handled? What’s the monthly cadence?

Once you know what metrics matter, the next question is about routine. 

Marketing, like fitness, is all about consistency. Those who show up, learn, optimize, and repeat are the ones who win. Business is an infinite game — you don't “win” and stop. You earn the right to keep playing.

When you ask about reporting, you're looking for signs that the agency has a proven process — a repeatable monthly rhythm — not just a seat-of-the-pants approach.

At Launch Kit, we hold a Pulse Meeting with every client during the first week of each month. It’s a 50-minute Google Meet call where we review last month’s analytics, discuss business updates, and set action priorities for the month ahead. We also pick the next production day and schedule the next Pulse Meeting.

This rhythm keeps every team member — on both sides — aligned and moving forward together.

5. What are you most excited about with the opportunity to work with my business?

End your meeting on a fun note. Ask what ideas they already have for your business. 

One of the biggest advantages of working with a seasoned Grand Rapids marketing agency is getting access to a deep pool of ideas drawn from working with businesses across many industries. A great agency will bring proven strategies and creative ideas to the table, accelerating your success much faster than trying to build an in-house team from scratch.

At Launch Kit, every client gets a dedicated pod — a cross-functional team led by a manager who connects your business goals to the right marketing plan. Your team will include a graphic designer, web designer, content creator (photo/video), social media manager, and ads manager. Each person brings specialized skills to the table, creating a well-rounded team that's built to take your business to the next level.

When you have the right people in the right seats, your business is set up to grow, thrive, and move faster.

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Conclusion

Working with a marketing agency should feel like expanding your team — not outsourcing to strangers. It’s the chance to work on your business instead of being stuck in it.

Find an agency that cuts through the red tape, focuses on real results, and works with you as a true partner.

At Launch Kit, we help West Michigan businesses with graphic design, website design, photography, videography, social media management, and digital advertising. Our mission is simple: to share your story — and to do it with transparency, quality, and collaboration every step of the way.