Choosing a marketing agency shouldn’t feel like gambling — but for a lot of business owners, it does.

Whether you're running an ecommerce brand or a local business in Minnesota, odds are you’ve either:

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• Tried running ads yourself and felt overwhelmed
• Worked with an agency that overpromised and underdelivered
• Or... you’re stuck in analysis paralysis, wondering who to trust

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Here’s the truth most agencies won’t tell you: flashy presentations and “award-winning” portfolios don’t equal results. If you want a partner who actually helps you grow (not just burn budget), you need to ask better questions — and spot the red flags early.

This guide breaks it down step by step.

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What Most Agencies Won’t Tell You

Let’s get real for a second.

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Most agencies are really good at selling, but not so great at delivering. They’ll impress you with slides, show off a big-name client or two, and promise “omnichannel synergy” or some other jargon.

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But here’s what’s really going on behind the curtain:

• They’re tracking vanity metrics like impressions, not business results
• They “set and forget” your campaigns — running the same ad for months
• They don’t take accountability when performance drops
• You end up in long-term contracts with no clear ROI

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You deserve better than that. And you can spot it early if you know what to ask.

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5 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Marketing Agency

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1. What results have you driven for similar businesses?
Look for numbers. Not fluff. If they work with ecommerce, ask for ROAS. If they work with local service businesses, ask about cost per lead or booked calls.

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2. How do you optimize my budget week to week?
You want to hear specifics about ongoing campaign management — not just “we check performance monthly.”

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3. Who will I actually be working with?
Agencies love to sell with senior staff and then pass you off to junior team members. Ask who will own your account day-to-day.

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4. What’s your contract length and cancellation policy?
Avoid long-term lock-ins. A good agency should earn your trust month-to-month.

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5. Can I see an example report or dashboard?
You should know what success looks like — and how it’s being tracked. Ask for a sample.

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What to Look for in a Real Marketing Partner

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Here’s what actually matters:

• Clear tracking of business outcomes (revenue, ROAS, lead cost)
• Strategic thinking — not just ad execution
• Transparent communication
• A partner who asks tough questions and tells you when not to spend more

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A real agency partnership should feel like having a fractional growth team, not a monthly expense you tolerate.

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Red Flags to Avoid

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If you see any of these, run:

• Reports filled with impressions, not sales or leads
• “Set it and forget it” campaign management
• No visibility into what’s happening with your ad spend
• Contracts longer than 3 months with no opt-out
• A “full-service” agency that’s stretched across 20 different services and not great at any of them

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How Tiny Giant Works Differently

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We built Tiny Giant for one reason: most agencies are bloated, slow, and focused on the wrong things.

Here’s how we operate:

• Only paid media — we specialize in what drives revenue
• Transparent results — you’ll know what’s working, what’s not, and what we’re doing about it
• Direct communication — you work with experts, not account managers reading from a script
• No fluff — we don’t waste budget just to hit vanity KPIs

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Whether you’re an ecommerce brand looking to scale or a small business ready to get serious about paid ads, we’re here to help you grow — profitably.

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Ready to Talk?

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If you're considering switching agencies (or starting with one for the first time), let’s talk.

We’ll give you a free paid media audit — no pressure, just honest feedback on what you could be doing better.

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👉 Click here to request your free audit

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