Pick an Agency · Blog
Guides, comparisons, honest takes.
Practical advice to help you find and work with the right advertising agency. No fluff, no affiliate-driven rankings.
03 · Tagged: guide
30 articles
How to Audit Your Current Ad Agency's Performance
Learn how to audit your current ad agency's performance with a 7-step framework covering KPIs, contracts, communication, and benchmarks.
By Nathan Denier
Marketing Agencies for Startups: A Stage-by-Stage Guide
Match your startup's stage to the right agency type. Pre-seed to Series B, here's exactly what to hire and when in 2026.
By Nathan Denier
How to Check a Marketing Agency's References: The Call Playbook
Learn exactly what to ask former clients before hiring an agency. Our reference call playbook reveals the 12 questions that expose red flags.
By Nathan Denier
When to Hire a Marketing Agency: Signs You're Ready (and Not)
Recognize the 7 signs you're ready to hire a marketing agency in 2026, plus 5 red flags that mean you're not. Save months of wasted spend.
By Nathan Denier
Marketing Agency RFP: How to Write One That Gets Real Proposals
Learn how to write a marketing agency RFP that attracts quality proposals, not copy-paste responses. Step-by-step framework for 2026.
By Nathan Denier
How to Transition Between Two Advertising Agencies
Switching ad agencies without losing momentum: a 90-day transition timeline, the asset transfer checklist, and briefing the incoming team.
By Nathan Denier
25 Questions to Ask a Marketing Agency Before You Hire Them
The 25 questions that actually reveal whether a marketing agency will deliver - organized by topic, with what good and bad answers sound like. From Pick an Agency, the directory of 47,000+ verified agencies.
By Nathan Denier
What Does a Marketing Agency Do? Services, Pricing & When to Hire One
What marketing agencies actually do, the services they offer, how they charge, and how to tell if you need one - explained with data from 47,000+ verified agencies on Pick an Agency.
By Nathan Denier
The Founder's Guide to Hiring Your First Ad Agency
Hiring your first ad agency as a founder: how to know you're ready, what it really costs, and the mistakes that burn early-stage budgets.
By Nathan Denier
How to Onboard a New Marketing Agency in 30 Days
A 30-day agency onboarding plan: access checklists, kickoff agendas, and the early structures that predict whether the partnership will work.
By Nathan Denier
How to Spot a Bad Marketing Agency Before You Sign
The warning signs of a bad marketing agency, before you sign: pitch red flags, contract traps, and the reference questions that expose them.
By Nathan Denier
How to Build a Long-Term Partnership With Your Agency
How to turn an agency engagement into a long-term partnership: governance rhythms, aligned incentives, and knowing when to renegotiate scope.
By Nathan Denier
How to Structure a Performance-Based Agency Deal
Performance-based agency deals: which metrics to tie fees to, how to set honest baselines, and the gaming risks that ruin pay-for-results contracts.
By Nathan Denier
How to Negotiate Your Marketing Agency Contract
Agency contract negotiation: the clauses that matter most (exit, IP, account ownership), what's actually negotiable, and where agencies expect to flex.
By Nathan Denier
How to Brief Multiple Agencies on the Same Pitch
Briefing several agencies at once: how to run a fair pitch, compare proposals apples-to-apples, and keep the whole process under six weeks.
By Nathan Denier
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