Short answer: before you hire any digital marketing agency, find out who owns your accounts, how results will be measured, what you will get every month, and how easily you can leave. An agency that answers those four clearly, in writing, is usually safe to try. One that avoids them is not.
Here are the ten questions we would ask if we were hiring an agency ourselves, with what a good answer sounds like.
1. Who will own my Instagram, ad accounts and website?
Good answer: "You do. We work inside your accounts as a partner."
Your Instagram page, Meta ad account, Google ad account and any website should be in your name. If an agency runs everything from its own accounts, you can lose your page, your ad history and your audience when you leave.
2. Is the ad money paid to you or to Meta and Google?
Good answer: "Ad spend is paid directly to Meta or Google from your card. Our fee is separate."
When the agency collects your ad money, you cannot see what was actually spent. Keeping the two separate means you always know where every rupee went.
3. How will you measure success?
Good answer: a number that matters to your business, such as enquiries, bookings, store visits or the cost of each lead.
Be careful with agencies that only talk about followers, likes or "reach". Those can be bought. Enquiries and sales cannot.
4. What exactly will I get every month?
Good answer: a written list: how many posts and reels, how many ads, how often they report, who replies to messages.
"We will handle your social media" is not a plan. A clear list stops arguments later.
5. How often will you report, and in what form?
Good answer: "Every week, in plain words: what we did, what it cost, what it brought."
A monthly PDF full of charts is easy to ignore. Short weekly updates, even on WhatsApp, keep everyone honest.
6. Who will actually work on my account?
Good answer: names, and a way to reach them directly.
Many agencies win clients with senior people and hand the work to someone new. Ask who writes your captions, who shoots your reels and who manages your ads.
7. Can I approve posts and ads before they go live?
Good answer: "Yes. Nothing goes out without your approval, and approving takes one tap."
You know your business and your customers. You should see everything that goes out in your name.
8. How long is the contract, and how do I leave?
Good answer: a short first period, often around three months, then month to month, with everything handed back when you leave.
Long lock-ins with penalties are a warning sign. A good agency keeps clients with results, not contracts.
9. Can you show me work for a business like mine?
Good answer: real examples with real numbers, from a business you can look up.
Ask to see the actual Instagram page or ad results. If every example is anonymous, ask why.
10. What will you need from me?
Good answer: a clear, small list: access to your accounts, time for one shoot day a month, and someone to reply quickly to enquiries.
Marketing works best when the business and the agency both know their part. An agency that says it needs nothing from you is not being realistic.
Warning signs to walk away from
- Guaranteed results, such as "10,000 followers" or "100 leads, guaranteed". Nobody controls the platforms.
- Buying followers or reviews. It looks good for a week and hurts your page for a year.
- No access to your own accounts, or vague answers about who owns them.
- A long contract on the first meeting, before they have looked at your business.
How we answer these at KLIQVO
You own every account, ad money goes straight to Meta or Google, you approve everything on WhatsApp, and you get a plain report every Monday. After the first 90 days you can stop any month. You can read more about how we work and what we won't do.
If you want to see our answers for your own business, start with a free Instagram audit or message us.