Today we’re talking about something that’s been weighing heavily on my mind lately, because over the past few weeks I’ve had several conversations with brand owners who have used the exact same word to describe their experience with previous marketing agencies or business coaches. That word is “burnt.”
And I don’t mean slightly disappointed or a bit let down. I mean properly burnt. As in, lost significant money, wasted months or even years of time, and worst of all, lost confidence in their ability to make good decisions for their business.
If you’ve been through this kind of experience, this article is specifically for you. We’re going to talk about how to rebuild that confidence, how to develop a framework for making better decisions next time, and most importantly, how to spot the difference between genuine expertise and slick sales tactics.
Here’s how to choose a digital marketing agency that’s right for your business.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Now, before we dive in, I want to acknowledge something. It’s so much easier to blame a service provider than to take responsibility for a poor decision. And I get it – when you’re feeling burnt and frustrated, pointing the finger elsewhere feels like the natural response.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the digital marketing industry is absolutely full of providers who over-promise and under-deliver. It’s an industry where it’s relatively easy to set up shop, throw around some fancy terminology, show a few cherry-picked case studies, and convince business owners to hand over their hard-earned cash.
There’s also a very common practice that I see repeatedly – agencies that have fantastic sales people who paint these amazing pictures of what’s possible, but then once you sign on the dotted line, you get handed over to an inexperienced junior account manager and your actual marketing work gets done by cheap offshore staff who’ve never heard of your brand before that morning.
It often ends up being a complete “set and forget” scenario. The agency focuses all their energy on making their monthly reports look as glowing as possible, talking up metrics that don’t actually matter to your bottom line, and completely glossing over the poor results or the complete lack of results.
It’s almost like gaslighting, honestly. Meanwhile, the agency is dancing all the way to the bank with healthy profit margins and zero accountability for the actual outcomes.
So if you’ve been through this kind of experience, I want you to know that what you’re feeling is completely valid. The frustration, the sense of being taken advantage of, the worry about making the same mistake again – all of that is completely understandable.
Don’t Let One Bad Apple Spoil The Whole Fruit Bowl
But here’s what I don’t want to happen: I don’t want that experience to prevent you from getting the help you genuinely need to grow your business.
Because the reality is, most brand founders are the creative innovators with the big vision, not necessarily seasoned marketers. Which means that most successful brands do need some kind of external support at some point, whether that’s education, coaching, hiring or outsourcing certain functions.
The key is learning how to tell the difference between the cowboys and the genuine professionals. And that’s exactly what we’re going to focus on in this article.
Let’s start by talking about why being burnt makes future decision-making so much harder. When you’ve had a bad experience, it doesn’t just impact your trust in service providers – it impacts your trust in yourself and your own judgment.
You start second-guessing everything. You become hyper vigilant, looking for problems that might not even be there. Or conversely, you become paralysed and avoid making any decision at all because you’re terrified of making another mistake.
Our neural pathways become established in these negative thought processes, over-amplifying risk and increasing fear of failure, and making it difficult for our brains to recognise our successes.
I’ve seen this play out in so many different ways. Some business owners become incredibly suspicious of anyone who approaches them with expertise, to the point where they reject genuinely good advice because it sounds too similar to what they heard before.
Others swing completely the other way and become desperate to find someone, anyone, who offers a magic bullet to fix their problems practically overnight, which actually makes them more vulnerable to the next smooth-talking salesperson who comes along.
Neither of these approaches serves you well. What we need is a middle path – one where you’re appropriately cautious but not paralysed, where you can evaluate opportunities objectively rather than purely through the lens of your past experience.
Common Practices Of Dodgy Service Providers
So let’s talk about the common patterns I see with problematic service providers. Understanding these patterns can help you spot them early, before you get too deep into a relationship.
The first pattern is what I call the “promise everything” approach. These providers will guarantee specific results without knowing anything meaningful about your business.
They’ll say things like “We’ll get you to six figures in 90 days” or “We guarantee a 400% return on ad spend” without having looked at your current performance, your product margins, your audience size, or any of the other factors that actually determine what’s realistic.
Any genuine expert knows that digital marketing is data-driven. You can’t make meaningful predictions about future performance without understanding current performance first. So if someone is making big promises before they’ve done any analysis, that’s your first red flag.
The second pattern is the “one-size-fits-all” solution. These providers have a system or a method that they apply to every single client, regardless of industry, product category, target audience, or business model. They might have had success with it for some clients, but they’re not interested in adapting it to your specific situation.
I’ve literally seen a US-based agency roll out the exact same ad creatives and landing pages, including the same copy and images, but just changing the brand name for each client! How on earth can customers make a decision between options that are literally the same?
This is particularly problematic in ecommerce because the strategies that work for a consumable product with repeat customers are completely different from what works for a high-value, once-off purchase.
The approach for a premium brand is different from what works for a mass-volume brand. But these providers don’t want to hear about those differences because it would require them to actually think and customise their approach.
The third pattern is what I call “sales person bait and switch.” This is where you have initial conversations with someone knowledgeable and experienced, who understands your business and asks thoughtful questions. But once you sign up, you get handed off to someone completely different – usually someone much less experienced who’s working from a playbook rather than applying genuine expertise.
This often comes with the fourth pattern, which is “communication blackouts.” Once you’re a client, it becomes incredibly difficult to get hold of anyone who can actually answer your questions or address your concerns. You might get regular reports, but when you want to discuss strategy or query why results aren’t meeting expectations, suddenly everyone’s too busy or unavailable.
And finally, there’s the “reporting smokescreen” pattern. This is where you get beautiful, detailed reports that highlight vanity metrics – things like reach, impressions, clicks, or even website traffic – while completely ignoring the metrics that actually matter to your business, like actual sales growth, customer acquisition cost, or overall profitability.
They might tell you that your reach increased by 300% while conveniently not mentioning that your sales actually decreased. Or they’ll celebrate a 50% increase in website traffic while glossing over the fact that the bounce rate is 90% because the traffic is completely irrelevant to your business. That actually happened to me with my very first agency hire in my first business.
The Selection Framework
Now, recognising these patterns is one thing, but how do you actually evaluate potential partners to avoid falling into these traps again?
I want to share with you a framework that I’ve developed over the years, partly from my own experiences of being burnt, and partly from watching clients and other business owners navigate these decisions.
The first step is what I call the “self-audit.”
Before you start looking for external help, you need to get really clear on a few things.
First, what exactly do you need help with? This sounds obvious, but so many business owners approach this backwards. They think “I need more sales” and then look for someone who promises more sales.
But there could be dozens of different reasons why sales aren’t where you want them to be. Maybe your website doesn’t convert well. Maybe your product positioning is unclear. Maybe you’re targeting the wrong audience. Maybe your pricing is off. Maybe your email marketing is non-existent.
You need to understand what specific area needs attention before you can evaluate whether someone is actually capable of helping with that specific problem.
Second, what’s your current performance baseline? If you don’t know your current conversion rates, your current customer acquisition costs, your current return on ad spend, how can you possibly evaluate whether someone else is improving things for you? You need these numbers documented before you start working with anyone.
Third, what does success actually look like for you? And I don’t mean vague goals like “more sales.” I mean specific, measurable outcomes. Do you want to increase revenue by a certain percentage? Improve your conversion rate? Reduce your customer acquisition cost? Expand into new markets? The more specific you can be, the better you can evaluate whether potential partners understand how to achieve those specific outcomes.
The second step in the framework is what I call “the expertise audit.”
This is where you evaluate the actual competence of potential partners, separate from their sales skills.
Start with their questions. A genuine expert will ask you detailed questions about your current situation before they even hint at what they might be able to do for you. They’ll want to understand your product category, your target audience, your current marketing activities, your budget, your timeline, your business model, your profit margins.
If someone jumps straight into telling you what they can do for you without asking these kinds of questions, that’s a red flag. They’re either not actually an expert, or they’re planning to give you a generic solution.
Next, look at their track record with businesses similar to yours. Not just in terms of industry, but in terms of business model, target audience, and stage of growth. If they’ve only worked with large established brands and you’re a small startup, or vice versa, that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, but you want to understand how they’ll adapt their approach.
Ask for specific examples, not just vague success stories. How did they help a brand similar to yours overcome a challenge similar to the one you’re facing? What specific strategies did they use? What were the results, and over what timeframe?
Also pay attention to how they talk about their failures or challenges. Everyone in this industry has had campaigns that didn’t work or strategies that fell flat. If someone claims they’ve never had anything not work, they’re either lying or they haven’t done much work. A genuine expert will be honest about the times things haven’t gone to plan and what they learned from those experiences.
The third step is what I call “the process audit.”
This is where you evaluate how they actually work, not just what they promise to deliver.
Start by asking about their process. How do they typically approach a new client? What does the first month look like? How do they identify priorities? How do they measure progress? How often do they review and adjust their approach?
A good partner will have a clear, logical process that they can explain without resorting to jargon or vague statements. They should be able to tell you not just what they’ll do, but how they’ll do it and why they’ll do it in that particular order.
Ask about communication. How often will you hear from them? Who will you be dealing with on a day-to-day basis? If there are multiple people involved, what are their roles and experience levels? How do they handle questions or concerns? What happens if you’re not happy with something?
Also ask about their tools and systems. What platforms do they use for project management? How do they track and report results? What access will you have to the work they’re doing? Can you see into the ad accounts, analytics, or other systems?
This might sound like a lot of detail, but a professional service provider should have clear answers to all of these questions. If they seem annoyed that you’re asking or they give you vague non-answers, that’s another red flag.
The fourth step is what I call “the alignment audit.”
This is where you evaluate whether you’re actually a good fit for each other, beyond just the technical capabilities.
Start with values and approach. Do they seem to share your values around business ethics, customer service, and quality? Do they understand your brand positioning and target audience? Are they excited about your product or industry, or do you feel like you’re just another client to them?
We have several clients whose past experiences working with ‘bro agency’ types were negatively impacted by the fact that those agencies just did not understand the product or industry. For example, a jewellery brand whose google ads agency were not even promoting earrings – because they never wore them themselves and it just didn’t occur to them, yet that’s one of the highest selling products.
Consider communication styles. Do you feel like they listen to you and understand your concerns? Do they explain things in a way that makes sense to you? Do they seem patient with your questions or do they make you feel stupid for asking?
Think about working styles too. Are they responsive when you reach out? Do they meet deadlines? Are they organised? Do they seem like the kind of people you’d enjoy working with, or does every interaction feel like hard work?
Also consider their other clients. If possible, try to get a sense of who else they work with. Are these the kinds of brands you respect? Do their clients seem happy and have stayed for a long period? Are they working with direct competitors, which might create conflicts of interest?
Questions To Ask Any Potential Marketing Partner
Now, let’s talk about some specific questions you should be asking potential partners. These questions are designed to help you differentiate between genuine expertise and smooth sales tactics.
First, ask them to audit your current situation and explain what they find. This doesn’t mean giving away their strategy for free, but a competent professional should be able to identify some obvious opportunities or issues within your current setup. If they can’t or won’t do this, it suggests they either don’t have the expertise or they’re not genuinely interested in helping you.
Ask them about their team. Who would actually be working on your account? What’s their experience level? Can you meet them before you commit? How much turnover do they have in their team? High turnover is often a sign of internal problems that will eventually affect you as a client.
Ask for references, but be specific. Don’t just ask for testimonials – anyone can cherry-pick happy clients. Ask if they can connect you with a client who had a similar challenge to yours, or a client who’s been with them for a long time, or a client who had some bumps along the way but worked through them.
Ask about their results measurement and reporting. How do they define success? What metrics do they focus on? How often do they report, and what’s included in those reports? Can you access the data yourself, or are you dependent on their interpretation?
Ask what happens if things don’t go to plan. How do they handle underperformance? What’s their process for identifying and fixing problems? Are there any guarantees or protections for you as a client?
Also ask about the practical stuff that might seem boring but can become major headaches later.
What are their payment terms? Are you locked into long contracts? What happens if you want to pause or cancel? Who owns the intellectual property they create for you – the ad accounts, the email lists, the creative assets? What happens to all of that if you part ways?
Ask about their workload and availability. How many clients do they take on? Are they currently at capacity, or actively growing? This matters because overloaded service providers often start dropping the ball on quality and communication.
And here’s a question that might seem weird, but trust me on this: ask them what they’re not good at. Every business has limitations, and honest professionals will acknowledge theirs. If someone claims they’re excellent at everything, that’s usually a sign they’re not actually excellent at anything.
Red Flags You Should Run From
Now let’s talk about red flags – things that should make you run in the other direction, regardless of how good everything else sounds.
Any guarantee of specific results without having analysed your business first is an immediate red flag. So is any pressure to “act now” or “limited time offers.” Professional service providers don’t need to use high-pressure sales tactics.
Be wary of anyone who criticises your previous providers without knowing the details of what happened. It’s one thing to acknowledge that you’ve had bad experiences, it’s another to immediately assume that everything the previous provider did was wrong. That suggests they’re more interested in positioning themselves as the saviour than actually understanding your situation.
Watch out for jargon overload or refusing to explain their process in plain English. Some complexity is normal in digital marketing, but if you can’t understand what they’re proposing to do, how will you know if they’re actually doing it?
Be suspicious of anyone who dismisses your concerns or questions. You’re not being difficult by wanting to understand what you’re paying for. A good partner will welcome your questions because they show you’re engaged and thinking seriously about the relationship.
And definitely run from anyone who asks for large upfront payments without providing clear contracts that spell out exactly what you’re getting for your money.
Green Flags That Signal You’re On The Right Track
On the flip side, let’s talk about green flags – things that suggest you’re dealing with a genuine professional.
They ask lots of questions about your business before proposing any solutions. They acknowledge the complexity of your situation rather than pretending everything has simple answers. They’re honest about their limitations and clear about what they can and can’t help with.
They have a clear process they can explain, and they’re transparent about timelines and what you should expect. They’re happy to introduce you to team members who would actually be working on your account.
They provide references and their past clients speak positively not just about results, but about the experience of working with them.
They have clear contracts that protect both parties, and they’re upfront about costs, timelines, and what happens in various scenarios. They understand that you might need time to think about their proposal, and they don’t pressure you to decide immediately or hound you constantly until you cave in.
Most importantly, they seem genuinely interested in your business and your success, not just in making a sale.
Here’s something else that’s really important: how to structure agreements to protect yourself if you do decide to work with someone.
First, avoid long-term contracts if possible, especially in the beginning. A month-to-month arrangement or a short initial trial period lets you evaluate the relationship without being trapped if things don’t work out.
Make sure the contract clearly spells out what success looks like, how it will be measured, and what happens if those benchmarks aren’t met. This doesn’t mean they should guarantee specific results – that’s often unrealistic – but there should be clear performance indicators and a process for addressing underperformance.
Ensure you maintain ownership and access to important assets. Your ad accounts, email lists, social media accounts, website access, domain name, analytics – these should remain under your control, even if they’re managing them day-to-day.
Include clear termination clauses that specify how much notice is required, what happens to ongoing work, and how data and assets are transferred back to you.
Figure Out If You’re Ready
Now, how do you know when you’re ready to try again versus when you’re not?
You’re probably not ready if you’re still feeling highly emotional about your previous experience, if you find yourself unable to trust any information that contradicts your current beliefs, or if you’re looking for someone to fix everything immediately.
You’re also not ready if you haven’t taken the time to understand what went wrong previously and what you might do differently next time. This isn’t about blaming yourself, but about identifying lessons that can help you make better decisions going forward.
On the other hand, you might be ready if you can discuss your previous experience objectively, focusing on facts rather than just emotions. If you’ve taken time to clearly define what you need help with and what success would look like. If you have realistic expectations about timelines and what external help can and can’t achieve.
You’re definitely ready if you’ve done the self-audit I mentioned earlier – you understand your current performance, you’re clear on your goals, and you know what specific expertise you need to acquire.
Let me share a framework for making the final decision, because even with all this analysis, it can still feel overwhelming.
Create a simple scoring system. List the most important factors for you – maybe it’s relevant experience, clear process, good communication, reasonable pricing, whatever matters most in your situation. Then score each potential partner on each factor. Like an old fashioned Pros & Cons list.
This isn’t about finding perfection – that doesn’t exist. It’s about finding the best overall fit for your specific situation right now.
Also trust your gut, but not blindly. If something feels off, investigate further. If someone seems too good to be true, dig deeper. But if you’ve done your due diligence and someone scores well on your practical criteria, don’t let fear of repeating past mistakes prevent you from moving forward.
Consider starting small if possible. Maybe there’s a smaller project or a trial period you can use to test the relationship before committing to something larger.
And remember, perfect is the enemy of good. You’re not looking for a perfect service provider because they don’t exist. You’re looking for someone who’s competent, honest, and a good fit for your current needs.
Finally, I want to address something for those of you who are thinking, “This all sounds great, Catherine, but I’m still terrified of making another mistake.”
That fear is completely understandable, and it’s actually not a bad thing if it makes you more careful and thorough in your evaluation process. But don’t let it paralyse you.
The reality is that growing a business involves taking calculated risks. The key word there is calculated – you’re not gambling, you’re making informed decisions based on the best information available to you.
No decision is ever going to be 100% certain, but you can significantly improve your odds by following a systematic evaluation process rather than making decisions based on emotion, pressure, or desperation.
And remember, even if your next choice isn’t perfect, it doesn’t mean you’re back to square one. Every experience teaches you something, and the more you understand about what you need and how to evaluate it, the better your decisions will become over time.
The goal isn’t to never make another mistake – it’s to make better mistakes, ones that you can learn from without devastating your business or your confidence.
Here’s what I want you to take away from this article:
Your previous bad experience doesn’t define your future opportunities. It’s information you can use to make better decisions, not a reason to avoid all decisions.
Take time to develop a systematic approach to evaluation rather than relying on gut feel or hoping for the best. The framework we’ve discussed today can be adapted to your specific situation and needs.
Don’t let fear of imperfection or failure prevent you from finding good enough. The perfect partner doesn’t exist, but competent, honest professionals do.
Start small when possible, maintain control of your important assets, and structure agreements to protect yourself while allowing for a genuine partnership to develop.
And finally, remember that the right partner will welcome your thorough evaluation process. If someone is annoyed by your questions or reluctant to provide transparency, that tells you everything you need to know about what working with them would be like.
I hope this framework helps you feel more confident about moving forward, whether that’s with additional education, coaching, or outsourcing. The marketing support that’s right for you is out there – you just need the right framework to find it.
