5 Signs Your Paid Media Agency is on Autopilot

You’re not imagining it. Something feels off.

You chose a digital marketing agency that was within budget, had an impressive and extensive client list, and seemed to understand your business goals. But now, you’re noticing that it’s taking longer to get answers and your results still aren’t what you’d hoped they would be.

When you start to question the effectiveness of your agency, there are a few questions you could ask yourself to determine if they are the right fit or if they’ve gone on autopilot with your paid media channels.

Sign 1: Fewer Actionable Insights Each Month

Sometimes bigger agencies aren’t always right for small to medium businesses. Being a small fish in a big sea, can mean less attention where and when it matters most to your business. If you do not have a regular communication cadence, you could be falling in between the cracks.

When was the last time they provided insight that benefited my overall business, beyond the channels they manage?

Sign 2: Creative Fatigue

Haven’t changed your creative in a while? Unless you’ve received a data-backed reason for continuing, it could be that your agency is in set-and-forget mode. Creative fatigue can happen fast in certain verticals and on certain channels. An agency that is actively monitoring your account will let you know when it is time to test new or update existing ads.

Has anyone at my agency flagged that my creative needs to be refreshed, or have the same ads been running without comment?

Sign 3: Not Adapting to New Industry Trends

The digital marketing industry is always evolving. If you are not hearing about new developments from your agency, there’s a good chance they are not staying up to speed. This doesn’t mean a good agency will automatically react and adopt every platform shift. In fact, an experienced agency will take the time to learn, experiment, and provide their perspective on how movements in the industry are affecting your business or vertical.

Do I learn anything new about the industry or my ads accounts when we meet?

Sign 4: Slow Down in Quality Traffic or Leads

There will always be fluctuations in performance when it comes to digital marketing. A slowdown in itself might not be a red flag, but if your agency didn’t notice it or can’t attribute the dip to anything, there might be a cause for concern about their attentiveness.

Has my pipeline grown? Am I seeing more SQLs or closed/won business since we started working together?

Sign 5: They’re Not Asking YOU Questions

When agencies stop asking questions and needing your feedback, they have missed the mark. Learning from clients is a crucial part of an agency’s strategic process. If there is no curiosity about the current state of your business, there is probably very little happening behind the scenes to ensure tactics align with overarching business goals or challenges.

When my agency and I meet, do they come prepared with questions about my business?

Ready for an Agency That Stays Ahead?

A great business-agency partnership delivers not just great ROI. It evolves with the business, the market, and advertising platforms and provides insights that benefit the entire marketing program. If you’re looking for a collaborative partner, read our case studies, and then start a conversation with Two Octobers.