Every agency shows its best grid. That tells you what they can make once, not what they will make every month for a year. These are the checks that predict the second outcome.
Look past the showreel
A portfolio is a selection of best cases, often for clients with unusual budgets. Two better questions:
- "Show me a full month of one account, in order." Consistency across thirty days is the real test; anyone can make three good posts.
- "Show me an account you took over rather than launched." Inheriting a messy channel is much harder than starting clean, and much more like your situation.
Ask how a month runs
You want to hear specifics, not adjectives:
- When does next month's calendar arrive, and in what form?
- How do approvals work, and what is the deadline for your feedback?
- Who shoots, who edits, who writes, who replies — same team or four freelancers?
- What happens when something goes wrong publicly at 9pm on a Saturday?
An agency that cannot describe its own cadence will not hold one.
The contract terms that matter
Ownership. Working files, raw footage and full usage rights should transfer to you once invoices are settled. Get it in writing.
Account access. Every profile, ad account and analytics property should be owned by your organisation with the agency added as a user. Never the other way round.
Notice period. Thirty days is normal, ninety is a lock-in. Whatever it is, know what you receive on exit.
Exclusivity. If you are in a competitive niche, ask whether they work with direct competitors.
Warning signs
- Guaranteed follower numbers — that is bought traffic, and it damages reach
- No question about your business model or margins before quoting
- Reporting that leads with impressions and never mentions cost per result
- Unwillingness to name the people who will do the work
- A proposal that blends ad spend into the fee
A fair way to trial
Ask for a one-month paid pilot with a defined deliverable, rather than free spec work. You get to see the real cadence, they get paid for real work, and neither side is locked in. If an agency refuses a paid pilot, that itself is information.
Kredosys publishes its cadence and volume before anything is signed — see the work and what the retainer covers.
Frequently asked questions
Should we hire an agency or an in-house person?
One in-house generalist rarely covers strategy, design, video, copy and community at a good standard. An agency buys a team; an in-house hire buys availability and brand knowledge. Many brands do both — in-house owner, agency production.
How much notice should we give if it is not working?
Whatever the contract says, raise it at the monthly review first. Most underperformance is a brief problem, not a talent problem, and it is usually fixable in one cycle.
Do we need to be on every platform?
No, and trying usually produces thin work everywhere. Two or three channels done properly beats six done partially, because each platform needs content cut specifically for it.
