Three guides for the people who hire an agency, in the order a hiring decision runs: choose the agency, brief it, then read the contract before you sign. The first is written for choosing a marketing agency. Each guide is free and reads in full on its own page.
Which guide to read first
Start with the guide for the step you are at. Each one ends where the next begins.
| Where you are | Read | What you will have at the end |
|---|---|---|
| You have not decided who to hire | How to choose a digital marketing agency | A shortlist of three, a case study and a reference you have tested |
| You know what you need and want quotes | How to write an agency brief | One brief that three to five agencies answer in the same shape |
| A proposal or contract is in front of you, or you want to leave an agency | Agency contracts: notice, ownership and handover | The renewal date, the notice period, and what you own and get back |
All guides
Agency contracts: notice periods, ownership and handover
How to read the clauses that decide what leaving an agency costs. They cover the renewal date, the notice period, who owns your accounts…
How to write an agency brief
Write one brief, send it to three to five agencies and get answers you can lay side by side. What to state, what to…
How to choose a digital marketing agency
By the end you can cut a long list to three agencies and test a case study and a reference. You can also compare…
What the guides leave to you
The guides are general information, not legal advice. The contracts guide says so in its last section, and a significant contract is worth a lawyer’s reading.
No guide recommends a named agency. Agencies are listed in the directory from what each publishes on its own website, and how the list is ordered is published in full.
Shorter answers to single questions
The articles each answer one question a buyer asks along the way. Four that sit beside the guides:
- What agencies publish about price
- How PPC agencies charge
- What an SEO retainer should include
- How to read a PPC monthly report
The rest are in Agency Insights. When you are ready to compare, browse agencies by type, service and city.