---
title: "Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Performance Marketing Agency"
id: "2180"
type: "post"
slug: "questions-to-ask-before-hiring-a-performance-marketing-agency"
published_at: "2026-10-03T13:16:09+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-07T14:19:24+00:00"
url: "https://leadstrong.ai/blog/performance-marketing-services/questions-to-ask-before-hiring-a-performance-marketing-agency/"
markdown_url: "https://leadstrong.ai/blog/performance-marketing-services/questions-to-ask-before-hiring-a-performance-marketing-agency.md"
excerpt: "Blog / Performance Marketing Performance Marketing 4 min read Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Performance Marketing Agency On this […]"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Performance Marketing Services"
---

Performance marketing agencies vary enormously in how they define success, what they actually manage, and what accountability they take for results. Asking the right questions before hiring one is the difference between a program that drives pipeline and one that generates a monthly report full of metrics that do not connect to revenue.

## How Do You Measure Success?

The answer should be qualified leads, cost per qualified lead, pipeline value, and revenue attributed to marketing. If the primary success metrics in their answer are impressions, reach, click-through rate, or cost per click, those are the things they will optimize for - not the things that matter to your business. The strongest programs connect these measurements to a broader system for [building predictable revenue growth](https://leadstrong.ai/blog/growth-marketing-agency/how-leadstrong-builds-predictable-revenue-growth/)
 rather than treating campaign metrics as the final outcome.

## How Do You Set Up Attribution?

Ask specifically how they ensure that leads generated by campaigns are tracked through to closed revenue in the CRM. What UTM parameter conventions do they use? How do they integrate campaign data with the client's CRM? If the answer is vague, attribution will be a problem later.

## What Does Active Campaign Management Look Like?

Some agencies set up campaigns and check in monthly. Active performance marketing management means reviewing data multiple times per week, testing creative variations regularly, managing negative keywords, and reallocating budget based on what the data shows. Ask specifically how often campaigns are reviewed and what the process is for making changes.

## Who Works on My Account?

As with any agency, understand the team structure. Is a senior strategist involved day-to-day, or does the account get handed to a junior team after the initial setup? How many accounts does the person managing yours handle simultaneously? These are also important considerations when evaluating [how to choose the right growth marketing agency](https://leadstrong.ai/blog/growth-marketing-agency/how-to-choose-the-right-growth-marketing-agency/)
 for your business.

## What Experience Do You Have in My Target Markets?

For businesses targeting Canada, the US, and the UK, ask specifically about campaigns run in those geographies. Platform behavior, bid competition, audience characteristics, and compliance requirements vary by market in ways that generic international experience does not fully prepare for.

## What Happens When Results Are Below Expectations?

A confident provider has a clear process for this conversation. They diagnose the cause, communicate it transparently, and take responsibility for adjusting the program. Deflection or promises that it will not happen are not satisfactory answers.

## Frequently Asked Questions

 What are the most important questions to ask a performance marketing agency? How they measure success, how they set up attribution, what active management looks like, who works on your account, their experience in your target markets, and their process when results fall short.

  What should a performance marketing agency's contract include? Clear scope of work, defined deliverables, reporting cadence and format, performance metrics, and a transparent process for addressing underperformance. Be cautious of long lock-in periods without performance provisions.

  Does LeadStrong answer these questions transparently before engagement? Yes. Every LeadStrong new client conversation covers our measurement approach, attribution setup process, management cadence, team structure, market experience, and accountability framework.

 Ready to ask these questions directly to LeadStrong?

[Book a free strategy call](#)