How to Tell If Your Marketing Agency Is Selling You Smoke
7 warning signs your agency is selling promises instead of results—and the questions that expose them.
- → The average business wastes $20,000-$50,000 on ineffective agencies before finding one that delivers
- → There are 7 specific warning signs that indicate an agency is selling smoke
- → The right questions will expose vaporware before you sign a contract
- → Good agencies are specific, accountable, and willing to fire themselves if it's not working
The $43,000 Lesson
A restaurant owner in Jersey City told me this story. Over two years, she paid an agency $43,000. They promised "explosive growth" and "brand awareness." They sent monthly reports full of impressions and engagement rates.
Her revenue? Flat. Foot traffic? Flat. The agency had an explanation for everything—algorithm changes, seasonal trends, "brand building takes time."
When she finally fired them and asked for specifics on what they'd actually done, they couldn't produce a single documented system, process, or asset she could use going forward.
$43,000 for smoke.
Here's how to spot vaporware before you sign the contract.
Warning Sign #1: They Promise "Growth" Without Defining It
The red flag:
"We'll help you grow your business."
"We'll take your brand to the next level."
Why it's a problem:
What does "growth" mean? More traffic? More revenue? More followers? These require completely different strategies. Vague promises let agencies claim success no matter what happens.
Ask this instead:
"What specific metric will improve, by how much, and in what timeframe?"
A real answer: "Based on your current traffic, we expect qualified leads to increase 30-50% within 6 months through X, Y, and Z."
Warning Sign #2: They Can't Explain What They'll Actually Do
The red flag:
"We use proprietary methodologies."
"Our secret sauce is AI-powered optimization."
Why it's a problem:
If they can't explain their process in plain language, there probably isn't one. Marketing is concrete work. SEO involves specific technical fixes, content, and links. Ads involve targeting, creative, and iteration. These are concrete activities.
Ask this instead:
"Walk me through exactly what you'll do in month 1, month 2, and month 3."
A real answer includes deliverables: "Month 1: audit, technical fixes, content calendar. Month 2: publish 4 posts targeting these keywords, begin outreach. Month 3:..."
Warning Sign #3: They Focus on Vanity Metrics
The red flag:
"We'll get you 10,000 new followers."
"Your impressions will skyrocket."
Why it's a problem:
Followers don't pay rent. Revenue does. Vanity metrics are easy to inflate—you can buy followers, create engagement bait, boost impressions to people who'll never buy.
Ask this instead:
"How does this activity connect to revenue?"
A real answer: "We attract visitors through SEO → convert to email subscribers → nurture → drive to sales calls → close. Here's how we measure each stage."
Warning Sign #4: They Lock You Into Long Contracts Before Proving Results
The red flag:
"We require a 12-month minimum."
"You can't expect results for at least a year."
Why it's a problem:
Long contracts protect the agency, not you. SEO shows signal in 3-6 months. Paid ads show signal in 30-90 days. If they need 12 months before you can evaluate them, that's suspicious.
Ask this instead:
"What results should we expect by month 3? Can we exit if those don't materialize?"
A real answer: "We expect X by month 3. If we're not on track, we'll adjust together or let you exit."
Warning Sign #5: They Never Talk About What Didn't Work
The red flag:
Every case study is a success. Every campaign crushed it.
Why it's a problem:
Marketing involves experimentation. Things fail. Headlines bomb. Channels don't convert. If they've never had something fail, they're either lying or not trying enough things.
Ask this instead:
"Tell me about a campaign that didn't work. What happened and what did you learn?"
A real answer: "We tried X for a client in your industry. It didn't work because Y. We learned Z, and here's what we'd do differently for you."
Warning Sign #6: They Don't Ask About Your Business Model
The red flag:
The first call is all about what they do, not what you need. They pitch packages without asking about your unit economics, sales cycle, or target customer.
Why it's a problem:
A restaurant needs different strategy than a SaaS company. Cookie-cutter approaches fail because every business is different. If they're not asking how you make money, they'll give you generic advice that doesn't fit.
What to notice:
Good agencies ask: "What's your cost to acquire a customer? Lifetime value? Sales cycle? Close rate on qualified leads?"
If they pitch before asking these questions, walk away.
Warning Sign #7: They Blame Everything But Themselves
The red flag:
"Google's algorithm changed—nothing we could do."
"Your market is really competitive."
"We'd do better if you approved our suggestions faster."
Why it's a problem:
Algorithms change for everyone. Markets are competitive for everyone. Good agencies operate within reality and find ways to win anyway. Constant excuse-making means they don't actually know how to get results in difficult conditions—which is every condition.
Ask this instead:
"Given those challenges, what's your plan to get results anyway?"
A real answer: "Your market is competitive. Here's how we differentiate: we'll focus on X underserved niche, use Y channel your competitors ignore, create Z content they can't easily copy."
What Good Agencies Look Like
They're specific:
- Clear deliverables with timelines
- Defined metrics with targets
- Concrete processes you can understand
They're accountable:
- Short trial periods or performance guarantees
- Willingness to fire themselves if it's not working
- Regular reporting against agreed metrics
They ask hard questions:
- Deep discovery about your business model
- Push back on your bad ideas (even though you're paying them)
- Tell you when something's outside their expertise
They build systems:
- Focus on repeatable processes, not one-off tactics
- Document what they do so you could take it in-house
- Care about long-term results, not just quick wins
The Checklist: Questions to Ask Before Signing
About Their Process
- "What specific activities will you do each month?"
- "What tools do you use and will I have access?"
- "Who specifically will work on my account?"
About Results
- "What results should I expect by month 3?"
- "What's your best case study in my industry?"
- "Tell me about a campaign that failed."
About Accountability
- "What happens if you don't hit the targets?"
- "What's your minimum contract length?"
- "Can I exit if results aren't materializing?"
About My Business
- Do they ask about my unit economics?
- Do they ask about my sales process?
- Do they challenge my assumptions?
If they can't answer these questions clearly, or don't ask the right questions about you, keep looking.
One More Thing
Yes, I run an agency. Yes, I wrote an article about spotting bad agencies. The irony isn't lost on me.
Use these questions on us too. We don't take clients we can't help, we offer short trial periods, and we'll tell you when something isn't working.
Schedule a call and try the questions →
Further Reading
- SEO vs GEO: What's the Difference? — Understanding what you actually need
- Does AI Know My Business Exists? — The entity recognition problem
- Industry Solutions — How we approach systematic growth