10 questions to ask a social media agency

Are you a brand or company looking for a specialized agency to boost your marketing objectives through social media ? Excellent decision! However, it can be difficult to know which collaboration best suits your business, your audience, or your budget. To help you with this process, we've compiled a list of 10 essential questions to ask during a meeting with a social media agency.   

1. Why should I use the services of a social media agency?

You're probably convinced of the need to collaborate with a social media agency to help promote your products and services (and you're right!). That said, it's up to the agency you're asking to convince you to work with them. In doing so, let them present their arguments and explain how they can help you build a strong and lasting online presence. An agency should also convince you of the added value they can bring to this process. For example, helping you stay on top of trends and understand how to best use social media to grow your audience and increase engagement with your brand.

2. How successful are you on your own social media?

Before embarking on a collaboration with a social media agency, it's crucial to understand who you're dealing with. In other words, you need to assess the agency's credibility . To do this, ask them to provide information on campaigns they've run for other clients (their current number of followers, engagement rate, and overall reach, etc.). These case studies will allow you to measure the success of these campaigns and project your own return on investment.

3. What is your overall approach to social media marketing?

When searching for a social media agency, it's crucial to understand their approach to social media marketing. It's not so much that there's one ideal approach, but rather that you should choose a partnership that aligns with your brand or company's DNA . Some agencies will emphasize high creativity, while others will opt for a more cautious approach. Of course, don't hesitate to ask about the agency's understanding of the social media marketing goals in relation to your objectives. Is it primarily about driving traffic to your website, increasing brand awareness, or conquering new markets? By asking these questions, you ensure the agency fully understands your needs and can effectively address them. 

4. What projects have you completed for previous clients?

It's also important to know what a social media agency has done for previous clients. To do this, ask them to show you a portfolio or case studies highlighting the results achieved. Inquire about the strategies they used to meet the initial objectives. Discussing client casesalso provides insight into the agency's general methodology. This may or may not be a good fit for you. Finally, it's always valuable to hear an agency talk about their work. This allows you to gauge the passion and commitment they bring to their projects.    

5. Do you specialize in one or more themes?

Here's another essential question to ask a social media agency. Depending on your industry, we recommend choosing an agency specializing in your field. Social media marketing has become such a specialized discipline over time. Therefore, it's best to entrust your future campaigns to a company that has in-depth knowledge of your industry. At So Bang, for example, we specialize in several sectors (luxury, consumer goods). Choosing an agency specializing in a particular sector ensures you'll be working with an expert who will better meet your needs than a generalist agency.  

6. What strategies do you use in your marketing campaigns?

When meeting with a social media agency, it's also important to ensure they employ the right strategies to engage with their clients' followers. This expertise can encompass a techniques , such as asking questions to spark conversation, organizing contests or polls, sharing relevant content, and more. Each of these methods yields very different results, such as fostering a sense of belonging, increasing engagement, and maintaining followers' interest in the brand. All these strategies are essential for successful social media marketing, so be sure to ask the agency you're considering which ones they use and recommend.   

7. What types of content do you produce?

Content on social media is the lifeblood of any campaign! That's why you absolutely must ask the social media agency you're meeting with what type of content they produce and how. Text, photos, videos, podcasts, stories, infographics, FAQs, etc.—don't hesitate to ask for examples to get a sense of the agency's capabilities in this area. At So Bang, for example, we have an in-house creative studio that allows us to produce hundreds of pieces of content per year for brands. Furthermore, it's also important to consider the types of content that best resonate with your target audience. As we'll see shortly, the frequency of content production is also crucial.

8. How often do you publish?

is Posting frequency another important factor when choosing a social media agency. Knowing this metric is crucial for maintaining a consistent presence on social media and keeping your followers informed and engaged. To get a sense of the capabilities of the agency you're considering, ask them to provide a sample posting schedule. This will help you determine if they have the resources to maintain a posting volume to keep your brand visible and your customers up-to-date on all the latest news, updates, and offers regarding your products and services.

9. How do you measure the success of your campaigns?

When seeking a partnership with a social media agency, it's crucial to understand how they measure the success of their campaigns. An agency should provide a clear set of keyperformance indicators (KPIs) to track and measure, such as conversion rates, customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, brand awareness, and engagement metrics. This will help you understand the progress and effectiveness of your social media campaigns over time. Furthermore, it will empower you to make informed decisions regarding the evolution of your strategy. Ultimately, with the right data, you'll be able to assess whether the agency you're working with is delivering value to your brand.

10. What type of report do you provide?

In line with the previous point, you should ask the social media agency you're considering what type of report they provide to present results . A good agency will provide detailed reports that show the progress made on implemented campaigns. Your KPIs should be clearly and precisely presented. The report could, for example, be in the form of a dynamic dashboard that is regularly updated throughout the campaign, allowing you to monitor its effectiveness and make any necessary adjustments.  

As we've just seen, when you're looking to partner with a social media agency, it's important to ensure they have the necessary skills and expertise to meet your needs. This initial list of questions should help you with this evaluation process. Before scheduling an interview with an agency, feel free to also reread our article explaining how to choose a social media agency for your social media marketing strategy.