Chapter 1: Is this what an agency does?

I’ve now spent 12 years at digital marketing agencies, my entire working life. At the age of 25, I’d climbed every step of the career ladder, progressing from an intern to a director within six years, and have gone on to grow and lead a top agency.

These posts are to document and share some of the important stories and lessons from along the way, for anyone working at and leading an agency, or maybe even hiring one.

Please note, all opinions are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Is this what an agency does?

It’s October 2013. I’m standing on Blackpool seafront and it’s absolutely freezing.

Well, I say standing, I’m actually running up and down the Promenade to try and stop huge styrofoam letters from blowing away in gale-force winds.

My boss at the time had a bit of an obsession with these letters, as you can see in the photos below, and we were there because he’d promised a client that we could handle all the new photography and videos for their website and social media.

By “we”, he meant that I’d have to figure it out, having never done this sort of thing before.

It was chaos, like something straight out of an episode of The Apprentice. But we just about pulled it off and avoided a grilling in the boardroom from the client.

This was around four months into my first full-time agency job, following a year-long internship, and it was a far cry from what I thought working at an agency would be like.

Global clients and an experienced team. Cool, central offices in Newcastle, London, Dubai, and New York. Great team culture, a pool table in the office, and beers on a Friday afternoon. I’m sure you’ve heard and seen this before?

The reality; I was the only employee when I started full-time, and the owner left me to it most days. Working for every single client, providing every service, learning on the job, and running things behind the scenes. This was at 19/20 years old and a long way from the comfort of a uni lecture hall.

Obviously, I didn’t know any better or that this wasn’t the norm, but I still say that it was one of the best jobs I’ve had.?

Why? Well, not because it was easy or enjoyable. It was an education in “agencies” and set realistic expectations that have helped me to navigate the industry to this day.

Smoke and mirrors

When I was asking myself back in 2012/2013 if this is this what an agency does, I don't mean the styrofoam letters, of course.

It was the countless examples of smoke and mirrors from plenty of agencies that I’d come across.

Overpromising to clients and exaggerating credentials, experience, and capabilities. Saying yes to the money and figuring it out later. The flashy website with happy team photos whilst employees are working all hours and constantly trying to fulfil someone else’s promises or unrealistic expectations.

I’ve seen it time and time again, and it’s an approach that I’ve mostly been able to avoid as it all comes down to choice.

The choice being that of the owners, directors, senior leaders, or managers of any agency. There’s no rule book or even playing field, so how each business goes about this is their prerogative.

It’s not my place to say what’s best, but I’ve learned and seen how it can play out. I also feel some responsibility to say that not all agencies are the same, but the reputation of agencies as a collective could suggest otherwise (especially in services like SEO).

And the biggest problem? It can be almost impossible to spot the difference, especially if you’re a business owner or a new employee in the industry.

The good and bad mostly look, talk, and act the same, so how can you possibly know?

Spot the difference

I consider myself lucky that I had to find this out early on in my career. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories from clients and employees to know that I’m fortunate to have avoided a "bad agency experience".

It’s easy to tell when someone’s had one, whether it’s in a new business meeting or job interview, as their guard is already up from the start. Rightly so, of course.

This isn’t to say you can’t make the same mistakes again, but knowing the right questions to ask an agency will almost certainly help you to figure it out.

1) Question their values

I’ll bet any agency that you’re speaking with has values on their website. A lot are rubbish, some are legit. Reference this, find out about them in more detail, and ask for examples of how they influence decisions or the day-to-day. Your aim should be to stress test their credibility and see whether they fit with your own/your company’s values and beliefs.

2) Ask about leadership

Depending on who you’re speaking to, ask about the leadership of the agency. The person who is pitching to your business or leading your interview might be someone you never really speak to again, so find out who is making the decisions that will affect you or your business.

3) Focus on the last 6-12 months

If an agency is pushing a case study or testimonial from four or five years ago, chances are they don’t have much else to talk about. Things can change very quickly within agencies so focus your attention on the last 6 to 12 months in terms of results, case studies, staff turnover etc. as that will give you the best view of what’s to come next.

4) Do background checks

A lot of agencies are good at promoting themselves, it’s essential to the business. There are plenty of ways to verify what’s being said though. LinkedIn is handy to see actual size/headcount and any trends (if you have a premium subscription), whilst Glassdoor can show what it’s like working there. Some agency owners turn their nose up at Glassdoor, but it’s really the only place that current or former employees can share their views without fear of consequences. Naturally, there will be the odd review from a disgruntled ex-employee, but generally you can spot patterns and potentially find out more than the agency will be willing to tell you.

5) Speak to someone else

Agencies should be more than happy to let you speak directly and confidentially with a client or employee of the business. It might feel awkward or take a little longer, but you’ll likely find out a lot more and get a better idea of what to expect. There will no doubt be case studies or staff testimonials on their website, so why not?

6) Predict the future

Everyone wants to work with or for an agency that’s going places. This doesn’t mean hugely ambitious plans or expecting them to have a crystal ball, but to ask for an idea of the future is more than reasonable. For potential clients, you’ll want to know the agency’s business and team are stable, among other things, and for employees, the opportunities to learn and progress should be obvious from your first conversations.

My first agency would have struggled with all of these questions, and I’m sure I could list another 10 points, so let me know if I’ve missed anything. And in case you're wondering, that agency closed down a few months after I left, so I'll let you decide if there's any truth to these...

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