By Randy Ellis
7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Marketing Agency in the Permian Basin
Short answer: before you hire a marketing agency, ask who will own your website and accounts, what you'll see every month, how long the contract runs and how you get out, who actually does the work, what they've done for businesses like yours, how well they know your market, and what happens to everything if you leave. Good agencies answer all seven without hesitating. Here's what a good answer sounds like for each.
Full disclosure: I run Rig5ive, a digital agency in Hobbs. These are the questions I'd want you to ask us, and any other agency you talk to.
1. Who will own my website, domain, and accounts?
This is the most important question, and the one owners most often forget to ask. Some agencies register your domain, Google Business Profile, analytics, or ad accounts under their own name. When you leave, getting those back can be slow, expensive, or impossible.
A good answer: "You own everything: the domain, the website, the Google Business Profile, analytics, and ad accounts. We're added as users, and you can remove us at any time."
A red flag: "We'll handle all of that for you," with no clear answer about whose name it's in.
2. What will you report, and how often?
You should know what you're paying for. A good report is short and ties marketing to business results: calls, form leads, booked jobs, cost per lead. Not just clicks and impressions.
A good answer: a monthly report you can read in five minutes, with live access to the same numbers, and a regular call to go over them.
A red flag: reports full of "reach" and "impressions" that never mention calls or customers, or no reporting at all.
3. How long is the contract, and how do I get out?
Long contracts protect the agency, not you. Some setup work does take time to pay off, and a short initial term can be fair. But you should know the exit before you sign.
A good answer: month-to-month, or a short initial term followed by month-to-month, with a clear notice period and no cancellation fee beyond work already done.
A red flag: a long contract with automatic renewal, no performance review, and a fee to leave early.
4. Who will actually do the work?
The person who sells you the service isn't always the person who does it. Some agencies hand the work to junior staff or outside contractors you'll never meet. That can be fine, as long as you know.
A good answer: names and roles: who your main contact is, who builds or runs things, and whether any work goes to outside contractors.
A red flag: vague answers, or a different account manager every few months.
5. What have you done for businesses like mine?
You want proof they can get results for a business your size, in a market like yours. A big-city restaurant chain is a different job from a family-run service company in a small town.
A good answer: specific examples with real numbers, and a past client or two you can call. Expect ranges and context, not guarantees.
A red flag: guaranteed rankings ("We'll get you #1 on Google"). No one controls Google's results, and promises like that often come with shortcuts that can hurt you.
6. How well do you know my market?
An oilfield town runs on its own schedule, with its own customers and its own word of mouth. An agency that doesn't know that will run the same campaign it runs everywhere else.
A good answer: they can talk about your customers, your competitors, the towns you serve, and when your customers are actually reachable. Being local isn't required, but understanding the market is. (Here's what hyper-local marketing looks like in an oilfield town.)
A red flag: a pitch deck that could have been sent to any business in any city.
7. What happens to my stuff if I leave?
Ask this before you start, while everyone's friendly. It covers the website files, content, photos, ad history, and logins.
A good answer: "You get everything: the files, logins, and a handoff to whoever comes next. It's written into the contract."
A red flag: the website only runs on the agency's own platform, or "It's ours until the contract ends."
Bring this list to every meeting
Print these seven questions and bring them to every agency you talk to. How each one answers will tell you more than any pitch deck. And before you hire anyone, work through the basics in how local customers decide who to call. Some of what you need may be free.
Randy Ellis runs Rig5ive, a digital agency in Hobbs, New Mexico. If you'd like to put these questions to us, start with a free audit of how your business shows up today, or email randy@rig5ive.com.
FAQ
What should I ask a marketing agency before hiring them?
Ask who owns your website, domain, and ad accounts; what they report and how often; the contract length and how to leave; who does the work; and what results they've gotten for businesses like yours.
How long should a marketing agency contract be?
Month-to-month or a short initial term with a clear exit is safest. Be cautious with long contracts that have no performance review or exit clause.
Who should own my website and ad accounts?
You should. Your business should own the domain, website, Google Business Profile, analytics, and ad accounts, with the agency added as a user it can be removed from.