What Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring A Third Party Creative/Marketing Vendor

by Josh Amidon

I’ve sat down with many clients and prospective clients who have been taken advantage of by a creative/marketing vendor. Without going into details, I’ve had clients who’ve been completely ripped off. At the heart of every story, the client comes to the same conclusion - “I never thought to ask.” I’ve compiled those “I never thought to ask” questions and put them here for you.

Hopefully, you can take these questions and avoid being bamboozled.

Do you ever outsource your projects?

The dirty little secret of some marketing agencies is this: sometimes they don’t do your work! They hire a cheap freelancer who has the skill to complete the job, then put a 30-50% agency markup on the project!

Will the same people who created your portfolio be working on my project?

That portfolio that hooked you sure is pretty, right? Well, how do you know the people creating the work in that portfolio are still working for that agency? You don’t. Agencies trade talent all the time. It’s important to know you’re looking at a recent portfolio by ensuring the staff is still employed there.   

How many changes are included in your estimate/quote?

Creative work is hard to pin down and if your creative/marketing vendor isn’t transparent with their process – you could be the one paying for it.

What would make the project cost more than your estimate/quote?

Even asking for the tiniest something outside of the original scope could end up sending your final bill skyrocketing, many times you won’t even know the bill is being increased until the end. It’s important to ask upfront so you’re not caught off guard by a bill you weren’t expecting.

Can I get the project file (sometimes called the working file or raw file)? If not, how much do you charge for it?

I always recommend getting the project file of any project you get professionally done. Why not? You paid for it! It’s important for backup or future editing purposes.

There you have it, a list of questions that a client never asks a prospective third party marketing vendor. Oh and in case you were wondering – my answers to the answers above are yes, yes, unlimited, nothing, and of course!