How to choose a video ad agency: 12 questions to ask before you sign

Before you ask: know what you want

Write down three things first: what you sell, what a customer is worth to you, and what you need from an agency. Some businesses need only video. Others need the ads run, the leads answered and the results reported. An agency that fits one will fit the other badly.

This is a list of questions, not a ranking of agencies. We are an agency ourselves, so we have answered each question for our own work, and you should hold every provider to the same standard, including us. The best test is to ask for answers in writing and compare.

Scope: what you actually get (questions 1 to 3)

1. What is included each month, in plain terms? Ask for deliverables, platforms and meetings written down. Our plans, for example, list creative, platforms managed and reporting, and do not state per-video counts that hide quality.
2. What is not included? Ad spend, extra platforms, landing page work and lead follow-up are common extras. Ours: ad spend is paid to the platform directly and is never part of the fee.
3. Who does the work? Ask which parts are done by people, which by software and which are outsourced. We make ads with AI video tools finished by human editors, use AI-generated presenters in UGC-style ads and say so up front.

A good answer names formats, platforms and who is responsible. A weak one says "everything you need".

Ownership: who holds the keys (questions 4 to 5)

1. Whose name is the ad account in? It should be yours. If the agency runs ads from its own account, your audience data and history leave with them.
2. Who owns the videos, scripts and data, and for how long? Look for permanent ownership of finished videos, not a licence that ends when you do. Ask about any third-party face, voice or music licences that expire.

Our answer: the client owns the ad account, the data and every video. Ask every agency to put this in the agreement, not in an email.

If an agency uses AI-generated presenters, ask how they follow each platform's rules on labelling AI-generated content. Meta and TikTok both publish them, and they change.

Contract and fees (questions 6 to 8)

1. What is the minimum commitment and how do I leave? Look at notice period, auto-renewal and what happens to your assets. We work month to month, and the first month is the only commitment. See our month-to-month guide.
2. What does it cost in total? Ask for setup fees, tools, usage rights and revisions. Our fee is fixed monthly and agreed before starting, from $1,300 a month; see pricing.
3. How is the fee set? Fixed monthly fees are easy to plan around. A percentage of ad spend can rise as you grow. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you are signing.

Ask to see the contract before the first call ends. If a sales call cannot produce one, assume the terms are less friendly than the pitch.

Reporting and decisions (questions 9 and 10)

1. What will I see, how often, and can I check it against my own numbers? Reports should match your store or CRM figures, not only platform dashboards. Ask for a sample.
2. How do you decide what to scale, change or stop? You want a clear call on every campaign, with reasons. We label each one scale, optimise or pull back.

Also ask what the agency does when results are poor. A straight answer includes looking past the ad: the landing page, the offer and what happens after the click. Our diagnosis guide explains why.

Be wary of any promise of specific results. Nobody controls your market, your product or the platform's auction. We make no guarantees. We commit to the work and to reporting you can check.

Creative volume and testing (questions 11 and 12)

1. How much new creative will I get, and how is it tested? Ads wear out. Ask how often new videos arrive, how hooks are varied and how winners are chosen. Our creative fatigue guide covers the signs.
2. What do you need from me, and how fast can you start? Product access, approvals, brand assets. A realistic plan is a first 30 days: diagnose in week one, build in week two, launch in the client's own account in week three, then read and act in week four.

Ask to see work from your category, not just the best-looking reel. Browse our work and compare what each agency shows you against what you would actually run.

Red flags and next steps

• The agency will not say whose account the ads run in.
• Long lock-in with no exit, or fees for leaving.
• Guaranteed results or invented statistics.
• No named person responsible for your account.
• Reports that show only platform vanity numbers.
• No clear answer on AI-generated content, usage rights or labelling.
• Pressure to sign on the first call.

Score two or three agencies on these twelve questions, side by side. If you want us on your shortlist, book a free strategy call. We review your ads and funnel beforehand, show work from your category, give a straight recommendation, and tell you if we are not the right fit. Related reading: what is a performance creative agency and agency, freelancer or AI tool.