It would be so easy to say this: Well, if you do not have time to read this, just go with me, here is my number 0490485462, I am great and for sure get you leads. Problem solved 😛

But I won’t… I promise I won’t be biased here. 

For context, I used to work:

• at and with multiple agencies,
• as a marketer in multiple companies,
• as a freelancer
• and I have been running my own little business for a while now.

So with this industry experience behind my back, here’s what to look for when choosing a marketer.

One of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to go with a marketing agency or a freelancer. Both have their pros and cons, and the right choice depends on your goals, budget, and how hands-on you want the relationship to be.

They come with bigger teams, a range of skills, and often slick systems. Sounds great, right?
And to be fair — in many ways, it is. Agencies can deliver strong results when you’re one of their high-value clients. You’ll get multiple specialists working on your account, fancy dashboards, and polished reports that look impressive in a boardroom.

But.

Behind the scenes, your account often becomes part of a large workflow machine. You might start by meeting a senior strategist who speaks your language and completely gets your vision — but once the contract is signed, your campaign is handed down to a junior team member or an account manager juggling ten other clients.

They’re following templates, automations, and “best practices,” but they may not have the experience to adapt strategy when something isn’t working. You end up paying premium agency rates, but your marketing is run by someone still learning what those dashboards actually mean.

That’s not to say agencies are bad — they have their place. But if you’re a small to medium business, you often don’t get the same level of care and strategy that the big spenders do. You’re not the $30,000-a-month client — you’re the “we’ll fit them in after lunch” client.

So what can you do here? Ask, ask and ask more! Ask all the questions (I gave you a list below) and see how they react. You will know from their answers if they will handle your business properly or not, I promise.

They bring flexibility, agility, and personal attention. You’re not just another name in a system — you’ll usually work directly with the person actually running your campaigns, which means faster communication, clearer feedback loops, and someone who genuinely understands your business.

The real strength of freelancers lies in that close connection. They’re often business owners themselves, so they get the realities of running a small business — juggling budgets, managing growth, and wearing too many hats. You can expect honest conversations, not buzzwords.

Now, here’s the honest catch: no one is an expert in every area of marketing. A strong Google Ads specialist might not be a copywriter. A talented designer might not know SEO. So yes — many freelancers outsource certain elements, like design, copywriting, or technical SEO. But that’s not a red flag. In fact, it’s a smart move if they’re transparent about it.

The danger only comes when you don’t know who’s really doing the work. You deserve to know exactly who’s behind your campaigns, what they’re responsible for, and how all the moving parts fit together.

Well, ask all the questions! There’s a list down at the end of this post — and trust me, they’ll save you time, money, and a few headaches.

If you’re leaning towards an agency:
Look for one that gives you direct access to your strategist, not just an account manager. Ask who will actually be working on your campaigns and how communication will work day to day. Bigger doesn’t always mean better — it just means more layers.
The right agency for you will be transparent about who’s doing what, how much of your budget goes toward management vs. ad spend, and how results are tracked. If they’re vague or overly salesy about any of that, it’s a red flag.

If you’re leaning towards a freelancer:
Look for someone who operates like a one-stop marketing partner — not a jack of all trades, but a strategic connector who knows when to bring in trusted experts.

That’s the model I use: I personally manage your strategy, ad performance, and communication — and collaborate with a small team of specialists I’ve worked with for years for design, copy, or web development. You get the expertise of a team, the personal attention of one dedicated marketer, and zero layers of miscommunication.

It’s the best of both worlds: personalised service, expert support, and a clear point of contact who actually knows what’s going on.
No handovers. No confusion. Just results that make sense for your business.

Marketing is full of bold promises.
If someone tells you “guaranteed sales overnight” or “we’ll double your revenue in 30 days,” you should be suspicious. It sounds exciting — especially when you’re busy and just want results — but here’s the truth: no marketer controls every factor that drives sales.

Your product, pricing, delivery, and customer service all play a role in whether someone actually buys. Even the best ads in the world can’t fix a poor offer or an inconsistent customer experience.

What a good marketer can guarantee is strategy, structure, and clarity. They can build you a stronger funnel, drive qualified traffic, generate real leads, and help you understand what’s working (and what isn’t). That’s measurable, repeatable, and worth paying for.

Pro tip:
If a marketer tells you that you need to spend $300 a day on ads, don’t panic — and don’t blindly agree, either.
Ask why.
A professional will be able to show you the data behind that recommendation: audience reach, keyword volume, cost-per-lead benchmarks, and how that budget aligns with your goals.

If they can walk you through the logic clearly, you’re in good hands. If they can’t… that’s a red flag waving at your wallet.

The solution:
Work with someone who explains every number, not just quotes one.
My clients never hear “you just need to trust me.” They see the reasoning, the benchmarks, and the expected outcomes — in plain English. That’s how we make decisions together, not in the dark.

Because real marketing isn’t about quick promises — it’s about long-term growth you can actually understand.

Let me just have a little rant for a second.

These days, it feels like everyone is a marketer.
You run one boosted post on Facebook, watch a few YouTube tutorials, or finish a quick online course — and suddenly, you’re an expert. No degree, no strategy, no accountability, just confidence and Canva.

But real marketing isn’t just about pressing buttons or “hacking” algorithms. It’s understanding human behaviour, reading data, building funnels, testing creative, managing budgets, and translating all that into something that actually grows a business.

And not all marketing experience is created equal.
The skills needed to scale an international e-commerce brand are worlds apart from what it takes to grow a local plumber, café, or consulting service.

That’s why you should always ask questions like:

• Have you worked with businesses similar to mine?

• Can you share examples or results?

• What kind of outcomes did you achieve, and how long did it take?

A marketer who understands your type of business will anticipate challenges you don’t even know are coming. For example, a local gym has completely different needs — like geo-targeting, seasonal promotions, and retention offers — compared to an online course creator who relies on funnels, lead magnets, and remarketing.

Takeaway:
Don’t just fall for a slick sales pitch or a shiny Instagram feed. Ask for proof that they can deliver in your world — not someone else’s.

Experience isn’t about how long someone’s been “in marketing.” It’s about how deeply they understand the type of business you run — and whether they can turn that understanding into measurable growth.

No — I’m not talking about my accent (which, by the way, I’ve been told is adorable).

I’m talking about clarity.

If you leave a call with a marketer more confused than when you joined, that’s not a good sign. You shouldn’t need a marketing dictionary just to understand what’s happening with your own business.

A good marketer won’t try to impress you with jargon like CTR, ROAS, or CPC without explaining what it actually means for your bottom line. They’ll translate the technical stuff into what you really care about — leads, sales, and results.

You don’t need to know how to optimise a campaign or read data dashboards — that’s our job. But you do deserve to understand what’s being done with your money and why. If your marketer can’t explain that in simple terms, they either don’t understand it themselves or don’t want you to. Neither is good.

Green flag:
When you walk away from a meeting feeling clearer, not overwhelmed. You understand what’s happening, what’s next, and why it matters — because your marketer actually talks to you like a human.

That’s exactly how I work with my clients — no jargon, no smoke and mirrors, just honest conversations about what’s working and what we can improve. You’ll always know where your budget is going and what it’s bringing back.

Because marketing should make you feel confident — not confused.

Marketing should never feel like a black box. You’re investing real money — you deserve to see what it’s doing for you. You shouldn’t have to chase your marketer for updates, wonder where your budget went, or decode a spreadsheet that looks like a NASA launch report.

At a minimum, a good marketer should show you:

• Where your money went — how much was spent on ads vs. management fees.

• What results you got — leads, clicks, conversions, or sales (in plain English).

• What’s next — what’s being tested, tweaked, or scaled to improve results.

If your monthly report is just a wall of metrics and percentages with no context, that’s not reporting — that’s hiding. You don’t need vanity numbers; you need clarity.

Endless spreadsheets full of numbers no one explains? 🚩 Red flag.
Smoke and mirrors with no transparency? 🚩🚩 Even bigger red flag.

Takeaway:
Reporting doesn’t have to be fancy — but it should be clear, regular, and actionable. You should always know:

• Are things working?

• What are we doing next?

• How are we improving?

That’s how I report to my clients: with context, insights, and next steps — not just numbers. You’ll know what’s happening behind the scenes, what’s driving results, and where we’re heading next.

Because marketing isn’t magic — it’s data, testing, and strategy. And you have every right to see behind the curtain.

Here’s a little secret: anyone can technically run ads. Setting up a Facebook campaign or a Google Ad isn’t rocket science — it’s clicking buttons on a platform designed to make you think it’s easy.

But there’s a world of difference between someone who knows how to set up ads and someone who knows how to make them work.

A button-pusher asks, “What’s your budget?” and then hits publish.
A strategist asks, “What’s your goal, who are we speaking to, and why would they care?”

That difference is everything.

A real marketer doesn’t just focus on impressions or clicks. They’ll take the time to:

• Understand your goals — not just “get more sales,” but why you want them and what success actually looks like.

• Define your ideal customer — who they are, what they value, and where they spend time online.

• Craft the right message and creative — because even the best targeting can’t save a boring ad.

• Build a funnel that nurtures your leads — so people don’t just click once and disappear forever.

If your marketer doesn’t ask deep questions about your business before launching a campaign, it’s not because they’re fast — it’s because they’re not thinking beyond the surface.

Takeaway:
Look for a partner, not a vendor. A good marketer doesn’t just “run ads”; they build strategy — the kind that ties your marketing to your bigger business goals.

That’s how I work with my clients. Every campaign starts with strategy, not guesswork. I want you to know why we’re doing something and what we expect to see from it — so your ads aren’t just running, they’re performing.

Because pushing buttons is easy. Building momentum? That’s marketing.

Choosing the right marketer isn’t about finding the cheapest option or the one shouting the loudest on social media. It’s about finding someone who genuinely gets your business — and has the skills, strategy, and transparency to help it grow.

You want someone who:
✅ Aligns with your goals — not their agenda.
✅ Communicates clearly — no jargon, no confusion.
✅ Shows you the numbers that actually matter.
✅ Has proven experience with businesses like yours.
✅ Builds strategy, not just campaigns.

The wrong choice can leave you with wasted ad spend, empty promises, and a sour taste every time you hear the word “marketing.”
The right one, though? That’s a game-changer. The right one becomes your long-term growth partner — someone who understands your brand, cares about your results, and helps your business evolve month after month.

And if you skimmed this whole article (I see you 👀) — you could’ve just called me. 😉

Let’s find out if we’re the right fit to grow your business together.