Blog/Paid Media
How to choose a paid media agency (and 7 questions that expose the bad ones)
Choosing a paid media agency comes down to one question: who will actually manage your account? Most agencies sell senior expertise and deliver junior execution. The right agency has a named account manager with a track record, transparent reporting, and verifiable performance history. Ask for the account manager's name on day one. If the answer is unclear, walk away.
Ahmed Ashraf
Founder, Traffiy · April 2026 · $100M+ managed
Media
“Most agencies sell you on the pitch and hand you off to a junior. The real question isn't what they charge — it's who will be in your account on Tuesday morning.”
— Ahmed Ashraf · $100M+ in budgets managed
The real question to ask before anything else
Not “how much do you charge” — but “who will manage my account day to day?” This exposes the agency's delivery model. If the person you met on the sales call isn't the person managing your account, that's a handoff — and handoffs are where performance dies.
The questions below are designed to make that answer unavoidable. A good agency will answer every one directly. A bad one will give you generalizations, mention “our team,” or pivot to case studies. Pay attention to what they dodge as much as what they say. Before you start that conversation, it's also worth considering whether to hire an agency or build in-house.
Seven questions
Questions that separate good agencies from expensive ones.
Top 3%
Google Premier Partner status is awarded to the top 3% of Google Partners globally — minimum performance thresholds verified by Google, not self-reported. It is not a guarantee of quality, but it is a meaningful floor. An agency without certifications for platforms they claim to specialise in is a yellow flag.
Who manages the account, and what is their experience?
Ask for a name. Ask for their specific background. Ask how many accounts they manage simultaneously. A senior specialist running 30 accounts is not giving any of them proper attention. Red flag: "our team" with no name attached. At Traffiy, Ahmed Ashraf manages every account personally — no junior managers, no handoffs.
Can you show me results for a business like mine?
Not "do you have case studies" — but "do you have results in my vertical, at my budget level, in my geography?" A fashion brand result doesn't transfer to B2B SaaS. Ask for ROAS, CPA, or revenue numbers — not impressions and reach. Example: Traffiy delivered 7x ROAS and $420K revenue in 6 weeks for a UAE e-commerce brand.
What does your reporting look like?
Good agencies send you data you can make decisions with. Bad ones send reports full of impressions and reach — metrics that don't connect to revenue. Ask: "What do you report on weekly, and how do I know if the account is underperforming?" If they can't answer clearly, they don't have a performance process.
What does onboarding look like?
A structured agency has a documented onboarding — access requests, audit, tracking verification, strategy brief, timeline. An unstructured one says "we'll get started soon." Ask for specific steps and timeline before your first campaign goes live. Traffiy's standard: 7 business days from brief to live campaigns.
Are you certified, and does it matter?
Google Premier Partner status (top 3% of agencies globally) means minimum performance thresholds have been verified by Google itself. It's not a guarantee — but it's a floor. An agency without certifications for the platforms they claim to manage is a yellow flag.
Do you have experience in my market?
For UAE and MENA businesses: does the agency have experience running Arabic-language campaigns? Do they understand Ramadan seasonality, Gulf consumer behavior, platform differences between Saudi and UAE? A European agency that's never run Arabic ads will lose your budget on the learning curve.
What does the contract look like?
Month-to-month vs long-term lock-in. Performance benchmarks and what happens if they aren't met. Notice period. A confident agency doesn't need to lock you in for 12 months. Ask what happens if ROAS drops below a threshold — if they have no answer, that's the answer.
Red flags to walk away from
Agencies that cannot name who will manage your account, report exclusively on impressions and reach, promise results in the first week, or require a 12-month contract with no performance benchmarks. A confident agency earns your business month to month.
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Who manages my account? | A named senior person with a track record | “Our team” with no name attached |
| Can you show results? | ROAS, CPA, revenue in my vertical | Impressions, reach, follower growth |
| What does reporting look like? | Weekly data with clear performance context | Monthly PDF with no action items |
| What is the contract? | Month-to-month with performance benchmarks | 12-month lock-in with no exit clause |
Key insight
The most important question is not on the proposal — it is “who will be in my account on Tuesday morning?” The person you met on the sales call and the person running your campaigns are often different people. Ask for a name, check their background, and confirm the handoff model before signing anything.
Top 3%
Google Premier Partner — minimum performance thresholds verified by Google, not self-reported
7 days
Traffiy standard: brief to live campaigns in 7 business days — structured onboarding, not "we'll get started soon"
7x ROAS
$420K revenue in 6 weeks for a UAE e-commerce brand — verifiable results, not impressions and reach
FAQ
Common questions about choosing a paid media agency.
How much does a paid media agency cost?+
Paid media agency fees typically range from $1,500 to $10,000+ per month depending on platforms managed, ad spend volume, and scope of work. Some agencies charge a flat fee; others charge a percentage of ad spend. Ask for a breakdown of what's included before signing.
How do I evaluate a paid media agency's past results?+
Ask for platform-level data — ROAS, CPA, revenue attributed to paid channels. Verify the results are from accounts they personally managed, not team portfolios. Case studies with specific numbers and timeframes are the most credible.
How long does it take to see results with a new paid media agency?+
Expect 4–8 weeks for initial data and early optimization signals. Meaningful performance improvements typically take 90 days — enough time for proper testing cycles. Be wary of agencies promising results in the first week.
Should I choose a specialist or full-service agency for paid media?+
For paid media performance, a specialist agency typically outperforms a full-service agency. Specialists run paid channels every day — it's their only focus. Full-service agencies spread attention across SEO, social, content, and ads simultaneously.
What's the difference between a Google Premier Partner and a standard Google Partner?+
Google Premier Partner is awarded to the top 3% of Google Partners globally. It requires meeting higher performance thresholds, managing a minimum ad spend volume, and having certified specialists on the team. Standard Partners meet baseline requirements only.
Ahmed Ashraf — Founder, Traffiy
10+ years in paid media. $100M+ in budgets managed across Meta, Google, and TikTok. Google Premier Partner — top 3% globally. Every article on this blog is written from direct experience managing real campaigns.
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