How to choose an AI marketing agency: 12 questions to ask

By Sophia Samuels. Published 2026-11-07.

We use AI tools to help research and draft articles. A person edits each piece before it is published.

Two business people shaking hands in front of a laptop

Twelve questions that separate genuine AI marketing agencies from those using AI as a buzzword, plus the red flags to watch for.

Every agency now says it uses AI. Some do it brilliantly. Others have added the word to their website and changed little else. These twelve questions help you tell the difference.

Questions about how they use AI

  1. Where exactly do you use AI in your process, and where do you deliberately not use it?
  2. Who reviews AI output before it reaches me?
  3. How do you keep content accurate and on-brand?
  4. How do you handle our data and confidential information?
  1. They can say exactly where AI is used
  2. A person reviews every deliverable
  3. Pricing and scope are written down
  4. Reporting shows business outcomes
  5. There is a clear way to exit
The five things to be sure of before you sign

Questions about results and proof

  1. Can you show examples of work similar to mine, and explain what changed as a result?
  2. Which numbers will you report, and how often?
  3. How soon should I expect to see movement, and what are the first signs?

Questions about price and contract

  1. What exactly is included each month, in numbers?
  2. Is ad spend separate, and who owns the ad accounts?
  3. What is the contract length and how do I cancel?

Questions about working together

  1. Who will I actually speak to day to day?
  2. What do you need from me, and how quickly?

Red flags

  • Guaranteed rankings or guaranteed leads. Nobody can promise these.
  • Vague answers about what AI does in their process.
  • No published pricing and pressure to sign quickly.
  • Long lock-in contracts without a clear exit.
  • Reports full of vanity numbers such as impressions without business outcomes.

What good looks like

A good agency answers these plainly, shows its working and is happy to start small. We offer a free marketing audit and publish our pricing for exactly that reason: you should be able to judge us before you commit.

Further reading

Quick answers

What should I ask an AI marketing agency?

Ask where they use AI, who reviews the output, what you get each month, how they price and how they report results.

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