Sure, we can blame the covid-19 pandemic on the rise of the so-called gig economy, but that assertion is anecdotal at best. Since the original shopping malls (RIP, shopping malls) of ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt, to freelancers and solo consultants, everyone has been hustling. They employed a very raw but relevant-to-their-times marketing plan as they shouted about product materials, ingredients, and strange promotions. Buy one silk, get a goat free, anyone? The problem is the rise of bad and unqualified marketing agencies undercutting good and qualified agencies is a direct result of several key trends. These trends continue to make it increasingly difficult for businesses to hire good marketing agencies. So, how do you avoid a bad marketing agency and hire a good agency? See our list of tips below: 

Hire a Good Marketing Agency With These Tips 

Everyone is an Expert: Many inexperienced individuals brand themselves as “marketing experts” with little to no real expertise. This means anyone that reads their phone can quickly vomit a bunch of flash terminology, word salad garbage that means nothing. Many bad agencies fabricate success stories, buy fake testimonials, or steal case studies from real marketers. 

Rise of the Gig Economy: Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork allow anyone to offer services at rock-bottom prices, regardless of experience and expertise. This created a flood of cheap services, really bad recommendations, and subpar results that causes businesses to lose money AND it devalues the work of expert marketers.

Misunderstanding of Marketing Value: Some businesses don’t fully understand what makes marketing effective and therefore chose based on cost rather than experience, references, and results. They promise quick results (e.g., “We’ll get you 10,000 followers in a week!” or “We’ll guarantee you X sales!”). They often use dirty tactics, such as bot engagement, fake leads, or short-term gimmicks that don’t build sustainable growth. 

Automation and AI Tools: AI-generated content and automated marketing tools make it easier for unqualified agencies to appear competent.
These agencies rely on tools rather than actual strategy and experience, leading to ineffective campaigns. With AI tools (i.e., ChatGPT, Claude, etc.,), bad agencies can mass-produce content and ads that look professional but lack strategic depth.

Short-Term Results Over Long-Term Strategy: Many bad agencies focus on quick, superficial wins (i.e., cheap leads, fake engagement, or vanity metrics). Good agencies focus on sustainable growth, which takes longer and requires deeper expertise. Bad agencies push for quick fixes, running ads without real funnel optimization, doing SEO without long-term content strategies, or using spammy outreach methods. Businesses don’t realize the damage until months later when their rankings drop, ad spend is wasted, or engagement plummets.

What This Means for a Good Marketing Agency

Ultimately, the sheer number of marketing agencies today makes differentiation harder. There is no governing body to regulate qualifications, so anyone can claim expertise. They must work harder to prove their value through case studies, testimonials, and strategic positioning. Education-based marketing, what we refer to as teaching clients about real marketing success, is becoming more crucial. Niching down and specializing can help agencies stand out from generalist, low-quality competitors. Unfortunately, bad marketing agencies are counting on ignorance. They want you to disregard a thorough check of their reputation and credibility. 

Avoid Hiring a Bad Marketing Agency

Hire a qualified agency that is willing to provide historical performance on their rate of return (ROR) or return on investment (ROI). You need this data because it demonstrates the agency prioritizes data and performance over the stuff that doesn’t matter. Request case studies and testimonials. Ask about marketing compliance and your industry compliance. Better yet, ask for referrals. When new clients ask for referrals, we tell them to visit our Experience page and choose any business to call. Contact The Method Marketing to confidentially discuss your situation at 216-738-9541 or info@TheMethodMarketing.com.