Hiring a social media agency can save you hours every week, or cost you months and money with nothing to show for it. The difference usually isn't talent; it's clarity. The right agency is clear about who does the work, what you get each month, who owns your accounts, and how results are measured. Here are ten questions to ask before you sign anything.
1. Who owns my accounts?
Your Instagram account, Facebook Page and ad account should stay in your name. A good agency gets access as a partner through Meta Business Suite. It never needs your password and never "owns" your page. If you part ways, you keep everything: followers, content, ad history and pixel data.
2. What exactly is included each month?
"Social media management" can mean three posts a month or a full content engine. Ask for a written list:
- How many posts, reels and stories per month
- Who writes the captions and scripts
- Whether shooting days are included, and how many
- Whether community management (replying to comments and messages) is part of it
- Whether ads are managed, and on which platforms
3. Is the ad budget separate from your fee?
It should be. The ad budget goes to Meta, TikTok or Google; the fee pays for the agency's work. When both are blended into one number, you can't tell how much actually reached your customers. Ask to see the spend in the ad account yourself.
4. How do approvals work?
You know your business best, so nothing should go live without your OK. Ask how you'll review content: a shared folder, WhatsApp, or a dedicated client space. The easier it is to approve from your phone, the less your posting schedule will slip.
5. How will we measure results?
Followers and likes are easy to grow and easy to fake. Ask which numbers the agency will report, and how often. For most local businesses in Lebanon, the useful ones are:
- Messages and calls that came from social media
- Cost per message or per order on ads
- Reach among people in your area
- Which posts and reels actually brought in customers
A short weekly or monthly report in plain language beats a 30-page PDF nobody reads.
6. Have you worked with businesses like mine?
Ask for examples in your sector: restaurants, clinics, retail, real estate. Experience in your field means fewer beginner mistakes and faster results. If they don't have direct experience, ask how they plan to learn about your customers.
7. Who will actually do the work?
Will a senior person plan your strategy, or is everything handed to a junior? Who shoots, who edits, and who answers you when something urgent comes up? Knowing your point of contact saves a lot of frustration later.
8. How fast do you respond?
Social media moves fast. A complaint in the comments, a trending moment, or a last-minute offer can't wait a week. Agree on response times for messages and urgent requests before you start.
9. What does the contract look like?
Look for a clear scope, a notice period you can live with, and no surprise fees. Be careful with long lock-ins before you've seen any work. A first month with a clear plan tells you more than any sales pitch.
10. What happens to the content if we stop?
Make sure the photos, videos and designs made for your brand are yours to keep, along with the raw files where agreed. Settling this upfront avoids awkward conversations later.
Red flags to watch for
- Guaranteed follower numbers or promises to "go viral"
- Buying followers, likes or reviews
- Asking for your passwords instead of partner access
- Refusing to show you the ad account or the real numbers
- A contract that's hard to read or impossible to leave
A good agency should make your marketing easier to understand, not harder.
Doing it yourself vs. hiring help
If you have the time and someone on your team who enjoys making content, doing it in-house with a clear plan can work well. An agency makes sense when you need consistent quality, video production, ads management and reporting without hiring a full team.
Key takeaways
Keep your accounts in your name, get the monthly scope in writing, keep the ad budget separate from the fee, and agree on how results will be measured before you start. If you'd like a team that works this way, see our social media management service or talk to us.