To choose a marketing agency, start with the work you need to commission and the person who will coordinate it within your company. A freelancer, a specialist agency and an outsourced marketing department solve different problems. Compare expertise, responsibilities, the proposed project and exit terms before comparing prices.
This guide was first published in 2024 and updates the comparison for 2026. I write as a service provider: I am Francesco Galvani, CEO of Deep Marketing. You can apply the same criteria when assessing us.
First, check where the method comes from
My first exclusion criterion concerns commercial communities built around a marketing guru. If a supplier justifies its method solely through membership of that group, look elsewhere. Reviews between members, awards within the network and reciprocal mentions cannot replace work delivered for clients.
A professional should explain why an activity makes sense for your business, which assumptions support it and what would make them change their recommendation. Check their background, read public case studies and ask who will handle your project. The founder’s follower count tells you little about those responsibilities.
Freelancer, agency or internal team: what changes
These labels describe different things. “Freelancer” means an independent professional; “specialist” describes expertise; “full service” describes breadth of services. Outsourcing describes how you commission and coordinate a function. A full-service agency can operate as an external department when the agreement includes that responsibility.
- Specialist freelancer. You have a defined assignment and someone to coordinate it. Check relevant experience, availability and cover during absences.
- External consultant or manager. You need someone to set priorities and coordinate delivery. Check actual authority, time allocated and the professionals who will execute the plan.
- Specialist agency. You need a particular discipline, such as advertising or media relations. Check scope and coordination with the rest of your marketing.
- Full-service agency. You need several disciplines within the same project. Check who owns the overall work and who handles each discipline.
- Internal team. You have continuous work and need daily product knowledge. Check workload, hiring needs and additional specialist support.
- Outsourced marketing department. You want an external team to handle agreed activities and coordination. Check your contact, decision rights, deliverables, sales coordination and reviews.
When a freelancer is enough
A freelancer can be a good choice for copywriting, visual identity or campaign management. You need to know what you are commissioning and who will connect that work to other activities. An individual consultant can also take a management role and coordinate specialists; the agreement needs to cover it.
Ask how they handle absences and who retains access and materials. An experienced individual can cost more than a small agency. Compare the work and availability you receive, without assuming that a particular business structure will be cheaper.
When to choose a specialist or full-service agency
Specialisation helps when you understand the problem and already have someone coordinating marketing. An internal department might commission digital advertising while retaining decisions about the offer, products and distribution.
A web agency may focus on websites; a social agency on content and social advertising. Check the actual services. If you also need media relations, ask who works with journalists and how that person collaborates with the other specialists.
A full-service model connects disciplines under shared responsibility. It does not imply lower quality in each discipline. Check who will do the work, which activities the proposal includes and how your contact resolves conflicting priorities. “We do everything” does not define your project.
When to build an internal department
An internal manager can develop detailed knowledge of your products, customers and sales network, handle daily decisions and retain company knowledge. If the workload supports the role, hiring can make sense for a small or medium-sized business too.
A cost comparison needs to include the full employment cost, tools and management time. Consider which skills you will still purchase externally. An internal employee and an agency team offer different availability and functions; comparing salary with a monthly fee can conceal part of the work.
You can combine the models. The guide to internal and outsourced marketing departments, in Italian, explains responsibilities and handovers between the company and its supplier.
Assess the work behind the logos
A useful case study identifies the client, the assignment and the work delivered. The public MidaTicket project shows visual identity and design applications. The Noval Group project covers identity, website and a launch event. These are different assignments; look for evidence of the expertise you need.
Confidentiality agreements may prevent an agency from sharing data or arranging a client call. Assess the available evidence and its stated limits. Do not demand a conversation the supplier cannot authorise.
Check who grants an award, in which year and to whom. For reviews, read the text, dates and source platform. The criteria on our best marketing agency page help distinguish awards, reviews and rankings.
Request proposals you can compare
Give shortlisted suppliers the same brief. Explain objectives, deadlines, markets, existing support and the people involved. Ask for a project specific to your business, with activities, responsibilities and separate costs. Detailed analysis starts during the engagement; a proposal should not pretend to have solved every problem already.
If a quote is much lower, ask about allocated time, expertise and exclusions. If it is much higher, ask what additional value explains the difference. Compare equivalent scopes and check how fees and deliverables change when you add a channel. Our agency cost guide, in Italian, explains the components without presenting a standard price list.
Check responsibilities, data and exit terms
- Identify your contact and their replacement. Clarify which decisions they make and which need your approval.
- Agree deliverables and deadlines, including the information you need to provide.
- Request a written baseline within the first month, so later reviews use a consistent reference.
- Check the minimum term, renewal, notice, exit costs and final handover.
- Clarify ownership, access and export for accounts, content and data: what you receive, in which format and how quickly.
A platform’s licence does not settle the question of portability. The contractual handover matters. Reports should distinguish completed work, observed results and platform attribution. No supplier can guarantee sales or Google rankings regardless of your market, offer and competitors.
How to assess Deep Marketing
Deep Marketing offers an external marketing department with a single contact coordinating agreed activities. Start with the services and public case materials, then ask who would handle your assignment. Marketing direction, when included, has an explicit responsibility and contractual line.
If you need a team near your business in Veneto, you can read about our agency in Verona, in Italian. A useful discussion begins with what you want to deliver and who will take responsibility for it each day.
PS: the cover image was generated with artificial intelligence.
