How to assess a social media agency's evidence and skills

What to take away

What should a brief require from an agency?

A procurement meeting usually asks for the source behind a reach claim and the dates it covers. What changes behaviour is a brief that names the outcome the client will be judged on.

Expect shorter reporting cycles, tighter spend controls and plain-language summaries.

A monthly deck built on impressions alone is harder to defend in a renewal meeting.

Our guide to social media agencies trends and outlook explains why channel mixes swing, so you can judge whether a pitch suits your sector.

Ask whether the agency has relevant capability for the work in your brief: sponsored-content disclosure, short-form video testing, or retail media inside grocery and marketplace apps. The ASA explains how the CAP Code applies to disclosure, and Ofcom's Online Nation reports on UK online habits.

Scope, production volume and paid spend set the budget, not a single retainer figure.

How should you assess the agency's team skills?

The AMA's 2026 State of Marketing Careers Report tracks changing marketing roles and the skills employers want, which helps when you weigh whether a team can carry your account.

Check for the skills your brief needs: paid and organic social, creative production, community management, influencer marketing, analytics and compliance. Ask the agency to show relevant work and explain who is responsible for each area.

Ask who does each job and whether that person is employed or contracted. A named freelancer is not the same as cover for absence or a platform change.

Smaller shops often buy specialists in per campaign, which works only if the client knows who owns quality control.

If the agency uses AI, ask which tasks the software performs, how its output is checked and who is accountable for errors. Our piece on social media agencies AI applications in England sets out where software changes what a client receives, and where it only changes how fast work arrives.

Check credentials and test the proposed team

Ask whether the agency or named staff hold relevant status such as Meta Business Partner, Google Premier Partner or TikTok Marketing Partner. Check the status directly with the relevant programme; treat it as a signal, not proof that the proposed team can do your work.

Ask about membership of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) or the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), and verify any claimed membership with the organisation. Membership is one due-diligence check, not a substitute for work samples or references.

Request CVs or profiles for both the pitch team and the people who will deliver the account. Compare their experience, review a relevant portfolio and, if needed, give the team a short task based on a fictional brief. Assess the same things for each candidate: audience fit, strategic rationale, creative quality, measurement, compliance and clear ownership.

What does the CAP Code require of the claims you approve?

UK advertising rules cover brand content, influencer posts and paid social. A promise of guaranteed results needs evidence before it goes live.

The ASA's advice for businesses explains how the CAP Code applies to advertisers and how complaints are handled. Search the ASA rulings database for decisions relevant to your sector or proposed claims, and ask the agency how it would prevent similar issues.

Disclosure is the other pressure point. Gifts, free products and affiliate links must be obvious, and an agency's promotion of its own client work counts as advertising too.

Which audience evidence should you ask for?

The ONS bulletin on internet access across Great Britain reports social media use by age and household characteristics, which is a fair starting point for audience claims.

Coverage is Great Britain, so Northern Ireland needs a separate read before you apply a UK-wide assumption.

Ask any agency to show which segments it is buying and how it knows. For example, a 30 to 49 audience on one platform may need different creative from a 16 to 24 audience.

Request case studies that name the client, with permission, and set out the objective, work delivered and measured outcome. Ask how the result was attributed; if an example must be anonymised, ask for a reference you can contact under confidentiality.

For paid work, ask to see platform dashboards and media-buy reports that distinguish campaign spend from agency fees and show how results were measured. Where relevant, request independent measurement from Nielsen or YouGov, including the method used, and compare the report with the underlying dashboard.

What belongs on a 2027 buyer checklist?

Common questions

Do these trends differ across the UK?

Advertising rules under the CAP Code apply across the UK. Check the ASA rulings database for decisions relevant to your sector, and ask the agency to explain how its review process addresses those risks. For audience data, check the source and whether it fits your market.

How often should a forecast be revisited?

At least once a year, and sooner if platform reporting or your sector's rules change. Compare the forecast with the relevant platform dashboard at each review, and record changes to the brief or measurement method.

Is a paid trend report worth buying?

Only if it names its evidence and explains what would change its conclusion. Check the underlying data, method and date, then compare its claims with the agency's case studies and reporting; otherwise it is sales material.

Who should own this checklist?

The client's marketing lead. The agency supplies evidence; the buy decision and risk sit with you. Agree the agency contact and escalation route in advance, and consult the ASA for advertising complaints or rulings.