9 Questions to Ask Your Growth Marketing Agency

‍And how Shoelace answers each one.

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Hiring an agency isn’t about finding someone to “run your ads.” It’s about finding a partner who understands your margins, your customers, and your goals.

Here’s how to tell if you’re talking to a true growth partner or just another media buyer.

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1. How do you tie ad buying to unit economics?

If an agency can’t explain how their ad buying connects to your unit economics, you’re taking a big risk. Ask them to walk you through how they’d set CPA targets using your LTV, retention, and contribution margin. If they start talking about industry averages or what worked for someone else, that’s a sign to move on.

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How we do it:
We use our own calculators that model your brand’s specific numbers, including LTV, COGS, and contribution margin. That gives us a clear picture of what success needs to look like for your business. Every KPI we set ties back to profit, not guesswork.

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2. Do you use cohort-based forecasting?

If they can’t forecast 12 months out, they’re guessing. Cohort-based forecasting helps you understand how your customers behave over time and how spend should scale. Without it, you’re either underspending or overspending, and both hurt your business.

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How we do it:
We build a 12-month forecast for every brand we work with. It shows multiple growth scenarios and how your KPIs might shift as you scale. Maybe you needed a 3.5 MER at fifty thousand in spend, but what happens when you double that? If you’re not looking at those shifts, you might be slowing your own growth without realizing it.

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3. How do you handle seasonality and baseline resets?

Your business performs differently throughout the year. January is not November, and your agency should plan for that. Ask how they account for seasonality in pricing, forecasting, and performance expectations.

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How we do it:
Our pricing flexes with your ad spend and performance. When slow periods come, your fee adjusts accordingly. We also plan for those dips in your forecast so that even when some months are softer, we’re still on track to hit your yearly goals.

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4. What’s your stance on testing campaigns?

If someone talks about “testing campaigns” or “learning budgets,” they’re asking you to pay for their education. Real testing happens inside profitable campaigns, not separate from them.

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How we do it:
At Shoelace, testing is built into every campaign. About 80 percent of your creative and spend goes toward proven, high-performing concepts that drive consistent profit. The remaining 20 percent is focused on creating and testing new ideas and angles that can unlock additional growth.

Those new ideas come from diversity — in angle, audience, and visual approach. We experiment with different stories, new customer segments, and visuals that stand out while keeping the account profitable. This balance lets us grow what already works while constantly finding what’s next.

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5. How do you handle bidding?

If they’re running everything on highest volume, they’re not thinking about profitability. Smart bidding requires control, not just automation.

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How we do it:
We design campaigns that focus on finding the highest-value customers, not just the most conversions. That gives us better data and allows us to optimize for profit while keeping acquisition costs healthy.

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6. What’s your creative production process?

If their creative process means swapping headlines or slightly cropping old ads, that’s a red flag. Creative matters, but it needs to be supported by real strategy and structure.

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How we do it:
Our creative team produces UGC, original content, and custom design work. Every Shoelace client gets access to Motion, our creative intelligence platform, and our Creative Development Framework. Together, they help us see what’s driving results and where to focus next.

We also take big swings. If most of your buyers are men, we might test campaigns that speak to women who are likely purchasing as gifts. That’s how we reach new audiences and keep growing profitably.

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7. What are the biggest levers you can pull in my account?

If an agency tells you creative is the only lever that matters or insists you need hundreds of new ads each month, that should raise your eyebrows. Creative plays a huge role, but it’s not everything.

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How we do it:
At Shoelace, we’ve seen time and time again that a well-structured account can outperform setups that rely only on creative. We’ve restructured campaigns or budgets using the exact same assets and still seen performance improve.

You can have the best creative in the world, but if it isn’t built on top of a solid foundation — clean structure, clear data, and smart pacing — you’re leaving profit on the table. That’s why we focus on both. Great creative, paired with a sound account strategy, is what actually moves the needle.

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8. What’s your client retention rate?

If an agency can’t hold onto clients, there’s usually a reason. High churn often means low delivery.

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How we do it:
Our retention rate is 89 percent, and that’s not by accident. We build long-term partnerships around transparency, performance, and measurable results.

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9. How do you leverage cross-account learnings to benefit my brand?

Agencies should be learning from every account they manage. The best ones find patterns that help all their clients perform better.

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How we do it:
Our team meets every Monday to share learnings. One week we talk tactics like account structure and pacing, and the next we focus on creative — what’s performing, what’s slowing down, and what’s next to test. This rhythm keeps every client ahead of the curve and gives each brand access to insights from dozens of other accounts.

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The bottom line

The best agencies don’t hide behind buzzwords. They connect every decision to profit.

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At Shoelace, that’s what drives everything we do. Real numbers, creative that converts, and strategies that create incremental results.

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