Ask to see work they made, not work they like
Showreels borrow. Ask which specific videos on which specific accounts they produced, then go look at those accounts and see whether the posting continued after the contract.
Warning signs worth walking away from
None of these are about price. They are all about how the work will actually run.
- Guaranteed virality or a promised follower number.
- No named point of contact, or communication through a rotating cast.
- A quote that blends their fee with your ad spend.
- No mention of scripting, which means they are only a camera.
- No reporting, so you will never know whether it worked.
Ask what happens in month one
A good answer is specific: a briefing, a script round, a shoot date, a delivery date. A vague answer about building your brand means they have not thought about your account yet.
Check they can say no
An agency that agrees to everything will deliver some of it badly. The ones worth hiring will tell you which part of your request is outside what they do well.
Bad line, good line.
"We guarantee your video will go viral."
"Here are three accounts we run. Go look at what happened after month three."
"We will build your brand presence."
"Week one: briefing. Week two: script approval. Week three: shoot. Week four: delivery."
Worked example: the first meeting
Three things worth checking
Not a mood board of other people’s videos.
The person on your shoot, by name.
What you keep if you leave.
Ask what they will not do. The answer tells you more than the portfolio.
Three things you can do now.
We do this every month for clients.
Scripts, filming, editing, posting, and a simple monthly report. Our prices are on the pricing page.
