Choosing a specialty agency: criteria to compare
To choose a specialty agency, decide which platform, client type, and engagement model you need. Then check each agency's own site for those points. Listed Agencies lists specialty agencies A to Z on each specialty page. Listings are unpaid, and an agency's position is not a rank.
The engagement model is how you pay: a retainer, a project, or hourly.
Criteria are the points you compare. Use the same points on every agency.
The short answer
| Criterion | Why it matters | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Platform or channel | The work has to be the channel you need. | The services page on the agency's site, and the specialty page here. |
| Client type and size | A shop that serves a different buyer is the wrong shop. | The line about who they serve, and the case studies on their site. |
| Location and time zone | You need overlap for calls and launches. | The location on the listing, when the agency's site states one. |
| How you pay | A retainer, a project, and hourly are different contracts. | The services page, then the proposal. |
| Who does the work | You need a named owner. | The team page, and the proposal. |
| Reporting | You need a schedule and the metrics. | The proposal, and any sample report they share. |
| Account ownership | You keep the accounts when you leave. | The contract. |
Retainer or project is a separate choice. Read how to pay a marketing agency.
How to check each criterion
Open the services page. Write down the platforms the agency names.
Open the case studies. Keep the ones that look like your company and your channel.
Open the team page. Find the person who would own your work.
Read the contract before you sign. Confirm scope, notice, and account ownership there.
Then open the specialty page on Listed Agencies and read the line about who they serve.
That line is a fact from the agency's site. It is not a score.
Questions to ask
Ask the same questions of two or three agencies. Compare the answers.
- Who does the work on this account, and is that person named?
- Which platforms do you run, and which do you pass to someone else?
- Who do you serve that looks like us?
- How do you report results, and on what schedule?
- Who owns the ad accounts, the analytics, and the data?
- What is in the written scope, and what sits outside it?
- What do you hand over if we leave?
Guides that go deeper on one specialty:
- Google Ads: what to ask before you hire
- How to shortlist a Klaviyo or email retention agency
- SEO or AI search: what to ask before you hire
- Landing page agency or CRO agency
- Paid social agency, freelancer, or in-house
- Choosing a Meta ads agency
- Choosing a TikTok ads agency
- Choosing a CRO agency
- Choosing an ABM agency
- Choosing a B2B marketing agency
- Choosing a LinkedIn ads agency
Red flags
Walk away if no one is named as the owner.
Walk away if the accounts stay in the agency's name.
Walk away if there is no written scope.
Walk away if the agency promises a fixed ranking or a fixed return.
How to read a listing
An unclaimed listing shows five facts from the agency's public site.
The one line is not in quotation marks.
A claimed listing quotes the line the agency wrote.
Claiming does not change the position.
Position is A to Z. Position is not a rank.
If the listing is yours, use the claim page to correct the one line. A claim is free. It does not move the row.
Browse the full A to Z list
Open the specialty page that names your job. Start here when the work is Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, CRO, or LinkedIn Ads:
- Meta Ads agencies. Read how to choose a Meta ads agency. The page lists agencies that name Meta Ads, or that name Meta when they describe the ads they buy. A studio that only makes creative for Meta is not on that page.
- TikTok Ads agencies. Read how to choose a TikTok ads agency. The page lists agencies that name TikTok Ads, or that name TikTok when they describe the ads they buy. An agency that only runs TikTok Shop is not on that page.
- CRO agencies. Read how to choose a CRO agency. The page lists agencies that name CRO or conversion optimization. An agency that names only landing pages is listed with landing page agencies instead.
- LinkedIn Ads agencies. Read how to choose a LinkedIn ads agency. The page lists agencies that name LinkedIn Ads on their own site.
Other specialties are on the map. Each list is A to Z. Position is not a rank.
FAQ
How do I choose a specialty agency?
Decide your platform, client type and engagement model. Check each agency's own site for those points. Ask the same questions to two or three agencies and compare answers.
What should I look for on a specialty agency's website?
Look for work like yours, the platforms they name, who they serve, and who will do the work.
What questions should I ask a specialty agency?
Ask who does the work, how they report results, who owns the accounts, and what happens if you leave.
Why doesn't Listed Agencies rank specialty agencies?
Listed Agencies is a neutral directory. Listings are unpaid and sorted A to Z, so you judge agencies on your own criteria. An agency's position is not a rank.
What does an unclaimed listing mean on Listed Agencies?
The agency has not claimed its listing. The listing shows facts from the agency's public site only.
Related guides
Next step
Browse the specialty A to Z and pick two or three agencies to contact. Save them on your shortlist.