How to choose a digital marketing agency in Mexico: 10 questions for the first meeting

Before the meeting: know what you are asking for

Most bad agency experiences start before anything is signed: the brand asks for “a digital marketing proposal” without saying what for, the agency fills the gap with what it usually sells, and three months later nobody is sure what was expected.

Before meeting, write down five things on one page: the goal (sales, leads, a launch, reputation), the approximate budget, the date that matters, the channels you already use and what has or has not worked so far. It does not need to be perfect. It makes every agency answer the same question so you can compare.

The 10 questions

1. What projects like ours have you done, and what happened? A logo on a clients page does not say what was done. Ask for one or two examples with the challenge, the work and the outcome.
2. Who will work on our account, and how much time will they spend on it? It is common to meet the partners in the pitch and then work with someone who was not there. Ask for names, roles and approximate hours.
3. What would you do in the first 90 days? A concrete answer (audit, measurement fixes, paid tests, content calendar) says more than a broad vision.
4. How will we measure progress, and how often will we review it? Ask to see a real report with sensitive data removed. Check whether it talks about business or only about numbers that look good.
5. Who owns the accounts? Google Ads, Meta Business, Google Analytics, the domain, the website and databases should belong to your company, with access for the agency. If the relationship ends, you should not lose the history.
6. How is the quote broken down? Fees, production and media spend are different things. Also ask whether they charge a commission on media.
7. What do you do in-house, and what do you outsource? Outsourcing is not bad, but you should know who produces the video, who builds the site and who answers when something breaks.
8. What certifications or partner status do you hold? Google checks Partner status daily against program requirements, and it can be lost. Ask for the public profile link to verify it.
9. How do you handle our customers’ personal data? If the agency will run forms, email lists or a CRM, it should do so with a privacy notice and consent, in line with current law.
10. What happens if we want to end the contract? Notice period, handover of materials, editable files and access. It is easier to agree on this at the start than at the end.

A Mexico-specific point: REPSE

Since the 2021 outsourcing reform, providers of specialized services who place their workers at another company’s disposal must be listed in the Registry of Specialized Service Providers (REPSE) run by Mexico’s Labor Ministry. Registration is renewed every three years, and the contract must specify the services and the approximate number of people involved.

Not every agency service falls under that rule, but if agency staff will work for your company on a regular basis, ask about the registration and review it with your legal or tax team. Boom Growth Partner is REPSE-registered.

Red flags

• They guarantee first place on Google or a sales number. Nobody controls the algorithm or the market.
• They will not give you access to the ad accounts, or say it is “better that way.”
• Reports only show reach, impressions and followers, with no link to your goals.
• The proposal could be for any company: it does not mention your product, competitors or season.
• They push for a long contract without a reasonable exit clause.

How to compare proposals

Put the proposals side by side and check whether they answer your brief, say who will do the work, separate costs and explain how they will measure. The cheapest one is rarely the most economical if it leaves out measurement or keeps the accounts in the agency’s hands.

One last tip: ask to talk to a current client. An agency that does good work rarely minds connecting you with someone who can describe the day-to-day.