The cost of a bad social media agency

Key takeaways

The cost of a bad social media agency is usually several times the fee. As an illustrative example, six months at £1,500 is £9,000 in fees, plus owner time chasing work, a restart with a new supplier and sometimes lost account access. Spot the signs within three months.

• Example: six months at £1,500 a month is £9,000 in fees alone.
• Owner time spent chasing and fixing work adds to the cost.
• Losing access to accounts or files is the most expensive risk.
• Most warning signs show within the first three months.

What does a bad agency really cost?

A bad agency costs the fees paid, the time your team spends briefing, chasing and correcting, the months of lost momentum and the cost of starting again. In the worst cases, it also costs access to accounts, ad history and content the business thought it owned.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK
• Is a social media agency worth it for a small business?

How do you add up the full cost?

Add the fees paid, your team's hours at a realistic rate, any set-up you must repeat and any ad spend wasted. As an illustrative example: £9,000 in fees, 40 hours of owner time at £40 an hour, £1,000 to set up again and wasted ad spend can reach well over £11,000.

• Fees paid during the poor period.
• Your team's time chasing and fixing.
• Repeated set-up with a new supplier.
• Wasted ad spend and lost momentum.

• Social media agency set-up fees: what is reasonable?

What are the early warning signs?

Missed posts, generic content that could be any business, slow replies to messages, reports full of reach but no enquiries and a changing contact are the common signs. One bad month can happen. Three months of the same signs is a pattern.

• Social media agency pricing red flags to walk away from

How do you limit the damage?

Own every account, ad account and asset in your business's name from day one. Keep a rolling monthly term, agree measures in writing and review them monthly. If things go wrong, these make leaving quick and cheap.

• Who owns the content your social media agency makes?

When is it the client's problem, not the agency's?

Sometimes poor results come from late approvals, no photos supplied or unclear goals. Before blaming the agency, check whether your side delivered what was agreed. A fair review looks at both sides, and fixing the process can be cheaper than changing supplier.

• When you are late with approvals: who pays the agency?

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see when UK businesses come to us after a poor experience: the previous agency set up the ad account in its own name, so campaign history is lost. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) always works inside accounts the client owns, so the client keeps everything if they ever leave.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Damage limitation checklist

Put these in place now.

• All accounts owned by your business.
• Admin access for at least two of your people.
• Finished files stored in your own folder.
• Rolling monthly term with short notice.
• Monthly review against agreed measures.

• What your first month with a social media agency pays for
• How to build a business case for a social media agency

Next step

If you are unsure whether your agency is delivering, tell us what you are getting. We will give you an honest view.