Most business owners pick an agency the same way: a friend's recommendation, a good-looking Instagram page, or a pitch that sounded confident. Sometimes that works. Often it ends with a few months of posts, a bill, and no clear idea whether anything changed.
These ten questions will help you tell the difference. Ask them to any advertising agency in Kolhapur, including us.
1. Can I see work for a business like mine?
Not just a logo wall. Ask for two or three projects in your line of business, and ask what the agency actually did on each: strategy, shoot, edit, ads, or only the posting. A restaurant campaign and a real estate launch need very different skills.
2. Who will actually work on my account?
Pitches are often done by the founder, and the work is then handed to someone you never met. Ask who writes, who shoots, who edits and who answers your messages. A small team that you can reach is often better than a big name that you can't.
3. What will you do in the first 30 days?
A good agency can describe the first month in plain steps: understanding your business, a content plan, the first shoot, the first posts. If the answer is only "we will boost your brand", keep asking.
4. How will we measure success?
Followers and likes are easy to show and easy to inflate. Ask which numbers connect to your business: enquiries, calls, WhatsApp messages, store visits, bookings. Agree on two or three numbers before you start. Our own view on this is in Followers are not customers.
5. What is included in the price, and what costs extra?
Ask about shoots, video editing, ad budgets, design work and revisions. Some agencies quote a low monthly fee and charge separately for everything that makes the work good. A clear list of inclusions and exclusions saves arguments later.
6. Is the ad budget separate from your fee?
It should be. Your agency fee pays for their work. The money you spend on Meta or Google ads goes to the platform. Ask to have the ad account in your own name, so you always own your data, audiences and history.
7. Do you work in Marathi and English?
In Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and the Konkan, a lot of customers respond better to Marathi. Ask whether the team writes and speaks Marathi naturally, not just through translation. It shows in the captions, the voice-overs and the way ads are written.
8. How often will we talk, and how will I see results?
Agree on a monthly report in simple language, and a quick call or message thread for urgent things. Ask to see a sample report. If it is 30 pages of charts and no explanation, it is not for you.
9. What do you need from me?
Good work depends on you too: access to the product or place, quick approvals, honest feedback. An agency that tells you clearly what it needs has done this before.
10. What happens if we part ways?
Ask who owns the content, the accounts, the passwords and the designs. A confident agency has no problem with a short, clear answer and a reasonable notice period.
Quick checklist
- Relevant work you can see and visit
- A named team you can reach
- A clear first 30 days
- Goals tied to enquiries or sales
- Fees, extras and ad budget listed separately
- Marathi and English both handled well
- You own your accounts and content
Frequently asked questions
How much should I spend on advertising in Kolhapur?
It depends on your margins and how many customers you need. A sensible start is a budget you can sustain for at least three months, because one month rarely tells you what works.
Should I choose a local agency or one from Pune or Mumbai?
A local team knows the festivals, the neighbourhoods and how people in your town decide. A bigger-city agency may have more specialists. The questions above work for both.
Is a social media agency the same as an advertising agency?
Not exactly. Social media is one channel. An advertising agency can also plan hoardings, print, cinema and launch campaigns. What Is a Creative Agency? explains the difference.
Want a second opinion?
If you already have an agency and are not sure it is working, send us your page and what you are paying for. We will tell you honestly what we see. See our work or talk to us.
मराठीत थोडक्यात
एजन्सी निवडताना त्यांचं आधीचं काम पाहा, तुमचं काम कोण करणार ते विचारा, पहिल्या ३० दिवसांचं नियोजन मागा, आणि फॉलोअर्सऐवजी चौकशी, कॉल आणि विक्री यांचा हिशोब ठरवा. जाहिरातीचं बजेट आणि एजन्सीची फी वेगळी असावी, आणि अकाउंट तुमच्या नावावर असावं.