Compare agency capabilities

When you compare agencies in Dublin, stop scanning homepages and look at capability evidence. That means real deliverables, not glossy case blurbs.

Services and specialization matrix

Ask for a matrix that maps services to seniority and outcomes. A good matrix shows:

• Strategic services (positioning, GTM, ABM) staffed by senior strategists.
• Execution services (PPC, SEO, content, creative) listed with middleweight specialists and clear throughput estimates.
• Technical services (CDP, CRM integrations, analytics) with named engineers.

If an agency claims "full stack" but only lists one tech person, flag it. Example: a B2B SaaS client needs both SEO and product-focused content. You want a partner who can pair content strategists with product marketing, not outsource everything to juniors.

Proven results and KPIs

Don't ask for vanity metrics. Ask for the KPI cascades that led to business impact:

• Traffic -> MQL -> SQL -> Opportunities -> Closed-won
• CAC by channel and how it changed after agency work
• Incremental pipeline created per month

Require at least two case studies with raw metrics: starting point, interventions, timeline, and attribution method. If they can’t show attribution beyond "more traffic", they didn’t do the measurement work.

Industry vertical experience

Vertical expertise matters because buying cycles and content formats differ. A fintech SaaS sale is not the same as industrial manufacturing procurement. Look for:

• Depth, not breadth. Two solid clients in the same vertical beats ten shallow projects across industries.
• Evidence of vertical assets: white papers, vertical-specific playbooks, sales enablement used by client reps.

If they claim "we can learn any vertical fast", ask for an example where speed mattered and how they reduced time-to-impact.

Tech stack and integrations

A shortlist must include exact tech stack capabilities: CRM, marketing automation, analytics, tag management, and any CDP or BI platforms they can integrate with. Ask for:

• Integration templates or past integration runbooks.
• Time-to-live estimates for common integrations.
• Team roles responsible for implementation.

If they treat integrations as "optional", you will pay later in manual work.

Essential evaluation criteria

This is where many teams underinvest. The right partner clarifies how work gets done, who owns what, and how you measure progress.

Project process and team roles

Demand a RACI per project phase. Must include:

• Strategy owner (your side and their side).
• Delivery lead responsible for timelines.
• QA and approvals process with concrete turnaround times.

A sloppy onboarding where "we’ll assign a PM later" is a warning sign.

Reporting cadence and dashboards

Agree on a reporting schedule and living dashboards from day one. Practical rules:

• Weekly tactical calls with owners, not 30 people on the line.
• Monthly performance review with causal analysis.
• Quarterly strategy review that resets priorities.

Ask for dashboard screenshots or a demo account. If they deliver end-of-month PDFs only, expect slow reactions.

Data security and compliance

You are giving them access to customer lists, analytics, and possibly product data. Confirm:

• Where data is hosted and who has access.
• Subprocessor list and contractual liabilities.
• GDPR compliance practices and data retention policies.

For regulated sectors, require SOC 2 or equivalent evidence. No exceptions.

Communication and culture fit

This is subjective but decisive. Look for directness and problem ownership. Red flags:

• Vague answers to "what went wrong" examples.
• Over-reliance on junior voices in strategic conversations.

Do a mock crisis scenario in the interview. See how they respond under pressure.

Pricing, contracts, models

Money talks. Make sure the structure aligns incentives.

Common pricing structures explained

• Retainer: Predictable monthly fee for a defined scope. Works if you need steady output.
• Project-based: Fixed price for a defined deliverable. Good for migrations or audits.
• Time and materials: Flexible but requires tight governance.
• Performance-based: Tied to outcomes like leads or revenue. Rarely pure; usually hybrid.
• Revenue share: For early-stage product marketing partnerships. Expect longer payback.

A hybrid model (retainer plus performance bonus) often yields the best alignment.

Typical budget ranges by service

Typical Dublin ranges, per month, realistic for B2B:

• SEO retainers: €2,000 to €8,000
• Paid media management: €2,000 to €10,000 plus ad spend
• Content programs: €3,000 to €12,000
• ABM and demand gen: €5,000 to €25,000
• Integrations and analytics projects: €5,000 to €40,000 one-time

If a proposal is below the lower bound for a sophisticated B2B need, expect gaps.

SLAs, exit clauses, timelines

Contract must include:

• Clear SLAs for deliverables and uptime for any hosted components.
• Notice periods and handover obligations.
• Intellectual property ownership and transfer details.

If they insist on long notice plus retention of work as leverage, rethink the deal.

Performance incentives and guarantees

Reject vague guarantees like "we will increase traffic." Acceptable incentives are:

• Bonus tied to agreed pipeline targets.
• Shared risk where part of fee is deferred until milestones are met.

Don’t accept absolute refunds as the only guarantee. It usually signals an agency that cannot prove impact.

Interview questions and RFP

Treat this like hiring a senior vendor who will interact with your execs and sales team.

Must-ask vendor questions

• Show me the last time a campaign failed. What happened and what did you change?
• Who on your team will actually do the work and how many hours per week will be dedicated?
• How do you handle conflicting priorities from multiple stakeholders?
• How do you prove attribution when multiple channels influence a deal?

Keep the interview practical. Ask for names and CVs.

RFP sections to include

An RFP should be concise and surgical:

• Business context and success metrics.
• Required deliverables and excluded items.
• Data access, tech stack, and security requirements.
• Evaluation criteria and timeline.

Leave room for agency recommendations, but require a baseline approach and budget estimate.

Red flags and deal-breakers

• No willingness to show source data or dashboards.
• Refusal to assign a dedicated delivery lead.
• Overpromising short timelines for complex work.
• Legal terms that absolve them of major responsibilities.

Scoring rubric with weights

Use a simple weighted scorecard:

• Capabilities fit 30%
• Proven results and KPIs 25%
• Team and process 20%
• Pricing and commercial terms 15%
• Culture and communication 10%

Score each vendor 1-5 in each area. This forces trade-offs and stops gut-only decisions.

Expected outcomes and timelines (Dublin)

Calibrate expectations to the market and sales cycle.

Channel benchmarks and targets

Realistic monthly targets for a mid-market B2B company:

• Organic traffic growth 10 to 20 percent over six months.
• MQLs from content 5 to 25 per month, depending on niche.
• Paid media CPL from €50 to €500 depending on intent and sector.
• SQL conversion rates of 5 to 20 percent from MQL.

Adjust these numbers based on deal size and sales cycle.

Project phases and milestones

Typical engagement structure:

• Month 0: Audit, data access, quick fixes.
• Months 1 to 3: Foundational work - tracking, landing pages, initial campaigns.
• Months 4 to 6: Scale what works, refine targeting, begin attribution models.
• Months 7 to 12: Optimize for pipeline and ROI, consider new channels.

Don’t expect funnel-scale outcomes before month 6 unless you already have product-market fit.

Early wins vs long-term ROI

Early wins are tactical and visible: landing page tests, paid ads optimization, quick SEO fixes. Long-term ROI requires structural changes: content pillars, product positioning, sales enablement. Treat early wins as proof points, not the whole strategy.

Shortlist and onboarding checklist

Make the first 90 days count.

Documents to request pre-hire

• Organizational chart of the team assigned.
• Recent case studies with raw data.
• Security and compliance policies.
• Statement of work and sample project plan.

If they hesitate to share these, pass.

Technical setup and integrations

Checklist for day one:

• CRM and marketing automation access with role-based credentials.
• Analytics and tag management access.
• DNS or hosting access for landing pages if needed.
• Clear list of stakeholders with contact info.

Set a 14-day deadline for all access. No access, no progress.

Governance and reporting plan

Establish:

• Weekly tactical working sessions with defined owners.
• Monthly business reviews with leaders that focus on causal analysis.
• Escalation path for missed milestones.

Put the governance document in the contract.

First 90-day success plan

A pragmatic plan:

• 0 to 14 days: Kickoff, audits, critical fixes.
• 15 to 45 days: Launch initial experiments and set up dashboards.
• 46 to 90 days: Measure impact, iterate, and start handover of playbooks to internal teams.

Include two fast experiments aimed at pipeline within 60 days. If none are possible, the engagement is probably strategic advisory only.