Hiring the wrong marketing partner is a little like hiring a personal trainer who only talks about working out but never actually sets foot in a gym. They say all the right things, show you some impressive before-and-after photos, and take your money only for you to realize months later that you’re no closer to your goals than when you started. And it’s not just frustrating—it’s expensive.
The cost of a bad marketing hire isn’t just the check you cut them each month. It’s the wasted time, missed growth opportunities, and all the extra work your team has to do to clean up the mess. Most businesses don’t realize they’ve hired the wrong marketing partner until months (and thousands of dollars) later. And by then? You’re too deep in to back out easily.
So how do you avoid falling into this trap? You learn to spot the red flags early, course-correct when things go sideways, and hire smarter from the start.
Bad Marketing Hires Are Killing Your Budget (And Your Sanity)
A poor marketing hire doesn’t just affect your budget. It slows down growth and creates unnecessary frustration. The most common (and costly) problems businesses face with underperforming marketing partners include:
- Wasted Budget: Every dollar spent on a marketing partner who doesn’t deliver is a dollar you’ll never get back. Think of it like setting money on fire—except slower and somehow more painful.
- Lost Time and Momentum: When marketing partners underdeliver, internal teams get pulled into fixing problems instead of focusing on strategic priorities.
- Brand and Reputation Damage: A poorly executed campaign or an inconsistent brand voice can alienate customers and be difficult to undo.
- Expensive Cleanup Costs: If you’ve ever had to redo an entire campaign or untangle a tracking disaster left behind by an “expert,” you already know: fixing someone else’s mess is way more expensive than getting it right the first time.
These costs can damage both your bottom line and long-term growth. But the good news is, many of these issues can be prevented before you make a hiring decision.
The Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore
If you’ve ever had the feeling that your marketing partner isn’t quite working out (but you’re not sure whether to pull the plug) there are a few telltale signs that it’s time to reassess the relationship.
- They’re all talk, no strategy. If they can’t explain how their work ties back to your revenue, they’re winging it.
- They love vague reports. If your “monthly update” is just a bunch of random metrics with no context or recommendations, congratulations! You’ve hired a glorified data parrot.
- They overpromise and underdeliver. Did they promise “explosive growth” but fail to mention how they’d get there? That’s a problem.
- They’re unresponsive (or just bad communicators). If it takes three follow-ups and a carrier pigeon to get a simple update, they’re not worth your time.
- You’re doing more work than they are. If you’re constantly fixing their mistakes, writing their strategy, or chasing them for updates, then what exactly are you paying for?
If any of these red flags sound familiar, it’s time to either course-correct or consider cutting ties.
How to Get a Struggling Marketing Partner Back on Track
Before you fire them and write an angry LinkedIn post, consider this: some marketing partners aren’t bad—they’re just badly managed. Before calling it quits, try a few things.
Start by revisiting the original expectations. Were goals and deliverables clearly defined from the beginning? If not, resetting expectations and creating more structured accountability measures can sometimes get things back on track.
If expectations were clear and your partner is still underdelivering, have an open conversation about performance. Instead of a generic “We need better results,” ask for specific explanations on what’s working, what’s not, and what they plan to do differently.
Setting stronger KPIs is another way to regain control. If they aren’t already tracking business-driven outcomes—like cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, or lead-to-customer conversion rates—now is the time to set those expectations.
If the same issues persist despite intervention, keep reading.
When to Cut Ties and Move On
There’s a moment in every bad marketing partnership where you realize things aren’t going to get better. If you’ve reached that point, it’s time to offboard professionally and move forward. Every extra dollar spent on the wrong partner is a dollar not spent on the right one.
If they repeatedly miss deadlines, can’t seem to execute without constant hand-holding, or fail to show meaningful progress, it’s over. If their reporting is fluff, their excuses are endless, and their work is average at best, it’s over. If your internal Slack channel has an entire thread dedicated to “What’s Wrong With This Agency?”… yeah, you already know.
It’s okay to walk away. In fact, it’s necessary if you want to stop bleeding time and budget on people who aren’t driving results.
How to Hire Smarter Next Time
The best way to avoid bad marketing hires? A structured hiring and vetting process that ensures you’re working with the right team from the start. Start by figuring out what you actually need. Are you looking for strategy, execution, or both? Many businesses make the mistake of hiring an execution-only partner when they really need someone to own the marketing strategy.
Then, go beyond the case studies. A flashy portfolio doesn’t tell you whether they can execute under pressure or adapt when things go south. Instead of just asking for past work, ask them to walk you through their actual approach. How do they allocate budget? How do they handle underperforming campaigns? What’s their process for measuring success? If they can’t answer those questions with confidence, move on.
And whatever you do, don’t sign a long-term contract right away. Test them first. Start with a small engagement to see if they deliver before committing to a bigger investment.
A great marketing partner isn’t just another vendor, they’re an extension of your team. They communicate clearly, they take ownership of their results, and they actually move the needle. At &Marketing, we help businesses figure out what kind of marketing expertise they actually need, then connect them with the right team to make it happen (even if it’s not us). Whether it’s strategy, execution, or both, we make sure marketing is working—not just happening.
If you’re tired of wasting time and money on the wrong marketing partners, let’s talk. We’ll help you get it right.
