What Businesses Should Expect From a Digital Marketing Agency in Calgary (2026)

You’ve scheduled meetings with three digital marketing agencies in Calgary. Their websites look professional. Their case studies sound impressive. They all promise “data-driven results” and “customized strategies.” And they all cost roughly the same amount.

So how do you choose?

Most businesses choose the agency with the slickest presentation or the most likeable salesperson. Six months later, you’re stuck in a contract and wondering why the agency failed to deliver what they promised.

Choosing a digital marketing agency in Calgary isn’t about finding the cheapest option or the one with the most awards on their shelf. You need a partner who gets your business, has genuine expertise in the channels you need, and will push back when you’re wrong.

Here’s how to separate real expertise from polished sales decks.

What to Ask in the First Meeting

The questions you ask reveal whether an agency knows what they’re doing or whether they’re just good at sounding knowledgeable.

Skip the obvious questions like “What services do you offer?” You already know that from their website. Instead, ask questions that force them to demonstrate expertise and judgment.

“What would you need from us to be successful?”
Marketing isn’t something done to you. It requires collaboration. This question shows whether they view marketing as collaborative or expect you to hand over the keys and stay quiet.

Listen for specific requests like access to sales data, timely feedback on creative, budget flexibility for testing, and regular communication with your team. If they say, “Nothing, just let us do our thing,” that’s a red flag.

“How do you decide when to retire a tactic that’s not working?”
This separates agencies that adapt from agencies stuck running last year’s playbook. Platforms change constantly. Adaptive agencies change with them.

An agency that can articulate how they decide when to stop a tactic won’t waste your budget on strategies that stopped working two years ago.

“What’s your take on [insert current trend]?”
Pick something relevant like AI-generated content, zero-click search, or TikTok for B2B, whatever applies to your industry. The point isn’t whether they agree with you. It’s whether they have an informed opinion.

Agencies that simply regurgitate the latest marketing blog headlines are not thinking critically. Agencies that can explain why a trend does or doesn’t apply to your specific business are doing the strategic work you’re paying for.

“Can you show me an example of when you pushed back on a client request because you thought it was the wrong move?”
You don’t want a yes-person leading your marketing efforts. You want an agency that will tell you when your ideas won’t work, even if it risks the relationship. This question shows you if they have a spine.

Ask for a specific story where they disagreed with a client’s direction and explained why. Bonus points if they can articulate what they recommended instead and what the outcome was.

Red Flags During the Sales Process

The sales process reveals how an agency operates long before you sign anything. Pay attention to these warning signs.

They guarantee specific rankings or traffic numbers.
No legitimate agency can promise you’ll rank #1 for competitive keywords or that your traffic will increase by a specific percentage. Search algorithms, competitor activity, and market conditions are outside anyone’s complete control.

Agencies that make these promises are either inexperienced or dishonest. Either way, you don’t want to work with them.

They won’t explain their process until after you sign.
Some agencies claim their methods are “proprietary” and refuse to discuss specifics during the sales process. This is usually code for, “We use the same tactics as everyone else but don’t want you to know that until you’ve committed.”

You’re not asking for their complete playbook. But you should understand their general approach, what tools they use, and how they’ll measure success before you agree to anything.

Their case studies focus entirely on vanity metrics.
“We increased traffic by 200%!” It sounds impressive until you realize that traffic came from irrelevant keywords and didn’t generate a single lead. “We grew Instagram followers from 500 to 5,000!” means nothing if those followers never engage or convert.

Look for case studies that connect marketing activities to business outcomes. Revenue. Qualified leads. Customer acquisition cost. Lifetime value. Those are the metrics that matter.

They bad-mouth your current agency without asking questions first.
Some agencies try to win business by criticizing whoever you’re working with now. “Wow, your current agency is doing [X]? That’s terrible.”

Maybe it is terrible. Or maybe there’s context they’re missing because they haven’t asked enough questions yet. Agencies that rush to criticize are more interested in making themselves look good than understanding your situation.

They push “proprietary technology” that’s just repackaged white-label tools.
Many agencies claim to have proprietary platforms or exclusive technology. In most cases, they are reselling tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or generic reporting dashboards that you could buy directly for a fraction of the cost.

There’s nothing wrong with agencies using these tools. Everyone does. But don’t pay a premium because they slapped their logo on a standard analytics dashboard.

Green Flags That Signal Real Expertise

Not all agencies are bad, obviously (😉). Here’s what good ones do differently.

They ask about your business model before pitching services.
An agency that immediately starts talking about what they can do for you before understanding how your business works is skipping the most important step. Do you make money through e-commerce transactions, service contracts, subscription renewals, or something else entirely? That fundamentally changes what marketing tactics will work.

Good agencies spend the first meeting asking questions. Who’s your ideal customer? What’s your average deal size? How long is your sales cycle? What marketing efforts have worked? What hasn’t? They’re gathering information so they can deliver a customized marketing plan.

They tell you what won’t work for your industry.
If you run a B2B manufacturing company and an agency pitches Instagram influencer marketing as a core strategy, they’re not thinking about your actual business. They’re pitching what they know how to do regardless of whether it makes sense for you.

Agencies with real expertise understand that different industries require different approaches. They’ll steer you away from channels, tactics, or trends that don’t align with how your customers make buying decisions.

They reference specific platform changes from recent months.
Digital marketing moves fast. Google rolled out major algorithm updates. Meta changed how ads are attributed. LinkedIn adjusted its feed algorithm. TikTok introduced new business features.

Agencies that cannot reference changes from the last six months are not keeping up. You need someone who’s actively testing and learning, not coasting on knowledge even Grandma has.

They have a clear view on controversial topics.
Should B2B companies use AI-generated content? Is organic social media still worth the effort? Are Google Ads worth it for local service businesses competing against massive franchises?

These are debatable questions with valid arguments on multiple sides. Agencies that refuse to take a position (sounds like: “it depends; every business is different”) aren’t being thoughtful. They’re being safe because they don’t want to alienate potential clients.

You want an agency that has opinions based on experience and can defend them with logic and examples, even if you don’t fully agree.

They explain success in your business terms, not marketing jargon.
“We’ll improve your conversion funnel optimization through strategic A/B testing of CTA placement and above-the-fold value propositions” sounds impressive but means nothing to most business owners.

Compare that to, “Right now, 1,000 people visit your site each month, but only 20 fill out your contact form. We think we can get to 40 by making it clearer what you do and who you help. That would double your lead volume without needing more traffic.”

The second version shows they understand what success looks like in terms you care about.

How to Evaluate Their Portfolio and Track Record

Case studies and client lists can be misleading if you don’t know what to look for.

→ Look for clients in industries similar to yours.
An agency that’s worked with construction companies, HVAC contractors, and plumbing businesses probably understands how local service businesses operate. An agency whose portfolio is entirely e-commerce brands might struggle to adapt their approach to professional services.

If they don’t have relevant experience, ask how they’d approach learning your industry. Some agencies are good at adapting. Others just apply the same playbook regardless of context.

→ Check if case studies show real business outcomes.
“Increased organic traffic by 150%” is meaningless without context. Did that traffic convert? Did it come from relevant keywords? Did revenue go up?

Good case studies connect marketing activities to business results: “Reduced cost per lead from $80 to $35 while maintaining lead quality, resulting in 40% more sales appointments within budget.”

→ Evaluate their own marketing.
If an agency can’t market itself effectively, how will it market you? Look at their blog. Is it updated regularly with useful content, or is the last post from 2023? Check their social media presence. Look at their Google Business Profile and reviews.

You’re not expecting perfection. You’re checking whether they practice what they preach and whether they invest in visibility the way they’ll ask you to invest in yours.

→ Look at their team structure and depth.
An agency’s “About Us” page tells you whether they have the bandwidth to serve you properly. Do they show a 3-person team claiming to handle strategy, creative, development, paid media, SEO, and social? Or do they employ specialists in each area?

Look for clear roles with appropriate depth. Junior coordinators are fine, but there should be senior management, too.

Beware of vague titles like “Digital Marketing Specialist” multiplied across multiple team members with no indication of who does what, or a team that’s way too small to deliver on their service promises.

The Contract Conversation

Contract terms reveal a lot about how an agency operates and how confident they are in their ability to deliver results.

Month-to-month versus annual contracts. What’s reasonable?
Some agencies require 12-month commitments. Others offer month-to-month agreements with 30- or 60-day cancellation clauses (👋).

Neither is inherently better, but you should understand what you’re committing to.

Agencies that require long contracts often justify it by saying, “Marketing takes time to show results,” which is true. But it’s also true that bad agencies use long contracts to trap clients who realize three months in that things aren’t working.

A reasonable middle ground: a 3-6 month initial commitment to give strategies time to work, then month-to-month after that if you’re seeing progress.

Warning Signs After You’ve Started Working Together

Sometimes problems don’t emerge until you’re a few months into the relationship. Here’s what to watch for.

They go quiet between monthly meetings.
You shouldn’t need to chase your agency for updates. If you’re always the one initiating contact or if they only communicate right before scheduled meetings, they’re probably neglecting your account.

Good agencies check in proactively when they see something worth discussing, like a platform change or an opportunity to test something new.

They resist when you ask questions.
You’re paying for their expertise, which means you’re entitled to understand what they’re doing and why. Agencies that get defensive when you ask questions or that respond with vague non-answers are either hiding something or don’t understand their own strategies.

“That’s just how the algorithm works” isn’t an answer. “We’ve found that [specific tactic] tends to perform better because [reason], but we’re testing variations to see if we can improve further” is an answer.

They pitch add-ons every month without explaining why.
Agencies should recommend additional services when they make strategic sense, not because they need to hit sales quotas. If every monthly meeting includes a pitch for something new (Have you considered doing dance videos on TikTok? What about tripling your Meta ads? We’ve been trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty)… they’re more focused on expanding the contract than improving results.

What Great Agencies Do Differently

Not everything is a red flag or a warning sign. Here’s what healthy agency relationships look like.

They teach you why they’re recommending something.
“We should increase your Google Ads budget” is a recommendation. “Right now you’re spending $1,000/month and getting 50 leads. We’re running out of budget halfway through the month, so your ads stop showing for the last two weeks. If we increased to $2,000, we’d run all month and probably get you 75-80 leads instead of 50.” That is teaching.

Good agencies want you to understand digital marketing, not keep it mysterious so you stay dependent on them.

They tell you when something’s working so well you should do more of it.
Some agencies are hesitant to recommend increasing spend on what’s working because they’re worried about looking like they’re just trying to grow the contract. Good agencies will say, “This channel is outperforming everything else by 3x. If we shifted budget here from [underperforming channel], we’d probably see better overall results.”

They optimize for your outcomes, not for keeping every channel active so they can bill for managing it.

They have opinions about your business, not just your marketing.
After working with you for a few months, good agencies will notice things about your operations, pricing, sales process, or product offering that affect marketing performance. And they’ll tell you.

“Your sales team is closing 60% of the leads we send them, which is really high. That tells me your pricing might actually be too low,” or “We keep hearing the same objection in ad comments. Have you considered addressing that on your homepage?”

They see the bigger picture, not just their specific scope of work.

They don’t bill you for every small adjustment.
Need to update a single sentence on your website? Want to test a different headline in your ads? Good agencies just do it. They don’t send you a change order for 0.5 hours of work at $300/hour.

Agencies that bill for every tiny adjustment either don’t trust the relationship will last, or they’re trying to maximize revenue at your expense. Neither is good.

How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Agency in Calgary

Chemistry matters. You’ll be talking to this agency regularly, so you need to like working with them. But don’t let a charismatic salesperson override your judgment about whether they have the expertise to back up their promises.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

• Have they demonstrated knowledge of my industry or similar businesses?
• Did they ask enough questions about my business before pitching solutions?
• Do their case studies show results that matter, not just vanity metrics?
• Do I feel like they’re being straight with me, or are they telling me what they think I want to hear?
• Can I see myself working with these people for the next year or more?

If you’re hesitating on more than one of these, keep looking.

The best agency relationships feel like partnerships. You’re working toward the same goals. They are invested in your success because it directly impacts their own. They’re honest when things aren’t working. They celebrate wins with you. And they’re constantly thinking about what’s next, not just executing the same playbook they’ve used for the last five years.

That’s what you should expect when choosing a digital marketing agency in Calgary. Anything less isn’t worth your time or money.

If you want a second opinion on your current agency or help evaluating proposals you’ve received, we’re happy to talk through it with you, even if you don’t end up working with us. Sometimes the most valuable thing an agency can do is help you make a better decision, regardless of who you choose.