How do you choose a social media agency?
By Nancy Reda
Published 2026-10-04 ยท Updated 2026-10-04
What should you check before hiring a social media agency?
Checklist
- Relevant experience: have they worked in your sector or toward your type of goal, like app installs, leads or retail sales?
- Case studies with numbers: sales, leads, cost per result. Not just nice designs.
- Market knowledge: Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE behave differently. Ask about Snapchat in KSA and Arabic dialects.
- The real team: who writes, designs, films, replies to comments and buys media? Meet them.
- Video ability: can they shoot and edit short vertical video in house, or do they outsource it?
- Paid media skill: do they run ads themselves with proper tracking, or only boost posts?
- Reporting: ask for a sample monthly report.
- References: speak to one or two current clients.
What are the red flags?
- Promising a number of followers or guaranteed viral posts.
- Opening ad accounts or pages in the agency's name instead of yours.
- No admin access for you to your business portfolio or ad accounts.
- A price per post with no strategy, community management or reporting.
- The same template content for every client.
- Reports full of reach and likes with no link to sales or leads.
- A senior team in the pitch, then juniors you never met after signing.
- Long contracts with no exit clause or performance review.
Ownership matters most. Your Page, Instagram account, ad accounts, Pixel and content files should always belong to your business.
What questions should you ask a social media agency?
- What would you do in the first 90 days for us?
- Which KPIs will you own, and how do you report them?
- Who exactly works on our account, and for how many hours a month?
- How do you split budget between organic content and paid ads?
- How do you handle comments and messages, and what is your reply time?
- How do approvals work, and how many revision rounds are included?
- How do you track sales: Pixel, Conversions API, CRM, app attribution?
- What happens to our accounts and files if we stop working together?
What should a good proposal include?
| What to look for | |
|---|---|
| Goal and KPIs | Business goal, target numbers, and how they will be measured |
| Audience and platforms | Who you target, which platforms and why, per country |
| Content plan | Pillars, posts per month by format (static, carousel, video), languages |
| Production | Shoot days, editing, UGC, influencers if included |
| Community management | Hours or days covered, reply time, escalation process |
| Paid media | Management scope, tracking setup, ad spend kept separate |
| Reporting | Monthly report and review meeting |
| Price and terms | Monthly fee, what costs extra, contract length, notice period |
How do social media agencies charge?
- Monthly retainer: a fixed fee for a set scope. The most common model in Egypt and the Gulf.
- Project fee: one off work, like a launch or a Ramadan campaign.
- Media management fee: a fixed fee or a percentage of ad spend for running ads.
- Performance linked: part of the fee tied to results like leads or sales. This needs clean tracking.
Ad spend is almost always separate from the agency fee. For price ranges in Egypt, see our cost guide.
Egypt vs Saudi Arabia vs UAE: what changes?
- Egypt: Facebook and TikTok drive reach. Quick, witty Egyptian Arabic matters. Selling through Messenger and WhatsApp chats is common.
- Saudi Arabia: Snapchat and X are much bigger than in Egypt (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Influencers need a Mawthooq license. Saudi dialect and culture must feel native.
- UAE: a mixed audience, so English and Arabic content. LinkedIn is large for B2B. Influencers need a UAE Media Council permit.
If you sell in more than one market, ask how the agency adapts content per country, not just translates it.
What OneKind does
We are a Cairo agency founded in 2019, serving Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the GCC. Strategy, content, video, community management and media buying sit in one team, so content and ads follow one plan.
- You own every account and asset from day one.
- We set KPIs tied to sales, leads or installs, not likes.
- Our creative team shoots and edits short video in house.
- Our performance team turns the best organic posts into ads.
For Blue Bus, this mix of content, influencers, UGC and full funnel media buying grew ticket sales more than 30% in 12 months. Whoever you choose, ask for proof like this.
Related guides
What is social media marketing, and what does it include?
Sources
DataReportal, Digital 2026: Egypt
DataReportal, Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia
DataReportal, Digital 2026: United Arab Emirates
GAMR: Mawthooq license service page (Arabic)
Middle East Briefing: UAE influencers must obtain advertiser permit
FAQ
Should I hire a freelancer or a social media agency?
A freelancer suits a small brand with one platform and simple content. An agency suits brands that need strategy, video, community management and ads together.
How long should a contract with a social media agency be?
Three to six months is a fair start, with a performance review and a clear notice period. Organic results need a few months to show.
Should the agency own my ad account?
No. The ad account, Page, Pixel and content should be in your business's name. The agency should get partner access only.
What KPIs should a social media agency report?
Reach and engagement for brand health, plus cost per lead, cost per sale or ROAS for paid work. Every report should end with next steps.
Does the agency fee include ad spend?
Usually not. The fee covers the agency's work, and ad spend is paid to Meta, TikTok or Snapchat separately.
Looking for a social media agency for Egypt or the Gulf? See how we run social media