If you are comparing social media agencies in Singapore, the fastest way to separate a good fit from a bad one is to ask the same 12 questions of everyone you talk to, then compare the answers side by side. Most small business owners pick based on price and a nice portfolio, then discover the real problems three months in: nobody owns up to a slow month, the account logins turn out to belong to the agency, or the "monthly report" is a screenshot of follower counts. This guide gives you the questions, what a good answer sounds like, and the contract terms worth checking before you pay a deposit.
Start with these 12 questions
1. Who exactly will work on my account?
Ask for a name, not a department. A good agency names the person writing captions and the person approving the plan, and tells you how to reach them. If the answer is vague ("our team handles it"), you will likely be one of many accounts nobody is accountable for.
2. What exactly do I get each month, in writing?
Get a number: how many posts, on which platforms, how many short videos or reels, and whether captions, hashtags and scheduling are included. "We'll post regularly" is not a deliverable. A written scope is what you compare against the invoice later.
3. How often will I hear from you, and how?
Agree a channel (WhatsApp, email, a shared doc) and a cadence (weekly plan, monthly report) before you sign. If an agency cannot say how often you will hear from them, assume it will be rarely.
4. What is the one number you'll report on?
A social media agency can report dozens of metrics. Ask which single number they will hold themselves accountable to, and push for one tied to your business, such as enquiries, bookings or orders from social, rather than only likes, reach or follower growth. Vanity metrics can look good while sales stay flat.
5. Who owns the accounts, the content and the data once we stop working together?
This is the question owners skip most often, and the one that causes the most pain later. You should keep admin access to your own Facebook Page, Instagram account and ad accounts at all times, and you should own the finished posts, graphics and video files, not just a shrinking preview of them inside the agency's tool. If an agency created your business accounts and never added you as an owner, ask for that to be fixed before you pay anything.
6. Can I see work for a business like mine?
Ask for 2 or 3 examples in your industry or a similar one (cafe, clinic, home-based seller, tuition centre, retail) with an explanation of what was done and what changed, not just a slideshow of pretty posts. Be comfortable if an agency is new and says so honestly. Be wary of a confident answer that you cannot check.
7. What happens if a month underperforms?
Every agency has a slow month at some point. Ask how they notice it, how they tell you, and what they change. "We'll let you know and adjust the plan" is a reasonable answer. Silence until you ask is not.
8. What do you need from me, and how often?
Clarify your side of the work: photos, approvals, replies to questions. If the plan depends on you supplying daily content and you know you will not keep that up, say so now and ask how the agency handles it, rather than finding out later that "inconsistent content from the client" becomes the excuse for a quiet quarter.
9. How many revisions are included, and what happens after that?
Ask how many rounds of changes are included per post or per month, and the cost of extra changes. Unlimited revisions sound generous but often mean slower turnaround, because nothing ever gets approved.
10. Is the monthly fee the full price?
Ask whether ad spend, software subscriptions, stock photos or paid templates sit inside the quoted fee or on top of it. A SGD 600 "all-in" quote and a SGD 600 "management fee, ads separate" quote are not the same offer.
11. What is the contract term and the notice period to leave?
A shorter first term, often around 3 months, is a fair way to test a new agency without a long lock-in. Ask what notice you need to give to stop, and what happens to work already in progress and to your final invoice when you do. Vague or unusually long notice periods are worth questioning.
12. Why should I trust you over another agency?
This is less a trick question than a chance to see how an agency talks about its own limits. A confident answer that admits what they are not good at, and explains how they have improved after past mistakes, usually says more than a pitch with no weaknesses at all.
Red flags to walk away from
- Pressure to sign the same day, or a discount that disappears if you "think about it"
- Refusing to name who works on your account
- Reports built only from reach, impressions or follower counts, with no business number
- Account logins created and kept in the agency's name only, with no owner access for you
- "Full-service marketing" with no written list of what that includes this month
- No written scope, price or ownership terms at all
A simple comparison table
Print this and fill it in for each agency you talk to, so you are comparing the same things rather than comparing a feeling.
| Question | Agency A | Agency B |
|---|---|---|
| Named person on my account | ||
| Posts and platforms per month | ||
| Reporting cadence and channel | ||
| Business metric they're accountable to | ||
| I keep account and ad account ownership | ||
| Revisions included | ||
| Contract term and notice to leave | ||
| Monthly fee, ads and extras itemised |
Singapore examples
A home-based baker taking orders through Instagram DMs should ask hard about who replies to comments and how fast, since a missed comment is a missed order. A clinic or tuition centre bound by platform and advertising rules should ask how the agency handles sensitive claims in ad copy. A retail shop with two branches should ask whether reporting is broken down per location or lumped together, since "overall reach is up" can hide one branch doing all the work.
How we answer these questions
Since you are reading this on our own site, it is fair to say where we stand. We send a fixed quote and a written scope in the chat before you pay anything, and a 50% deposit starts the work. Monthly plans have a 3-month minimum and are billed at the start of each month, and two rounds of revisions are included. You can pay by PayNow, bank transfer or card. Our Pro social media plan includes a monthly report. We are one option among many, and the questions above apply to us as much as to anyone else you are comparing.
If you want a written quote to compare against other agencies, message us on WhatsApp with what you need and we will send one, usually the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose the cheapest social media agency?
No. Compare what is actually included for the price, not the headline number. For example, a cheaper plan with fewer posts and no strategy can end up costing more per useful post than a slightly pricier plan that includes planning and a monthly review.
Is a 12-month contract normal for social media management?
Long lock-ins exist, but a shorter initial term, such as 3 months, is safer for a first engagement. You can renew once you have seen real work.
What if an agency will not put anything in writing?
Treat it as a decline. A written scope, price and ownership terms protect both sides, and a serious provider will not hesitate to send them.
Sources
- The Social Target: Questions to ask a marketing agency before you sign
- Do Good Design: Key questions to ask a marketing agency
- Ironclad: The social media management contract
Figures from third-party sources are as published at the time of writing and are not independently verified. Check current prices and rules before you decide.
Want us to handle this for you?
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See Social media management