7 Dirty Little Secrets Every SaaS Marketing Agency Hides

If you're searching for the best SaaS marketing agencies, you've likely read dozens of glowing case studies and bold promises.

But here's the truth: many of these agencies share the same playbook, and it's not built around your growth. It's built around their margins.

At Aimers, we've audited dozens of client accounts after their "agency experience." What we found was eye-opening, and it's time someone said it out loud.

1. “Custom Strategy” Means Copy-Paste with Minor Tweaks

Most agencies claim to build a strategy from scratch. In reality, you're getting a slightly edited version of the same structure they've used for 15+ clients.

What real customization looks like: When working with Propello, we built hyper-targeted campaigns specific to their market positioning and ambitious goal of capturing 12% market share. Generic B2B messaging simply wouldn't work for such a specific objective.

Especially if you're a B2B SaaS company, the nuance matters. But templated ad copy and surface-level personas won't cut it in complex decision journeys.

2. Agencies Optimize for Leads, Not Revenue

The average SaaS marketing agency will report success based on CPL (cost-per-lead) or MQLs.

But a lead that never books a demo, signs up, or converts? Just vanity. You'll get flooded with low-intent traffic if you don't ask the right questions.

Focus on quality over quantity: Our approach with Upper Hand wasn't just driving traffic. We optimized their entire landing page experience to improve lead quality and actual conversions, not just volume metrics.

Ask this: What % of leads booked a call, converted to pipeline, and what was the CAC to SQL ratio?

3. Most Agencies Rely on Ad Platforms, Not Strategy

Google and Meta do most of the heavy lifting. The real difference lies in creative testing, funnel depth, and segmentation, which many agencies skip entirely.

If your agency can't explain how they differentiate you from 100 other SaaS tools in-market, you're paying for media buying, not marketing.

4. “Let's Increase the Budget” - The Default Move

When performance stagnates, some agencies default to one move: raise the budget.

This makes their percentage fee grow, but doesn't guarantee better ROI.

Strategy over spending: With Uppbeat, we achieved 225.5% increase in conversions and 24.94% decrease in CPA through campaign restructuring, not budget increases. Sometimes the solution is smarter targeting, not more money.

Smart agencies test angles, funnels, and offers before asking you to scale.

5. Reports That Look Good - But Say Nothing

You'll get slides with traffic trends, impressions, CTR, and charts that “look positive.” But you rarely see the bad news:

• Campaigns that flopped
• Budget wasted on irrelevant audiences
• Ad sets that never exited the learning phase.

Demand unfiltered transparency. Ask for what didn't work and why.

6. They Don't Care About Your LTV

Most B2B SaaS marketing agencies focus on the first touch: demo booked, lead captured, signup. But SaaS growth is a long game, driven by LTV, expansion, and retention.

If your agency doesn't ask about churn, CAC payback, or ACV, they're missing the full picture.

Long-term value matters: In our experience, the real wins come months later. We've seen sales opportunities value from paid campaigns grow 4X over 12 months when you optimize for customers who actually stick around and expand, not just initial conversions.

7. Many Don't Use Their Marketing Advice

Check their website. Is it ranking? Do they run their own paid ads? Create content? You'll be shocked how many “growth agencies” have 3 blog posts and no real traffic.

If they don't believe in their playbook, why should you?

How to Choose the Right Partner

If you're evaluating the best SaaS marketing agencies, here's what to look for:

• Case studies with verified business outcomes, not just CTRs
• A team that asks smart questions about your business model, not just ad budget
• Full-funnel thinking: from first click to closed deal
• Clear boundaries: who owns what, how performance is judged, and how often strategy is challenged

For a complete step-by-step guide on selecting the right agency, read our detailed post on how to choose a growth marketing agency for your SaaS business.

Final Thought

There are great agencies out there, especially if you're a B2B SaaS company. But don't fall for beautiful decks and vague metrics. Ask real questions. Demand full visibility.

Good agencies can absolutely own strategy. In fact, they often should, given their market expertise and data. Just ensure you're not a passive observer. The best partnerships involve collaborative strategy development where both sides contribute their strengths.

Remember: whether you're working with an agency or optimizing in-house, conversion rate optimization should be a core part of your growth strategy – not an afterthought.

Ready to find a partner that gets it right?

At Aimers, we believe in full transparency, custom strategies, and long-term growth over vanity metrics. We've helped SaaS companies like Uppbeat, Propello, and Upper Hand achieve measurable results through strategic thinking, not just ad spending.

Book a free strategy call – no templated pitches, just honest conversation about your growth challenges and how we might solve them together.