Vetting someone to plan a launch campaign that ends in bookings

A launch campaign that converts browsers into buyers hinges on who steers it. The tension here is real: you need someone who knows your sector and can map backwards from booking, but verification takes time when you're eager to start. That upfront scrutiny—checking they've actually delivered measurable results, not just designed pretty campaigns—is what separates a hire you'll trust from a costly detour.

Before you vet tactics or ask to see their portfolio, confirm they exist in the professional record. Search the person's name and their agency name on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) database if they trade as a formal entity. Ask for their enterprise registration number or VAT registration if applicable. Many solid practitioners operate as sole traders without CIPC registration, so this is not a deal-breaker, but it does narrow your risk.

Next, ask directly: "Have you run a campaign for someone in my industry that ended in bookings?" Listen for specificity. A vague "yes, I've done hospitality" is different from "I ran a campaign for a wellness retreat in the Winelands that moved their booking rate from 12% of enquiries to 28% over four months." Request a case study or reference from a client in your sector or a close analogue. When you call that reference, do not ask how nice the strategist was. Ask these three things:

• What was the booking rate or conversion metric before the campaign started, and what did it reach?
• Did the strategist adjust the plan mid-campaign based on what was working, or did they stick rigidly to the original brief?
• If you had to scale what they did for someone else, what would you tell them to do first?

The third question matters because it tells you whether they understand your business or just ran a template. Someone who has learned from what worked will answer concretely.

Proof they've thought about the whole funnel

A campaign ending in bookings is not just ads or posts. Ask to see a written plan (even a summary) from a past project. You are looking for evidence of three layers: awareness (who sees it), interest (who engages), and action (who books). If their plan jumps straight to "we'll run Instagram ads" or "we'll post three times a week," they are not planning for booking—they are planning for reach.

Specifically, ask: "How do you ensure someone who sees the campaign actually knows how to book?" The answer should mention something like booking buttons in ads, clear CTAs on landing pages, or a WhatsApp sequence that walks warm leads toward booking. If they mention none of these, they are light on the conversion mechanic.

Also ask whether they track the full journey. Do they know which touchpoint (ad, post, email, referral) actually triggered each booking, or do they only report on vanity metrics like likes and impressions? The first tells you what is working; the second does not.

What to confirm about their ongoing role

Some strategists hand you a plan and leave. Others stay embedded and adjust based on live data. For a launch campaign, clarity is essential. Ask: "If the campaign goes live and we see that a particular message is not converting, how do we test a new angle, and who decides?" A strong answer includes a process and a timeline, not a promise to fix everything in real-time.

Also ask for their retainer or project fee in writing, with a breakdown of what is included—strategy, copy, ad buying, tracking setup, reporting—and what sits outside. If they are vague or bundle it all into one lump figure, ask them to itemise it. You need to know whether they are being paid to think or only to execute.

One final check: ask them to explain (in plain language, not jargon) how they would measure whether the campaign succeeded. If their answer is only about traffic or impressions, walk away. If they talk about booking velocity, customer acquisition cost relative to your margins, or lead quality, they are thinking like someone accountable to your end goal.

Once you have found someone who passes these checks, Strove makes it straightforward to compare their proposal alongside others and see verified reviews from similar clients. Run your verification, ask the hard questions, and only then commit to the campaign.