Insight · Working with agenciesBOFU
What to expect in your first 90 days with a performance marketing agency
The short answer
A good agency's first 90 days look less like "launch ads and wait" and more like a sequence: understand the data, fix measurement, set targets from your economics, launch clean campaigns, test quickly and scale what works. Knowing the sequence helps you judge whether things are on track.
The timeline below reflects how we work at PMG (see how we work); other good agencies follow similar steps.
The 90 days at a glance
| Period | What happens | What you should receive |
|---|---|---|
| Week 0–1 | Access, audit of accounts, tracking, pages and CRM flow | A written audit with the priority fixes |
| Week 1–2 | Measurement plan, targets, channel plan | Unit economics (break-even ROAS, target CAC), a 90-day roadmap |
| Week 2–4 | Tracking fixes, campaign restructure or launch, first creative sprint | Live campaigns, first weekly scorecard |
| Month 2 | Weekly tests across creative, audiences, bidding, pages | Test log, budget shifts with reasons |
| Month 3 | Scale what works, cut what doesn't, plan the next quarter | Quarter review against baseline, next 90-day plan |
Weeks 0–2: measurement before spend
Expect questions about margins, average order value, returns, close rates and customer value. Expect the agency to check whether conversions are tracked correctly — and to fix the Conversions API, offline conversions or GA4 setup if not. It can feel slow, but scaling spend on broken data just scales the mistakes.
Weeks 2–4: launch
Campaigns are rebuilt or launched with clean structures, new creative and, where needed, landing page fixes. Early performance can be noisy while platforms learn: on Meta, ad sets usually need around 50 results in a week to stabilise. Don't judge the agency on the first few days.
Month 2: testing
A steady cadence of tests — creative concepts, offers, audiences, bidding, pages — with each change logged against a hypothesis. Budget should start moving towards whatever produces the cheapest incremental results. You should see the reasoning in the weekly scorecard.
Month 3: scale and review
By now the direction should be clear: blended MER or cost per qualified lead moving the right way against the baseline, and a view of which channels and creatives deserve more budget. The 90-day review should compare results with the starting point, explain what was learned and set the next quarter's plan.
What you need to provide
- Admin or edit access to ad accounts, analytics, tag manager and website, or a developer contact
- Margins, average order value, return and cancellation rates, or deal values and close rates
- Brand assets, product information and any existing creative
- Lead status feedback from sales — weekly at least — for lead businesses
- One decision-maker who can approve tests, budgets and creative quickly
How to judge progress
- At 30 days: is tracking fixed, are campaigns live, are tests running, is reporting clear?
- At 60 days: are the leading indicators moving — cost per qualified lead, new-customer CAC, conversion rates?
- At 90 days: is the main KPI better than the baseline, and is there a credible plan to keep improving?
SEO and content work on a longer timeline; judge those on rankings, traffic and leads over six to twelve months.
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking for more spend before tracking is fixed
- Judging performance in the first week
- Slow approvals that stall tests
- No sales feedback on lead quality
- Changing goals every month
A kick-off checklist
- Access granted to all accounts, with you as owner
- A named point of contact on each side and a shared channel for quick decisions
- Agreed main KPI, baseline period and data source
- Margins, order values, return rates or close rates shared
- Brand guidelines, product information and existing creative shared
- Approval process for creative and budgets agreed
- Dates for the weekly call and the 30-, 60- and 90-day reviews
What good communication looks like
Expect a weekly scorecard that leads with the business numbers, a short call to review tests and decisions, and quick answers on urgent issues. Expect the agency to tell you when something isn't working, not only when it is. If you only hear from them at month-end, or reports change shape whenever results dip, raise it early.
When results come faster or slower
Fast early wins often come from fixing obvious problems — broken tracking, wasted search terms, missing negatives, a slow landing page. Slower starts usually mean the fundamentals need work: margins too thin for current prices, a product that needs better positioning, or a sales process that loses leads. A good agency will say which situation you're in by the end of the first month.
Frequently asked questions
How long before we see results from a new agency?
Paid search and well-run Meta campaigns can show direction within weeks; reliable judgement usually takes 60–90 days. SEO takes longer.
Why does the first month focus on tracking?
Because platforms optimise towards what you measure. Broken or duplicated conversions make every later decision wrong.
Will results dip when we switch agencies?
Sometimes, briefly, while campaigns are restructured and learning. A careful handover and keeping account history minimise it.
How often should we meet?
A short weekly call on the scorecard and tests, and a monthly review of trends and budget.
What if results are worse after 90 days?
Review against the baseline together: tracking, economics, creative volume and lead handling. If the plan isn't credible, use the notice period.
What does the agency need from us in week one?
Access to accounts and analytics, your unit economics, brand assets, and a decision-maker available for quick approvals.
Should we pause campaigns during onboarding?
Usually not. Keep profitable campaigns running while the agency audits, and change things deliberately rather than all at once.
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