One of the most important aspects you should pay attention to is measuring the work being done by the digital marketing agency you’re working with. Digital media is one of the primary channels through which your brand becomes known.

Measuring the performance of a digital agency’s activities is essential if you want to understand the kind of results you’re getting from the collaboration. But if what you’re also looking for is a deeper understanding of the agency’s organization, the tools they use, and how they communicate with clients — then it’s important to ask yourself: How do I evaluate the strategies created by a digital marketing agency?

Below, we’ll review some important factors you should keep in mind if you’re thinking of hiring — or are already working with — an agency.

Key Factors to Consider When Measuring the Performance of a Digital Marketing Agency

When trying to evaluate the work of a digital marketing agency, most people start by asking themselves the following basic questions:

How Do I Measure My Return on Investment?

In this case, you need to look at your ROI (Return on Investment). ROI helps you assess whether the investment you made has produced proportionate results.

A simple way to know if it’s working is this: if you’re earning more now than you were last month, your strategy is on the right track. Check your invoices and financial reports for proof. If the opposite is true — if earnings are down — it’s likely that customers aren’t responding well to the current campaign.

If that’s the case, inform your agency right away. They should revise the campaign strategy using the data collected during the current phase to improve future efforts and get better results.

ROI metrics go far beyond this basic example — there are more advanced tools available to track and understand your investment’s impact. You can learn more about these tools in: What is ROI and What Should I Know to Measure the Results of My Digital Campaigns?

How Can I Measure the Results and Know if They Match My Expectations?

Understanding how to measure the outcomes delivered by a digital marketing agency helps ensure that your investment is going toward strategies that actually work. That’s why tracking the agency’s efforts is a crucial step in avoiding wasting your budget on the wrong campaigns or platforms.

You can measure results in a variety of ways. For example:

• The amount of content shared by users. This is a clear reflection that the content created and managed by the agency is truly valuable to your audience.
• The number of visits your website receives.
• The level of engagement from your audience — especially if it has increased compared to previous months.

The money you invest in a digital marketing agency often represents a significant portion of your monthly budget. Even if you’re not an expert in the field, it’s absolutely worth taking the time to measure how your current or potential agency is performing.

That’s why we’ve put together a few helpful tips to guide you through how to track and evaluate the efforts of a digital marketing agency — whether you’re already working with them or planning to do so.

1. The Time a User Spends on a Website Before Leaving Is a Key Indicator

If a user enters a website and doesn’t quickly find what they’re looking for, they’ll likely leave right away. This behavior can be measured based on the content the agency has placed on the site. You can ask the agency to give you an estimate of the average time users spend on the web pages they’ve created. This helps determine whether the content is truly engaging or if adjustments are needed.

2. The Number of Clicks Says a Lot About the Quality of the Content

If a digital agency creates content designed to get users to click on offer buttons or visit landing pages — but people don’t click — then something is wrong. The agency should be willing to improve those pieces. You can measure this by asking for the average number of clicks on the most popular campaigns. You can also check whether the copy is persuasive and if the visuals are strong enough to grab attention.

3. How Much Is the Brand Investing in the Agency to Get Customers?

For some businesses, visits or comments alone aren’t enough — they want real conversions: purchases, subscriptions, or filled-out registration forms. The investment the agency requests should be reasonable and aligned with a well-planned strategy to attract potential customers — and ultimately turn them into real clients. Ideally, the return should be greater than the investment. This can be measured based on the cost proposed at the beginning of each campaign and the actual results achieved.

4. How Many People Are Reached With Each Campaign?

To measure what the agency is achieving on social media, look at the results of specific campaigns. For example, if a Valentine’s Day campaign resulted in a noticeable increase in comments, likes, or followers compared to other times of year, that indicates it was well-executed.

However, don’t base your entire evaluation on just one success. Check the results from multiple campaigns and dates. The more data you gather, the better and more balanced your analysis will be.

5. Successful Content Doesn’t Always Require a Paid Strategy

As we’ve mentioned before, when an agency publishes valuable content, it doesn’t always need to be backed by paid ads. Evaluate the performance of unpaid campaigns to see if the agency can generate reach and engagement without large investments. If they can, that’s a great indicator of their creative strength and can motivate you to keep working with them.

6. Where Are Visitors, Subscribers, and Leads Coming From?

Have you ever wondered where your website or profile visitors are actually coming from? Are they arriving from the same social platform? Through paid ads? Did they click on a link? Were they drawn in by an organic post?

This kind of analysis helps you determine whether the agency is overly dependent on paid strategies or if they can attract users through other methods. It’s also a way to measure how well the agency uses different platforms and channels.

7. Subscribers Who Unsubscribe Are Also a Sign of Success or Failure

Before hiring — or while working with — a digital agency, don’t just look at their achievements. Also take into account any signs of poor performance. For example, look at how many users have unsubscribed from email lists, blogs, or newsletters.

High unsubscribe rates could be a sign that the agency’s content, ads, or messaging aren’t hitting the mark. It’s a valuable metric that can help you understand what needs to change.

8. What’s the Website Traffic Like on Pages Managed by the Agency?

Tracking how many people visit your website gives you insight into traffic levels, user interaction, click behavior, and ultimately sales. These indicators help you assess whether the agency’s strategies are delivering the right results and if your online presence is growing.

9. The Number of Completed Forms Can Also Tell You a Lot

A user becomes a potential client once they complete a form — whether it’s for contact, subscription, or registration. Monitoring how many forms have been submitted is a strong way to measure whether the agency is effectively driving conversions.

It also helps evaluate whether the agency’s efforts have genuinely benefited the brand or business, and whether you’re on track to recover your initial investment.

In Conclusion…

Measuring the strategies, results, and performance of a digital marketing agency is essential if you’re planning to grow your business through social media and online content. Every action taken should bring you closer to your goals and help you recover — and exceed — your original investment.

Marketing is important. But digital marketing is vital if your goal is to reach more people and give your business the boost it needs in today’s competitive market.