You’re paying £3,000–£10,000 per month to a marketing agency.
What should you actually be getting for that money?
Most small business owners don’t know. They receive reports full of numbers, but can’t tell if those numbers mean anything. They approve deliverables without knowing if those deliverables matter.
This checklist changes that. Here’s what a marketing agency should deliver — broken down by service type.
Strategic Deliverables (All Engagements)
Every agency engagement should include these, regardless of specific services:
Month 1: Foundation
| Deliverable | What It Is | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery document | Summary of your business, audience, competitors, current state | Proves they understand your business before executing |
| Strategy presentation | Recommended approach, priorities, channels, timeline | Aligns expectations before spending money |
| Success metrics | Specific KPIs they’ll track and targets | Establishes accountability upfront |
| Reporting template | Format for ongoing reports | Sets expectations for what you’ll see |
Ongoing
| Deliverable | Frequency | What It Is |
|---|---|---|
| Performance report | Monthly | Results vs. targets, what’s working, what’s not |
| Strategy check-in | Quarterly | Review of approach, recommendations for adjustments |
| Competitive update | Quarterly | What competitors are doing, implications for you |
Red flag: If an agency can’t provide these basics, they’re executing without strategy.
SEO Deliverables
If you’re paying for SEO services:
Month 1
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Technical audit | Site health issues, crawl errors, speed problems, mobile issues |
| Keyword research | Target keywords, search volume, difficulty, current rankings |
| Content gap analysis | Topics competitors rank for that you don’t |
| Link profile audit | Current backlinks, toxic links, opportunities |
| SEO strategy | Priorities, timeline, expected outcomes |
Monthly
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Rankings report | Position changes for target keywords |
| Traffic report | Organic traffic vs. previous period |
| Technical work log | Fixes implemented, issues addressed |
| Content recommendations | Topics for upcoming content |
| Link building report | Links acquired, outreach activity |
What Good Looks Like
- Rankings for target keywords improving over 6+ months
- Organic traffic growing month-over-month
- Technical issues decreasing
- Clear explanation of what they did and why
Red flag: Reports full of vanity metrics (impressions, total keywords) without focus on target terms and traffic.
PPC/Paid Advertising Deliverables
If you’re paying for Google Ads, Bing Ads, or paid social management:
Month 1
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Account audit | Current structure, wasted spend, opportunities |
| Campaign strategy | Recommended campaigns, targeting, budget allocation |
| Tracking setup | Conversion tracking properly configured |
| Landing page review | Recommendations for conversion optimisation |
Weekly (for active campaigns)
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Spend report | Budget pacing, daily spend |
| Performance snapshot | Key metrics (impressions, clicks, conversions, cost per conversion) |
Monthly
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Full performance report | All metrics by campaign, ad group, and keyword |
| Spend breakdown | Where money went and why |
| Optimisation log | Changes made (bids, ads, targeting) |
| Recommendations | What to test, scale, or pause |
| Competitive insights | Auction insights, competitor activity |
What Good Looks Like
- Cost per conversion decreasing over time
- Conversion rate improving
- Quality scores increasing
- Clear explanation of optimisation decisions
- Proactive recommendations (not just maintenance)
Red flag: Reports that only show spend and clicks, not conversions and cost per conversion.
Content Marketing Deliverables
If you’re paying for content creation:
Month 1
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Content audit | Assessment of existing content |
| Content strategy | Themes, formats, publication schedule |
| Content calendar | Planned topics for 3+ months |
| Style guide | Brand voice, tone, formatting standards |
Monthly
| Deliverable | Quantity (example: £2,000/month) |
|---|---|
| Blog posts | 4 posts (1,500–2,000 words each) |
| Post outlines | For your review before writing |
| SEO optimisation | Each post targeted to keywords |
| Performance report | Traffic, engagement, conversions from content |
What Good Looks Like
- Content that matches your brand voice
- Topics aligned with SEO and business goals
- Consistent publishing schedule
- Traffic and engagement metrics for each piece
- Clear process for your input and approval
Red flag: Generic content that could be for any business. No SEO consideration. Missed deadlines.
Social Media Management Deliverables
If you’re paying for organic social media:
Month 1
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Social audit | Current state, what’s working, what’s not |
| Social strategy | Platforms, posting frequency, content mix |
| Content pillars | 3–5 themes for ongoing content |
| Competitive analysis | What competitors are doing on social |
Monthly
| Deliverable | Quantity (example: £1,500/month) |
|---|---|
| Posts created | 20–30 posts across platforms |
| Content calendar | Scheduled posts for your review |
| Community management | Response to comments and messages |
| Performance report | Reach, engagement, follower growth |
What Good Looks Like
- Content that matches your brand
- Consistent posting schedule
- Active engagement (not just broadcast)
- Follower growth (quality, not just quantity)
- Clear connection to business objectives
Red flag: Posting for the sake of posting. No engagement with audience. Focus on follower count over engagement rate.
Email Marketing Deliverables
If you’re paying for email marketing:
Month 1
| Deliverable | What It Should Include |
|---|---|
| Email audit | Current list health, past performance |
| Email strategy | Campaigns, sequences, frequency |
| Template design | Branded email templates |
| Automation setup | Welcome sequence, nurture flows |
Monthly
| Deliverable | Quantity (example: £1,000/month) |
|---|---|
| Email campaigns | 2–4 campaigns (newsletters, promotions) |
| A/B tests | Subject lines, content, send times |
| List management | Cleaning, segmentation, growth |
| Performance report | Opens, clicks, conversions, unsubscribes |
What Good Looks Like
- Open rates above industry average (20%+ for most industries)
- Click rates improving over time
- List growth (net of unsubscribes)
- Revenue or leads attributed to email
- Clear testing and learning approach
Red flag: Declining engagement rates. No segmentation. Spammy frequency.
Reporting Standards
Regardless of service, reports should be:
Clear
- Written for you, not marketing experts
- Key metrics highlighted
- Plain English explanations
Actionable
- Recommendations, not just data
- What to do next
- What decisions you need to make
Honest
- Acknowledges what’s not working
- Explains failures, not just successes
- Proposes solutions to problems
Consistent
- Same format each period
- Easy to compare month-over-month
- Delivered on time
When to Push Back
Push back when you see:
- Vanity metrics only — Impressions without conversions, followers without engagement
- No comparison to targets — Numbers without context
- All good news — Marketing never goes perfectly; honest reports include challenges
- No recommendations — Data without action items
- Unexplained changes — Results shifting without explanation
Sample pushback questions:
- “Can you explain how this connects to our business goals?”
- “What would you recommend we do differently?”
- “Why do you think [metric] changed this month?”
- “How does this compare to what we expected?”
- “What’s not working and what are we doing about it?”
Good agencies welcome these questions. Defensive agencies are hiding something.
FAQ
How often should I receive reports?
Monthly at minimum for full reports. Weekly check-ins or snapshots for active paid campaigns. Quarterly strategic reviews.
What if my agency doesn’t provide some of these?
Ask for them. Good agencies will accommodate. If they can’t or won’t, that tells you something about their approach.
Should I expect to see results in reports immediately?
Leading indicators (activity, traffic, engagement) should appear quickly. Lagging indicators (revenue, customers) take 3–6 months for most channels.
What’s more important: deliverables or results?
Results. Deliverables are inputs; results are outputs. But without proper deliverables, you won’t get results. Track both.
Related: Digital Marketing for Small Business: The No-BS UK Guide | How to Choose a Marketing Agency (From Someone Who Runs One)
