What does a digital marketing agency actually do? A month-by-month look

Wondering what you'd actually get for an agency retainer? A plain walk-through of the first 90 days and beyond, who does what, and what results look like over time.

Retales Editorial Team · 3 min read · 2 sources

The short answer

A digital marketing agency is a team that plans, creates and runs your online marketing so you get more customers. Depending on what you hire it for, that includes strategy, Google and social media ads, search engine optimisation (SEO), social media content, videos, websites, email and monthly reporting. Instead of hiring five specialists, you get access to all of them for one fee.

Many companies use agencies even when they have marketing staff. Across North America, the UK and Europe, average marketing budgets are 7.7% of company revenue, and about 30.6% of that goes to paid media[1]. Planning and running that spend well is a specialist job.

Services a digital marketing agency offers

  • Strategy: who your customers are, where they spend time, what to say and which channels to use.
  • Paid ads: setting up, running and improving Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok or YouTube ads.
  • SEO: fixing your website and creating content so you appear in Google's free results.
  • Social media management: planning, designing, posting and replying on your pages.
  • Content and video: blog posts, guides, product photos, Reels, Shorts and ad creatives.
  • Websites and landing pages: pages built to turn visitors into enquiries or sales.
  • Email and automation: welcome emails, follow-ups and newsletters.
  • Tracking and reporting: making sure every lead and sale is counted, and explaining the numbers.

What happens, month by month

Month 1: set up and plan

  • Kick-off call: your goals, customers, offers, budget and what has and hasn't worked before.
  • Access to your website, Google Analytics, ad accounts, social pages and Google Business Profile.
  • An audit of your website, ads, competitors and reviews.
  • Tracking set up so calls, forms, WhatsApp chats and sales are counted.
  • A written 90-day plan with targets you both agree on.

Months 2 and 3: launch and test

  • Ads go live with several versions of headlines, images and videos.
  • Content starts going out on a schedule.
  • Website fixes and new landing pages for your main offers.
  • Weekly checks: what's getting leads, what's wasting money.

Months 4 to 6: improve and scale

  • Budget moves to the ads, audiences and keywords that bring sales.
  • More of the content that works, less of what doesn't.
  • SEO results begin to show for new pages.
  • A review: what to keep, what to stop, and what to try next quarter.

What you still need to do

  • Share honest information about your customers, margins and past results
  • Reply to leads fast; the agency can bring enquiries but you close them
  • Approve content and ads within a day or two so campaigns aren't delayed
  • Tell the agency which leads became customers, so they can find more like them
  • Keep your offer, prices and stock competitive
  • Own all your accounts (ads, analytics, website, domain) in your company's name

What a good monthly report should show

  • Spend, leads, sales and cost per lead or sale, compared with last month
  • Which channels, campaigns and content brought results
  • What was tested, what was learned and what changes next
  • Work completed, in plain words, and what's planned for next month

If a report is all impressions, reach and likes with nothing about leads or sales, ask for the numbers that matter.

How Retales works

Retales is a digital growth partner headquartered in New Delhi, India. Each client gets a dedicated team, a written plan, and a client portal where you can see every task, approve work and check results at any time. Get in touch to talk about your goals.

Sources

Every statistic in this article comes from one of these publications. Links open the original source in a new tab.

  1. 1
    Marketing budgets hold at 7.7% in 2025: Gartner CMO survey Campaign, on the Gartner 2025 CMO Spend Survey · campaignlive.comAverage marketing budget is 7.7% of company revenue; paid media is about 30.6% of the budget. 402 leaders in North America, UK and Europe.
  2. 2
    Do you need an SEO? Google Search Central · developers.google.comQuestions to ask before hiring an SEO. "If they guarantee you that their changes will give you first place in search results, find someone else."
What does a digital marketing agency doDigital marketing agency servicesHire a marketing agencyMarketing agency for small businessDigital marketing services

This article is for general information and isn't financial or legal advice. Figures are as published by each source on the date shown.

Questions people ask

Quick answers, based on the sources above.

Still unsure? Ask us directly

What does a digital marketing agency do?

It plans, creates and runs your online marketing, including strategy, paid ads, SEO, social media, content, websites, email and reporting, so you win more customers.

How long before I see results from a marketing agency?

Ads can produce leads within weeks. SEO and content usually take several months. A fair judgement needs three to six months with proper tracking.

Can a digital marketing agency guarantee results?

No honest agency can guarantee rankings or sales. Google itself warns against anyone who guarantees first place in search. Look for a clear process and transparent reporting instead.

Should I keep ownership of my ad and analytics accounts?

Yes. Your Google Ads, Meta ads, analytics, website and domain should be in your company's name, with the agency given access. That way you keep your data if you ever switch.

Do I need an agency if I have an in-house marketer?

Often an agency adds the specialist skills one person can't cover, like ad buying, video editing or technical SEO, while your marketer leads the brand and strategy.

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