How to Tell Whether Your Agency Is Working
Judge an agency against the objectives agreed at the start: progress on outcomes, quality of thinking, honesty of reporting and how easy it is to work with, not just the volume of activity.
To tell whether your agency is working, judge it against the objectives you agreed at the start. Look at progress on outcomes, the quality of its thinking and advice, the honesty of its reporting and how easy it is to work with. A high volume of activity is not the same as progress.
For organisations in Ghana paying a monthly retainer or a project fee, a regular, structured review protects the investment and the relationship.
Start with the agreed objectives
If objectives and measures were agreed at the start, review progress against them. If they were not, agree them now. Without them, any judgement will be subjective. See how to set campaign objectives you can actually measure.
Look at outcomes, not just outputs
Outputs are what the agency produced: posts, releases, events. Outcomes are what changed: enquiries, registrations, sales, partnerships, quality coverage in relevant outlets and changes in how audiences describe you. Both matter, but outcomes show whether the work is moving the organisation forward. See how to measure a PR campaign beyond reach.
Allow realistic time
Some results take time. Reputation, media relationships and organic audiences build over months. Launches and events show results faster. Judge progress against what is realistic for the objective.
Assess the quality of thinking
A good agency:
- Explains why it recommends each activity
- Brings ideas you had not considered
- Tells you when something will not work
- Adapts when evidence shows a change is needed
- Understands your business and audience better over time
Check the reporting
Reports should connect activity to objectives, explain results honestly, note what did not work and recommend next steps. Be wary of reports full of reach figures with no interpretation. See what a useful social media management report should tell you.
Consider the working relationship
Is the agency responsive, organised and clear about who does what? Are deadlines met? Do you feel informed? Problems here often affect results.
Review your own side too
Agency results depend on client input: timely information, access to spokespeople and quick approvals. If these have been slow, address them as part of the review. See how to get the most from your communications agency.
Hold a structured review
Every quarter, meet to review objectives, results, what worked, what did not and what will change. Agree any adjustments in writing.
When to change
If, after a fair period and an open conversation, the agency still cannot connect its work to your objectives, it may be time to change. Use what you learned to brief the next agency more clearly. See how to brief a communications agency in Ghana.
Related reading: what to expect in your first 90 days with a PR agency and red flags when hiring a PR or marketing agency in Ghana.
PR369's Strategic Communications and PR service reports against agreed objectives. Email info@pr369.com with your objective and current challenge. We will begin with a strategy conversation.
