When do social media results show?

Ad campaigns give first data within days. Seeing the effect of content on the brand and settling the plan usually takes a few months.

Which platforms should I be on?

Wherever your audience is. Consumer brands usually lead with Instagram, corporate and hiring communication with LinkedIn, and YouTube for a video library and search visibility.

Can I hire an agency just for ads?

Yes, many agencies offer services separately. But when content and ads sit with the same team it is easier to measure what works and improve it.

Whose name should the ad accounts be in?

The brand's. The agency should access them as an authorised user, so the accounts and their history stay with the brand even if the work ends.

What Does a Social Media Agency Do? Scope and Measurement

Short answer

A social media agency runs a brand's accounts to a plan: it sets the tone of voice and content calendar, produces photos, videos and designs, publishes the posts, sets up ad campaigns and improves them every week, and reports results regularly. The media budget is paid directly to the platforms (Meta, Google, LinkedIn); the agency fee is separate. Success is measured not by likes but by numbers tied to the goal: reach, clicks, messages, leads and sales.

What is usually included?

Strategy: audience, tone of voice, content pillars
Content calendar: a monthly posting plan and key dates
Production: photo and video shoots, Reels, design, copy
Publishing: scheduling and posting
Ad management: campaign setup, targeting, budget split, weekly optimisation
Reporting: monthly results and next month's plan

Scope varies between agencies. Whether content production (shooting and design) is done by the agency's own team directly affects the quality and speed of the work.

What happens in the first months?

Kick-off and reviewCurrent accounts, past posts, competitors and goals are reviewed.
PlanTone of voice, content pillars, calendar and the media budget split are set.
ProductionShoot days are planned and the first pieces are designed and sent for approval.
Publish and improvePosts and ads go live; data is reviewed every week and the plan updated.

Media budget versus agency fee

Social media work has two separate costs. The media budget is paid directly to platforms such as Meta, Google or LinkedIn to show the ads. The agency fee covers strategy, content production, ad management and reporting. Quotes that show the two separately let you see where the money goes.

Which numbers to track

Reach and impressions: how many people saw the content
Engagement rate: how many of them reacted
Clicks and website visits
Messages, calls, forms and applications
Sales or bookings (where measurable)
Cost per result: what one message, lead or sale cost

Followers and likes alone are not a measure of success; numbers should be read against the brand's goal.

What the brand needs to bring

Working with an agency is not one-sided. Fast approvals, access to the location and products for shoots, sharing campaign and price information on time and replying quickly to incoming messages all directly affect results.

What does a social media agency do?